SparkFun LED matrix tools to draw text across the matrix.

Requirements:

• Python
• wxPython
• pySerial

I use wxPython to get pixel representations of text. This is quite useful on it's own and is offered as a separate package (text2pixels.py).

$ ./text2pixels.py --help
Usage: text2pixels.py [options] Text
 Text can have \u1234 style unicode escapes as well.

Options:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -s FSIZE, --size=FSIZE
                        Font size to use in pixels
  -b, --bold            Use bold version
  -i, --italics         Use italics version
  -f FONT, --font=FONT  Font to use

ex. output the Airplane Unicode character U+2708 ✈

$ ./text2pixels.py --size 19 \\u2708
      ##         
       ###       
       ##        
       ####      
  #     ###      
  #     ####     
  ############## 
  ##    ####     
  #     ###      
        ###      
       ###       
       ###       
      ##         
      #        

This is a great way to get an image since Unicode has a ton of symbols.

$ ./text2pixels.py --size 18 --bold Arduino
     #####                       ###                  ###                             
     #####                       ###                  ###                             
    #######                      ###                  ###                             
    ### ###                      ###                                                  
    ### ###     ###  ###   ####  ###    ###    ###    ###    ###  ###        #####    
   ###   ###    ########  ##########    ###    ###    ###    #########     #########  
   ###   ###    ####      ###   ####    ###    ###    ###    ####  ####    ###   ###  
  ####   ####   ###      ###     ###    ###    ###    ###    ###    ###   ###     ### 
  ###     ###   ###      ###     ###    ###    ###    ###    ###    ###   ###     ### 
  ###########   ###      ###     ###    ###    ###    ###    ###    ###   ###     ### 
 #############  ###      ###     ###    ###    ###    ###    ###    ###   ###     ### 
 ###       ###  ###       ###   ####    ####  ####    ###    ###    ###    ###   ###  
 ###       ###  ###       ##########     #########    ###    ###    ###    #########  
###         ### ###        ####  ###      ###  ###    ###    ###    ###      #####    

$ ./text2pixels.py --help           
Usage: text2pixels.py [options] Text
 Text can have \u1234 style unicode escapes as well.

Options:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -s FSIZE, --size=FSIZE
                        Font size to use in pixels
  -b, --bold            Use bold version
  -i, --italics         Use italics version
  -f FONT, --font=FONT  Font to use
  -g, --grid            Show the column, row numbers
  -c CHAR, --char=CHAR  Character to use
  -p, --python          Output as lines of python
  --kingwen             Output King Wen sequence

But the main purpose of this code is to be able to output to the SparkFun LED matrix.

Example 1: Here's how to have Hello scrolled across the screen:

$ ./matrix_led.py --green Hello

Example 2: How to show the smilie face.

$ ./matrix_led.py smilie

Example 3: And the frownie face

$  ./matrix_led.py frownie

Example 3: Show the +- symbol (unicode 00B1 or ±)

$  ./matrix_led.py -g \\u00B1