SLQ Wiki

Arduino with Neopixel Ring Workshop

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 16:14:39 +0000

Arduino with Neopixel Ring Workshop

Introduction and Setup

Goal: Recap Arduino basics and set up the workspace.

Activities:

Brief review of Arduino Uno setup: We will begin by familiarising ourselves with the Arduino Uno. It's similar to the Nano but has more digital input/output pins. For us this isn't super relevant as we'll be using 3 pins.
Installing the Arduino IDE and Neopixel library: Ensure the Arduino IDE is installed on your computer. We will also go through the process of adding the Neopixel library via the Library Manager. Search for “Adafruit Neopixel” and install the latest version.
Setting up hardware: Connect the Arduino Uno to your breadboard, then connect the Neopixel ring. Ensure that you have connected the data input pin of the Neopixel to one of the PWM output pins on the Arduino (usually pin 6 for simplicity).

Understanding Arduino Uno Hardware Design

Datasheet for the LED controller

Understanding the Neopixel Library

Goal: Understand how the Neopixel library controls the LED ring.

Activities:

Discussing Neopixel library functions and parameters: The Neopixel library provides a set of functions that allow you to control the LEDs in terms of color and brightness. Functions such as setPixelColor() and show() are essential for basic operations.
Exploring the documentation: Navigate the online documentation to identify key functions and how they're used.

Challenge:

Understand how to change the color and intensity of individual LEDs using setPixelColor() where color is a combination of red, green, and blue values. This function allows for precise control over each LED's color on the ring.

Potentially useful functions (fill in the blanks!):

begin() - Initializes the pin and sets up the Neopixel strip.
show() - Sends the updated color data to the Neopixel ring.
setPixelColor(index, color) - Sets the color of a specific LED in the ring.
fill(color, firstLED, count) - Fills a number of LEDs with a specified color starting from a particular index.
setBrightness()
clear()
fill()

Adafruit Neopixel Library on GitHub Adafruit Neopixel Library Documentation Adafruit Neopixel Code Snippets

Dissecting Example Code

Goal: Apply understanding by analyzing and modifying provided example code.

Activities:

Walk through a basic example: Analyze a simple sketch where the Neopixel ring is set to display a single color across all LEDs.
Modifying the example: Change parameters in the setPixelColor() function to adjust colors and experiment with setBrightness() to see the effect on the ring's luminosity.
Pattern creation: Try turning on LEDs in a specific sequence or pattern to create visual effects like a running light or a color wave.

// NeoPixel Ring simple sketch (c) 2013 Shae Erisson
// Released under the GPLv3 license to match the rest of the
// Adafruit NeoPixel library
 
#include <Adafruit_NeoPixel.h>
#ifdef __AVR__
 #include <avr/power.h> // Required for 16 MHz Adafruit Trinket
#endif
 
// Why do we have these #define instructions and how do they differ from regular variables?
 
#define PIN        6  // On Trinket or Gemma, suggest changing this to 1
#define NUMPIXELS 16  // Popular NeoPixel ring size
 
// Declare our NeoPixel strip object:
// Argument 1 = Number of LEDs in NeoPixel ring
// Argument 2 = Arduino pin number (most are valid)
// Argument 3 = Pixel type flags, add together as needed:
//   NEO_KHZ800  800 KHz bitstream (most NeoPixel products w/WS2812 LEDs)
//   NEO_KHZ400  400 KHz (classic 'v1' (not v2) FLORA pixels, WS2811 drivers)
//   NEO_GRB     Pixels are wired for GRB bitstream (most NeoPixel products)
//   NEO_RGB     Pixels are wired for RGB bitstream (v1 FLORA pixels, not v2)
//   NEO_RGBW    Pixels are wired for RGBW bitstream (NeoPixel RGBW products)
 
Adafruit_NeoPixel pixels(NUMPIXELS, PIN, NEO_GRB + NEO_KHZ800);
 
#define DELAYVAL 500  // Time (in milliseconds) to pause between pixels
 
void setup() {
  pixels.begin();  // INITIALIZE NeoPixel strip object (REQUIRED)
}
 
void loop() {
  pixels.clear();  // Set all pixel colors to 'off'
 
  for(int i = 0; i < NUMPIXELS; i++) {  // For each pixel...
    pixels.setPixelColor(i, pixels.Color(0, 150, 0));
    pixels.show();   // Send the updated pixel colors to the hardware.
    delay(DELAYVAL); // Pause before next pass through loop
  }
}

Programming Challenge: Create Patterns

Goal: Develop custom light patterns and sequences.

Activities:

Pattern design: Design some unique patterns using loops and conditional statements.
Dynamic effects: Think about techniques for creating gradients and other dynamic effects by manipulating delays and colors within the loop.

