50 Node Lightshow Sphere

This is a 50-Node RGB LED Sphere I made for my Christmas Light show. The built-in Xlights sphere model expects columns of nodes, and I didn't like any of the options for splitting 50 nodes around a sphere this size. It is 120mm diameter

There are 3 parts. You will need 2x of the half-shell. In my printing, I've found that they print better sitting on the top (the small side of the half-sphere with the hole) rather than printing upright. I recommend printing with tree-supports auto-generated.

The hanger is designed to be pulled into place from the outside after pulling the input and output connectors, putting them through the outer gaps. The inner gaps were designed to allow a zip-tie or some other hanging method. It can be tough to get this into place with all the wires 

The bottom-support is meant to go on the bottom from the outside. Run a zip tie through the bottom slots, to hold the whole sphere up, and a 

Assembly.

Start with one half by putting the input connector out the hole at the top of the sphere. The top hole is 24mm diameter, so should accommodate most connectors (I use Ray Wu Connectors, which are larger than xConnect, LOR, or DIYLED. The outlier is Paul Zhang connectors, which I have not tested) If you can't fit the connector with your screw cap through, you may have to feed the strand through the hole.

The nodes are meant to be installed starting at the smallest end of the half-sphere and then working your way clockwise around the inside. While you place nodes, do your best to tuck the wires in between them. It'll help you have space as you get more nodes in. When you've completed the first half, start the second half the same way, at the 5-node-row.

Once you've got the two halves done, take the output line and feed it back through the same hole as the input. If you want to use the bottom support to hold things up, now is a good time to route a zip tie through it and push it through (you'll probably need 2 zip ties combined if you're using typical 8" ties) You may have enough friction that the two halves hold together without the bottom support.

Align the two halves at the inner lips, and push together. You can install the hanger using a pair of pliers. It may take some effort to stick it in. You can also just run a zip-tie/line through the bottom support, and hang from that without the hanger in place. 

I also find the hanger is a great place to put a number to keep track of the props.

Alternatively, you could skip the hanger and print two bottom supports. Then zip tie those together through the middle, and run an additional zip tie out the top to center it. This might actually be a cleaner assembly.

Light show model

I have included my Xlights light show model as a txt file. You just have to remove the txt and it should import. This model needs to be rotated around x 90 degrees so the 
"front" of the model points towards the top of your display (an artifact of how Xlights builds custom models) This is done in the size/location settings in Layout.