Argent Data Systems Hyperion Hoop User manual

Hyperion
Hoop
Owner’s Manual
Revised 12/3/2018
Includes 2018 Phoenix Hoop and Hyperion ite
This manual has information for casual and advanced users, plus troubleshooting
and repair information. You probably don’t need to read the whole thing, but we
recommend at least skimming the first section.
Sales, service and support:
[email protected]om
[phone] (or from outside the US, + 805 6 9 45 5)
Argent Data Systems, Inc.
2 Tama Ln Ste B
Santa Maria, CA 93455

Important Notes
Your hoop comes pre-loaded with more than a thousand patterns and is ready to use, but
please read this section first!
For hoops with removable batteries:
Use only 145 size lithium-ion rechargeable batteries in your hoop (1 44 size for
the Hyperion Lite).
Put only one battery at a time in your hoop.
Don’t try to use the hoop’s batteries in a device designed for regular AA batteries.
The higher voltage may cause damage to the device.
Don’t short the battery terminals! The battery can get extremely hot or even catch
fire. Don’t keep it in a pocket with your car keys, for example. We’re speaking from
personal experience on this one.
When the hoop shows a single flashing red light, the battery is nearly dead. Shut off
the hoop, change batteries, or connect it to a USB charger. Draining the battery
more than necessary will shorten the battery's life.
Phoenix hoops ship with their battery disconnect switch in the ‘off’ position. This switch is
located inside the open end of the hoop. Press this switch until it clicks to activate your
hoop. You’ll normally only use this switch for long-term storage or shipping. Out is ‘off’, in
is ‘on’.
Right out of the box your hoop may be a bit out of round. Leave it flat on the ground,
preferably in a warm place, and it will return to its normal shape.
Batteries come partially charged. You can use them right away but they might not last
long until they’ve been fully charged. If you're the patient type, you can put them in the
charger while you read this manual.1
About this Manual
This is very possibly the longest manual ever written for a hoop that includes no
information on how to actually hoop. Don’t be intimidated by the size of the manual or
the number of buttons on the controls – you can get started by just turning on the hoop
and experimenting. It’s safe to press any button on either remote to see what happens.
All of the functions that have lasting effects require a button to be held down. Everything
else can be undone by turning the hoop off and back on again.
Software updates for the hoop can add and change features and the functions of the
remote controls. This manual applies to the latest software version at the time it was
printed. If you install software updates, you should check the Hyperion website for
updated instructions.
Or if you're like 90% of new hoop owners, you're probably only reading this manual now because you ran all of the batteries down as soon as
you got the hoop out of the box and now you have to wait for them to recharge. We understand.

This manual covers both the original Hyperion hoop and Hyperion Phoenix hoops starting
with the 2 18 model. The main difference between the two is the battery configuration.
The original Hyperion has a single removable battery, and the Phoenix has five
permanently installed batteries. Their software is identical. The Hyperion Lite has
different software but functions essentially the same, except for the lack of wireless
connectivity and USB charger.
Turning on the Hoop – Removable battery models
Put a charged battery in the open end of the hoop, with the positive end (marked with a
‘+’) facing out. Be careful – leaving a battery in backwards could damage the charging
circuit in some hoops. Adding a bit of tape to the ‘+’ end of the battery can make it easier
to identify by sight and feel2.
Connect the two ends of the hoop. A spring button locks the connector into one of two
positions. The outer hole is the ‘off’ position, and the inner is the ‘on’ position. The hoop
should turn on as soon as the connector is closed completely.
Turning on the Hoop – Internal battery models
Phoenix hoops have two power switches. One is located inside the open end of the hoop.
This is the battery disconnect switch, and it’s used to completely disconnect the internal
batteries. You can normally leave this switch on unless you’re not planning to use your
hoop for an extended period, if you need to ship your hoop, or if you need to reset the
electronics.
Once the battery disconnect switch is on, you can turn on the hoop by pressing the button
located next to the USB port, or hold down any button on the remote.
2 We like to use glow-in-the-dark tape to make the batteries easy to find in the dark. Especially when you drop them on the ground in the
middle of a crowd at a music festival.

