Mike Fahl
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Posts posted by Mike Fahl
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Is all of the mapping basically done in the 3d Model application when setting up the UV map?
Mapping is a multi-step process. The first step is mapping content to the "virtual 3D model" appearing in WATCHOUT. This mapping is all done through UV mapping in a 3D program. See below for the following steps.
Is that where I would define regions and scaling and position of media I want to project on to the object?Yes. You can set up several independently texturable areas (sub-meshes) in the 3D program, as well as assign UV to those there.
Let's say I only want to project on the face so it looks like the face is moving. Do I need to define that face region in the UV map.
In this case, I'd make the face as a separately texturable area (a sub-mesh) in the 3D program. Apply UV to the face there, and make sure a test still image maps properly in the 3D program. If this looks good, it should work the same once the model and image are brought into WATCHOUT and applied there.
Take a look at the mapping related tutorials found here. They should hopefully help clarifying some details:
http://academy.dataton.com/cookbook
As mentioned above, mapping onto a physical 3D object is a multi step process:
- Create a matching 3D model in a 3D program, possibly with multiple, separately texturable areas.
- Apply UV coordinates in the 3D program, and test with some sample texture images.
- Bring the resulting 3D model file into WATCHOUT.
- Apply your sample texture to the model in WATCHOUT, to make sure it looks OK in the stage window.
- Add a "3D Mapping Projector" to the Stage window in WATCHOUT, pointing it roughly at the virtual 3D model in the Stage window.
- Point your corresponding real-world projector at the physical object so it covers it the way you want.
- Use the semi-automatic calibration feature of WATCHOUT to position the projector in the stage window soit matches the position of the real-world projector.
- Add more sophisticated texture content, either by applying a video or by creating a multi-layered texture in WATCHOUT using a Virtual Display.
Hope this helps.
Mike
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scaling up to fit thereafter will put more strain on the W9100.
Scaling should really have no effect on performance.
Tomas, do you really think those drives will have trouble reading six videos at "2Mbps,5Mbps, 15Mbps"? At most, this should require 6 x 15 = 90Mb/s (that is megaBIT/second, not megaBYTE).
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The mapping from the (always rectangular) texture provided by a Virtual Display and the geometry (in your case, the pyramid) is ultimately controlled by the UV mapping in the 3D object. So to make the images map the way you want, update the 3D model accordingly. You can try this out in the 3D program by using a couple of still images representing what will eventually be fed from the Virtual Displays in WATCHOUT. This will allow you to do the UV mapping and verify that it looks the way you want before bringing the model into WATCHOUT.
You may want to take a look at some of these videos – particularly those about UV Mapping - which show some example using Cinema4D.
http://academy.dataton.com/cookbook
Please feel free to send me your Cinema4D design and some sample images you want mapped (along with something explaining how they should be mapped) and I'll behappy to take a look at your 3D file.
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See the WATCHNET User's Guide:
http://academy.dataton.com/watchnet/clusterloadshow-action
Specifically under "Reload Show". To make sure WATCHNET will take control over the show even if the same show was recently loaded by other means (e.g., the production software), mak sure you select “Force Reload”.
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No. WATCHNET was designed to control display clusters only – not the production computer.
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When the production computer is online, it assumes full control over the display cluster. Thus. if you want the production computer in the system, you must control the production computer instead of attempting to control the cluster. While the production computer allows for external control, this is not supported by WATCHNET.
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If what you want to do can be done with a single WATCHOUT display computer with a single graphics card (which may have multiple outputs, as you probably know), an alternative is to use an NVIDIA card insteda of AMD. While AMD requires a sync card to maintain sync across outputs even within the same card, NVIDIA does so by default. This holds true even on gamer-grade cards, which may allow you to save some money here too. Thus, with NVIDIA you may need sync card when going across multiple computers, but not within a single computer.
At least that was the conclusion last I looked at this. Perhaps someone else can confirm if this is still the case.
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Increasing Z values move objects away from you. See illustration here:
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Depending on your encoding procedure, you can certainly make an MPEG2 at that resolution. Assuming your encoder can make it, WATCHOUT will have no problem playing it. But H.264 is certainly another option. You don't say anything about your framerate or hardware, so it's hard to be more specific.
Neither of this really has anything to do with what kind of projector/lamps you're using, so I don't quite understand why you bring that up. Perhaps I'm misunderstanding your question.
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If you set thedisplay manually (in Windows control panel) to the desired resolution and frequency before starting WATCHOUT, WATCHOUT will not attempt to set it. However, since WATCHOUT seems unable to set the desired resoltuion, chances are Windows won't let you either, in which case I'm afraid the display/graphics card combination simply doesn't support that resolution or frequency.
