The GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) plays a crucial role in multi-projector setups, particularly in workstations, media servers, or multimedia PCs, where the primary objective is to drive multiple displays seamlessly.

Professional GPUs from NVIDIA (such as the Quadro/RTX range) and AMD (including the Radeon PRO lineup) are preferred for such applications due to their superior capabilities in managing multiple displays simultaneously. These GPUs excel in critical tasks such as emulating the EDID (Extended Display Identification Data) of projectors and merging multiple physical outputs into a single, extended display, features that are typically lacking in consumer GPUs and onboard graphics solutions.

GPU Feature comparison

VIOSO's software requires the most recent runtime libraries of Visual Studio to be present. These runtimes are usually installed when running the installer of VIOSO software. If this is blocked or interrupted, the software cannot run and exit with numerous errors like crashes, failure messages, etc.

If you run in such a case, please download and (re-)install the latest Visual Studio runtime:

• After downloading, double-click to install and follow the instructions of the runtime installer

• If required, please reboot (don't skip this!)

If an error running VIOSO software persists, please also check if the DirectX Runtime is installed properly and if an error still persists, please contact support@vioso.com (please tell us the Windows version and add screenshots of any error message when contacting our support).

The software VIOSO 6 is a cutting-edge solution designed for advanced projection mapping and edge blending. Its main advantages include seamless integration with a variety of hardware, user-friendly interface for simplified setup, and robust tools for automatic camera-based calibration. VIOSO 6 enhances visual experiences by delivering precise and vibrant projections, making it an ideal choice for high-quality professional and artistic displays.

Key Features

1. Seamless Hardware Integration: Supports a wide range of projectors and cameras.

2. User-Friendly Interface: Simplified setup process for ease of use.

3. Automatic Calibration: Robust tools for camera-based calibration.

4. High Precision: Delivers accurate and vibrant projections.

5. Versatility: Suitable for both professional and artistic applications.

This new documentation replaces all previous guides and manuals available on helpdesk.vioso.com. It encompasses the latest features and updates of VIOSO 6, ensuring users have access to the most current and comprehensive information. By consolidating the documentation into this single, updated source, users can more easily find and utilize the tools and instructions necessary for optimal software performance.

In the next chapters of this documentation, users can expect a detailed walkthrough of VIOSO 6's installation process, step-by-step guides on configuring and using the software, and in-depth explanations of its advanced features. We will cover how to integrate different hardware components, perform automatic camera-based calibration, and customize settings for both professional and artistic applications. Additionally, troubleshooting tips and best practices will be provided to help users achieve the best possible results with their projection mapping projects.

VIOSO applications require the DirectX runtime environment. It is usually installed along with the installation script of VIOSO applications, but for various reasons, sometimes this step is skipped. To re-install or update DirectX, please follow this workflow:

Doubleclick the new downloaded file "directx_Jun2010_redist.exe" and confirm the license agreements by clicking "Yes".

You need to run the installer as administrator!

In the windows now visible, specify a folder in which the data should be extracted, e.g.: "C:\DirectX" or choose an already existing folder by "Browse".

Click "OK" to extract the data to this folder. After this step is finished, the actual installation process can be done. Switch to the folder you chose before. In this folder, there is the setup file called "DXSETUP.exe". Doubleclick this file to initiate the installation process.

You’ll have to accept the Terms and Conditions of the License Agreement again. Continue clicking "Next" until the installation procedure is completed.

After the successful installation, you can delete the folder where the extracted files are.

For using NVIDIA RTX/Quadro GPUs for video playback solutions, we recommend a couple of settings to be done in the general 3D settings.

1. Open the Nvidia Control Panel (right click on the desktop)

2. Go to Manage 3D settings

3. In the first tab Global settings, scroll down to find the option Power management mode and set it to Prefer maximum performance

4. Find the option Threaded optimization and set it to On

5. Find the option Tripple buffering and set it to On

6. Reboot computer

VIOSO 6.3

This is a major release that introduces a new procedure for blacklevel uplift. Recommended for new setups and for testing. Existing, well-running setups do not need to be updated.

VIOSO 6.3.2

VIOSO 6.3.1

VIOSO 6.3.0

VIOSO 6.2

Major release, introducing a new way of network licensing that faciliates the use of VIOSO in master-client scenarios.

VIOSO 6.2.1

VIOSO 6.2.0

VIOSO 6.1

Major release, introducing multiple channels, thus replacing Blackbox for complex workflows

VIOSO 6.1.0

VIOSO 6.0

Stable branch of the new VIOSO 6 software

VIOSO 6.0.11

VIOSO 6.0.10

VIOSO 6.0.9

VIOSO 6.0.8

VIOSO 6.0.5

VIOSO 6.0.4

VIOSO 6.0.3

VIOSO 6.0.2

VIOSO 6.0.1

VIOSO 6.0.0

If a system does not behave properly, and if this behavior is connected with the usage of NVIDIA Quadro (e.g. operating the control panel), we recommend a clean reinstall.

These are some symptoms:

• GPUs are missing in NVIDIA system topology.

• Connected displays not showing up in Windows, but listed in NVIDIA system topology (check adapters and signal cables first).

• NVIDIA control panel works very slowly.

• NVIDIA control panel nearly empty or not showing the usual set of features.

• Blue screen when operating with NVIDIA features (e.g. setting up Mosaic).

• Other anomalies.

A clean reinstall and system configuration requires 10 steps:

1. Prepare to reinstall the GPU Driver. Disable all Mosaic settings and perform a complete uninstall.

2. Reboot.

3. Use the driver setup and perform a driver installation. Install the driver in expert mode, and install just the driver - nothing else (un-mark all check boxes). After driver install...

4. Reboot.

6. Reboot.

8. Reboot.

9. If everything looks good and behaves well, create a system image for backup and rollback. Then make your final....

10. Reboot.

DO NOT SKIP ANY REBOOTS!

This workflow avoids nearly all possible anomalies, blue screens, slow down, corrupted settings, etc.

The EDID emulation feature is supported by some professional series of graphic cards: NVIDIA Quadro (with the R256 driver and newer) and AMD FirePro. When an EDID is loaded or forced through the management system, the driver ignores display hot-plug actions.

Managing the display information using a customizable EDID manager by a professional GPU adds a great deal of stability and reliability to an AV system.

Video tutorial

Step by step guide

• Step 5: Reboot

Finding and installing an appropriate driver for your NVIDIA RTX/Quadro graphics card depends on various parameters, mainly the GPU model and the operating system you are using.

Which NVIDIA driver should be used?

VIOSO does not recommend specific drivers since as per version 5xx all GPUs from the NVIDIA RTX/Quadro support EDID minding and Mosaic on any GPU. However, there might be recommendations from the vendor of your workstation or server that you should follow at first.

If there are no such recommendations, you can follow a generic scheme to find a suitable driver for your system:

How to obtain NVIDIA drivers

NVIDIA drivers are availble as public downloads. They change frequently.

• Step 2: Filter according to your system:

• Step 3: Select the driver based on these considerations:

  1. Use a driver from the R5... version

  2. Use a driver from the most current or second current version

  3. Use a driver with a high revision number ("U-number"). Drivers with a high "U-number" are considerably more stable then drivers with a low U-number In this sample, we would choose R535 since it has already 12 revisions ("U12"), whereas the more recent branch R550 has 4 revisions ("U4"). We would not pick R470 anymore, even if it comes with a high number of revisions.

