Snippet showing comet effect on a APA102 RGB led strip light powered by Wilderness Labs Meadow

comet.cs

void Comet(Apa102 ledStrip)
{
    Random rand = new Random();
            
    int length1 = 1;
    float position1 = 0;
    float speed1 = 1f;
    Color cometColor1 = Color.Cyan;

    int length2 = 1;
    float position2 = 50;
    float speed2 = 1.1f;
    Color cometColor2 = Color.Cyan.WithHue(90);

    Color[] colors = new Color[ledStrip.NumberOfLeds];//store a color value for every LED

    //initialize to black
    for (int j = 0; j < ledStrip.NumberOfLeds; j++) { colors[j] = Color.Black; }

    //run the comets
    while (true)
    {
        //move the comets
        position1 += speed1;
        position2 += speed2;

        //bounds check - change direction at the ends of the strip
        if (position1 >= ledStrip.NumberOfLeds - length1 || position1 <= 0) { speed1 *= -1; }
        if (position2 >= ledStrip.NumberOfLeds - length2 || position2 <= 0) { speed2 *= -1; }

        //increment the hue/color
        cometColor1 = cometColor1.WithHue(cometColor1.Hue + 0.0001);
        if (cometColor1.Hue >= 1.0) cometColor1 = cometColor1.WithHue(0);
        cometColor2 = cometColor2.WithHue(cometColor2.Hue + 0.00011); //10% faster than comet 1
        if (cometColor2.Hue >= 1.0) cometColor2 = cometColor2.WithHue(0);

        //update the LEDs 
        for (int j = 0; j < ledStrip.NumberOfLeds; j++)
        {   
            // draw comets overlapping
            if (j >= position2 && j < position2 + length2 &&
                j >= position1 && j < position1 + length1)
            {   //if both comets are on the same LED - color blend
                colors[j] = new Color((cometColor1.R + cometColor2.R)/2,
                                        (cometColor1.G + cometColor2.G)/2,
                                        (cometColor1.B + cometColor2.B)/2);
            }
            //draw comet 1
            else if (j >= position1 && j < position1 + length1)
            {   //set the LED at comet 1's position to its current color
                colors[j] = cometColor1;
            }
            //draw comet 2
            else if (j >= position2 && j < position2 + length2)
            {   //set the LED at comet 2's position to its current color
                colors[j] = cometColor2;
            }
            //fade everything else randomly
            else if (rand.Next() % 3 == 0)
            {
                colors[j] = colors[j].WithBrightness(colors[j].Brightness - 0.1);
            }

            ledStrip.SetLed(j, colors[j]);
        }

        ledStrip.Show();

        Thread.Sleep(25);
    }
}