Challenges:

Create a gradient effect that transitions across the Neopixel ring.
Develop a “chase” sequence where a single lit LED moves around the ring.

Workshop Slides

Download the workshop slides

Additional camera accessories

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 13:08:35 +0000

Additional camera accessories

Coming Soon

Additional Tripods, green screen, moblie phone gimbal, DSLR gimbal and LED lighting kit available.

AV equipment Kits must not leave level 1 of The Edge building.

Equipment may only be borrowed by people with a State Library of Queensland membership with Queensland residency status who have completed a General induction at The Edge.

General induction is required to book this resource.

Camera accessories information

Dji Osmo Mobile 6 Smartphone Stabiliser
Dji Pro DSLR Gimbal
Flexible Tripod
Green Screen & Lighting Kit
LED Lighting Kit
LED Ring Light Box

SLQ Consent Form

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 07 Oct 2022 14:26:55 +0000

SLQ Consent Form

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to create, make copies of or reproduce or retain in any form; and
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The Consent Form allows you to place conditions and limitations on the State Library’s use of your Record and/or Material, for example:

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State Library of Queensland

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t 61+ 07 3840 7780

e privacy@slq.qld.gov.au

Do I still own copyright in my material?

Yes you do. By signing the Consent Form you do not give State Library ownership of copyright or other intellectual property rights in your material. You simply give State Library permission to use your material for the purposes mentioned in the Consent Form.

Privacy Act

The Queensland Government’s Information Privacy Act (2009) regulates how personal information is collected, stored, used, disclosed and amended by the public sector. You can obtain further information about your privacy rights, or access a copy of the Information Privacy Act 2009 on the Office of the Information Commissioner’s website at http://www.oic.qld.gov.au/about/legislation. If you have any questions about privacy practices at the State Library, please email us on privacy@slq.qld.gov.au or phone +61(0)7 3840 7780.

Hack the Evening Retrofuture sideshow alley Project

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 18:40:47 +0000

Hack the Evening Retrofuture sideshow alley Project

Blog post about the Project on the State Library Project

Pile of Resources on the State Library Website about the Ekka

List of projects

Heres a list of the different projects different people are working on. To get your project added talk to us at HtE or email appliedcreativity@slq.qld.gov.au

Title	People working on it	Description	Inspiration
“Wind Jammer” Chair ride	Dianne	Traditional swinging chair ride
Carousel	Michelle	Traditional Carousel
Shannons Hot Chips SpaceBus	Mick	Byrne Family Favourite Shannon's Chip was established in Crows Nest in 1948.	2016 CM story on Shannon's]Chips Shonnon's FB
Shipping container filler	Luke
Gravitron	Luke (taken over by Carolina

Adding LEDS

hey just wanted to share the work i did the other day coming up with a led solution for the miniatures. We have a pile of 12 AC - DC adaptors bought out of flood money last year https://www.meanwellusa.com/upload/pdf/GST18B/GST18B-spec.pdf. I think there is about 20 of them. In alot of cases this will be better than using batteries. Batteries cost money and need to be replaced.

but how do you get an idea for a circuit diagram and what resistors do you need in the circuit so the LEDs don't burn out?

The answer is here. LED calculator . net lets look at an example of what Carolina has been working on and who I went about supporting her to prototype a solution.

Carolina wants to mount a total of 36 leds into her gravitron (4 leds on each of 9 panels)

That’s 36x standard colour LEDs powered by one of the 12 V power supply above.

Step 1 - Look up the info we need for the calculator

look up the data sheet for the LEDs. Heres the one for the Coloured LEDS we currently have in stock data sheet & SparkFun LED Tutorial and find the LED info for the LED calculator . The info sheet didn’t have much detail

but the tutorial had this handy table.

So between these two we have the info we need

Step 2 - Enter this info into the calculator

Plug the relevant into the the LED calculator website

Step 3 - Gather the components

We grabbed the 36 LEDs • 6x 47Ohm resitors (close enough, our packs didn’t come with 62 Ohm resistors) • 7 x breadboards • Jumperwires • 1x 12v power supply

Step 4 - Check we understand how a breadboard works

use the multimeter on the Continuity setting to demo how the bread boards work

Select the continuety setting by • selecting Ohm on the Dial • And use the blue button in the image above to select the continuity setting

On this setting the multimeter beeps when there is continuity between (electrical connection ) between the 2 probes

Step 5

Then we populate all these components in the circuit onto a breadboard using the Circuit Diagram the calculator produces.

We made 6x of these

On the 7th Breadboad we made a

common 12v+/ (positive (+) terminal.