Installing NVIDIA drivers

Installing NVIDIA drivers is pretty straight forward. However, it's important to keep some aspects in mind:

• Step 1: Deactivate any Mosaic configuration. Otherwise drivers may not install correctly!

• Step 2: Launch the installer with Administrator privileges

  • Choose "custom install"

  • Do not install the RTX desktop manager

  • Make a clean install

Parameters for the NVIDIA driver installer:

• Step 3: Run the installer

• Step 4: Reboot, even if not prompted to do so after the installer has finished

Windows Desktop Spanning

NVIDIA Mosaic is used to combine several projectors to a single, logical Desktop area. After that, all applications behave as if just one monitor exists. This is the behavior the end-user will expect as system behavior after a calibration.

These topologies can be set:

After combining projectors like this, they are recognized from the operating system as a single, high-resolution display:

Step-by-step Guides

Option 1: Mosaic Utility

The following steps provide instructions on using the ConfigureMosaic.exe utility:

2. Download “configureMosaic.exe,” using the “Download Now” button.

3. The configureMosaic.exe utility must be run in a command window with administrator user privileges

4. To find a list of commands for the ConfigureMosaic.exe utility run the following command:

C:\PATH\configureMosaic.exe help

A basic setup for this would be a command based on the number of rows, columns, and desired resolution. If no resolution flag is set, the command will use the default native resolution of the monitors in the setup. For example:

C:\Path\ConfigureMosaic.exe set rows=2, cols=4 res=3840,2160,60

will result in a Mosaic GRID of 8 monitors in total with 2 horizontal rows and 4 vertical columns:

To help formulating the appropriate commands, we provide and online ConfigureMosaic commandline creator:

Option 2: NVIDIA control panel

The following steps provide instructions on setting up a Mosaic configuration using the NVIDIA control panel.

1. From the Select a Task navigation pane, under Workstation, click Set Up Mosaic to open the associated page.
2. If not already expanded, click the Sync Capability Information icon (+) to expand the information box and see which GPUs in your system are able to synchronize multiple displays with each other. NOTE: This box appears only if there is at least one sync-capable GPU in your system.

3. Click Create a new configuration and then follow the steps in the Mosaic Configuration wizard as described in the following sections. You can create more than one Mosaic configuration depending on the displays that are connected.

4. • Select the number of displays, the row x column topology, and the orientation of the displays. By default, the number of physically connected displays appears under Number of displays.

   • Optionally enter a configuration name for this Mosaic configuration.

   • Uncheck I am using recommended connections for the selected topology and click Next.

   • Select Maximum GPU Topology

5. Select the displays to use, the refresh rate, and the resolution per display. Icons for each selected display will appear in the Selected display sources box.

6. Arrange Displays
7. When completed, click Apply. Mosaic is activated after a while.

Official ressources

VIOSO 6 provides robust solutions for managing multi-projector setups by splitting the graphics card output according to the projector topology. This functionality is critical when using video signal expanders.

Video Signal Expanders:

• Matrox: DualHead2Go, TripleHead2Go, QuadHead2Go

• Datapath: X4, FX4

• Analog Way: DPH104

Switchers:

• Presentation switchers and video matrix switchers are also fully compatible, allowing for the expansion of projector connections from a single graphics output.

Configuring Graphics Card Output with VIOSO 6

VIOSO 6 provides robust solutions for managing multi-projector setups by splitting the graphics card output according to the projector topology.

To effectively utilize video signal expanders in conjunction with VIOSO 6, it's vital to correctly split the graphics card output. This ensures that each projector receives the intended portion of the video signal, resulting in a seamless multi-projector display.

For detailed instructions on configuring your setup in either Free Mode or Project Mode, please refer to the appropriate documentation. This guidance will help you understand the specific steps required to match your projector topology with the graphics card output, ensuring optimal performance of your VIOSO calibration solutions.

Networking in VIOSO 6

VIOSO 6 extensively utilizes network capabilities to function seamlessly across multiple PCs. In this setup, one node is designated as the master while the others serve as clients, effectively distributing tasks to work in unison. This architecture allows all functions to be scaled and synchronized across the network, creating a unified application experience despite the distributed system.

Networking Requirements

To ensure VIOSO 6 operates efficiently across a network setup with one master and multiple client nodes, the following network requirements should be met:

• Network Speed: A minimum of 1 GB/s network speed is necessary for fluent operation.

• IP Configuration: Fixed IPs should be assigned to each node within the network to maintain stable connections and facilitate seamless communication between the master and client nodes.

Setting up a network with several PCs using fixed IPv4 addresses involves configuring each PC with a static IP address within the same subnet. Here's a step-by-step guide to do this:

1. Determine IP Address Range and Subnet Mask:

• Decide on the IP address range and subnet mask for your network. For example, you might use the IP address range 192.168.1.0/24, which allows for 254 usable IP addresses (from 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.1.254) with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0.

2. Assign Static IP Addresses:

• Access the network settings on each PC. In Windows, you can do this by going to Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings.

• Right-click on the network adapter you want to configure (usually Ethernet or Wi-Fi) and select Properties.

• Select "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)" and click Properties.

• Choose "Use the following IP address" and enter the IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS server information.

• Assign a unique static IP address to each PC within the same subnet. For example:

  • PC1: IP Address: 192.168.1.1, Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0, Default Gateway: [Router IP], DNS Server: [Router IP]

  • PC2: IP Address: 192.168.1.2, Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0, Default Gateway: [Router IP], DNS Server: [Router IP]

  • PC3: IP Address: 192.168.1.3, Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0, Default Gateway: [Router IP], DNS Server: [Router IP]

  • and so on...

3. Configure Router:

• Access your router's administration interface via a web browser. Usually, you enter the router's IP address into the address bar.

• Navigate to the LAN settings or DHCP settings section.

• Reserve IP addresses for each PC by associating the MAC addresses of their network adapters with the corresponding static IP addresses you assigned earlier. This ensures that the router always assigns the same IP address to each PC.

4. Test Connectivity:

• Once all PCs are configured with static IP addresses, ensure they can communicate with each other and access the internet.

• Ping each PC from another to verify connectivity. Open the Command Prompt and type ping [IP Address].

• Access shared files or resources on other PCs to ensure proper network functionality.

5. Document and Maintain:

• Keep a record of the assigned static IP addresses and associated devices for future reference.

• If adding or removing devices from the network, update the configurations accordingly.

By following these steps, you can set up a network consisting of several PCs with fixed IPv4 addresses, ensuring stable and predictable connectivity within your network environment.

Importance of remote acces via LAN

Having an alternative access method to a workstation running tools like VIOSO 6 is crucial due to the nature of working with projectors in various unconventional environments. In scenarios where projectors are set up in challenging or hard-to-reach locations, accessing the workstation or VIOSO software from a local console might be impractical or even impossible.

A functional VNC or remote access allows to perform nearly all operations without being tethered to the local workstation.

Difference between local VNC and Remote access

The difference between local (IP-based) VNC tools and internet-based remote access tools lies primarily in their scope of accessibility and the underlying technology used for remote connection.

