Best way to 3D projection map over 10 projectors?
Posted: Wed May 25, 2022 2:03 am
Okay lets see what we can do! MadMapper on a Mac or PC can do a few projectors natively.
But when we inevitably get asked by a client to do a large immersive projection mapping setup it sometimes requires many projectors. Sometimes many more than can be done with the native outputs on a single laptop or desktop.
One go-to workflow is to use a few of those Matrox TripleHead2Go DP Edition splitters. 10 years later and I am still using them. Although, they can't reliably make x3 1080p signals, usually x3 720p OR x3 768p. Not ideal, but works. I have hooked up an Intel NUC to use at least 3 of these units running 4k video Resolume into MadMapper and it works.
Another work around is to use NDI. Essentially networked video. Cost of adapters aside this has a max output of about x8 1080p30 signals before the headroom on a single GigaBit cat6 is eaten up. I have weird issues with sync too. Worse than the Matrox. Could be fixed.
Then, there is the MiniMad. I love these. Only drawback is the sync issue, resolution limit, and problems edge blending. I understand this is noted in the manual.
After that, to my knowledge, there is a gulf between these options and what are often referred to as "media servers". I mean how do some groups do like 96 projectors right? For the SuperBowl? It's not with Raspberry Pi's or Matrox units as you might imagine.
So what options are there? I see a GreenHippo here and a DataPath there. Looks like you can get a good 10+ projectors out of daisy chaining some models. But... Is that the best route? New things are coming out every month and I would like to see if there are any recipes for getting approximately 8 - 12+ projectors from a MadMapper instance that are better than a bunch of Matrox units but costs less than $100k. Seriously, there is a gulf between the costs as well!
Hope the problem is stated well and we can document some ways of doing this! If nothing else it would be good to highlight some best practices as this tool, MadMapper, is enabling us hackers to strike at these fabled realms and we should make the solutions off-the-wall and better just like MM did to the mapping software industry initially!
Thank you!
But when we inevitably get asked by a client to do a large immersive projection mapping setup it sometimes requires many projectors. Sometimes many more than can be done with the native outputs on a single laptop or desktop.
One go-to workflow is to use a few of those Matrox TripleHead2Go DP Edition splitters. 10 years later and I am still using them. Although, they can't reliably make x3 1080p signals, usually x3 720p OR x3 768p. Not ideal, but works. I have hooked up an Intel NUC to use at least 3 of these units running 4k video Resolume into MadMapper and it works.
Another work around is to use NDI. Essentially networked video. Cost of adapters aside this has a max output of about x8 1080p30 signals before the headroom on a single GigaBit cat6 is eaten up. I have weird issues with sync too. Worse than the Matrox. Could be fixed.
Then, there is the MiniMad. I love these. Only drawback is the sync issue, resolution limit, and problems edge blending. I understand this is noted in the manual.
After that, to my knowledge, there is a gulf between these options and what are often referred to as "media servers". I mean how do some groups do like 96 projectors right? For the SuperBowl? It's not with Raspberry Pi's or Matrox units as you might imagine.
So what options are there? I see a GreenHippo here and a DataPath there. Looks like you can get a good 10+ projectors out of daisy chaining some models. But... Is that the best route? New things are coming out every month and I would like to see if there are any recipes for getting approximately 8 - 12+ projectors from a MadMapper instance that are better than a bunch of Matrox units but costs less than $100k. Seriously, there is a gulf between the costs as well!
Hope the problem is stated well and we can document some ways of doing this! If nothing else it would be good to highlight some best practices as this tool, MadMapper, is enabling us hackers to strike at these fabled realms and we should make the solutions off-the-wall and better just like MM did to the mapping software industry initially!
Thank you!