Startup
The hoop will always display a short startup pattern to indicate it’s starting and to test all
of the LEDs. The first LED will light red and the last will light blue, and all of the LEDs will
light either white or green (depending on the software version) in quick succession. If you
don’t see the red and blue LEDs or if any of the other LEDs fail to light, follow the
troubleshooting information found later in this manual.
Out of the box, your hoop is set to shuffle mode and will change to a random pattern
every 1 seconds. The default brightness is about 75%.
Changing Patterns and Modes
Most of the hoop’s functions are controlled by the two remote controls. The small
keychain remote has just the basics. The large remote has more options and buttons to
jump directly to favorite patterns and folders.
The patterns that come loaded on the hoop are organized into 16 folders. The hoop will
start out playing patterns from every folder. You can access a specific folder by pressing
one of the 16 unlabeled color buttons on the big remote. The first button, in the upper left,
corresponds to the first folder, with the folders arranged in alphabetical order. This
manual won’t list the details of the pattern folders because they’re frequently being
updated and occasionally reorganized. Generally each folder sticks to a theme, like
rainbows or characters and logos.
If you press a folder button, the hoop will only play patterns from that folder until you
choose another folder or press the ‘next folder’ button to exit folder mode.
To make the hoop stay on the current pattern, press the play/pause button or hold the
button. To resume cycling through patterns, press the button again.
When its battery runs low, the hoop will start dimming the LEDs to squeeze a few more
minutes out of the battery. Once the battery is too low to keep the hoop running, it will
switch to showing a single blinking red LED.
In some cases the hoop might die before giving a low battery warning, particularly if you
put in a battery that was already almost dead. If this happens, the pattern will freeze and
will usually appear red or orange. Remove the dead battery promptly; leaving a battery to
run down until it’s completely dead will shorten its life.

Charging
Removable batteries are charged using the provided 2-slot charger, which comes with its
own instruction manual. They can also be charged more slowly, one at a time, when
installed in the hoop if the hoop is connected to a USB power source. Note that the
Hyperion Lite does not have an internal charger.
Non-removable batteries must be charged via USB. Simply plug your hoop in to any USB
power source with the provided cable, or any Micro-USB cable.
Automatic Sleep Mode
When it’s flat on the ground and not moving, the hoop will automatically go to sleep after
a few seconds. It’ll wake up again as soon as you move it. This function can be turned off
in the configuration file. It’s useful for working with multiple hoops on stage or if you’re
just taking a break at a festival. It still uses some power, though, and shouldn't be left in
sleep mode for more than a couple of hours.
hat To Do hen Something Goes rong
If you have trouble with your hoop, please jump to the troubleshooting section of this
manual for things to check and fixes for common problems.

hat's in the box?!
Your hoop comes with an accessory pack that contains several items. The contents may
vary a bit from what's in this manual, but presently the kit includes:
•Battery charger. (Removable battery models only.) Charges one or two batteries
at a time, and includes an AC wall adapter and a DC car adapter. The charger
includes its own manual. It's not nearly as interesting as this manual.
•Remote controls. We'll get to those a little later on.
•USB cable. A standard micro USB type B cable like most cell phones use for
charging. You can use this both to charge the battery and to connect the hoop to a
computer.
•Spare remote control battery. CR2 25 size coin cell. Both remotes have a small
battery tray at one end that can be pulled out after squeezing the tab in with a
fingernail.
•Petroleum jelly. If the connector gets too tight to open and close easily, a tiny dab
of this stuff will help it slide.
•Sandpaper. You can use this to add some grip to your hoop.
•Manual. Looks like you’ve figured this one out already.
•O-ring. Earlier models sometimes had a small gap between the ends of the hoop
that was filled by an o-ring, and this one was included as a spare. It's still included in
case your hoop develops a gap over time as it breaks in.
•Hex key. Also called an Allen wrench – it's the black L-shaped metal tool. . 5 ”
size for current hoops, . 35” for older ones. This tool can be used to disassemble
your hoop or to tighten the screws if they start to work loose.
Grip
Your hoop ships smooth, with no grip treatment. One of the most popular ways to add
grip is to lightly sand the inside of the hoop. The accessory pack includes two different
grades of sandpaper that you can use to customize the grip to your liking. You can also
add grip with tape – ½” gaffer tape or 3M Nexcare first aid tape both work well. Sanding
and taping will both tend to cause the hoop to collect more dirt. See the maintenance
section for cleaning tips.
If you add tape to your hoop, be sure you don’t cover up the remote control receiver. The
receiver is located on the inner edge of the hoop, just below the USB port.

