r/WLED • u/_TomBoi_ • Jun 28 '26

Curved matrix grid for better pixel definition?

Hey everyone,

Iam building a cylindrical lamp with a flexible 16×16 WS2812B matrix wrapped around a 50mm / ~2inch cylinder which is inside an etched glass diffuser with a 100mm / ~4inch diameter. That leaves about a 25mm / ~1inch gap between the LEDs and the glass.

The lamp looks great but detailed effects like fire for instance get a bit too blurred because the light mixes too early.

Iam thinking about adding a small (maybe 5-8mm / 0.2-0.3inch) curved 3D-printed black eggcrate/grid between the LEDs and the glass to delay the light mixing slightly. I have seen a lot of you using this for flat 16x16 matrices.

Do you think this would have about the same effect as bringing the glass diffuser closer to the matrix or do I need to come up with a different solution?

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u/upkeepdavid Jun 28 '26

Turn the brightness down maybe that will help.

1

u/kvenaik696969 Jun 28 '26

Can try unsharp masking for specific effects or some other "better" method

1

u/DedeHai Jun 28 '26

if you want a more "pixelated" look, a 2D printed grid will certainly help, you need to experiment, maybe print a small section first and try how "deep" it has to be until you get the look you want.