v2.0

There are two major additions, which made me bump the version to 2.0. As always, it can be downloaded here.

ZeDMD Support

First announced in December last year, ZeDMD is a new type of DMD based on the ESP32, and it's very low-cost to produce (around $70 in total).

It's got all the features you'd expect, like RGB support, and the device code is open source. You can't buy it anywhere yet, because it's a DIY project, but I'm sure there will be sellers soon.

Serum Support

Serum is a new file format created by @zedrummer, who also created ZeDMD. Check it out here.

It works quite differently than PIN2DMD colorizations, and it comes with a new editor. It has innovative features like animated color rotations, which give a surprisingly nice effect when used discreetly.

Serum has been developed in collaboration with several coloring authors, so while it's still young, it's a proven system. There is a full tutorial how to use it here.

Personally, I am really happy about Serum, because it's fully open source, allowing others to contribute, and doesn't come with licensing issues like PAC does.

There is already one fully finished colorization (Scared Stiff by @dtatane), with a few more on the way. If you're an author interested in this new tech and you'd like to convert your existing PIN2DMD colorization to Serum, convince @zedrummer that you're actually the author, and you'll get help converting your project (it's semi-automated).

There are also people actively working on getting Serum to run on real pins, so stay tuned about that.

Finally, if you're interested, jump on their Discord server here.

64-bit Compatibility

@vbousquet added a fix that makes dmdext play nicely with the other 64-bit version of the ecosystem. As far as I know, this was the last piece needed for people who are running the entire vpin stack on 64 bit.