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There's a bunch of training videos here:
http://www.dataton.com/training
More training videos, some with downloadable example content, also found here:
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The TCP commands (String output) will be sent from the cluster master, which is the production computer when in use, or the primary display computer when youäre not using the production computer. The connection is closed after a period of inactivity. Closing it and then re-opening it on demand was deemed more robust than keeping a port (possibly with zero traffic) open indefinitely.
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The "Too complex effects" error is definitely display driver related. WATCHOUT 6 runs fine on Win10. The only issue I'm aware of is the mouse wheen scrolling problem, which can be solved using a setting in Windows (discussed elsewhere on the forum). The WATCHOUT 6 User's Guide discusses installation and setup of Windows 10 (although it also supports Windows 7).
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There's no automatic method to "save" those settings in WATCHNET. You could create a set of buttons to trigger scripts that will set the desired "presets". The values of those presets would have to be hardcoded into those scripts, however.
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Try with a CR (i.e., $0D) as line terminator instead of line feed.
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I am unable to get any signal in the 'Timecode Tester'. However, I am seeing good signal levels in the windows audio recording devices menu. (Default device)
That sounds odd. The TC Tester reads from the default audio input device, so if you have a signal there, it should show up also in the signal indicator inside the TC reader.
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Do you have a String output that attempts to send a setInput command to the cluster itself? If so, it could be interesting to learn if WATCHOUT responds with some kind of error message to that command string. Unfortunately, WATCHOUT won't by itself report any data that comes back as a result of a string command (it doesn't really "know" it's sending the command to itself, so won't report it in any other way either). Possibly you could snoop the wire using Wireshark. Iit's not really on any "wire", since the command is sent to localhost, but it should nevertheless be possible to snoop using Wireshark running on the same PC, I assume. This may provide some further insight as to WATCHOUT doesn't like this command while under WATCHNET control.
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I have a hard time following what you're saying. But if you have broken keys out of warranty, I suggest you contact sales or support to work something out with them.
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Wow. Thanks for your research here! No, I don't know why the image doesn't update from WATCHOUT. I'll see if I can try this out in a few days. If you can't get this working, please forward to support@dataton.com for further investigation.
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This page seem to imply it should work:
https://support.apple.com/kb/PH14148?locale=en_US
This support page talks about "only get to they grey login screen", which sounds like what you're describing. It's a few years old, but perhaps there are some hints there:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3289794?tstart=0
But, as Jim says, try it with a regular VNC client (e.g. RealVNC) first, making sure that works. If it does, so should WATCHOUT.
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I'm using URL proxy, to load from a local web server, this way we can use as many pictures as we want as the pictures are only load upon each cue play, contrary to dynamic image server that is permanently updating, creating big stress on the network and server machine.
There's really no "permanently updating" action going on when using the dynamic image server for stills. The image is sent when first loaded and when updated, but only rarely in between. So for stills, there shouldn't be that much traffic. Furthermore, version 6 sends the image data compressed (using its original format, such as JPEG or PNG), which further reduces network bandwidth (the old image server sent images uncopressed, which used much more network bandwidth). Alex, are you using version 5 or 6? Presumaby 5, since I know your system has been running for quite some time.
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The "Timecode Tester" app should give you a level readout in the horizontal bar graph. Do you see any signal here? If not, something is wrong with how audio input is routed. ItThe signal needs to appear on the Windows default audio input device I believe. If so, the Timecode Tester should indicate a good signal level (although if it is constantly at 100% I would suspect the level is too strong, as it would be if you're feeding line level through the Mic input). Once you see a reasonable signal on this bar, the reader should pick it up assuming it's one of the supported formats (which is pretty much all of them). If the Timecode Tester can read it, so should WATCHOUT (production or display). Note that in production you enable it inside Preferences, where you need to use a command file option (or external control system) to enable it on a display computer.
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Are their any limits on the Virtual Displays that can be applied to objects? What resolution of VD is too big?
In terms of resolution, they use VRAM, which could become an issue if you use very large virtual displays. But most modern graphics cards have plenty of VRAM. Calculate the extra amount of VRAM, in bytes, needed for a virtual display by width*height*4. E.g., a 4k-by-4k virtual display would be 4096*4096*4=67108864 bytes, or approx 67 MB of VRAM.
Virtual displays do add rendering overhead. They're essentially equivalent to using multiple outputs from a graphics card. So you want to keep the number of virtual displays as low as possible. For instance, if you're modelling an LED wall, don't use one virtual display per module. Combine "chunks" of modules into as few virtual displays as possible.
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Jim,
Since Alex is referring to nginx (a web server) I assume he's using the HTML feature of the image proxy to load the images, similar to how this was done in the stadium project you were involved with.
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Christie LHD700 Shutter Control
in WATCHOUT FORUM
Posted
This sounds like WATCHOUT can't connect to the destination IP address and port. So I agree with Jim, try connecting from that very same computer (presumably your production PC) using TELNET, and make sure there's no firewall getting in the way.