About the Name
It’s pronounced hy-PEER-ee-en. In Greek mythology, Hyperion (“The High One”) was the
Titan of light, son of Gaia (goddess of Earth) and Uranus (god of the sky). It's also the
name of a moon of Saturn3, a great series of books by Dan Simmons, the genus of a really
scary-looking beetle, the world's tallest known living tree, Los Angeles' main sewage
treatment plant, an unfinished epic poem by John Keats, Jim Raynor's flagship in StarCraft,
and a horribly boring piece of database reporting software that this author used in a
previous life when it was called something else. The hoop's named after the Titan,
though.
3Saturn seems like the obvious answer when you think of hoop-themed celestial bodies, but Jupiter’s largest moon, Ganymede, is named for the mythological
Trojan youth abducted by Zeus to be his cup-bearer, and in ancient Greek art as far back as 5 BC he’s depicted with a hoop. He’s also shown running
naked and holding a cockerel while rolling his hoop and I’m not sure what’s up with that, but you could probably still get away with it at Burning Man today.
As long as you didn’t get feathers everywhere, anyway.

Remote Control Functions
Your hoop comes with two remote controls: a 7-button keychain remote with the most
commonly used functions, and a 44-button remote with more functions and presets.
The instructions here are for the current versions of the remotes. If you have an older
hoop, the remotes may have different labels. The functions are all the same, only the
labels have changed.
Keychain remote functions
Press for next pattern, hold to toggle shuffle
mode
Press for next chaser mode, hold to change
chaser motion
Next pattern motion mode
Next folder
Brightness up/down
Press to change rotate interval, hold to stay
on current pattern

44-Key remote functions (from upper left to lower right)
Brightness up/down
Hold current pattern or resume auto-play
Thumbs up / down – see playlist management
Show battery level
Next folder
Jump to folder 1-16 (numbered buttons)
Next / previous pattern (purple arrow buttons)
Next / previous palette (painter’s palette icon)
Change motion mode (color swirl icon)
Faster / slower auto-play time (rabbit and turtle)
Saved favorite patterns (stars 1-6)
Sync to music tempo (music note icon)
Shuffle on / off (twisted arrows icon)
Wireless link control
Sleep
Special functions
Menu (reserved for future use)
For best results, aim the remote control directly at the receiver. It’s located on the inner
edge of the hoop below the USB port.
Any Hyperion remote will work with any Hyperion hoop. If you’re using multiple hoops
close together, you can disable the hoop’s remote receiver temporarily to avoid
interference during a performance. To disable the remote receiver, press brightness up –
down – up – down. The hoop will briefly flash yellow, and the remote control will be
disabled until the next time the hoop is powered on. You can also disable the remote in
the configuration file.

About Pattern Files, Chasers, and Motion Modes
In its most basic mode, the Hyperion plays repeating light patterns at a constant rate.
Simple patterns, like fine texture patterns, may repeat faster than 1 times a second.
Slower color fading patterns might take several seconds to repeat, and some patterns are
constant. More than a thousand patterns come pre-loaded on your hoop. More
information about creating and managing patterns can be found later in this manual.
Some modes use only a single pattern file to create a pattern. Others use combinations of
overlay or palette files as well to create more complex effects. Each pattern file can
optionally have a configuration file (with the same name as the pattern file but with a .ini
file type) that tells the hoop how to combine the files and what effects to apply.
Overlays are special single-line patterns, stored in their own folder, which the hoop can
display on top of regular patterns. Most often they are relatively simple, consisting of
points of light. Overlays can be set to move independently of the pattern. They work best
with dark or sparse patterns. Bright, dense patterns will tend to wash out the overlays and
make them hard to see.
Palettes are also image files, but instead of defining a pattern, they provide a set of colors
that are applied to other pattern files. Not all patterns are designed to work with palettes.
Several motion modes control how the chasers and patterns move. You can use the
motion mode buttons on the 44-key remote to select modes. Some of the modes will
rotate the pattern or chasers at a fixed rate and some will cause them to react to the
motion of the hoop. Try rotating the hoop on each axis to get a feel for how the different
motion modes work.