And a common Ground /(-) terminal

Step 6

Apply power to it from the 12v Power Supply. Chances are you’ve made mistakes (especially with the polatirty of the LEDs ) but there’s a good chance that you have at least some of the LED gangs right and these should work. No set about fixing the parts of the circuit you didn’t get right.

Check for the following

• Dead LEDs Test the LEDs that don’t work on a calculator battery you know is working • Polarity is wrong on LEDs

Once you have this all sorted ( as a prototype on breadboards) you can work out how your are going to run your wires in your actual miniature.

start log

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 Jun 2018 17:53:00 +0000

start log

Log for SLQ Wiki:

2017/06/27 11:49 Andrei Maberley: rotate the pictures - Phil
2017/06/27 11:35 Andrei Maberley: Wiki cleanup - ready for public use
2017/06/26 17:29 Mick Byrne: hey is there a way of tagging stuff that needs love. Then when there's time we can fill in half an hour
2017/06/16 11:11 Andrei Maberley: Is it time to settle on a naming convention?
2017/06/14 13:44 Mick Byrne: Add wraps to revealJS slideshow - so the warnings/info/tips/ etc show up properly
2017/06/14 13:20 Mick Byrne: New sidebar navigation menu system - manual entry is getting complicated..
2017/06/14 13:17 Mick Byrne: Fixing the sidebar menu text - bold vs light is the wrong way round?

101 - Make your own Merch

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 14:03:46 +0000

101 - Make your own Merch

Acknowledgement

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their continuing connection to land and as custodians of stories for millennia. We respectfully acknowledge the land on which we all meet today, and pay our respects to elders past, present and emerging.

Summary

Learn how to use a sublimation printer and heat press to create your very own merchandise to take home. You'll pick up some basic design skills as you choose between a range of designs and collage them together to create your own finished piece. You'll be able to create both a T-shirt and tote bag to take home.

Workshop Slides

Admin View

Make your own Merch Slides

Tools

Digital Media Lab Computers
Meeting Tables for printing station
Laptop for printer operation
Sublimation printer
Blank transfer paper
Heat press
T-shirts and totes for participants
Pre-designed assets (for digital collage) and finished designs (for those who want to use existing)

Image Resources

Use this reference grid to decide which images you would like to use for your design, and then download them from the links below.

Popular garment printing methods

Direct to Film (DTF) involves printing a design onto a special film, coating it with a powdered adhesive, and then using a heat press to transfer the design onto a fabric or other substrate. The resulting print sits on the surface of the fabric. Can work on dark or light colours, and on a range of surfaces. May crack or peel over time. Medium entry costs (if doing at home). There are a number of DTF film printing services online.

Direct to Garment (DTG) allows for printing directly onto the garment. The garment must be pre-treated to accept the ink. The resulting print sits on the surface of the fabric, but can be more durable than DTF. May crack or peel over time. High entry costs (if doing at home).

Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV) application uses a vinyl cutter to cut a design out of specialised vinyl that can then be weeded and applied to your garment with the heat press. More limited in your design options, and may crack and peel over time. Low entry costs.

Dye Sublimation (We’ll talk more about this one next!)

Sublimation Printing

Why? * Ink penetrates the fiber of the material for a seamless feel and permanent bond with the fabric. * Vibrant, high-resolution and long-lasting designs in full colour * Produces vibrant colour on polyester * Relatively low entry costs * Easy for smaller or larger runs.

How? * The printer uses a specialty ink to print onto transfer paper. * The heat-press applies an even pressure so that the dye turns into a gas, then bonds with the polyester fiber as it reforms into a solid.

CAUTION: the lid gets HOT. Use the handle.

Limitations For a vibrant result, fabric with a high polyester count should be used. Non-textile items must have a poly coating to accept the sublimation dyes. The result may not be visible if sublimating onto mid-tone or darker colours. White or light colours will yield the best results. Your artwork is limited to the size of your printer paper. UV exposure may fade some sublimation inks over time.

Simple Sublimation Workflow

* Pick or create your design – make sure it’s flipped, as it’s applied to your fabric face-down. * Save onto a USB to move to printer laptop * Print onto transfer paper * Use the heat press to transfer the image onto a t-shirt or tote. * Repeat to create your two pieces

Refer to the Safe Operating Procedures so that you know how to use the printer and heat press safely before proceeding.

Create a new Photoshop File

Today we're going to make a basic digital collage. Our maximum print size is just under A4. Create a new document by reate a new document by going File>New>Print and selecting A4. Set 'colour mode' to CMYK. Remove 20mm from the dimensions, to give some room for margins. RGB (Red, Green, Blue) is used for screens, CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black) is used for print. 300ppi is a good resolution for high quality print.

Photoshop Workspace

Now that we have our files open, let's have a look at our workspace:

The Menu Bar shows the File, Edit, Image, and other menus that give you access to a variety of commands, adjustments, and panels.

