OK, so your boards IP address is 192.168.1.15. You can use Google Chrome Developer Tools to troubleshoot from here: Chrome DevTools | Chrome for Developers Open a new tab, then open the Developer Tools. Go to the network tab, then enter the IP address in the address bar of the new tab and hit enter. You should see a request to the IP address. Click it and make sure it’s getting a response. Let me know if you see any errors in the response or console.
@Charity_Stolarz If you are using Internet explorer you will want to put http:// in front of the IP address.
http://192.168.1.15
@Charity_Stolarz nevermind. I just saw that you said you were using a Mac. You could still give it a shot though.
Thanks - i saw your tip about chrome dev tools in your other esp8266 web app thread but couldn’t find it! But it just keeps saying pending and then failed…
oh I just reinstalled the ino and spiffs and it loaded!
But still saying “pending autoplay”
Can you try http://192.168.1.15/all ? That should respond with a bunch of JSON data.
It looks like it’s working but nothing is happening with the lights. I have to run out and grab my daughter from preschool and will get back. Maybe I have something wired wrong. You have the power going into the board from the same jst for data right?
If http://192.168.1.15/all works, but http://192.168.1.15/ or http://192.168.1.15/index.htm doesn’t work, you should make sure that you’ve used the “ESP8266 Sketch Data Upload” tool to upload the web app to SPIFFS: https://github.com/esp8266/Arduino/blob/master/doc/filesystem.md#uploading-files-to-file-system You should be able to see the files listed at http://192.168.1.15/edit.htm
Even without the web app working, the LEDs should work. Yeah, I used a four way splitter to power the LEDs, and then power and ground from the LEDs connect to the board through the same JST connector used for data.
You should also be able to test by just connecting one LED string to the board, and powering it all through USB.
Have you modified the sketch or web app files at all? If so, it’d help to see your changes (on GitHub, Gist, or Pastebin).
Sorry, I just noticed your “it loaded” comment. I must have missed it somehow. 
Sorry, what do you mean it’s still saying “pending autoplay”?
I haven’t modified anything with this one. I had a different one going with a nodemcu board and no level shifter and the timing for the lights seemed really off. Lots of flashing and flickering and the first light sketch was a mess. So I figured it might need that shift register which came in along with the wemos d1. Then noticed you had updated the code and just took it whole cloth. As soon as I get this kiddo her lunch and an acceptable teletubbies episode I’ll go back and take another look at my wiring. I did it pretty late last night so it’s probably something silly
@Jason_Coon I’m striking out now completely. Can you take a look at my wiring and see if I screwed something up? I didn’t really know what was going on either the shift register so just tried to copy you. Data is connected to D7 and B1 then out of A1 to data in. Dir to ground, vcc to +. (???) thanks so much with your help on this.
Also I used a 470 ohm thatbyou listed in materials - but it looks like a 220 on your board?
Is OE supposed to connect to ground too?
Looks good, except OE and GND on the level shifter should be connected to ground: http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/sn74hct245.pdf
Looks like I missed that on my board and diagram, sorry. 
I’ll get it updated.
Also, I always wire up on a breadboard and test before transferring the circuit to a PCB or perma-proto and starting to solder. I should have recommended that in the article.
I’ve updated the Fritzing diagram after reading the level shifter datasheet. You’re supposed to tie any unused inputs/outputs to ground.
missing/deleted image from Google+
Oh cool! I was trying to make sense of it too. But it worked fine for you before? I went ahead and started over with the solderless board that finally let itself be found. I redid everything exactly as your other fritz diagram and still nothing. Then I just stripped it down to this and its fine
It’s just v,g and data
I will try again with all the extra pins on the shifter tied to ground
And now a question for the morning (getting ahead of myself of course): is there a way to control multiple esp8266 boards running this script with the same web app? So if I made a few trees they could run patterns in sync? The 2 different boards have given me different ips