Video Surfaces

Basics

Video Surfaces allow you to create virtual surfaces for your real world structure.

The different types of shapes, their flexibility of use and their parameters will allow you to handle your simplest or most complex projects with ease.

Location

Access the Video Surfaces by clicking on Video (manage Video Surfaces) at the top left of the interface:

 

Keyboard shortcut: Cmd + 2

New Surface

Simply click on the Surface of your choice to add one:

 

Surfaces List

Added Surfaces (and groups) will be listed on the left in the Surfaces List:

 

Simply double-click on a Surface name to rename it.

 

Other options are :

Locking a surface is useful when you don’t want to change its settings anymore, it will avoid accidents.

By moving your surfaces in the list, they will function as layers in a stack.

Example: if you have two surfaces, the first surface in your list will be in the foreground and the second surface in your list will be in the background.

 

The highlighted surface is also the one that is selected !

Create Groups

You can create a group with as many surfaces as you want by clicking on the Groups icon at top right of the Surfaces list:

 

You can also drag your surfaces directly into a group, no matter what type they are.

Or select a group of surfaces, then click on the group icon holding the Shift key.

A group will be created with the selected surfaces, in the same location as the selected surfaces.

Surface Types

Video Quad

Create a video quad surface:

 

Use the Views to adjust the scale, rotation and perspective of a surface.

Video Line

Add lines as a surface : click, move the cursor and your line is being created.

Click again to have an intermediate selection.

Press Enter when you have finished your line:

 

Triangle

Add triangles as a surface - then adjust, scale and rotate your triangle(s) in the Stage View:

 

Circle

Add circles as a surface - then adjust (with the four handle points), scale and rotate your circle(s) in the Stage View.

The perspective is scaled with the center handle:

 

Mask

Add an alpha mask over a surface, in the Preview Output view only.

Masks don’t have textures, they are used to hide parts of the composition on the projector. In a manner similar to lines, click and draw your mask that will be linked to an other surface.

 

Press Enter when you are finished.

3D Surface

Import and calibrate 3D objects in the .OBJ format:

 

Surface Inspector

The Surface Inspector, below the list of surfaces, displays the settings and parameters of the selected surface (highlighted in the surfaces list).

The settings may vary depending on the type of surface.

 

However, there are some settings and parameters that are common to all types of surfaces, as detailed below.

Media

Information about the media used by the surface:

 

Appearance

Gathers together so-called “standard” settings such Opacity, Blend Modes, Flip, Color.

FX -> Color Controls

Adjust various colors settings:

 

Output

Setup the output parameters of your surface, including the activation or de-activation of Perspective:

 

Feathering

Manage feathering, a feature introduced in MadMapper 4:

 

Mesh Warping

Mesh Warping is an essential technique enabling a grid mesh in order to warp the shape.

Add as many control points as needed.

 

Activate it here Bezier Mesh Warping in order to use bezier curves to change the shape into a complex surface.

Soft-Edge

Soft edge is useful when you are using multiple surfaces and comes with various parameters:

 

Download the Soft-edge calibration and color calibration cards in your user account's Downloads section.

Specific Parameters

You will find specific settings depending on the type of Surface.

For example, the 3D surface Inspector comes with specific tools and parameters such as wireframe, lighting, edit UVs, etc.

With shift+select several surfaces, the Inspector will only display the common parameters of the selected surfaces.

Note that the percentage of a setting is multiplied by the group setting.

 

Page Content