I am building a video sculpture that requires a small pc similar to the size of the Artigo http://thefutureofthings.com/articles/1016/artigo-via-s-diy-micro-pc.html
But it needs to run generative vvvv graphics at 1024 x 1280 resolution. The graphics will just be 2d kaliadascopic movements.
Does anyone know if that unit will run that kind of live vvvv graphics at that resolution or know of any other mini pc to look at that is of similar tiny size?
Thanks.
Hi kitwm !
well I have no mini pc but done some test with ultra weighted laptop and old pc. What is sure is that you need a graphic card with 512 to 1G Ram and minimu dual core.
Best would really to buy a shuttle box and make construct ( or do it yourself) you own Shuttle or any box of little size, with a 1GB ATI or NVIDIA card, and choosing yourself mainboard and processor, feeting your needs and budget.
The micro machine in your link seems too much related to desk work than anything.
Secondly, from my (little) experience, never begin a patch on your home machine, before having the final computer in front of you: there are some little weird things that makes difficult to donwgrade a complete complex all working patch on lower machines ;-)
Lets says: build it for and from this micro PC
Digital Slaves, beyond all its different talents, may surely help you about this hardware topic.
Hi Karistouf,
thanks for your reply.
the PC is being used in a sculpture that will be playing vvvv graphics on an LCD screen. The computer will be enbedded in the sculpture and only access to the PC will be to the power button…
I think I am right when I say its possible that if someone turns the PC on, vvvv can startup automatically and display the visuals on the LCD screen in fullscreen.
However is it possible that when the power button is pressed again that vvvv can shutdown and the PC can also shut down?
This is to make the sculpture self contained, and would not require the user to interface with the PC.
Thanks.
just a link to vvvv in the Start folder. the arg.txt file must point to your patch
to make close correctly by gallery owner you should just had a little GUI with a simple directX renderer and a button and use VVVV close and System Close nodes
or if you know when the installation has to be up
some bios allow you to specify days and hours
for the wake up (eg:everyday @ 10:00 am except sunday)
you can program the switch off inside vvvv (time nodes with days, hours etc…)
I would also like to sell the piece as a self contained sculpture…
So if the user can simple turn it on and of from a single button on the casing that would be the best option…
Am I asking too much?
not at all. but you need to automate windows procedure, and to make beta tests with people that dont know anything about it. you would be surprised by things that people may do. dnt forget to get an UPS with it
even more easy: just put a shortcut to the rootpatch into the startup-folder!
only make sure you have only one version of vvvv installed.
if you don’t use the mouse in your installation you could hide one mousebutton somewhere in the sculpture, with a peekhole, like the resetbutton of a router.
then connect that button to Shutdown (Windows)
Does that mean the sculpture would need two buttons?
question: isn’t it possible to just press the power button, no fancy tricks required? doesn’t this OS-signal overrule the running vvvv, and just shut down the computer? shouldn’t hurt vvvv, if you don’t save the patch?
only one button for shutdown.
BIOS: PowerState after PowerFailure: Always Power On
this way you can start the pc by supllaing it with power.
edit: Do not do this
like^quote:kalle:
BIOS: PowerState after PowerFailure: Always Power On
^
Just kill the power to switch off and turn the power back on to start up, it´s common practice. I´d use a SSD though, “normal” HDs are prone to failure in this regard.
are you sure about that Bjoern ? when i see the pain i have with certain computers not really well treated by users, i have a real doubt about this. is it more giving a weakness to the project than anything ?
personnaly i would recommand really
-UPS supply to protect PC from abrupt shutdown or voltage troubles, especially if there is calculation
-one button to shutdown VVVV and system
-start of vvvv by Putiing ON computer + batch script linking to VVVV root
SSD hardrive is a really good suggestion
@@bjoern
i do definitely NOT consider switching off the powersupply as a possible solution for shutdown.
even not with SSD.
it may work well for ~200 times, the 201st time it crashes.
as for mini-pc’s, i’ve used a zotac zbox hd11. nice power in a small package.
@@kalle))/((user:karistouf
SSDs don´t contain any moving parts so they should be safe hardware-wise, data could be corrupted though if anything is written to disk during the power outage. Don´t know if CPU/GPU or other usually cooled chips could get damaged because of a heat surge due to lack of cooling… But a lot of exhibits I made work this way, never caused any trouble (at least as far as I can tell).
@bjoern: sincerely it s a sort of a crime to recommand such solutions as switching off to close v4 and os ! its not at all serious ( with my respect).
except if you are ready to go on place and repair the OS each time there is a problem !!!
about ssd did you heard there was a lot of things are done to redistribute stockage on the disk. its in fact the main pb with ssd: how is saved and where data, and temp data. closing abruptly windows will, despite no mecanical parts, may creates some strange troubles
@@bjoern:
possibly corrupted data is reason enough for not recommending those “techniques”.
it’s no fun travelling in the remote desert to fix things that happened because of stupidity.
Edited my original post so hopefully no one considers it an option.
Beware the wrath of @Kalle!
oulalalala yes Kalle sometimes has a Thorn attitude ( or maybe Odin ?) … a kind of nordic god of war ! very slicing ! ;-)