Customizing your Hoop
You can add, remove, and reorganize patterns on your hoop, change its configuration,
and edit playlists from almost any computer without special software.
To access the hoop, connect it using a micro USB cable. The port is located on the side of
the hoop, opposite the connector button. The hoop shows up as a mass storage device,
like a USB flash drive.
Patterns are stored as BMP image files. See below for detailed instructions on creating
and editing patterns. The pre-loaded patterns are grouped into folders, and the ‘next
folder’ remote button will skip from one folder to another. You can create new folders or
reorganize the existing ones to change the grouping. Note that only one level of folders is
read by the hoop; sub-folders will be ignored.
If you hold the R button while a pattern is playing, the pattern will be marked as skipped
and will no longer auto-play.
The file ‘config.ini’ contains the hoop’s configuration, including the startup pattern and all
of the timing options. It can be edited with a text editor like Notepad (Windows) or
TextEdit (Mac). The file itself contains detailed instructions on all of the settings.
All of the pattern files (and new ones as they become available) can be downloaded from
the Hyperion website at http://www.hyperionhoop.com, so don’t worry if you delete
pattern files and change your mind later.
Creating Patterns
Patterns (as well as overlays and palettes) are stored as BMP image files on the hoop’s
internal drive. Patterns are played one line at a time, at a default rate of 24 lines per
second.
Any image editing program that supports saving BMPs can be used to create patterns.
The hoop supports bit depths of 1, 4, 8, 16, 24, and 32 bits per pixel. Not all image editors
will let you choose the bit depth. If you do have the option, using the lowest bit depth
available will save space on the hoop. Patterns with more colors will require higher bit
depths.
Patterns with a 1-bit depth are a special case. Normally these would be black and white
images, but the hoop applies a rainbow effect to the foreground color for 1-bit images.
Patterns smaller than half the size of the hoop will be repeated around the circumference
of the hoop. Larger patterns will be scaled up or down smoothly to fit. For example, if
your hoop has 16 LEDs, a 2 pixel wide pattern will be repeated 8 times around the hoop.
An 8 pixel wide pattern will be scaled up to 16 pixels. The hoop will read files up to 256
pixels wide.

About Our Hoop Models
Hyperion hoops shipped before May of 2 16 or with serial numbers below 1617 5 are first
generation (Gen 1) hoops unless they have been upgraded. When connected to a
computer, Gen 1 hoops will show a total disk space of about 16 MB. Gen 2 hoops are 24 MB
or above. Gen 1 hoops will have a small green or white wire visible on the end of the LED
strip in the clear connector piece when the connector is open.
All Gen 1 and Gen 2 hoops are 3/4”, take a removable battery, and are equipped with
Bluetooth connectivity. Gen 2 hoops feature a faster and more powerful processor and
more pattern storage space. They can also have their connector and controller board
easily removed and replaced without disassembling the hoop. See the maintenance
section for more information.
Gen 3 hoops are equipped with WiFi connectivity instead of Bluetooth. Gen 3 includes the
Phoenix version, which has internal batteries, no battery compartment (and no LED gap),
and a power switch. Removable battery Gen 3 hoops are physically identical to Gen 2
hoops except for the Bluetooth hardware and run the same software with the same
processor type.
Hyperion Lite hoops are 5/8” and have a smaller removable battery, and currently no
Bluetooth or WiFi connectivity. They have the same storage space as the Gen 1 hoop, with
a processor more powerful than that on Gen 1 but less powerful than that on Gen 2 and
Gen 3 hoops. They run a different version of the software, but work similarly except for
their lack of wireless connectivity.
Phoenix hoops made by SpinFx (those shipped prior to July 2 18) have an entirely different
processor and hardware design, but are still supported and have had some software
updates made to more closely match Hyperion hoops. Those hoops are not covered by
this manual.