Local (IP-based) VNC Tools

• Scope: Local VNC tools are designed for accessing computers within the same local network or LAN (Local Area Network). They typically rely on IP addresses or hostnames to establish connections between devices on the same network.

• Usage: These tools are useful to access a workstation during setup, for calibration and image optimization. Especially with workstations installed in a different place than the projectors using a local VNC is a practical way to operate such workstations.

• Security: Since they operate within a local network, security concerns are relatively lower compared to internet-based remote access tools. However, proper security measures such as encryption and password protection should still be implemented to secure remote connections.

Common IP-based VNC Tools:

1. RealVNC

2. TightVNC

3. UltraVNC

4. TigerVNC

5. TurboVNC

Internet-based Remote Access Tools:

• Scope: Internet-based remote access tools extend remote access capabilities beyond the confines of a local network. Users can remotely access and control computers or devices from anywhere with an internet connection, making them suitable for remote work, telecommuting, or providing support to users in different locations.

• Usage: These tools are commonly used for remote technical support, e.g. calling in VIOSO's support team or managing installations remotely.

• Security: Internet-based remote access tools operate over the internet, which introduces additional security concerns such as data encryption, authentication, and protection against unauthorized access. These tools often employ robust security protocols and features to ensure secure remote connections over the internet.

Common Internet-based Remote Access Products:

1. TeamViewer

2. AnyDesk

3. Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) - built-in feature in Windows operating systems

4. Chrome Remote Desktop

5. LogMeIn

These tools and products offer varying features, capabilities, and pricing options to meet the diverse needs for remote access and support. The choice between local VNC tools and internet-based remote access tools depends on factors such as the desired scope of accessibility, security requirements, and specific use cases.

VIOSO camera kits consists of computer vision cameras, typically using IP networks as interface. We recommend to use a dedicated network to connect cameras with the PC running VIOSO 6.

Using a dedicated network for VIOSO camera kits or other IP cameras offers several benefits:

1. Bandwidth Management:

IP cameras often have high bandwidth requirements, especially when streaming high-resolution video. By using a dedicated network, you ensure that the camera traffic does not interfere with other applications sharing the same network. This helps maintain consistent performance for both the cameras and other networked devices.

2. Firewall and Security Settings:

With a dedicated network, you can configure network settings, including firewalls and security settings, specifically tailored to the needs of the cameras. This allows you to optimize network performance by adjusting settings that might otherwise restrict bandwidth or communication. For example, you may choose to disable certain firewall rules or security protocols that could otherwise limit the camera's ability to transmit data efficiently.

3. Increased Network Bandwidth:

By isolating the IP cameras on a dedicated network, you can potentially increase available network bandwidth for camera-related tasks. This is especially beneficial for scenarios where multiple cameras are streaming simultaneously or where high-resolution video streams are being transmitted. Turning off unnecessary network features and optimizing settings specifically for camera traffic can help maximize available bandwidth.

Recommendations:

• Fixed IPs: Setting up a network with fixed IP addresses is mandatory to use IP based computer vision cameras.

• Avoid Routers and Managed Switches: Directly connecting cameras to the network interface of VIOSO servers or workstations, or using dedicated unmanaged switches, simplifies the network topology and minimizes potential points of failure or configuration complexity. This streamlined approach can enhance network reliability and ease troubleshooting.

By implementing a dedicated network for VIOSO camera kits or other IP cameras, organizations can optimize network performance, ensure reliable communication, and simplify network management and configuration.

Ports used by VIOSO 6

To ensure VIOSO 6 functions properly, it's essential to allow the application to communicate through the Windows Firewall. Here is a list of ports (default settings) that need to be open:

For Remote Control

• TCP Port: 8317

• UDP Port: 817

For Multiclient Usage

• TCP Ports: 8417 and 8517

Configuring the Windows Firewall:

1. Open Windows Defender Firewall:

• Windows 10: Type "Windows Defender Firewall" in the Start menu search bar and select "Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security."

• Windows 11: Search for "Firewall & network protection" in the Start menu and click on it.

2. Create a New Inbound and Outbound Rule:

• Inbound Rule:

  • In the Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security window, click on "Inbound Rules" on the left-hand side.

  • Click on "New Rule..." on the right-hand side.

  • Select "Program" and click "Next."

  • Browse and select the executable file C:\ProgramFiles\VIOSO6\SPCalibrator64.exe, then click "Next."

  • Choose "Allow the connection" and click "Next."

  • Apply the rule to all network types ( Domain, Private, Public).

  • Enter a name and optional description for the rule, then click "Finish."

• Outbound Rule:

  • Follow the same steps as above, but choose "Outbound Rules" instead of "Inbound Rules."

Mediaservers and workstations with multiple RTX GPUs (A4000 and above) should be equipped with a dedicated "Quadrosync" module. Such a module ensures that all connected displays and projectors are displaying everything in perfect sync and also help the playback software to deliver best performance.

Output synchronization must be activated every time a display has changed. Also, after setting up a Mosaic configuration, synchronization must be activated. Usually this is a singular task, but sometimes synchronization must be re-activated, e.g. if performance issues occur out of the blue.

Learn here how to activate Sync:

1. Close all running applications.

3. Navigate to “Synchronize Displays”

5. It takes several seconds and displays will probably blink. After that, Sync is enabled and you can close the NVIDIA Control Panel.

Setting up and optimizing onboard graphics cards for single and multi-monitor configurations on Windows 10 and Windows 11 involves a few key steps, regardless of the specific GPU brand. Here's a general guide:

1. Use updated drivers

• embedded GPUs like Intel Iris/ARC, AMD Ryzen, etc.: We recommend to stick with the vendor of your workstation or let Windows handle the installation and maintenance of such embedded GPUs.

2. Connect Displays/Projectors

• Single Monitor: Simply connect your monitor to the appropriate port on your PC (usually HDMI or DisplayPort).

• Multi-Monitor: Connect additional monitors to available ports on your GPU. Most modern GPUs support multiple monitors.

3. Windows Display Settings

• Windows 10:

  • Right-click on the desktop and select "Display Settings".

  • Under the "Multiple Displays" section, choose "Extend" to enable additional outputs.

  • Adjust resolution, orientation, and other display settings as needed.

• Windows 11:

  • Go to Settings > System > Display.

  • Under "Multiple Displays", choose "Extend" to enable additional outputs.

  • Adjust resolution, orientation, and other display settings as needed.

Detailed GPU Settings

Adjusting Graphics Card Settings for Optimal Performance

While the process to configure settings differs among Intel Iris/ARC, AMD Radeon/Radeon PRO, and NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards, it's pivotal to remember that presets optimized for specific use cases, such as gaming or presentations, might not be ideal for high-performance video displays. To ensure optimal performance across various applications:

• Resetting to Default: It’s often advisable to start by resetting your graphics settings to their default. This can rectify issues caused by configurations optimized for a specific task but detrimental to general performance.

• Custom Configuration: After resetting, manually configure your settings based on your specific needs. Focus on adjusting resolution, refresh rate, and settings for video playback quality.

Following these steps should help you set up and optimize your onboard graphics card(s) for both single and multi-monitor configurations on Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Settings for multiclient usage

These settings apply when multiple instances of VIOSO 6 are connected via network to execute scalable calibrations.

