Projection Mapping

[Edrick]

YouTube - 3D Projection Mapping

Have any of you guys done something like this? Looks pretty cool, wonder what it would cost to do something like that.

 

[MarshallPope]

That is very cool. I actually have a friend who is at this year's event. A picture from him via Twitter:

 

[sarahsliefie]

I have done this on a very small scale (6'x10') it was very time consuming. But it was very cool. It was on a piece of scenery for Christmas Carol. The big problem is that for 3d images is must be designed to be seen from one angle. It can be seen from all and is cool from all but not as effective. also the projector needs to be extremely powerful! in the end with enough time and money it can be done.

check this out
YouTube - Toyota Auris Hybrid: 'Get Your Energy Back' 3D projection mapping

for more info check this out
Projection Mapping Made Easy, with Free Mac-Windows Projection Tools

 

[Edrick]

Gosh I wonder what it'd cost to get a company to do that, it'd be pretty cool for some events.

 

[museav]

These are apparently the two companies that were involved in the Sugar Land, TX event linked:

TVP : 8964 Kirby Drive Houston, Texas 77054 | 713.667.5000

LD Systems - Sound Light Video Rental Sales and Installation

 

[ruinexplorer]

If your question is about mapping, several different servers have the ability to do this. Where the difficulty comes in is the content creation. As Brad has mentioned, not many companies are currently doing this, probably because there isn't a large enough clientelle at this point.

 

[DiscoBoxer]

I have seen this video several times as well as a few others by the same company. Very cool stuff.

IMO, I think that mapped projectors are going to be an expectation in many future large scale shows and designers will need to have graphic arts experience to incorporate them in. As more and more powerful projectors become cheaper in cost, more events can begin to incorporate them into their productions. Content is clearly a challenge, but I could see the investment being made on the larger tours. I believe U2 was/is doing it on their tour now.

Anybody here work with HE DL.2?

 

[museav]

IMO, I think that mapped projectors are going to be an expectation in many future large scale shows and designers will need to have graphic arts experience to incorporate them in. As more and more powerful projectors become cheaper in cost, more events can begin to incorporate them into their productions. Content is clearly a challenge, but I could see the investment being made on the larger tours.

I agree that mapped projection, video walls, LED curtains, etc. are probably going to become increasingly popular in larger production and that some reductions in the cost of the technology may allow that to trickle down into some smaller productions. I also agree that this can requires some new skills for designers, although what designer that is may be interesting to see.

What I see as being the real challenge is the high school, community and other productions with more limited resources looking at the cost of entry level projectors and graphics software and wanting to do what they see on Broadway or TV using the change in their pocket.

I just read an interesting commentary today that was talking about how people look at an iPad or iPod Touch or a Bose Wave radio or similar personal electronics and look at how much they can get for a few hundred dollars. But when you suggest it requiring $50,000 to provide a similar experience to 500 people they balk, even though it is half or less the per person cost. And that is not even considering the content creation and scaling that from a thousands or millions of 'patrons' to maybe hundreds of patrons.

 

[metti]

I have begun to do some of this type of stuff. By next week I should be done with an installation piece that involves a single projector fed by VPT5 which will be projecting video onto two separate waterfalls and a perforated piece of frosted plastic. I have built masks to keep to video where it should be and I am obviously corner pinning it into place to keep everything from being warped. I will post some pictures once it is done. I am also doing some similar stuff for theatre productions with various forms and projectors, also fed by VPT5. I am just beginning work on a piece that involves more complex compensation for a 3D projection surface and that one should be done within a few months. In that past couple months, this sort of stuff has become a really big interest of mine and I certainly hope that it begins to see increasing implementation in shows.

 

[NNinja]

Hi!

We are working in that direction for maybe half an year now and I think we'll be ready to introduce it to our local market in the next 2 months. We've done some tests with the 3D company we working and I must admit they are quite impressing, even the indoor mapping. The good thing for this mapping vs the 3D (anaglyphic or polarized) is that you don't really have to watch it from a specific angle or with special glasses.
The main problem for implementing such thing in a show is not only the hardware but also the time needed for preparation. Especially for buildings you have to make very strict measurements and photos and of course have the right 3D designer ...

I hope I will be able to post some demos soon

 

[ruinexplorer]

A great new display of this type of projection mapping just debuted in Orlando at Disney World. Might be fun to watch. I hope that it comes to Disneyland before I go this December.

 

[JoeML]

If anyone knows of a place closer to WI, that does something like this, can you please let me know!

 

[CMLDesign]

To do a detailed 3D map on a scale like the video at the beggining of the thread takes LOTS of money! I recently priced a medium sized 5 minute architectural 3D mapping project at $500,000. (Now, this was a longer term rental, not a one night event like the video showed.) Equipment and animation costs are most of that. Then you have to factor in the precise measurments of a laser scan which can cost upwards of $5,000 but helps when making the map very precise to the architecture. Not to mention the projector housing and temperture controls, scafolding, security, generators, etc. There are A LOT of factors that go into a project like that.

 

[Ric]

Here's a place in OZ that's done that on some buildings & the Opera House.

Groundbreaking 3D Building Projection | TDC Video Equipment

 

[JoeML]

I guess I wont look into it then

 

[ruinexplorer]

JoeML, are you looking to do this yourself, hire a company, or go to work for a company that does this?

 

[richbate]

just heard about this nice bit of software that makes projection mapping a doddle!

MadMapper | The Video Mapping Software

Mac only I think, there's a free demo which I'm getting to grips with today.

 

[metti]

just heard about this nice bit of software that makes projection mapping a doddle!

MadMapper | The Video Mapping Software

Mac only I think, there's a free demo which I'm getting to grips with today.

I purchased MadMapper as soon as it came out and have used it on a project already (fed via Syphon from Isadora) and it is super helpful for mapping but I think that saying it makes this sort of work "a doodle" is a little bit of an overstatement. MadMapper doesn't really do anything that can't be done with any major media server platform or any of several other software applications and, in all cases, the content creation process and actual real-world implementation is still some serious work. The software might be super easy to use but mapping a building still requires the setup of lots of big projectors and it still requires content that is designed specifically for the project which usually requires some pretty significant 3D/AE/etc skills. One other note is the MadMapper (at the moment) only supports 3 projectors via a TripleHead2Go which limits its usefulness to projects that only need 3 or fewer projectors.