The Options bar (beneath the menu bar) displays a range of options for the tool you are currently working with. When you change tools, the options here will change.

The Tools panel (on the left) contains tools for editing images and creating artwork. Some tools show a small triangle in the bottom right-hand corner - this indicates that related tools are hidden underneath what is currently shown. To access related tools in a group by clicking and holding a tool in the panel.

Panels (on the right) include Color, Layers, Properties, and other panels that contain controls for working with images. You can find the full list of panels under the Window menu, but today we'll primarily be working with 'Layers' and 'Properties'.

The Document Window (in the middle) displays the file you’re currently working on. Multiple open documents show up in tabs in the Document window. If you want, you can click and drag on a tab to separate it, so that you can view more than one document at the same time.

Photoshop Toolbar

The toolbar is where all the tools live. You can select them by left clicking on the buttons that represent what they do. Some display a triangle at the bottom right of their icon – click and hold to bring up extra tools in that category. Below are the explanations of a few commonly used tools with their shortcuts in brackets.

Hot tip: Googling the name of a tool and ‘photoshop tutorial’ is a great way to work out what they do!

Move Tool (V): This tool allows you to move the selection or image around on the current layer. Magic Wand Tool (W): This is just one of the tools available for making selections. Brush Tool (B): 'Paint' using different brush shapes on your selected layer. Eraser (E): Just like the brush tool, but instead of painting colour in, it will erase it. Paint Bucket (G): This tool allows you to fill up entire layers or selections with a certain colour or pattern. Type Tool (T): This tool allows you to type and manipulate text. The text you make will appear in its own vector layer of your file. Zoom Tool (Z): This tool allows you to zoom in and out to focus on specific areas of your artboard. Colour Boxes: These depict your currently chosen colours. You can change the active colour by clicking on the boxes.

Import an Image

There are two options for placing images in your file – Place Embedded and Place Linked. Place Embedded: if you make changes to the original file, it will not show in Photoshop Place Linked: updates you make to the original file will also reflect in Photoshop. Today, we’ll use Place Embedded. Place one image in your document and click ‘Enter’ to drop it in place.

Understanding Layers

Layers are a core feature of Photoshop. Layers allow for non-destructive editing and allow you to organize your work. The layers are displayed under the Layer window on the interface (if it's not activated, go to Windows>Layers to show the layers window. Layers above will affect or obscure layers below it – similar to a stack of papers! Use the eye icon to turn on and off layer visibility.

IMPORTANT: You should always be aware of the layer you are working on. The active layer will be highlighted within the layer window.

Make the design your own - shifting Hue/Saturation

We’ll cover a few different ways to make your chosen image your own – eg, by affecting the colour. Adjustment layers affect all layers below it. Add an adjustment layer by clicking the circle icon in the bottom of the layers menu. Click ‘Hue/Saturation’. Each Adjustment Layer has its own properties. Hue/Saturation allows you to adjust the colours of your entire image at once, relative to the original. If you have used a black and white image, or want to change the overall colour to a single hue, select ‘Colourize’ and adjust the Lightness if needed to get a result you are happy with.

Finishing Touches

If you are happy with the results and don’t want to do more, we can flip your artwork (remember, your transfer goes face down). Image > Canvas Rotation > Flip Horizontally. Save as a JPG file by going to File>Save a Copy. Navigate to the thumb drive folder, type a file name, and choose ‘JPEG’ from ‘Save as type’. Click ‘ok’.

Additional methods of colouring are available in the workshop slides above.

sidebar

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 16:16:13 +0000

SLQ Wiki

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 16:24:43 +0000

SLQ Wiki

What is the SLQ Wiki?

This platform hosts The Edge's workshop and Open lab programming resources, including past workshops and engagements.

As a working knowledge-base, the SLQ Wiki is used to capture the development and delivery of workshops, engagements and hosting a library make and design space safely for the public.

Practitioners and professionals accessing the platform can understand the reason why decisions were made, and learn from State Library's experience.

Published on a wiki platform, these documents can be edited and improved on by community, shared, exported or printed freely. All content is release under a CC Attribution 4.0 International license.

How does it Work?

The SLQ Wiki is built on the open source platform Dokuwiki and hosted by State Library.

Accessing the SLQ Wiki

Anyone can access the publicly available content on the SLQ Wiki. This wiki has tools for exporting content which can be used under the Creative Commons license assigned.

start_all

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 Jun 2018 17:52:59 +0000

This page has been moved, the new location is the_edge_programming_wiki.