Access from Menu > Options > Settings > Multi client:

Common Settings

These settings should be checked and adjusted whenever a new configuration of PCs is made, or if changes in the network happened.

• Check "Enable" to enable multiclient functionality

• Adapter: Select the network interface - in case you have multiple NICs on your system

Other settings

These settings should be be left as is, so do change them only if there are issues within the network:

• Control Port and Information Port: These ports are required for the communication bewtween the VIOSO instances. Do not change unless they conflict with other applications on the same PCs.

  Defaults ports as of VIOSO 6.0):

  • Control: 8417

  • Information: 8517

• Receive Buffer: Change only if there are issues due to the networking hardware

• Subnet mask clamp: Change only if required by the network adress scheme

Settings for Remote Control

These settings apply to remote control VIOSO 6 by external applications.

Access from Menu > Options > Settings > Remote Control:

The TCP and UDP interfaces are enabled by default, listening all network adapters.

• Change the adapter from 0.0.0.0 (all adapters) to a specific adapter to restrict the remote control functionality to this network interface

• Change the ports in case of issues or conflicts with other applications.

  Defaults ports as of VIOSO 6.0):

  • TCP: 8317

  • UDP: 817

VIOSO 6 supports all types of webcams that provide a camera stream through the Windows DirectShow interface. DirectShow is a multimedia framework and API in Microsoft Windows which comes preinstalled in typical WIndows 10 and 11 configurations.

Most webcams are compatible with DirectShow, making them compatible with VIOSO 6.

How to select a suitable webcam for projector calibration

When selecting a webcam for the calibration of projectors, several important features are essential to ensure accurate and reliable results:

1. Manual Control of Image Acquisition:

It's crucial that the webcam allows for manual control of key image acquisition parameters such as focus, exposure, and iris. Automatic features like auto-focus, auto-exposure, and auto-iris introduce variability and inconsistency in the captured images, which compromises the result of projector calibration.

2. High-Quality Lens (wide angle, low distortion):

A webcam with a wide-angle lens helps capture a larger portion of the projection surface, facilitating comprehensive calibration coverage. Additionally, a distortion-free lens is essential to ensure that the captured images accurately represent the geometry of the projected image. Distortion in the lens can lead to inaccuracies in the calibration process, resulting in suboptimal projection alignment.

3. Stable and Uninterrupted Video Transmission:

Uninterrupted video transmission is essential for the pattern recognition during the calibration process. A webcam should provide stable and consistent video streaming without interruptions or dropouts. This applies also to any USB extender used in the signal chain.

3. Resolution and Image Quality:

A high resolution and image quality are desirable characteristics in a webcam for projector calibration. A webcam with high resolution and good image quality ensures that the captured images contain sufficient detail and clarity, enabling accurate analysis and adjustment of projector alignment.

Limits of using webcams for projector calibration

Webcams, while versatile, exhibit several inherent limitations when deployed for projector calibration tasks. Recognizing these constraints is vital for achieving optimal outcomes and making informed decisions:

1. Limited Field of View:

Webcams typically have a limited field of view, which may not adequately capture the entire projection surface or scene in large environments. This can result in incomplete coverage and may require multiple webcams or additional setup adjustments to capture the entire area effectively.

2. Image Distortion:

Wide-angle lenses in webcams may introduce distortion, particularly at the edges of the image. In large environments, where the projection surfaces may be extensive and require precise calibration, distortion can affect the accuracy of calibration and alignment.

3. Reduced Image Quality:

At longer distances, the image quality captured by the webcam degrades as these products are designed for close range image acquisition. This can make it challenging to analyze and adjust the projector alignment accurately.

4. Connectivity and Transmission Issues:

Webcams connect via USB with limited cable lengths. In large environments, achieving reliable connectivity over longer distances may be challenging, leading to potential signal degradation or dropout.

5. Lighting Conditions:

Large environments may have variable lighting conditions, including areas with low light or high contrast. Webcams with smaller sensors may struggle to capture clear images in challenging lighting environments, affecting the accuracy of calibration.

Mitigation Strategies:

• Use of Professional Cameras: In large environments, professional-grade cameras with interchangeable lenses and advanced features may offer better performance and flexibility compared to standard webcams.

Recommended Webcams for Low-Range Scenarios

For optimal performance in environments typically associated with low-range projectors, we highly recommend choosing USB2-based cameras that offer Full HD video quality. Our field experience suggests that these outperform USB3-based cameras for such specific uses.

From November 2023 VIOS Calibration Kits are based on Daheng Imaging camera bodies. They are easier available and can be delivered worldwide. Each kit comes with the camera body, a suitable lens, and a PoE-Injector for running the camera on any switch or directly from the PC/server.

Overview about Calibration kits based on Daheng cameras:

Installing

1. Connecting the camera

Mount the camera and connect camera to PoE injector and the PoE injector to the network and power.

(a) PoE (Power Over Ethernet)/DATA: Connect the camera to this socket (this will power the camera and a small light will flicker).

(b) DATA: Connect the Ethernet cable to the PC/server or to a switch.

2. Installing the driver package “Galaxy DSK 2”

2. • Check GigE Vision

   • Check DirectShow

   • Check Enable Jumbo Frames

3. Reboot the system.

3. Network configuration

1. Make sure that the camera is connected and powered (PowerLED “blue”)

2. • If the camera is connected, it shows within the “GigE” tree under the network adapter.

   • After this, the camera gets a fixed IP and is marked as available.

   • This way the camera has a fixed IP, that will make all subsequent tasks for calibration more transparent.

Camera Configuration

Once the camera network configuration is complete, the camera icon gets green (1), indicating that the camera is ready to be operated. Launch the preview by double clicking the camera (1) and press the “Play” Button (2) in the top button bar to display a live camera image.

Now it’s time to switch off all ambient light sources and have the projectors powered on. Use the live view to position the cameras while filming the projection surface. The projectors should display a solid color (ideally white) so that the camera can be set to an appropriate sensitivity.

Common parameters

Switch to the tab “Common Functions” (3) to handle the most important parameters of the camera sensor:

• Exposure mode: Timed

• Exposure Auto: always set to OFF! Exposure time: Set to a value that matches with the brightness of the filmed scene. By setting the exposure, the framerate automatically adapts accordingly. Please evaluate the exposure when projectors are displaying bright content, filling all the projection area.

• Gain: Set to 0.000 (dB) if the camera image is too dark, you can carefully increase the gain. Try to maintain a high contrast when setting a user defined gamma value.

• GainAuto: always set to OFF!

Analog Control

In good conditions, where the camera get sufficient light, there is no need to make any changes, but in challenging environments, the analog control parameters of the camera can help to increase the sensitivity of the sensor. We recommend to leave these parameters unchanged as long as possible. If optimizations are required, start changing the Blacklevel parameters, then the Gamma parameters and use the Gain parameter only as a last resort.

Select the “Device” Tab and expand “Analog Control”:

• Gain: if the camera image is too dark, you can carefully increase the gain. Try to maintain a high contrast when setting a user defined gamma value.

• GainAuto: always set to OFF! Therefore, the values AutoGain are not used

• GammaEnable: this will enable the camera sensor gamma behaviour which results in a different sensitivity. Enable only if it is really hard to get a proper projector pattern detection and choose GammaMode=SRGB

• Gamma: Once enabled you can set the gamma value here.

