Project Mode Walkthrough

The new project mode in VIOSO 6 simplifies complex configurations involving multiple clients, projectors, and master PCs.

The basic topology is first created in Pixera. Screens and projectors are set up first, then the clients are connected and assigned. When calibration begins, Pixera passes all this information to VIOSO 6, which maps this topology in the Project Designer.

In VIOSO 6, the user only needs to select the camera and surface geometry. The calibration process then proceeds step by step through a clear, guided assistant. All master-client relationships are managed in the background, providing a relatively simple user experience.

Due to this simplicity, we generally recommend using VIOSO calibration in project mode.

1. Preparation

In the following walkthrough we consider a typical setting consisting of 4 projectors on two clients, run from a dedicated Pixera Director:

1.1. Prepare the camera

Make sure the camera is ready to be used for calibration. Read here how to get this done: Camera

1.2. Create Pixera show

1. Launch Presence on all clients and Pixera on the Director PC. In Tab Mapping, make sure all clients are connected and started.

2. In Pixera, start by creating the Screen. Important: Set Selective Target Rendering to "Texture per Screen", otherwise the quality of the calibrated result looks bad in Pixera.

   
3. Then continue to map all projectors in to the screen (Tab Mapping). Do only a very basic projector to screen mapping (for previz) as everything is replaced by the calibration.

4. Add all clients and connect the projectors to the outputs of each PC in the Mapping / Live section.

5. Create a testpattern matching the Screen aspect ratio (e.g. using https://testpatterngenerator.com), go to Tab Compositing, load it in the timeline and place the locator on it to have it displayed.

6. Hit F5 to display the testpattern on all projectors.

Example of a proper screen setup with roughly placed projectors displaying a test pattern

Now, if all projectors show part of the testpattern as expected you are good to launch the calibration.

If not - fix everything before continuing, as a sober Pixera show is the foundation for the calibration.

1.3. Launching the Calibrator

1.3.1 First time usage - Launch to check network

If this is the first time Pixera 2 that VIOSO Calibrator is used on this machines and network, please double check that the VIOSO Calibrator can be reached by network:

• In Pixera, go to Settings / Calibration and click Launch Calibrator on all Services

  
• On the Director and all Clients the VIOSO Calibrator should launch. On each instance or VIOSO Calibrator, go to Menu - Options - Multi Client and check the box Enable, then select the network interface (local IP) to connect with the other clients:

  

All VIOSO Calibrators must be within the same network, e.g. 192.168.1.xxx, where xxx ist different for each instance.

• Close VIOSO Calibrator on each PC.

This procedure is only required at initial setup and after changing networks.

1.3.1. Launch for first calibration

Once all network settings are done, it's time to launch the calibration. In this guide we concentrate on the project based workflow.

Go to Tab Mapping and select the Screen to calibrate. Note that the Screen selection mode must be active:

Parameters to set:

• Calibrator Mode: set to Project

• Project File of Directory: click on the file box and select a folder where the project structure is created. We recommend an easy memorable path, e.g. D:\Calib\MyProject\ Note: In project mode, a directory (not a single file) is specified.

• After that, click Launch New Calibration.

VIOSO Calibrator now is launched on all Clients in client mode (reduced interaction level) and in full mode on the Director PC.

1.4. Project Designer

After launch the Project Designer shows up, preconfigured with the settings made in Pixera:

1.4.1. Computer nodes

All computers and projectors that are specified and connected in Pixera (Mapping / Live) should show up. Double check that this is the case.

VIOSO Calibrator ingests as much information from Pixera as possible: Names of devices and it's connections.

You are able to alter everything, but consider that this will create a calibration for a different hardware lineup. Consider instead to do changes in Pixera and restart the calibration afterwards.

1.4.2. Camera

Now it's time to select the camera used for calibrating this screen. Locate the Director node and you will see a generic camera already attached.

Click this camera node and do the appropriate settings:

• Camera: Select the camera model from the Dropdown (appropriate installation required)

• Width & Height: Specify the resolution of the camera feed

• Lens type: Select Perspective Lens for anything that is not Fisheye

• FoV (°): Enter the horizontal field of view of the camera in degrees

The Image Ratio is computed automatically from Width & Height.

If you know the camera position (pose & rotation) you can enter here as well. It will be relevant for 3D based calibrations at a later step. Otherwise keep 0.

1.4.3. Surface

The surface node specifies whether a simplified 2D approach or a more complex 3D mode is used for the calibration.

Choose the appropriate mode from the drop down box Surface Profile. Learn more about the 3D settings here: Projection surface

Make sure that all projectors and the camera is connected to the surface before continuing. Otherwise the calibration won't start until all connections are made properly.

1.4.4. Pixera 2 Export Parameter

This node contains all parametes that define format, name and location for the data exchange with Pixera.