Getting the most of your section of the SLQ WIKI

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 15 Jun 2020 12:22:39 +0000

Getting the most of your section of the SLQ WIKI

We don’t want to close any doors on what practitioners and people searching for library and STEAM information might want to use the Wiki for. But we have some tips on how to apply a little organisational structure to get the most out it. I mean we here at the Applied Creativity Team and James from the Digital Literacy team have been working with this platform for a number of years. And we have had to get our head around how to organise our content.

Tip 1 - A bit of information about yourself

Establish a profile on the front page of your section with some context with who you are and how to get inContact with you. The Wiki isn’t just a repository for data it a tool for sharing and collaboration and when you find something good you might want ask some questions and find out more.

Tip 2 - Remember you’re on a wiki.

Write up your information in small agnostic chunks. One of the great advantages of the wiki platform is the include function. With this include function you can curate information for different audiences. Limiting it to small chunks makes your info multi use. (you don’t know when your instructions on how to do something is going to helpful) and when the info is updated – the changes take effect in all the places your chunk of information has been included.

Tip 3 - Organising your Sub-Sections

The number of subsections in your section will probably be dependent on what work you do and what volume of content you have on the wiki but in our experience there is a couple of. We have found that there is some good ways to separate out different kinds of information so it can be easier to find and use. The main rule of thumb comes down to the convenience of the length of the list of pages you can fit on one page without having to scroll forever.

We’ve found it easy to separate out info about 1/ activities (workshops, larger umbrella projects and programs) and 2/info about gear, physical resources and 3/info about coordination / logistics and procedures (within your community/ organisational context ).
The other easy split is the status of that information – whether its complete mature, tested or up-to-date or a hardly formed idea untested or even out of date information.

Tip 4 - Tags

The SLQ Wiki has 2 types of tags. Discover Tags help other people find your information and help us build a stronger community by making it easier for us to promote the great info people place on the platform. Maintenance tags help us all make sure the info on the platform is ship-shape and useful. Tags and comments|

Tip 4 - Forking

Sharing starts with respecting and valuing other peoples experience and expertise. Just as interesting as ideas, is what different people do with them in their own specific context. This is why we encourage members of the wiki to document how and why they adapted something on the wiki for their own use. And what they learnt from the process.

~~COMMENTS~~

Hack The Evening

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 19:10:43 +0000

Hack The Evening

Welcome to Hack the Evening, the premier maker-social event at the Edge!

At Hack the Evening, we give you access to our soldering irons, laser cutters, 3D printers, and Arduinos and just about any other gear and materials you can find stashed about the place. In return you get to make new things and meet new people in our hackerspace.

No experience or bookings are necessary for Hack the Evening, just come along and start a conversation.

We meet nearly every Thursday, from 5pm to 8pm.

HtE Members

We have some. They come along. They do things. Be one of them!

HtE Prototype Workshops

Go here to check out the HtE protoypes.

Hack the Evening Retrofuture sideshow alley Project

Welcome to the Apocalypse

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 Jun 2018 17:52:59 +0000

~~REVEAL~~

Welcome to the Apocalypse

What is the SLQ Wiki ?

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 Jun 2018 17:52:59 +0000

~~REVEAL~~

What is the SLQ Wiki ?

The Edge, State Library of Queensland (State Library) has spent the past four years developing a platform for the documentation and distribution of programming materials to be launched as the SLQ Wiki. This platform has been developed to reflect State Library’s commitment to sharing intellectual property developed with public resources.

Who is the SLQ Wiki for?

The SLQ Wiki is for;

practitioners and professionals in public libraries and local government who are
- delivering State Library’s workshops,
- resourcing makerspaces
- researching tools, materials, fittings and equipment.
State Library workers to access Fabrication Lab equipment, programming and other resources.
Community Members who involved building, planning and sharing community projects and events

Why use the SLQ Wiki?

As a working knowledge-base, the SLQ Wiki is used to capture the development of an workshop, event, equipment and facilities, alongside the decision making logic. This ensures these practitioners and professionals accessing the platform can understand the reason why decisions were made, and learn from The Edge's ex ensuring their own learning is captured.

Published on a wiki platform, these documents can be edited and improved on by community, shared, exported or printed freely. All content is release under a CC Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

How does it Work?

The SLQ Wiki is built on the open source platform Dokuwiki and hosted by State Library. After the launch the SLQ wiki will be publicly accessible, and Local and regional Library workers will be able to edit, create and upload content.

What if my community needs an off-line Wiki?

If you are in a remote and regional communities that experiences poor connectivity or has insufficient bandwidth to access a web-based resource, The SLQ Wiki can be delivered offline using affordable, off the shelf hardware. If you are interested in following this process.

start_signage

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 Jun 2018 17:52:59 +0000

Welcome

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 16:03:53 +0000

Welcome

Welcome to The Edge Programming wiki. This is the home page for SLQ staff, and will give a little instruction on how to use this wiki. Hit me up if you have any questions, requests or complaints. To see whats been happening in the wiki check out the table below.