• Blacklevel: This is a good parameter to have the projector patterns displayed properly while “hiding” darker parts. Start optimizing the camera behaviour by changing this value first, before trying Gain or Gamma.

Image cropping for Fisheye calibration kits

fisheye lenses produce a sqare image, but the sensors aren’t square. For the use of 3D features in VIOSO (“MRD”), it is important to set the camera to a square pixel resolution. Therefore, a custom resolution based on the sensor height resolution should be set according to the sensor height resolution and with an offset to match the lens at the center.

1. To change the sensor resolution, STOP the current camera stream (1)

2. Set the parameters “Width” and “OffsetX” to get a square resolution, centered on the sensor (2) – see table below:

Parameters:

*) due to limits of the firmware, the value must be a multiple of 4, therefore it’s adjusted

Start the camera stream again (1) and the sensor resolution has changed

User settings

All settings made in the Galaxy software stored on the local PC, but not inside the camera. To have the configuration persistent, the camera provides a “UserSet” storage slot.

To store the current configuration, Stop the current playback and access the “User Set Settings” Dropdown from the Device Tab:

Select “Save as UserSet0 and Set as Default” to have the current settings stored and used whenever the camera is used.

Troubleshooting

Camera not showing in the Galaxy driver and IP configurator tool

First make sure it is plugged correctly. Try connecting it directly from the PoE switch to the PC network adapter to exclude all external LAN issues.

If the camera is still completely missing, it might have an internal network discovery problem. For this you can use this tool to recover it:

1. First enumerate the device

2. Input the MAC address of the camera: It is usually written on the sticker underneath the mounting adapter.

3. Set the desired IP address. Must be in the same segment as the network adapter.

4. Click “Resume device IP” and finally enumerate the device to see whether the camera will appear in the list.

Multi-Camera usage:

• In Galaxy Viewer, when switching between cameras views, stop acquisition on the previous first or you will have bandwidth error warnings.

• In VIOSO MRD window (Model View Control) you might not see the camera full name in the dropdown menu. To check if it’s the right camera assigned, open the MRD file you created in a text editor. It is in XML format where defCamName parameter refers to the camera that calibrated the selected compound.

• Optional tip: It can be helpful to fix camera custom names in GxGigEIPConfig (see above ). They will appear in VIOSO under “adjust camera > Options > Camera info”

Legacy VIOSO Calibration comes with the camera body, a suitable lens, and a PoE-Injector for running the camera on any switch or directly from the PC/server.

Overview about Calibration kits based on IDS cameras:

The following instructions apply to camera kits with a body from “IDS Imaging”:

Installing

1. Connecting the camera

Mount the camera and connect camera to PoE injector and the PoE injector to the network and power.

(a) PoE (Power Over Ethernet)/DATA: Connect the camera to this socket (this will power the camera and a small light will flicker).

(b) DATA: Connect the Ethernet cable to the PC/server or to a switch.

2. Install IDS U-Eye Software

2. Install driver

3. Network configuration

After installing and rebooting, you will be able to use the IDS Camera Manager to control the basic network settings of the camera.

IDS camera manager main window

If you see a yellow icon on the top of your window next to your camera, there has been an error (The error warning will be in red on the bottom of the window).

There are several warnings that can show up due to IP addresses being wrongly set, or relating to the camera’s firmware.

Configuring the camera for first use

Set a fixed IP

Before proceeding to configure the camera, make sure that the network interface is set to a fixed IP. Locate & open the IDS Camera Manager application (it can be found in: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\IDS).

Configure your camera

1. Run IDS Camera Manager.

2. Select the NIC that is connected to the same network as the PoE camera.

3. Select the camera from the Camera list.

4. Select Automatic ETH Configuration.

5. Close the software.

Your camera should be working correctly and the window must no longer show an error message. The main window should look like this:

Testing the camera

To test the camera, use the application “uEye Cockpit”.

Choose the mode "Live video":

uEye cockpit main window

Display the camera stream within uEye Cockpit

1. Click on the play icon with the camera in the top-right corner (under the”File”menu).

2. Note that the image may be rotated 180 degrees if the camera is mounted “upside down”, which can be fixed by clicking on the wrench icon, selecting the Size tab, and mirroring the left/right and up/down under the “Format” section.

3. Adjust the zoom and iris settings by loosening the screw locks counter-/anti-clockwise, positioning.

4. Then appropriately using the camera feed for preview and tightening to lock them into place.

5. Close all windows when testing is complete.

Camera requirements for VIOSO calibration

1. DirectShow support: must be available either natively (most USB cameras) or with the driver installation (Dehang, Hik, IDS..) or via 3rd party converters. You can run the application AMCap to test if your camera is properly listed as a direct show device C:\Program Files\VIOSO6\Shared tools\AmCap64.exe

Considerations for choosing a camera for projector calibration

When comparing IP-based computer vision cameras, webcams, and SLR cameras for use in projector autocalibration, several factors come into play, including resolution, image quality, field of view, connectivity, and cost. Let's analyze each type of camera:

VIOSO Calibration kits:

• Resolution and Image Quality: Based on computer vision cameras with network interface, these cameras enable a most detailed capture of the projection surface and can be adapted to serve all kinds of projection environmants

• Field of View: Computer vision cameras can have a wide field of view, which is advantageous for capturing large projection surfaces in one frame. This wide coverage reduces the need for multiple cameras and simplifies the calibration process.

• Connectivity: IP-based cameras connect to the network, allowing for remote access and easy installation.

• Cost: While IP-based computer vision cameras tend to be more expensive than webcams, they offer advanced features and capabilities suitable for professional projector calibration tasks.

Webcams:

• Resolution and Image Quality: Webcams vary widely in resolution and image quality. While some high-end webcams offer decent image quality, they generally have lower resolutions and may not provide the level of detail required for precise calibration in large environments.

• Field of View: Webcams typically have a narrower field of view compared to computer vision cameras, limiting their usage.

• Connectivity: Webcams connect via USB or other interfaces, limiting cable lengths and potentially causing connectivity issues in large environments. They are more suitable for smaller-scale setups or environments where cable length is not a concern.

• Cost: Webcams are generally more affordable than IP-based computer vision cameras and SLR cameras, making them a cost-effective option for basic projector calibration tasks.

SLR Cameras:

• Resolution and Image Quality: SLR cameras offer high resolutions and superior image quality, capable of capturing fine details and color accuracy. They provide excellent image clarity, making them suitable for precise calibration in large environments.

• Field of View: SLR cameras typically have interchangeable lenses, allowing for flexibility in adjusting the field of view to suit different projection surfaces.

• Connectivity: SLR cameras connect via USB or HDMI, offering reliable connectivity and high-speed data transfer. They may require additional hardware or software integration for image acquisition.

• Cost: SLR cameras are the most expensive option among the three, mainly due to their advanced features, interchangeable lenses, and superior image quality.

Conclusion:

• For professional projector autocalibration in large environments requiring high resolution, wide field of view, and superior image quality, a dedicated VIOSO Calibration kit is the most reliable solution, wich full support by VIOSO

• Webcams, while more affordable, may lack the resolution and image quality required for precise calibration in large environments but can still be suitable for smaller-scale setups or basic calibration tasks.

