On days like July 4th, we celebrate with fireworks. Be it at home or in public. But most don't think about the software behind the elaborate dance.
On days like July 4th and December 31st (New Year's Eve in USA), we celebrate with fireworks. Be it at home or in public.
As a boy, the guys in the family all gathered outside to chain packs of firecrackers together to get the longest chain reaction possible. Then we would light rockets, sparkles, roman candles, and smoke bombs (my person favorite). Any threat of injury was part of the fun.
If we wanted to see something more official (or my mom needed a break from our dangerous fun), we would travel downtown to experience the Augusta city fireworks display.
Have you ever wondered how fireworks at big shows are coordinated? How are they able to send gunpowder into the sky without burning the neighborhood down? How is it all planned?
The real deal fireworks organized by cities are something special.
Think of quality fireworks as a combination of rhythm/tempo and equipment.
Fireworks can broken down into 4 main components: shell, mortar, black powder, and fuse.
Shell: The effects (pretty colors) you see the sky.
Mortar: Holds the shell.
Black powder: A type of gun powder invented in China centuries ago.
Fuse: The spark that carries heat to activate the black powder.
This collection of components/equipment must be high quality to get a high quality show.
If a fireworks show was fast and blazing the entire time, it would bore the hell out of you. Imagine listening to song where the singer screams full volume the whole song. Can anyone say "dynamics"?
For any show to interest and satisfy you, it must have highs and lows, tension and release. As a show establishes a rhythm, the progress of change throughout will dictate the lasting impact.
For example, a show may start slow with some low altitude stars that pause for 2 seconds between explosions. Mid-show, rockets occasionally surprise you with their high pitched crackles and bright purples. At the climax, your eyeballs are overwhelmed with rockets, sparkles, low sounds, high sounds, and screaming stars high in the sky.
Now that's a show.
If electric cars (EVs) have taught us anything, it's the power of software and the CPUs that run it. Cars are now able to analyze roads conditions, lane location, and nearby bodies; thousands of times per second. Compared to us mortals, we'd be lucky to make 2 conscious decisions per second.
It's painfully clear. When precision and tempo are vital, software should do the job.
When it comes to being right on time, every time; software always wins.
Finale 3D is a real-time firework simulator that allows people to interactively design firework shows. Users can use models of venues or even use coordinates of a location from Google Maps to project a satellite view on the ground!
Gone are the days of trial and error. Software allows us to plan before we build. And when it's showtime, execute the plan.
So the next time you're watching fireworks light up the night sky like a giant flashlight, think about the software behind the elaborate dance. Substitute your hatred for the smell of black powder (part sulfur) with curiosity about the artistry behind the scenes.
And maybe we can convince our dogs to focus on the magic of the show instead of hiding under the bed, shivering with fear, deathly afraid of coming out.
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References
Ontario Science Centre (2023). The Science of Fireworks. https://www.ontariosciencecentre.ca/science-at-home/diy-science-fun/the-science-of-fireworks
Fireworks FX Inc (2020). Planning a Show. https://www.fireworksfx.com/planning-a-show/
Finale Fireworks. https://finale3d.com/
COBRA (2023). COBRA Show Creator. https://www.cobrafiringsystems.com/show_software.html