Now that the software is ready to go, we can finally put everything into the frame. The documentation shows you how to add 'modules' so you can explore a whole world of customization.įor example, here are some of the modules we added: The default setup has basic things like a calendar, clock, weather, etc. The best part about the Magic Mirror software is that it allows you to customize it. When it's finished, the app will run for the first time and we'll see it open on our Pi! When complete, repeat with the next line until the end.We're looking for the 'Manual Installation' section (as shown in the images above) and we're going to simply copy/paste one line at a time into the 'Terminal' app on the Pi. The full documentation, including the "Installation" page that we use in the video, can be found here: If you're not familiar with programming, this can seem very intimidating but we show in the video the simplest way to do it if you're not into coding at all. The next step involves installing this software on our Raspberry Pi, which you can get at this link: It's designed specifically for this, it's very fun to use, and it works GREAT! To run the smart mirror, we're using a free piece of software called "Magic Mirror". Now you can see how we fit the monitor perfectly into the cardboard! We trace around it with a pencil and then use a sharp utility knife to cut out the rectangle, being as careful as we can to get super close to the line and not leave any gaps. We then use a ruler to place the monitor face down on the board exactly in the center. so we carefully take those out so they don't get damaged.įinally, we take that cardboard piece from the picture frame and lay it down, removing any metal tabs it has first. There's a small set of buttons on the bottom that turns the monitor on/off/etc. With those screws out, we could then carefully remove the front bezel. This reveals a line of small screws around the edge on the back that we then took out. Next, we used a small flathead screwdriver to pop all the tabs around the outside and take off the back panel. There are two small screws near the power/HDMI ports that come out first, but we save them since we're going to use them later! Next, we remove the stand at the bottom, then lay it face down on something soft so it doesn't get scratched. Once it's in, we carefully bend down all the metal tabs to hold the mirror in place.īefore we start, we turn on the monitor and raise the brightness to the maximum. It fits perfectly but it's obviously important to be gentle so we don't scratch it. Next, we gently place the mirror into the frame, bright side facing forward (dark side back). But, we saved the cardboard since we're going to use it! We then fold up all the little metal tabs to make room for the mirror. To install the mirror, first, we removed the clear plastic and the cardboard backing in the picture frame. If you're on a budget, a great option is to use an acrylic mirror. However, these types of mirrors are very expensive. The mirror we're using is 1/4" thick and is very high-quality glass so we'll get a lot of light passing through while maintaining a clear reflection. That allows you to put something like a display or a monitor on the back and shine light through. What's significant about a two-way mirror is that one side allows light to pass through and the other side is reflective. Smart Mirrors work by using a "two-way mirror" (also called a one-way mirror, which is.very confusing!).
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