Script to generate AI preset files (.aip)

[ScooterTDI]

I saw that Aquaillumination had included the ability to set schedules using downloaded preset files in the myAI app. I looked into it a little bit and others had already figured out most of the details (like checksum values and intensity values). I wasn't fond of any of the schedules that you can download from the AI site and the app itself is a little clumsy to set up a schedule with more than a few points, so I wrote a quick Python script to generate .aip files with schedules that follow cosine intensity functions and allow the color temperature to vary over the course of the day as a function of the intensity. I wanted a bluer spectrum at sunrise/sunset to smoothly transition to  daylight spectrum at noon. It's not perfect because I've found that the AI color temperature visibly changes as the intensity is varied despite the same nominal color temperature. I need to play with it some more to get it just right, but I can make .aip files with custom color/intensity transitions or provide the script if anyone is interested in something similar.

[WheresTheReef]

Nice! I'm not running the light, but tinkering with stuff is a fun part of the hobby. 👍

 

Did you test if the light schedule was smoother with less/more points. For example, ever hour vs every 0.5hrs? Does their controller interpolate the plotted points?

[ScooterTDI]

 

6 hours ago, WheresTheReef said:

Nice! I'm not running the light, but tinkering with stuff is a fun part of the hobby. 👍

 

Did you test if the light schedule was smoother with less/more points. For example, ever hour vs every 0.5hrs? Does their controller interpolate the plotted points?

 

I believe it interpolates between specified points, but in a stepwise fashion using some native temporal resolution. When I previously used the builtin easy setup function (that just has linear ramps), I occasionally would catch it change in intensity/color slightly when it jumps during the ramp periods. I haven't noticed those jumps as much with the smoother schedule. I think it does have a limit on the number of time points. When I used too high of a resolution, part of the sunset period seemed to be clipped. Probably not much advantage gained by more than 30 minutes resolution anyway.