• SLR cameras, while both providing high image quality and flexibility due to interchangeable lenses, might cause issues by providing a high resolution live-camera stream to VIOSO 6. Additional capturing devices of third party software might degrade the user experience.

These days, there are a lot of IP-cameras provided with the software that can stream a video using the Directshow framework, which is required for VIOSO Core.

In this case, this type of camera can be used for calibration (For example: AXIS ip-cameras and its AXIS Streaming Assistant).

If there is no such software provided by the camera manufacturer, you can use this converter:

It converts MJPEG stream into Directshow video source in Windows.

If you are going to use this option of IP camera, please consider these important points:

• Few IP cameras were tested for calibration, so we can not guarantee that the camera you have will be fully supported by the VIOSO software. Please run through the tests before making a decision.

• A lot of IP cameras have no fully-manual mode, which is required for the calibration. These cameras only have automatic control of gain, exposure, or focus, which makes them impossible to use for the calibration. Full manual mode is required.

What is projector blacklevel?

Projector black level refers to the level of darkness or how black the projected image appears when there is no input signal or during dark scenes in a video or presentation. It is a crucial aspect of image quality, especially in darkened environments or when watching content with a lot of dark scenes, such as movies with a high contrast ratio.

The nature of projector black level is influenced by various factors, including:

1. Display Technology: Different projector technologies (LCD, DLP, LCoS) have their inherent characteristics that affect black levels. For example, DLP projectors tend to have better native black levels compared to LCD projectors.

2. Contrast Ratio: The contrast ratio is the difference between the brightest and darkest parts of an image. A higher contrast ratio generally leads to better black levels.

3. Light Source: The type of light source in the projector (e.g., lamp, LED, laser) can impact black levels.

4. Optical System and Lens: The quality of the optical components and lens used in the projector can influence the light control and, in turn, the black level performance.

How to optimize a projector’s blacklevel

1. Choose optimal Image mode: Engage the projector’s “cinema” or “movie” mode. These modes typically reduce your projector’s light output, but improve its black level performance in a darkened room.

2. Optimize the projector brightness: Adjust the projector’s brightness setting to its optimal level. To do this, project a sample frame of typical content that comes with large black areas. Turn the projector’s brightness control up all of the way, so that the bars become grey, then gradually turn it down until they become black. You want to stop at the point where turning the brightness control down more does not make the black bars any darker.

3. Optimize the projector’s contrast setting: Put an image on screen with a broad range of brightness values – preferably from pure white to pure black. Turn the contrast up so far that the lightest areas bleed into each other, then turn it down until the areas begin to differentiate from each other, stopping before the image gets darker without adding additional detail.

It’s essential to note that the performance of projector black level is a limitation determined by the projector’s inherent capabilities and design. While the measures above can improve black levels, they won’t fundamentally change the projector’s native black level performance. Therefore, choosing a projector with good native black level capabilities is crucial if this aspect of image quality is essential to you.

Blacklevel in multi projector configurations

In multi-projector configurations, where multiple projectors are used to display a single large image or a seamless blend of images, projector black level becomes even more critical. Misalignment of black levels between projectors can lead to visible seams, reduced image quality, and a loss of image uniformity. Here’s how projector black level affects image quality in multi-projector setups:

1. Visible Seams: If the black levels are not consistent across all projectors, the transition between adjacent projected images can become visible as seams or discontinuities. This is especially noticeable in dark scenes or areas of the image.

2. Reduced Image Uniformity: Inconsistent black levels can result in variations in brightness and contrast across the projected image, leading to reduced overall image uniformity.

3. Image Quality and Immersion: For multi-projector setups that aim to create large-scale displays or immersive environments, maintaining consistent black levels is crucial for a seamless and immersive viewing experience.

To compensate for projector black level variations in multi-projector configurations, two common techniques are used:

Physical solution: Optical Blends

Optical blending means to add physical blends in front of the projector that blocks the light path of the projected images from adjacent projectors to create a seamless transition between them. By carefully adjusting the blending shape, including a certain feathering of it’s edges, the transition between adjacent projected images becomes less noticeable. The goal is to match the black levels between projectors to minimize the appearance of seams and provide a smooth blend. It takes specialized vendors and a carefully designed projector environment to manufacture and deploy such blends. Optical blends are created individually for each projector configuration and usually takes several month for measuring, manufacturing and deploying.

Optical blends are the preferred solution for dark environments and high quality exceptions such as simulators, dome projections, rides/flying theaters, scientific or research facilities and high-quality AV installations as they preserve the individual projectors image quality and maintain the overall contrast.

Software solution: Black Level Uplift

Black Level Uplift is a software-based technique to compensate for differences in black levels among multi-projector installations.

Overall, Black Level Uplift is a valuable technique in multi-projector configurations, especially when displaying dark contents. It works best with high-quality projectors that come with a high native contrast and well balanced individual black level. It also works best in large environments.

In small scale environment with short viewing distance, or when using low-quality projectors (especially DLP projectors) it gets hard to have a good result solely using Black Level Uplift and thus the use of optical blends should be considered.

How Black Level Uplift works

1. Measurement and Analysis: To implement BLU, the overlapping regions of all projectors in the multi-projector setup are measured and analyzed. This involves measuring the darkest level that each projector can achieve when displaying a completely black image.

3. Adjusting black level masks: By fine tuning these masks carefully, black levels of all projectors is raised to the same reference level, the projected images become more uniform, and the visible seams or differences between adjacent projectors are minimized.

Advantages of Black Level Uplift

1. Can be applied on-the-fly: In contrast to optical blends (see above) Black Level Uplift can be applied any time after the projector installation.

2. Lower costs: Compared to optical blending Black Level Uplift does not require custom engineering and dedicated mechanical works.

3. Flexibility: Black Level Uplift can be adapted anytime to changing situations, e.g. if projectors are moved or otherwise changed. Physical optical blends would need to be re-engineered in such a case.

Disadvantages of Black Level Uplift

1. Reduces overall contrast: Whereas optical blends reduce the light output physically, black level raises darker areas to match all projectors to the same uniformity. This noticeably reduces the overall image contrast.

2. Problematic the more overlaps are appearing: The more often projectors overlap, the higher the Black Level Uplift must be set, thus reducing the contrast even more. Black Level Uplift works best for overlaps between 2 projectors, such as for a panoramic screen, whereas grid-like overlaps are very difficult to match towards are satisfying result.

3. Limited by individual projector quality: When using low-cost or otherwise inappropriate projectors, projectors that are not color matched or projectors of different age, the capabilities of matching all projectors to the same uniformity are limited, leaving still visible seams between each projected image.

4. Limited by dead pixels (DLP projectors): DLP projectors typically output a certain margin of pixels all around the image, that are not addressed by the video signal but still visible in dark contents (“dead pixels”). Therefore, these pixels cannot be handled by Black Level Uplift and are visible as thin lines. VIOSO Calibration technology tries to minimize this effect by adressing these pixels indirectly from overlapping pixels of other projectors, but this measure is naturally limited.

