» BSM Auto Alignment with vvvv
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BSM Auto Alignment with vvvv

One of vvvvs main strengths is interactive 3d graphics projected seamlessly via multiple projectors onto arbitrarily formed screens. Until now the process of aligning projectors and screen with their virtual counterparts (viewports and warp-meshes) and edge-bleding was a manual one.

Nodes like Homography (Transform 2d), MultiScreen (EX9), GridEditor (EX9), ... are available in vvvv for dealing with custom projection setups but they have to be tweaked manually. Considering scenarios with complex screens, large number of projectors or longterm installations where screens or projectors can subtly move over time this causes additional headache.

Enter BSM Auto Alignment provided to you by the inventor of Trautner (Freeframe DShow9). This standalone software only needs:

  • a 3d model of your screen-architecture
  • photocameras installed in your setup that "see" the screen

The softwares calibration process returns data as .txt and a blend.bmp for every projector which can be easily utilized using modules and effects available for vvvv.

For additional information see BSM Auto Alignment or contact BSM.

joreg, Wednesday, Oct 23rd 2013 Digg | Tweet | Delicious 12 comments  
Desaxismundi 23/10/2013 - 16:29

Great news!

mrboni 23/10/2013 - 19:28

whoa!

Alec 23/10/2013 - 21:30

vvvvow! Would be great have an example patch. I don't know how to use .txt and blend.bmp files to reach the calibration in vvvv.

joreg 23/10/2013 - 21:42

@alec: we prepared modules that read the .txt and blend.bmp which you can use to apply the alignment to your vvvv renderers. an example patch isn't of much use without an actual setup and its calibration data.
so all the vvvv user has to understand is that it is trivial to use the data computed by bsm autoalignment with vvvv.

catweasel 23/10/2013 - 21:50

Is their tool available outside of their servers?

sonostrano 24/10/2013 - 11:28

how much does it cost?

joreg 24/10/2013 - 12:53

@cat: yes the tool is available independently of their servers
@sonostrano: it is expensive. but best to ask them for a project-specific quote

elliotwoods 25/10/2013 - 10:11

if it costs more than €2000, then fund me to make an open source one ;)
(or just wait, i've been wanting to make this anyway for a while)

<edit>
Ah sorry, didn't realise that this was made by a friend of the VVVV family.
didn't mean to compete!

this thing looks a little more advanced than the solution that i was anticipating (i was thinking of something more 2D).
</edit>

catweasel 25/10/2013 - 14:49

@elliot
for my email enquiry
Its pricey. *edit by request

So we get back to crowd funding again!
Set a price and we'll see who is up for chipping in!
Their price is ridiculous, its basically per project, and per projector, and while very useful, its something that wings has been doing for some years, and is also something that can be done manually for less in day rates than their solution!

mrboni 25/10/2013 - 15:29

Let's crowdsource Elliot!

joreg 25/10/2013 - 16:49

well, there seems to be a misinterpretation of the technology offered. this is not a wings competitor. while they can do the same thing that wings can do (for which scenarios i'm sure they'll charge much less) this system can align across multiple pcs/kameras and once installed recalibrates in a fraction of the time/cost someone could do that manually.

think 10+ projections on curved surfaces (domes,..where projections overlap differently on all sides) and longterm installations. so while the price may seem ridiculous it is equally ridiculous to understand what you don't have to care about when just using it.

dnmeid 07/11/2013 - 14:37

I have also often thought of programming a solution for this problem, but I need one which also can determine the 3d geometry of the projection surface, works with front and rear projection and allows for a fast recalibration (of the screen off course because this changes by far more than the projectors). My setups are usually up to 8 projectors. At the moment I have written a little app in processing, which also needs computed 3d geometry and spits out warping data, but it is very slow and lacks of lens corrections. So manual adjustment is still needed but it reduces my setup times by ca. 40%.

Mrboni, Elliotwoods, I have a customer, who may be interested in such a system. How serious are you about it? I'd like to team up, even if it may end up as a shareware or whatsoever. Looks like a little winter project.

Dorian

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Shoutbox

~5d ago

~8d ago

joreg: The Winter Season of vvvv workshops is now over but all recordings are still available for purchase: https://thenodeinstitute.org/ws23-vvvv-intermediates/

~14d ago

schlonzo: Love the new drag and drop functionality for links in latest previews!

~22d ago

joreg: Workshop on 29 02: Create Sequencers and Precise Clock Based Tools. Signup here: https://thenodeinstitute.org/courses/ws23-vvvv-08-create-sequencers-and-precise-clock-based-tools-in-vvvv-gamma/

~29d ago

joreg: Workshop on 22 02: Unlocking Shader Artistry: A Journey through ‘The Book of Shaders’ with FUSE. Signup here: https://thenodeinstitute.org/courses/ws23-vvvv-12-book-of-shaders/

~1mth ago

joreg: Talk and Workshop on February 15 & 16 in Frankfurt: https://visualprogramming.net/blog/vvvv-at-node-code-frankfurt/

~1mth ago

woei: @Joanie_AntiVJ: think so, looks doable

~1mth ago

xd_nitro: Anyone remember who increased projector brightness by removing some components that product the color?

~1mth ago

Joanie_AntiVJ: This looks super interesting (vectors over network) would anyone here know how to implement this in beta? https://github.com/madmappersoftware/Ponk