Bluetooth Linking (Gen 1 and Gen 2 hoops)
It’s possible to link two hoops via Bluetooth to synchronize their timing and to transfer
motion data from one hoop to the other for interesting effects. Before trying, make sure
you have the latest software update available. Please note that these instructions apply
to Gen 1 and Gen 2 hoops with Bluetooth hardware. Bluetooth-equipped hoops are not
able to sync with WiFi-equipped hoops.
There are some quirks to be aware of when linking hoops. It takes 2-3 seconds before a
hoop is ready to connect or be connected to after it’s turned on, and the Bluetooth search
doesn’t always succeed on the first try. If you place the hoops next to each other with their
connectors close together when you turn them on, they’ll attempt to communicate over
short-range IR first, and this will make linking faster and more reliable.
Pressing the ‘link’ button will attempt the link. Try to aim the remote only at one of the
hoops. If they both try to start the link, they may both start talking at the same time and
neither will hear the other.
The hoop should show a repeating blue-yellow-blue pattern while it's searching for
another hoop. If more than one other hoop is in the area, it might not find the closest
hoop first. Again, holding the hoops close together so they can communicate via IR will
help this.
If it connects, both hoops will show blue-green-blue and then will be linked. Changes on
one hoop should show up on the other as well. Once they've connected once, the hoops
will remember their last partner and will try to connect to the same hoop again next time
you press the link button.
If the hoop shows blue-red-blue, it failed to connect to anything.

iFi Connectivity
Gen 3 hoops are equipped with WiFi connectivity, which can be a little more complicated
to set up, but is faster and much more flexible, and allows a large number of hoops (and
poi) to be synced up and controlled at the same time and configured from a web browser.
You don’t need an existing WiFi network to use the WiFi features. If there isn’t an access
point available, a hoop can be set up to act as an access point on its own. Of course, an
isolated hoop won’t have an Internet connection, but other hoops can connect to it, along
with mobile devices.
WiFi hoops support three network modes: WiFi Direct, Access Point (AP), and Client (STA).
In Client mode, the hoops can connect to a 2.4 GHz (8 2.11b/g/n) WiFi network. In AP and
Direct modes, they create their own network, which you can join with a PC or mobile
device for setup and control.
iFi Direct Mode
Out of the box, your hoop is set up to use WiFi Direct, also known as WiFi Peer-to-Peer.
WiFi Direct is a special WiFi mode that doesn't require a router. The hoop will create a WiFi
Direct network that other devices can join. The WiFi channel is selected automatically.
Some devices, particularly newer Android devices, are able to connect to a WiFi Direct
network without disconnecting from their regular WiFi network – for example, your phone
can be connected to your home WiFi and to the hoop at the same time. See below for
instructions on connecting an Android device in WiFi Direct mode.
Apple iOS devices don't support WiFi Direct. However, the WiFi Direct group will still show
up like a legacy WiFi network that almost any WiFi device can connect to; you just won't
be able to connect to more than one network at a time. The network name will start with
‘DIRECT-’ in your list of available networks.
Access Point Mode
The hoop can also be set up as a conventional WiFi access point. There's not much
difference between access point (AP) mode and WiFi Direct mode if you don't need to
connect to two networks at once; AP mode is included mostly because WiFi Direct is a
relatively new standard and some devices have odd quirks in Direct mode.
Client Mode
In client mode (technically ‘station’ mode, or STA for short), the hoop connects to an
existing WiFi network. To connect, you'll need to let the hoop know which network to join
and what the password is, if the network is secure.
If you have the hoop scan for open (unsecured) networks, it will connect to the open
network with the strongest signal. Once it’s connected, it will remember the network
name and try to connect automatically when it sees that network again.