Applications supporting Black Level Uplift

Black Level Uplift must be applied within the image generating solution. These applications are currently able to process Black Level Uplift:

Video applications:

• IOVERSAL Vertex VIOSO

• AV Stumpfl Pixera (from version 2)

Black Level Uplift is also part of the generic Multiple Projection Common Data Interchange format (MPCDI). Applications that support MPCDI and process Black Level Uplift masks are:

• Dataton Watchout (from version 7)

• Green Hippo Media Servers

Realtime environments:

• Unity: URP, HDRP, SRP

• Unreal: using VWF files from UE 5.3.0 release

VIOSO API:

If you use the VIOSO API in your application as a plugin or a post-process, you can read and render blacklevel maps starting from API release version 1.6.

Simulations applications:

Evaluating projectors for softedge blending

It is well known that projectors behave differently when they are used for multi-projection with softedge blending. The combination of factors like image matrix technique, optical lens, and projection surface has a significant impact on the quality of blended multi-projection.

This diagram represents the common direction of the mentioned parameters and how they can influence softedge blending results. It is not considered to be a precise guide for projector type selection, but gives an understanding of how high you can expect a final result to be:

Ultra-Short-throw projectors (UST) or mirror lenses are usually the most problematic type of projectors in terms of blending. The problem lies mostly in uneven brightness distribution, and therefore non-uniform color shading across a single projector image. These projectors are designed to be used only on flat surfaces, so using them on curved surfaces such as domes, cylinders, or other shapes will cause significant problems such as: Soft-focus on projection edges, massive pixel distortions and size variety across projection image, and uneven brightness.

On the other hand, professional projectors can provide a superb image quality. Using better color-wheels that are specially designed for blending purposes (i.e. projectors for simulators) or triple LCD matrix or SXRD technology, providing an outstanding black-level together with convenient standard or telephoto lensing improving the final multi-projection result.

Content and surface

The Projection surface is very important. Note that black color from your projector is physically no projection and no light coming from the projector showing a black pixel. Thus, any color shade of the projection surface will effect as a colorfilter for the whole projection.

Ideally, the projection surface is designed for projection (projection screen, dome in-liner, projection foil or paint). It has to be reflective to increase the brightness and efficiency, this is called its “gain”. However, the surface should be matte--to avoid light spots and absolute reflections from the lamp of the projector. The Worst type of projection surface would be black polished glass, while the best result will be given on a matte white surface.

Content being displayed is often underestimated in terms of its capability to hide or identify limitations of the softedge blending. As a matter of fact, bright, colorful, and dynamic content is very forgiving. It will hide all imperfections and decrease the effect of low-quality blending. Solid colors, smooth gradients, and shades are usually the most difficult content as it highlights projection problems such as color mismatch of projectors, blending mask issues, brightness non-uniformity, etc.

Consideration of the content to be displayed can help to configure optimal projection setup within given budget. Obviously, bright, vivid, and colorful projection can be carried out using a lower budget projector. But whiteboards or blue sky content (flight simulators) will be very demanding in terms of projector and blending quality.

Setting up projectors

• Make sure all of the parameters of the projection image are identical (brightness, contrast, gamma, color modes, etc.)

• Switch off any dynamic functions, such as dynamic gamma, dynamic brightness, etc.

• Choose preferred mode as „Video“ instead of „presentation“, „eco“, „game“, etc.

• Choose gamma around 2.4 (film mode).

VIOSO 6 comes as a standard Windows Installer. The most recent version of the installer is avaliable from this generic URL:

Some notes on the installation:

1. An existing installation of VIOSO 6 is replaced

2. Run the installer as admin

3. Confirm all SmartScreen Prompts

4. Default installation directory: C:\Program Files\VIOSO6

We recommend to go with the default installation option as they guarantee the highest compatibility and ease of installation

Common install errors

„d3dx9_40.dll“ or „d3dx9_43.dll“ is missing on your computer.
Reinstallation of the application could solve your problem.

Digital SLR cameras made by Nikon or Canon can be used for calibration, connected with a USB cable.

For this purpose, the camera has to operate in the web-camera mode.

While some cameras have this mode in their firmware, most cameras do not , so a different third-party software can be used for this conversion:

Accessing License Viewer in VIOSO 6:

After activation, the license Wizard does not show up at program startup anymore. You can access it anytime from within the application this way:

• Open the Licence viewer

• VIOSO 6: Menu Help – Info about this program – License

Getting the activation key in VIOSO 6

In the software, launch the Licence Wizard and click Activate your license, followed by Activate online (regardless if the PC is online or not).

The activation key is displayed in the form field. Retrieve it via copy & paste for any subsequent task.

Retrieve License information

The license information contain: Version & Features.

• Product: Displays the currently installed program version

• X * VIOSO: Amount of channels that are avaliable for calibration. Please note that several entries can exist - the amount of channels is cumulative.

To find out the status of the maintenance, please us the Online-Ressources as described below.

Get license information online

• Get License Information provided information about:

  • product version

  • license model (permanent or trial)

  • number of licenses (number of PCs that can be activated at the same time)

  • maintenenace validity: date of maintenance expiry

• E-Mail License Keys

  • Returns a list of all licenses that are associated with your e-mail address.

  • This includes also trial licenses that are not expired.

Option 1: Request License at Download

The demo license is sent to you via e-mail after a few seconds, so make sure to enter an e-mail address that you can access.

Option 2: Request License at first run

If you run VIOSO 6 without a permanent or demo license, you will be prompted with this dialog stating "No license key was found on your system":

Click Create Demo License and fill the form with valid data. Click on Register and a demo license is created for this particular PC:

After registering a new demo license is created and applied directly. You can then close the License Wizard and proceed starting the application.

Today, all professional graphics cards come with DisplayPort outputs only. HDMI on the other hand is the most wide-spread cabling. The use of display adaptors therefore plays a crucial role in the video signal chain.

Display adaptors, also known as display connectors or video adapters, are hardware devices or cables used to connect different types of displays to a computer or other multimedia devices. They are essential for ensuring compatibility between various display interfaces, allowing users to connect monitors, projectors, or other output devices to image generators.

The most common type of display adaptor for use in media server and simulation environment is the DisplayPort to HDMI adaptor. Let’s break down the role and purpose of this particular adaptor:

1. Compatibility between DisplayPort and HDMI: DisplayPort and HDMI are two distinct display interfaces commonly found on modern computers and display devices. DisplayPort is more prevalent in PC hardware, while HDMI is widely used in consumer electronics like TVs and projectors.

2. Signal Conversion: DisplayPort and HDMI use different signal formats, so a direct connection between the two ports without any conversion would not work. The DisplayPort to HDMI adaptor serves as a signal converter, translating the digital video and audio signals from the DisplayPort output to a format compatible with HDMI input.

3. Support for Audio and Video: DisplayPort to HDMI adaptors typically support both video and audio signals.

4. Resolution and Refresh Rate Support: Current DisplayPort and HDMI versions support high resolutions and refresh rates. The adaptor should be designed to handle the resolutions and refresh rates supported by your specific devices. Especially when using resolutions beyond “standard UHD resolutions” (greater than 3840 x 2160@60Hz), many off-the-shelf adaptors fail to handle such resolutions properly.

5. One-Way Direction: DisplayPort to HDMI adaptors are unidirectional, meaning they can only convert signals from DisplayPort output to HDMI input. They cannot be used in reverse to convert HDMI output to DisplayPort input.

