garageCube

Hi MadMapper,

I have a big raccoon art car covered with something like 10,000+ LEDs. Pictures can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/blackrockbandits/

I'm exploring using MadMapper or XLights for lighting the car this year. Our hardware stack is currently teensies, but am considering a PixLite controller to be able to use MadMapper or Xlights.

I'm having difficultly finding tutorials that go in depth into the 3D modeling and how VJ'ing works with a 3D project. I have a .obj wireframe of the car, but am not sure how to actually model the lights? Is the imported .obj just supposed to be a surface for projection mapping? (we have none, just LEDs).

I'm leaning towards MadMapper because it looks like you can live VJ, where as XLights is more based off of timings.

Any thoughts on using MadMapper for this project, and how to get started with creating a 3D LED model for a complicated shape?

Mapping Led is quite different to VideoMapping, so in this case you have to create your fixture based in a 2D diagram and start from that creating stuff for your lights program or content.
You actually don't need to "3D lighting" your 3D installation from madmapper.
But there is some tricky but easy way to figure out some "3d setup" that might help and give some more perspective on how to achieve your project.
Here an example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Deul2yR7nHQ