Page	Date	User	Description
3D printer Induction	2026/04/15 09:55	Ellie-Jayne Dumigan
101 3D Printing - Keepsakes and Talismans	2026/04/02 12:21	Michelle Brown
Sewing Induction	2026/03/31 15:50	Ellie-Jayne Dumigan
SLQ Wiki	2026/03/24 16:24	Michelle Brown
A PORTAL FOR IMAGINED THINGS	2026/03/24 16:19	Michelle Brown
sidebar	2026/03/24 16:16	Michelle Brown
101 - Adobe InDesign	2026/03/05 16:02	Katherine Johnston
Vinyl Cutter	2026/02/19 17:25	Katherine Johnston
Community Engagement	2026/02/19 13:14	Michelle Brown
Getting Started	2026/02/19 13:10	Michelle Brown	[Getting Started]

SLQ Wiki - Basics

Getting Around

On the left you can see our navigation menu. This menu uses the page names and namepaces (more on namespaces later) to create the structure.

On the right is the Table of Contents (TOC) for the page you are one.

Before you start editing or creating, you will need to be logged in. Please check out the Dokuwiki syntax and the SLQ Wiki Contributors Guide.

To Create a Page

Creating a page is as simple as writing a link - to a page that doesn't exist….

The simplest way is to enter a new link directly in the address bar. For example the link to this page is:

https://wiki.edgeqld.org.au/doku.php?id=facilities:slq_wiki:start

If you change the last word from “start” to “my new page” (and you have the correct access privileges) you will be directed to the “create a new page”.

https://wiki.edgeqld.org.au/doku.php?id=facilities:slq_wiki:my_new_page

Before you create a page, decide which namespace you want to put it in. For example the prototypes namespace contains all our prototyping documentation. The first page in a namespace by convention is called “start”. So to create a new prototype page in this space for my new pocket time machine I would use this syntax.

   [[prototypes:pocket time machine:start]]

Once your page is created, it will appear in sidebar, but if you can't find it - don't panic - check the sitemap, which is in the top page tools menu.

Now you know how to edit - its time to learn some syntax.

Dokuwiki Syntax

For a full explanation of Dokuwiki syntax check out Formatting Syntax.

To Edit a Page

To edit a whole page, use the edit page button in the floating tool bar, or in the top menu.

This will open dokuwikis built in editor….

Dokuwiki uses simple syntax for generating HTML, somewhat like markdown . The is easy to use, but the editor also has a built in cheat menu, where you can click and add formatting. The syntax keeps our documentation in txt format, ready to be converted to any other format imaginable..

You can also edit just sections of a page by clicking on the edit button below each section.

Modify an Existing Page

1) I'll start with the locks prototype. Mick has helpfully made some prep-production information for use to experiment with. Lets try removing that section from the main page and including it from another page called preprod.

First up, make a page in protypes:lock using;

[[prototypes:lock:preprod]]

2) Right click on the new link - it will be red to indicate the page does not yet exist.

3) Now go back to the lock page and edit it. Select the pre-production information and copy it.

4) Jump back to your :lock:preprod page and 'create page' then paste the pre-production content in.

5) Click save and check it looks good.

6) Go back to your prototypes:lock page and delete the pre-production content, and add in an include tage to point to the new page wherever you want.

 {{page>prototypes:lock:preprod}}

7) This will insert the preprod page seamlessly into the locks page. For staff and admin the page will look like this;

But as a standard user this is what you will see.

Create a Pre-Production Page from Scratch

This is simpler - just create your preprod page the same as in step 1) above, and do all your pre-production documentation in there. Once its complete, use and include tag to insert the pre-prod information into your main page.

Exporting Content

You can export a PDF or ODT file of the page you are on by using the buttons in floating tool bar on the right.

Namespaces and Page Names

A page in a dokuwiki is just a text file. You can see it in the bottom right of this page - in this case its called “start.txt”. The page is always the last word in the URL link to the page (provided you are not editing it). A namespace is like a folder or section - a namespace can contain pages or other namepaces.

Using a page as slides

You can set up a page in such a way that you can also view its content as a silde deck, which is great for workshops and inductions. This is through a function called RevealJS

Exporting a page to PDF

Each page will have a button in the top right that allows you to export it to PDF. Great for printing handout notes!

Using the Include Function for Documentation

we can use the include plugin to insert information from one page into other pages.

As a first example we will modify an existing page to create a pre-production page, then we'll make a preprod page from scratch.

Hiding Text

you can hide text from the page but keep it in the editable code by using the hide wrapper. click edit to see the code for the snippet below:

this text will not appear on the page when it's viewed, only when it's in edit mode.