If your network is secured, you have a few options for setting up the hoop. The simplest is
to use WiFi Protected Setup (WPS) push button mode, sometimes called “WiFi Simple
Config”, “Push 'n Connect”, “PBC”, or “Quick Secure Setup”.
To use WPS, select the WPS scan option from the hoop's link menu, described in the
remote control section below. The scan will run for two minutes. While it's scanning, press
the WPS button on your router. On some routers, this button might be a soft button in the
router's web interface rather than a physical button. If all goes well, the hoop should find
the router, obtain the password, and connect automatically.
WPS doesn't always work, and not all routers support WPS. If WPS is not an option, you
can either use a WiFi-capable device to connect to the hoop's WiFi Direct network and
change the networking settings through the web interface, or you can connect the hoop
to a computer via USB and enter the network information in the config.ini file.
Setting up Multiple Devices
Once you have one hoop configured to use or create a network, it can share its network
setup with other hoops and poi using its short-range infrared (IR) link.
The IR link is very short-range – the hoops need to be held together, not more than a few
inches apart, to exchange data. A hoop that is already connected to a network will share
its login information with one waiting to connect. The hoop receiving the login
information will flash red briefly and then attempt to connect to the network.
The hoop doesn't send IR signals while it’s in motion, so make sure you hold it still until you
see the flash.
Choosing a Mode
WiFi Direct and AP modes are useful for connecting a few hoops or poi at the same time
and will work even if you're not in range of an existing WiFi network. Both modes require
one device to act as a central hub and don't automatically pick a new group owner if that
hub device isn't present. This means that if the group owner is off or its battery fails, the
whole group will lose the ability to communicate until they're reconfigured. The hub
device can also handle only a limited number of connections.
Client mode allows a very large number of devices to be connected at the same time and
typically has better reliability at long range, and also makes access to your hoop easy for
other devices on the network. If you're using your hoop at home or on stage where you
have a fixed network to connect to, this is the mode you'll usually want it in.
Your hoop remembers the last few WiFi networks it connected to, including networks
hosted by other Hyperion devices. If the hoop configured to be group owner finds a
network it knows when it starts up, it'll connect to that network as a client. If no known
networks are in range, it will start its own network. For example, if you normally use the
hoop on your home network but sometimes use it at the beach, it will still create its own
network when it doesn’t find your home network.

iFi Link Menu
To check the hoop's link status, press the ‘link’ button on the 44-key remote (lower left
corner). The middle three lights indicate the link status:
●●● ○○○ ●●● (White) Not connected / WiFi disabled
●●● ●●● ●●● (Green) Connected to network as client
●●● ●●● ●●● (Yellow) Couldn't find network
●●● ●●● ●●● (Violet) Hosting network in access point mode
●●● ●●● ●●● (Red) Hosting network in WiFi Direct mode
To change link modes, hold down the link button until the display begins to flash. Press
the link button to cycle through the available options. After a few seconds of inactivity, the
device will exit the menu and change modes. The link options are:
●●● ○○○ ●●● (White) Turn WiFi off
●●● ●●● ●●● (Green) Connect to network
●●● ●●● ●●● (Violet) Switch to access point mode
●●● ●●● ●●● (Red) Switch to WiFi Direct mode
●●● ●●● ●●● (Cyan) Start WPS push button scan
●●● ●●● ●●● (Orange) Scan for open (unsecured) networks
●●● ●●● ●●● (Red/Yellow/Green) Check for software updates
While the link menu is active, you can hold down the link button for two seconds to forget
the current network connection. The saved password will be deleted and the device will
not automatically reconnect to that network again.
The software update option only works if the device is connected to a network with an
Internet connection. If a software update is found, it'll be downloaded and installed
immediately. The update process typically takes less than a minute. If no updates are
available, the hoop will go back to playing patterns.
You can also hold the magic wand button while the link menu is active to wipe out and
reload all of the pattern files. This process takes about 1 -2 minutes. Be sure you have a
fresh battery installed before using this option. Stopping the transfer may result in
corrupted files, but this can be fixed by simply repeating the process and letting it finish.

Accessing the eb Interface ( iFi Hoops Only)
Each hoop has its own built-in web server. Out of the box, the hoop is configured to create
its own WiFi network, with the network name 'hyperion' and password 'hyperion'. You
can connect to this network using a PC or mobile device. The hoop can be reached at
http://192.168.1.1 1. Other hoops and poi on the network can be found in the 'Group'
menu.
If the hoop is connected to a network with Internet access, you can find it by going to
http://my.hyperionhoop.com. The site will display any Hyperion devices that have
registered themselves on your network.
The web app is mostly self-explanatory and has its own help system. For up-to-date
information on using the web app, please see http://www.hyperionhoop.com.

