Week 9: Video Installations + Projection Mapping

Options for demonstrating Spatial Video Design?

– Create an installation at some interesting location, document well, submit this documentation.
– Create a miniature model of some environment, and translate your video onto the model ( eg The Ice Book ). Document well, submit this documentation.

Don’t forget – your goal here is to twofold – demonstrate spatial design abilities with video and physical space, and do this in a way that enhances / clarifies the key ideas / experiences from your ‘perceptions in motion’.

Week 9 TASK:

Define context for exhibition / installation. Describe as many variables as possible. ( eg light / sound / space / power / materials / size + distance / people flow etc )

Identify key project traits to accentuate. Describe how exhibition space can be used to accentuate these traits.

Develop:

list of equipment needed.
list of media production needed, for translating video to exhibition format. ( eg recompositing video / selecting portions of video for different screens etc)
list of other materials needed. (accompanying print materials / materials for projecting / reflecting / masking / guiding etc )
Timeline / production schedule.

How does the installation environment differ from cinema – and how can we best translate our videos to take advantage of these differences?
What aspects of mapping / comics and video / cinematography / motion graphics – can we take on board for helping us with spatial design?

Connecting to multiple screens / projectors

The same content can be sent to different screens – by using signal splitters (eg VGA / HDMI etc), or by daisy chaining projectors together (sending video out from projector A into the input for projector B).

To send different content to different screens, either separate, synchronised, playback devices are needed – or one computer can do this with an external devices such as the Matrox Triple Head to Go card, which will divide a very wide video sent from a single computer eg 2400×600 – onto 3 separate screens of 800×600. The more expensive Datapath X4 will send video to 4 separate screens, and includes a range of cropping and alignment features. Beyond these devices, higher end media servers can also split video into multiple screens / outputs / projectors.

The Projection Central Calculator is great for figuring out how much are coverage a given projector can do.

What is Projection Mapping?

The 2013 Mapping Festival Program gives a good glimpse…

Some definitions of 2D = 3D Projection mapping… ( via example VVVV tutorial for 3D video mapping)

2D projection mapping’ = lining up 2D shapes in a projector image with real world features in the projector’s line of sight.

3D projection mapping’= re-projecting a virtual 3D object onto its real world counterpart using a video projector*. All features of the real object visible from the point of view of the projector, have an image projected onto them, and this image is ‘extracted’ from the corresponding surfaces of the virtual counterpart object.

How to Create Projection Maps?

2D / Planar Mapping – Option 1: Point a projector at an object / surface, and use Photoshop to create a mask template. Use this template to create animations / compositions using After Effects.

( Using a camera and photoshop to make masks, then mapping these in Resolume. + Tutorial about using photographs to align and map video onto objects )

2D / Planar Mapping – Option 2: See below, for a variety of Projection Mapping Software options.

3D Mapping? Example VVVV tutorial / Example Meshwarp Server tutorial.

(See also – Automated spatial detection… Mapamok / spatial scanner function of Madmapper / immersive projections for gaming.)

Software For Projection Mapping

VVVV – “a hybrid graphical/textual programming environment for easy prototyping and development. It is designed to facilitate the handling of large media environments with physical interfaces, real-time motion graphics, audio and video that can interact with many users simultaneously.” (free for non-commercial use)

VPT (Video Projection Tool) – “a free multipurpose realtime projection software tool for Mac and Windows created by HC Gilje – it can be used for projecting video on complex forms, adapting projection to a particular space/surface, combining recorded and live footage, multiscreen HD playback, for interactive installations using arduino sensors or camera tracking.” ( mac / PC / free )

Painting With Light – “an attempt to create a simple but powerful video mapping software application to enable and encourage artists to experiment with the medium of video projection and video mapping.” (free – mac /PC)

Visution Mapio – “a powerful FreeFrameGL plugin for creating projection shows” – which can be used inside VJ software such as Resolume.

QLAB ( video features ) – also includes software rental option for $3 a day.

Dataton Watchout – A PC based platform for controlling video across multiple displays simultaneously ( not mapping though ).

Meshwarp Server – “a versatile Mapping Tool to create complex Video Projection Installations.” (mac/PC + free)

Touch Designer – a visual development platform that equips you with the tools you need to create stunning realtime projects and rich user experiences. Whether you’re creating interactive media systems, architectural projections, live music visuals, or simply rapid-prototyping your latest creative impulse, TouchDesigner is the platform that can do it all.” ( PC only, free version available for non-commercial use.)

Processing – “an open source programming language and environment for people who want to create images, animations, and interactions.”

Open Frameworks – “an open source C++ toolkit designed to assist the creative process by providing a simple and intuitive framework for experimentation”.

Software for Interactivity

– VJ software ( eg VDMX / Resolume / Modul8 / CoGE / Isadora / Millumin etc )

– More complex software and programming languages:

Processing “an open source programming language and environment for people who want to create images, animations, and interactions.”
Max / msp “all the tools to create your own music, sound, video, and interactive media applications”
Pure Data ( free )
Quartz Composer ( free / mac only)
VVVV
Open Frameworks
Cinder – “a community-developed, free and open source library for professional-quality creative coding in C++.”