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Main forum => Announcements => Topic started by: Kitty Hello on 2018-Dec-07

Title: COMPETITION 2019 - Mini Thermal Printers
Post by: Kitty Hello on 2018-Dec-07
Folks, I'm so amazed about my new gadget. A thermal printer (see attached image).

I've got GLBasic code running, that can send a sprite image to that printer via bluetooth on your Android device. (You can use the BT library to talk to any bluetooth device, btw.)

For the competition you get a few functions in a library and this test project:
Code (glbasic) Select

LOADSPRITE "Media/test.png", 101

LOCAL printer_pixels_width% = 384 // must be editable by user. Default = 384
DitherSprite(101, printer_pixels_width) // id%, cut_width%

// Show the dithered image - you can save or use that for debugging/preview
DRAWSPRITE 101,0,32
SHOWSCREEN


// List all paired BT devices - user must pick one from the list
LOCAL devs$[]
BT_ListDevices(devs$[])

// connect to one of the string in devs$[]
BT_connect("BlueTooth Printer")

// do print the image pixels
BT_print_image(101)

// close connection
BT_close()

// some more paper and cut (if device lets you do this)
BT_FeedPaperAndCut()

MOUSEWAIT


You will also get a function to pick a picture from camera or from the gallery.

The BlueTooth-Library attached is cross-platform and can talk to any BlueTooth device with raw data streams.



That's all you need. Now join the competition and write a software for that printer with the given functions. A demo project is attached. It might not compile for Android, but the function names wil stay as they are. I did tests and all is working great. Ready? Set? GO!

Do samething amazing. Something creative. Something funny. Something that makes one want to get such a printer.

The 1st prize is such a printer. Shiny new device, sparkling on your table, purring in your pocket.
2nd to 3rd price: Printer paper

Competition ends at March, 1st 2019.

PS.Spread the word - I'm not very connected in social media anymore  :good:

Edit - See my test project and the final libraries attached.

Title: Re: COMPETITION 2019 - Mini Thermal Printers
Post by: MrPlow on 2018-Dec-09
This is great! I wanted to do thermal printer before using GLB.

So GLB 'can' print :)

Title: Re: COMPETITION 2019 - Mini Thermal Printers
Post by: Ian Price on 2018-Dec-09
Sounds cool :)
Title: Re: COMPETITION 2019 - Mini Thermal Printers
Post by: bigsofty on 2018-Dec-09
Aha, I had a similar device when I was a boy for my ZXSpectrum. It printed on shiny silver paper and made a lot of noise. It was great fun, though it made your fingers silver too from the weird paper it used.  :happy:
Title: Re: COMPETITION 2019 - Mini Thermal Printers
Post by: MrPlow on 2018-Dec-10
Can the same be done to send from Desktop to printer via BT or USB?
Title: Re: COMPETITION 2019 - Mini Thermal Printers
Post by: erico on 2018-Dec-18
I´m cracking my head on how to mix this all with a game. :good:
Title: Re: COMPETITION 2019 - Mini Thermal Printers
Post by: Kitty Hello on 2019-Jan-08
The code also works on Desktop now, yes.
Title: Re: COMPETITION 2019 - Mini Thermal Printers
Post by: MrPlow on 2019-Jan-10
WTF! really niiiice!
Title: Re: COMPETITION 2019 - Mini Thermal Printers
Post by: MrPlow on 2019-Jan-10
Quote from: Kitty Hello on 2019-Jan-08
The code also works on Desktop now, yes.

Hi _ I downloaded the sample but it says Android_javacall function not found...I am missing something?
Also - for desktop - windows - surely javacall is not used?

Title: Re: COMPETITION 2019 - Mini Thermal Printers
Post by: Kitty Hello on 2019-Jan-12
I'll soon update the code. It will compile on V16 (lots of compiler imporvements were required)
Title: Re: COMPETITION 2019 - Mini Thermal Printers
Post by: MrPlow on 2019-Jan-30
Quote from: Kitty Hello on 2019-Jan-12
I'll soon update the code. It will compile on V16 (lots of compiler imporvements were required)
Hi
On v16 compiling the Thermal printer code
"BluetoothAndroid.gbas"(67) error : GPC0006 wrong number of aguments : "android_JAVACALL" called with 2 args. Required: 0 to 1

(also tiny misspelling - aguments)
Title: Re: COMPETITION 2019 - Mini Thermal Printers (Error).
Post by: mentalthink on 2019-Jun-03
Will be possible get data from the devices?¿.... With Bluetooh HC-05 and arduino works.
Title: Re: COMPETITION 2019 - Mini Thermal Printers
Post by: Qedo on 2020-Feb-29
 can not open bluetooth.zip. CRC error.
Could you verify?
Thank you
Title: Re: COMPETITION 2019 - Mini Thermal Printers
Post by: Moru on 2020-Feb-29
Yes, it's damaged but I think you can find the file in your samples folder (GLBasic\Samples\_Projects_\Bluetooth.zip)
Title: Re: COMPETITION 2019 - Mini Thermal Printers
Post by: Qedo on 2020-Feb-29
Perfect.
Thank you