I am having a bit of trouble getting started. Trying to compile the Fast2Dev example and not getting very far. Any suggestions?
What problems are you having trying to compile - and what tool(s) are you using?
Just using Arduino 1.0.5 IDE.
Fast2Dev:22: error: elements of array ‘CRGB leds [150]’ have incomplete type
Where did you put the unzipped library? The arduino IDE wants its libraries to live in specific places, it sounds like it may not be properly finding it.
Also - if you have installed an see version, make sure it is completely removed - another possibility is that the wrong version of the library is being pulled in.
Yep. Looks like I had them in the wrong place. I moved to Arduino -> libraries and now the example program will complie! Thanks much for essentially providing real-time support!
Just a suggestion: you may want to consider not installing custom libraries within the Arduino path. Next time you update the IDE, you will have to manually copy all of those libraries back in again.
I keep both my sketches as well as my libraries in my Dropbox folder, completely separate from the IDE. Set the proper path in the preferences.txt file and you’re done. Now, whenever I update the IDE, I don’t have to worry about my custom libraries or sketches, and as a bonus I get to access my files from anywhere.
On the mac, the arduino has a per-user place to drop libraries, doesn’t require any re-configuring of the preferences.txt file - ~/Documents/Arduino/libraries - I suspect it has a default user installed library space on other platforms as well. (one of the many, many things to document, but I need to poke at arduino on other platforms to lay out).
The same applies to Windows, My Documents/Arduino/libraries - at least with the newer IDEs. I just like the safety of constant backup to Dropbox and the ability to get to them from anywhere. Even my phone. 
Ashley - That sounds interesting. I thought the Arduino IDE only searched the Arduino path for .h and library files. How do you structure your folder tree for your Arduino projects and libraries (within your dropbox folder)?
I thought I replied to this … looks like I didn’t. Anyway, the IDE has an option to set where you want to keep your sketches, it’s in the preferences. Create a ‘libraries’ folder within that and dump all of your libraries in there. Now you can upgrade, delete, do whatever with the IDE while both your sketches and libraries remain in place.
I have my sketch path set to DropBox\Arduino\Sketches and within that I have a ‘libraries’ folder with all of other libraries that don’t come stock with the IDE. It knows what to do.
@Ashley_M_Kirchner_No Thanks for the tip. I actually did have an alternate location for sketches configured, but did not know of the libraries subfolder convention within that.