Most of the parameters are pre-defined, so there is only little to put attention on:

Export Destination:

• Path: Specify the local path on the Director PC, where the exported VWF files are stored. Per default, it's the folder /Export within the current project path.

• File name definition: Specifies the name of the exported VWF files in the format Filename_$ip$. You can change Filename, but do not remove the trailing _$ip$ as this adds the IP for each participating client, which is expected by Pixera.

Keep all other settings unchanged.

After that, the preparation and thus a working design is finished. Click Finish to close the designer and return to the Calibrator's main user interface.

The button "Calibration" is now active, which you can click to cotinue.

If the button "Calibration" is not active, open the Design again and check all connections: Clients => Projector => Surface Director => Camera => Surface

2. Calibration Workflow

2.1. Calibration

Now the calibration procedure is going to happen. Click on the button Calibrate to initialize the calibration assistant:

The first step is prefilled based on the project design and acts as an initial control instance:

Click Next and all devices are activated: Projectors on all clients and the camera.

Within Pixera, any number of projectors can be calibrated up to a maximum of 265. This is independent from the actual licensing, therefore demo and test calibrations are possible.

Make your way through the calibration until all projectors are scanned. Learn more about this process here: Scanning

2.2. Align 3D (optional)

If a 3D surface is specified in the design, the 3D alignment tool will be available. Proceed aligning the camera to the surface by pressing this button:

Learn more about this procedure here: 3D Mapping

This button is omitted (not visible) if Surface Profile is set to 2D in the Project Designer.

After making all appropriate tweaks and adjustments, press finish to conclude this step.

You have to complete this step to unlock the next step of the calibration sequence.

2.3. Editing

This step is about to warp the result (in a 2D way), adjust the blending, add masks and work on blacklevel uplift.

Learn more about this here: Blending & Global Adjustments

After completing this step, the final step - Export - is unlocked.

2.4. Export

With this final step, VIOSO Calibrator creates the data set, that is exported to Pixera.

At this step, all required settings are a made already (in Design and by performing a calibration), so that a click on this button runs an automated sequence without the need of any further interaction:

After that, you can double check if files are written (or replaced) based on the settings done in the Designer (Export Path and Filename). The exported VWF-files are stored on the Director at the location defined in the Project Designer

Pixera will handle the distribution between Director and Clients automatically.

2.5. Return to Pixera

After exporting, VIOSO Calibrator has done the job and you can return to Pixera. Close VIOSO Calibrator by clicking on the top left Close button:

Pixera will now:

• Distribute the calibrations across all participating PCs

• Apply warp&blend (replacing any manually made warps&blends)

• Return to fullscreen rendering, if the calibration was initiated during fullscreen rendering

The result of the calibration is applied to the outputs therefore fully automatic. You can see the currently used calibrations (VWF files) in the Screen inspector:

Note the filenaming - the trailing IPs are mandatory for Pixera to assign them to each client.

2.6. Calibration settings in Pixera

Pixera applies the calibration files listed in Loaded Calibrations. Deleting these files from the list unsets the calibration (the file are not deleted from disk) . You can then load the files again and apply by clicking Distribute Loaded Calibration .

Feathering softens the edges around the outline of the total calibrated image, which might look a bit crooked if there is heavy pixelmapping applied. Use the values to configure the size of the softening (inside and outside) as well as the checkboxes to apply on either or both borders.

3. Editing an existing calibration

Once a calibration has been completed, it is easy to get into an Editing mode it from within Pixera. Go to the Screen whose calibration you want to edit and click Edit Current Calibration.

1. Pixera will now stop the render output and launch VIOSO Calibrator on all PCs.

2. You edit the calibration using the step Edit and ocassionally Align 3D You might even run a new scan by clicking Calibrate and going through the scanning procedure.
3. Click Export to update the VWF files
4. Close the Calibrator, return to Pixera

Pixera will now automatically distribute the updated VWF files, apply them and launch the render engine at the state before editing.

4. Auto-Recalibration

A fully automated recalibration performs a new scan of all projectors using parameters and configurations from the previous calibraion. It will re-arrange projector pixels and recalculate the blending to create the same result of the initial calibration.

Important: The camera must be up and running and must not be moved, touched or tampered in any way since the initial calibration! Auto-Recalibration relies on the camera being a fixed entity whereas projectors and surface might undergo changes. The ambient lighting situation must be the same as when the initial calibration took place. It cannot be done if there is e.g. sunlight or cleaning light, whereas the initial calibration tool place at utter darkness. Try to automate the lighting together with recalibration automation.

If everything is up and running, an auto-recalibration can be triggered within Pixera by clicking Auto Re-Calibration.

Pixera will now:

1. Stop the render engine output and launch VIOSO Calibrator.

2. Run a complete scan of all projectors without any interaction.

3. Perform all conversions (including 3D to 2D), warpings, masks and other calibration tweaks.

4. Export, distribute and apply to all clients

5. Return to Pixera, bring the render output to fullscreen and continue the show playback.