Using Regex to fix formating

Regex is handy to bulk replace syntax. This requires an external editor that supports regex - I recommend SublimeText 3 as it supports standard regex (PHP).

You can also test your regex with this neat site. https://regex101.com/r/vF7jY9/4

Say I want to replace the tags <wrap em></wrap> with <WRAP hide></WRAP>

The tricky part about this is the closing tag </wrap> is used over and over. Sometimes to close <wrap em> but also with <wrap lo> or <wrap box> .. etc. etc.

As an example say we want to replace

   <wrap em>{{background>::hp8100:082_cpu_thermal_paste_apply_1920.jpg}}</wrap>

With

    <WRAP hide>{{background>::hp8100:082_cpu_thermal_paste_apply_1920.jpg}}</WRAP>

Using the regex to find

    <wrap em>(.*?)</wrap>

we the get the matches for:

<wrap em> matches the characters <wrap em> literally (case sensitive)

Then we get a whole bunch of stuff matching inside the braces (called a capture group)

. matches any character (except for line terminators)
*? Quantifier — Matches between zero and unlimited times, as few times as possible, expanding as needed (lazy)

Finally we have

< matches the character < literally (case sensitive) \/ matches the character / literally (case sensitive) wrap> matches the characters wrap> literally (case sensitive)

Then we need to replace with the regex

 <WRAP hide>\1</WRAP>

Finding big text chunks

It gets a little trickier if we want to find entire sections of text that may include line breaks. In this case we can use the ^ character.

<wrap lo>([^]+)<\/wrap>

This is close to our previous example. We get the matches for:

<wrap lo> matches the characters <wrap lo> literally (case sensitive)

Then we get the first capture group ([^]+)

[^] matches any character, including newline
+ Quantifier — Matches between one and unlimited times, as many times as possible, giving back as needed

Finally we have ;

    
* < matches the character < literally (case sensitive)    
* \/ matches the character / literally (case sensitive)
* wrap> matches the characters wrap> literally (case sensitive)

Displaying External Sites in Dokuwiki

There are a couple of ways to embed external web content in dokuwiki. The easiest way it to use the iframe plugin.

iframe plugin

The iframe plugin can be used to directly embed a website in an iframe.

{{url> http://www.example.com/somepage.html}}

Sidebars

Sidebars lie on the left hand side of each page and contain handy quick links and info.

They work in two ways, the default is that they inherit a simple list of links from their parent in the sitemap (accessed by going to tools>sitemap from that page). the list will contain everything below their parent heading (their sibling pages).

But you can also edit a sidebar as you would a page. To do so, create a page called sidebar under the relevant parent page in the url/sidebar structure.

Images - Media Manager

Full size images can use codes to change the orientation of an image, read more here - http://sylvana.net/jpegcrop/exif_orientation.html

Adding Users

The SLQ Wiki works in conjunction with the State Library's membership system - https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/get-involved/become-member

Direct link to user login - https://patron.slq.qld.gov.au/Register

Once a user has become a member, they have read access to the public pages of the SLQ Wiki. If you need to add someone as a contributor so they can add pages and edit, then State Library staff can use the Updater system to add access, see below for the steps.

URL for SLQ staff - https://updater.slq.qld.gov.au/user/EdgeMove

STEP 1:

STEP 2:

STEP 3:

Welcome

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 16:03:53 +0000

Welcome

Welcome to The Edge Programming wiki. This is the home page for SLQ staff, and will give a little instruction on how to use this wiki. Hit me up if you have any questions, requests or complaints.

SLQ Wiki - Basics

Getting Around

On the left you can see our navigation menu. This menu uses the page names and namepaces (more on namespaces later) to create the structure.

On the right is the Table of Contents (TOC) for the page you are one.

Before you start editing or creating, you will need to be logged in. Please check out the Dokuwiki syntax and the SLQ Wiki Contributors Guide.

To Create a Page

Creating a page is as simple as writing a link - to a page that doesn't exist….

The simplest way is to enter a new link directly in the address bar. For example the link to this page is:

https://wiki.edgeqld.org.au/doku.php?id=facilities:slq_wiki:start

If you change the last word from “start” to “my new page” (and you have the correct access privileges) you will be directed to the “create a new page”.

https://wiki.edgeqld.org.au/doku.php?id=facilities:slq_wiki:my_new_page

   [[prototypes:pocket time machine:start]]

Once your page is created, it will appear in sidebar, but if you can't find it - don't panic - check the sitemap, which is in the top page tools menu.

Now you know how to edit - its time to learn some syntax.

Dokuwiki Syntax

For a full explanation of Dokuwiki syntax check out Formatting Syntax.

