SomethingUnreal | WIP: Custom program for printing to Epson dot matrix printer @SomethingUnreal | Uploaded 9 years ago | Updated 3 hours ago
I'm experimenting with making a program to print an image to my dot matrix printer much faster than when using the Epson driver (it avoids changing print colour often), and with a lot more options. Here's a speed comparison, plus an extra video at the end showing it being the fastest I've ever seen it print a colour image. Not shown in this video are the program's extra options for dithering, and being able to print very long images. Well, the program's not really shown at all here, since it's nowhere near complete yet (or even working properly), so this video just shows off the things that... sort-of-work so far.
The printer in this video is an Epson LQ-300+II.
My program sends raw ESC/P2 data (Epson's printer control codes) to any printer port that you have installed (including USB-to-printer adaptors), with no need for the Epson driver. It bypasses the page limit length enforced by the driver, provides detailed dithering options (including error diffusion, used in this video), and takes a different approach to printing colours. This approach is designed to be much faster than colour printing using the Epson driver, but my program has to fight against the printer's urge to merge everything internally and print all 4 colours slowwwwwly on every line. It seems to all depend on timing - wait a moment so that it starts printing - which I'm very disappointed in, because different printers will print at different speeds. This means it'll be hard to make a program that works well with any ESC/P2-compatible printer. It will at least end up with the correct ink on the paper - it just might take 10 minutes to print. Oh well~
EDIT: Newer progress: youtube.com/watch?v=6gyzlScdiTQ
I'm experimenting with making a program to print an image to my dot matrix printer much faster than when using the Epson driver (it avoids changing print colour often), and with a lot more options. Here's a speed comparison, plus an extra video at the end showing it being the fastest I've ever seen it print a colour image. Not shown in this video are the program's extra options for dithering, and being able to print very long images. Well, the program's not really shown at all here, since it's nowhere near complete yet (or even working properly), so this video just shows off the things that... sort-of-work so far.
The printer in this video is an Epson LQ-300+II.
My program sends raw ESC/P2 data (Epson's printer control codes) to any printer port that you have installed (including USB-to-printer adaptors), with no need for the Epson driver. It bypasses the page limit length enforced by the driver, provides detailed dithering options (including error diffusion, used in this video), and takes a different approach to printing colours. This approach is designed to be much faster than colour printing using the Epson driver, but my program has to fight against the printer's urge to merge everything internally and print all 4 colours slowwwwwly on every line. It seems to all depend on timing - wait a moment so that it starts printing - which I'm very disappointed in, because different printers will print at different speeds. This means it'll be hard to make a program that works well with any ESC/P2-compatible printer. It will at least end up with the correct ink on the paper - it just might take 10 minutes to print. Oh well~
EDIT: Newer progress: youtube.com/watch?v=6gyzlScdiTQ
![[MIDI] Mii-tan no Mahou de Pon!! (Popotan) [SC-88Pro]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/4JhmKqyitVA/hqdefault.jpg "[MIDI] Mii-tan no Mahou de Pon!! (Popotan) [SC-88Pro]
I finally finished this MIDI for the Roland SC-88Pro synth. This is Miis theme from the H-game Popotan, originally by UNDER17. Making a musical synth say Iyaan! was fun, amusing and surreal.
I decided to do away with the loli voice effect that I used in the incomplete version (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsQjKQw_nPs), because the effect broke whenever there was a strong pitch-bend.
The 3D visualisation is MIDITrail, scrolling text is BaWaMIs MIDI message view (my MIDI players interpretation of them), and in the top-right is the Sound Canvas synths LCD itself.
Production time took about 4 days, including time I couldnt do anything because I was at work or dead from this cold that I have. This is, without a doubt, the new most-complicated MIDI Ive ever made, with many SysEx messages throughout changing the routing to the Insert FX and its parameters, along with tons of control changes, some instrument changes (16 just isnt enough), a user-defined drumkit, 3 percussion channels, and a healthy dose of pitch-bends (with varying sensitivity). My Suwa Foughten Field MIDI remake had some of these, but I think this sounds better, and certainly posed more challenges.
Blog post with some links:
http://somethingunreal.homeip.net/blog/?p=1045
Version at Niconico:
http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm22915969
You can download all of my SC-88Pro MIDIs here:
http://somethingunreal.homeip.net/88pmidi/")
![[Unedited] LW Radio + Soundcase = Interesting sounds [HD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/4WhdXSZWiPQ/hqdefault.jpg "[Unedited] LW Radio + Soundcase = Interesting sounds [HD]
Just a quick and messy video showing the crazy-sounding interference my soundcase causes an LW/AM radio to receive.
The soundcase is connected to the radios headphone socket, to give the soundcase some sound. The sound triggers the lights, which causes the interference sounds, and from then on, its a feedback loop.")
![MCM Expo Masquerade: The Millennium Battalion [HD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/4qfZ6UaLVaQ/hqdefault.jpg "MCM Expo Masquerade: The Millennium Battalion [HD]
One of the many groups performing at the London MCM Expo cosplay masquerade this time (Sunday 24th May 2009). I was particularly impressed by this groups performance/costumes, so Im uploading this HD video I recorded of them.
Unfortunately, I didnt have a very good view of the stage from the seat I was given (although what the cam saw is much better than what I could see myself), and I had to look at the live view on the wall from the projector when one person crouched, making themselves impossible for me to see through the audience. Sorry about that.")
![MCM Expo Masquerade: Trance Kuja [HD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6YTpEicXJiQ/hqdefault.jpg "MCM Expo Masquerade: Trance Kuja [HD]
One of the many people performing at the London MCM Expo cosplay masquerade this time (Sunday 24th May 2009). I was really impressed by this costume (and, in fact, this ended up being voted the best costume), and so Im uploading this HD video I recorded of them.
Unfortunately, I didnt have a very good view of the stage from the seat I was given (although what the cam saw is much better than what I could see myself).")
![[HD] Jet planes passing overhead (landing) at Luton Airport](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6YwZI-zIgZI/hqdefault.jpg "[HD] Jet planes passing overhead (landing) at Luton Airport
Just a few planes from directly below as they come in to land at Luton Airport (UK). This was recorded on the second of March 2009 (...I think), in the morning, so we didnt have the issues of light which we had in my previous video of planes flying overhead. Im not sure we were as close vertically as we were in my previous video
( http://youtube.co.uk/watch?v=lt-iVd_NPdY&fmt=18 ),
but the fact that this one is in HD hopefully makes up for it.")
![StepMania (x3, Heavy, 866 combo, AA) : [Touhou] 御伽の国の鬼が島](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6eilHn_1464/hqdefault.jpg "StepMania (x3, Heavy, 866 combo, AA) : [Touhou] 御伽の国の鬼が島
This was a test of my crappy endurance.
Sorry about the long intro.
I mixed in the MP3 of the music during play because, in the audio directly from my camcorder, the key-hitting made it very hard to hear the music from my speakers.
The songs title can be transliterated to otogi no kuni no oni ga shima, and the song was created by ZUN.
This simfile is part of the Touhou 2 pack for StepMania, which can be downloaded here:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=EQQD6I0X
(124.79 MB!)
Also, just for the record, I did this on the 7th of June but have only just uploaded it. Ive improved a little more since then, so therell be slightly more advanced key-crunching vids on the way soon. =D")