Art-Net™ Support ( iFi Hoops Only)
Art-Net is a network protocol for carrying DMX512 lighting data. Art-Net support is
enabled by default on your WiFi-equipped hoop. With it, you can use any modern lighting
control console or lighting design software to control it.
The DMX512 universe number and start address can be configured in the config.ini file or
through the web interface. The defaults are universe and slot 1. Presently only a single
profile is defined, and the slots are assigned as follows:
1 Master brightness ( = off, 255= max)
2 Pattern rotation rate ( = ignore, 1 = max left, 128 = none, 255 = max right)
3 Overlay rotation rate ( = ignore, 1 = max left, 128 = none, 255 = max right)
4 Pattern folder select ( = ignore selection)
5 Pattern number selection within folder ( = ignore selection)
6 Palette line number ( = ignore)
7 Pattern line number ( = ignore)
8 Mapped pattern selection ( = ignore)
9-11 R/G/B values for palette substitution slot 1
…
54-56 R/G/B values for palette substitution slot 16
Settings in every slot except for master brightness are ignored if set to . The rotation
rates for the pattern and overlay layers are both centered at 128 (5 %) for easy control
with a single knob or fader.
Patterns can be selected using the combination of slot 4 (folder select) and slot 5 (pattern
select). This is a simple way to access all of the patterns loaded on the device. To directly
access specific patterns, you can also use slot 8 to choose a pattern from a prepared list.
To use this feature, create a file on the hoop called 'dmx.ini' and add a line for each
pattern in the form 'pattern<n>=<filename.bmp>'. For example:
pattern1=my_first_pattern.bmp
pattern2=my_second_pattern.bmp
Slots 6 and 7 control the palette and pattern playback line number, respectively. In
normal operation the hoop will step through each line of the palette and pattern in
sequence, but these slots allow direct control of which lines are displayed. See the section
on advanced pattern customization for more information on how these can be used.
The rest of the slots represent the red, green, and blue intensity values for 16 color
substitution slots. These colors replace placeholder colors in the pattern.

Choreographing Patterns to Music
You can program your hoop to change patterns in sync with a song using the free audio
editor Audacity, available from http://audacity.sourceforge.net. Load the song in
Audacity and place pattern changes by hitting control-B to insert labels with the names of
pattern files to be played. Drag the handles of the label to set the duration of the pattern.
If you create a label with a duration of , the hoop will keep playing that pattern until it
reaches the next label. A label with a duration that's not will play for only that length of
time, and then the hoop will switch back to the previous pattern. You can use this feature
to have the hoop play one pattern and easily punctuate parts of the song with other
patterns.
In the example above, the script begins with a pattern called black.bmp. This is a
completely black pattern so that the hoop starts the performance blacked out. The @
symbol at the second label tells the hoop to stop the script and wait there until motion is
detected. The performer might walk on stage during the blackout section and then wait
in position until the appropriate music cue. As the performer starts hooping, the script
resumes and plays first_pattern.bmp.
Since first_pattern.bmp has no duration, this is now the default pattern for the script. It
plays until the script reaches second_pattern.bmp, and then the hoop switches patterns
for the duration of that label. When it's over, it switches back to first_pattern.bmp and
stays there until the script reaches third_pattern.bmp.

When you’re done creating a script, save the project file on your computer. The Audacity
project will include a file ending in .AUP and a set of audio files. Only the .AUP file is
needed for the timing information; simply copy it to the hoop to use it as a playlist.
The .AUP file should be stored in the top level folder (not in a sub-folder), and you can
launch it by making it a preset on the remote. For example:
favorite1=daftpunk.aup
This launches daftpunk.aup when you press the DIY1 button on the remote.
You’ll need a way to make sure the music starts at the proper time. There are three ways
to accomplish this:
1. Manually - simply press the button on the remote when the music reaches the first
label.
2. Start a label with ‘@’, as in the example above. The hoop will wait for sudden
motion before starting the script. Just start hooping when the music reaches the
proper point.
3. Start a label with ‘!’. The hoop will give a quick visual count-in so you can start the
music at the right moment.
If you begin the label with #, the contents of the label will be displayed as persistence-of-
vision text on the hoop.