To Edit a Page

To edit a whole page, use the edit page button in the floating tool bar, or in the top menu.

This will open dokuwikis built in editor….

You can also edit just sections of a page by clicking on the edit button below each section.

Modify an Existing Page

First up, make a page in protypes:lock using;

[[prototypes:lock:preprod]]

2) Right click on the new link - it will be red to indicate the page does not yet exist.

3) Now go back to the lock page and edit it. Select the pre-production information and copy it.

4) Jump back to your :lock:preprod page and 'create page' then paste the pre-production content in.

5) Click save and check it looks good.

6) Go back to your prototypes:lock page and delete the pre-production content, and add in an include tage to point to the new page wherever you want.

 {{page>prototypes:lock:preprod}}

7) This will insert the preprod page seamlessly into the locks page. For staff and admin the page will look like this;

But as a standard user this is what you will see.

Create a Pre-Production Page from Scratch

Exporting Content

You can export a PDF or ODT file of the page you are on by using the buttons in floating tool bar on the right.

Namespaces and Page Names

Using a page as slides

You can set up a page in such a way that you can also view its content as a silde deck, which is great for workshops and inductions. This is through a function called RevealJS

Exporting a page to PDF

Each page will have a button in the top right that allows you to export it to PDF. Great for printing handout notes!

Using the Include Function for Documentation

we can use the include plugin to insert information from one page into other pages.

As a first example we will modify an existing page to create a pre-production page, then we'll make a preprod page from scratch.

Hiding Text

you can hide text from the page but keep it in the editable code by using the hide wrapper. click edit to see the code for the snippet below:

this text will not appear on the page when it's viewed, only when it's in edit mode.

Using Regex to fix formating

Regex is handy to bulk replace syntax. This requires an external editor that supports regex - I recommend SublimeText 3 as it supports standard regex (PHP).

You can also test your regex with this neat site. https://regex101.com/r/vF7jY9/4

Say I want to replace the tags <wrap em></wrap> with <WRAP hide></WRAP>

The tricky part about this is the closing tag </wrap> is used over and over. Sometimes to close <wrap em> but also with <wrap lo> or <wrap box> .. etc. etc.

As an example say we want to replace

   <wrap em>{{background>::hp8100:082_cpu_thermal_paste_apply_1920.jpg}}</wrap>

With

    <WRAP hide>{{background>::hp8100:082_cpu_thermal_paste_apply_1920.jpg}}</WRAP>

Using the regex to find

    <wrap em>(.*?)</wrap>

we the get the matches for:

<wrap em> matches the characters <wrap em> literally (case sensitive)

Then we get a whole bunch of stuff matching inside the braces (called a capture group)

. matches any character (except for line terminators)
*? Quantifier — Matches between zero and unlimited times, as few times as possible, expanding as needed (lazy)

Finally we have

< matches the character < literally (case sensitive) \/ matches the character / literally (case sensitive) wrap> matches the characters wrap> literally (case sensitive)

Then we need to replace with the regex

 <WRAP hide>\1</WRAP>

Finding big text chunks

It gets a little trickier if we want to find entire sections of text that may include line breaks. In this case we can use the ^ character.

<wrap lo>([^]+)<\/wrap>

This is close to our previous example. We get the matches for:

<wrap lo> matches the characters <wrap lo> literally (case sensitive)

Then we get the first capture group ([^]+)

[^] matches any character, including newline
+ Quantifier — Matches between one and unlimited times, as many times as possible, giving back as needed

Finally we have ;

    
* < matches the character < literally (case sensitive)    
* \/ matches the character / literally (case sensitive)
* wrap> matches the characters wrap> literally (case sensitive)

Displaying External Sites in Dokuwiki

There are a couple of ways to embed external web content in dokuwiki. The easiest way it to use the iframe plugin.

iframe plugin

The iframe plugin can be used to directly embed a website in an iframe.

{{url> http://www.example.com/somepage.html}}

Sidebars

Sidebars lie on the left hand side of each page and contain handy quick links and info.

But you can also edit a sidebar as you would a page. To do so, create a page called sidebar under the relevant parent page in the url/sidebar structure.

Images - Media Manager

Full size images can use codes to change the orientation of an image, read more here - http://sylvana.net/jpegcrop/exif_orientation.html

Adding Users

The SLQ Wiki works in conjunction with the State Library's membership system - https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/get-involved/become-member

Direct link to user login - https://patron.slq.qld.gov.au/Register

URL for SLQ staff - https://updater.slq.qld.gov.au/user/EdgeMove

STEP 1:

STEP 2:

STEP 3:

log

Welcome to The Edge TRYIT Workshops !!!

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 Jun 2018 17:53:00 +0000

Welcome to The Edge TRYIT Workshops !!!