6. Compatibiliy to NVIDI Mosaic: One of the most persistent issues when using NVIDIA Mosaic are when using improper display adaptors. Whenever NVIDIA Mosaic is to be used, you have to ensure using adaptors from the same brand and model. Mixing adaptor types leads to failure messages like “cannot apply Mosaic due to a firmware related issue”.

7. Quality of adaptors: Make sure that the adaptors are specified for the designated resolution and refresh rate and color depth. Especially resolutions beyond standard TV signals like 16:10 formats, refresh rates beyond 60Hz and resolutions beyond 3840 x 2160 often overstrain non-quality adaptors.

DisplayPort to HDMI adaptors serve the purpose of bridging the gap between the DisplayPort output of a computer or graphics card and the HDMI input of an external display. They provide signal conversion, audio-video support, and enable users to connect their devices to a broader range of displays with different interfaces.

Online Activation

1. After an order is placed, the activation key is created by VIOSO according to the order specification and transmitted to you typically via E-mail.

2. At the first start of VIOSO 6, the License Wizard shows up:
3. Choose Activate Online Learn here how to activate VIOSO 6 if the PC is not connected to the internet: Offline Activation

4. Enter the activation key. We recommend to “copy and paste” from a text source to avoid typos. Continue clicking Activate:
5. The activation key now is verified on our license server and locked on the PC. This takes only a few moments until Your license is activated is shown. Click Finish to close the the Activation Wizard.

The application automatically starts up. With such an activated license, the Licence Wizard is not shown anymore.

Offline Activation

Before using the software, an activation key needs to be activated. Usually this happens online in real time. If the PC does not have an internet connection, you can do the activation from another PC or using a mobile phone. Both ways are explained:

Activating from a secondary PC

1. Have the PC to activate, the activation key and another PC with internet access ready.

2. On the PC that ist to be licensed, run VIOSO 6. At first start the License Wizard shows up. Note the version you are actually running.

• Click Activate your license and then Activate Offline

• Enter the activation key in the first formfield

• Choose the software version that fits to your license from the dropdown

• Enter the Computer Identifier in the third form field.
• Click Activate and you receive the Computer Bound Key. Note this Computer bound key and return to the License Wizard.

• Return back to the License Wizard

  • Enter the Computer Bound Key that has been generated online

  • If everything is entered correctly, press the button Activate.

• The activation key now is done and the license is locked on the PC.

• Click Finish to close the the Activation Wizard.

• The application automatically starts up. With such an activated license, the Licence Wizard is not shown anymore.

Activating using a mobile device

1. Have the PC to activate, the activation key and mobile phone with a functional camera for QR-reading ready.

2. On the PC that ist to be licensed, run VIOSO 6.

3. Click “Activate your license” and then “Activate Offline”
5. Open the URL referenced by the QR Code: You will be presented the Computer Key. Note this key and return to the PC that is to be activated.
6. Return back to the License Wizard:

   • • Enter the Computer Key (and the Activation Key if not already present).

     • If everything is entered correctly, press the button “Activate”.
7. The activation key now is done and the license is locked on the PC.

8. Click “Finish” to close the the Activation Wizard.

Common Errors

License not matching

This error indicates that the license on the very PC does not match to the version of the currently installed VIOSO 6 version. This happens after you perform an upgrade or downgrade.

After each change of the VIOSO 6 software, the license is checked online. Therefore, two things can happen:

• Upgrades Check if your license is eligible to run the desired version (release date of the software version must lie within the maintenance period).

  • If OK: Check your internet connection. Start the software with internet available and the check will perform in the background. Alternatively, run an offline activation as outlined here: Offline Activation

  • If the maintenance is expired: Choose a version which is released within your maintenance period (see all versions and release dates here: Changelog and Version History). Or contact sales@vioso.com to get the maintenance for your license extended.

• Downgrades (running earlier versions) They get always get a positive result => Check your internet connection. Start the software with internet available and the check will perform in the background. Alternatively, run an offline activation as outlined here: Offline Activation

Invalid license

This error happens mainly of this reasons:

1. When using the webform https://vioso.com/license-self-help:

   • The Computer Identifier was entered wrongly. Make sure to enter this Identifier correctly – ideally using copy&paste instead of manual typing.

   • The wrong version was selected in the webform. Make sure to generate the Computer Key for the version that is displayed in the License Wizard at startup (see above).

2. The Computer key was entered wrong in the License Wizard. This happens easily when typing in manually. Try to use copy & paste whenever possible.

Good to know

• Hyphens or whitespace don’t matter when handling activation keys. So however you are handling an activation key, just copy&paste – the licensing system will clear any hyphen, whitespace and probably other characters.

VIOSO releases frequently updates for all products. From activation date, every license is authorized to get updates to newer software versions for 3 months. After this period you can renew your license to receive updates again. Your last eligible update will always continue working.​

VIOSO Servers include 2 years of maintenance for preinstalled VIOSO applications.

Maintenance renewal​

The end of such update subscription is called the maintenance expiry date of a license. When this maintenance expiry date is reached, a license will not work for newer software versions. The license is still valid without limitations for older software versions.​

Every license can be upgraded with a 1-year maintenance renewal at all time (even if the maintenance renewal date has already expired).​

VIOSO 6 are actively developed and provide several releases per year. Your license is not restricted to a certain software version, but yields a certain maintenance period. During such an active maintenance period, you can install and use any update of the software, that is published.

Before you run an update, you should check if your license is eligible for an update.

Find updates automatically

The most easiest way to retrieve an update for VIOSO 6 is using the integrated License Wizard. Learn more about this procedure here: Find updates automatically

Get current maintenance status

If the computer running VIOSO 6 is not online, you can retrieve the current status of the maintenance using our Licence Self-Help portal.

• Retrieve your activation key: Getting the activation key in VIOSO 6

• Click Get License Information and enter the activation key

• Information about the maintenance period is returned among other useful information:

If the software release lies within the maintenance period of your license, you can proceed by downloading the appropriate version of the software and install it. Learn more about this procedure here: Updating VIOSO 6

Changing a License

Whether you purchase additional features or channels, extend the maintenance period or get a locked license unlocked – in all cases you simply need to do another activation.

• PCs that are online while running VIOSO will automatically get all changes in the licensing. There's nothing else to do, just run VIOSO while being online and all pending changes are applied at startup. Please note that this is done in the backround while starting the application. There's no dedicated feedback. If you want to double check that changes are applied, please have a look at the license information: License information

• PCs that cannot have an internet connection need a manual activation. Please follow the procedure outlined here (Offline Activation): Offline Activation

Online Transfer

This is the recommended way and works if the PC running VIOSO is connected to the internet

1. Launch the License Wizard (learn here how to launch the license wizard: License information)

2. Click Deactivate your license – the deactivation dialog pops up with your activation key displayed. Click Deactivate and your license is immediately removed from this computer:

The next time you start the application, it will show the License Wizard with the message, that no license was found on this system.

You can now either reactivate on the same PC or activate on another PC.

Offline Transfer

Deactivation via smartphone (QR code):

If the PC with the license is not connected to the internet, deactivation is pretty easy if you have a smartphone with online access at hand.

• When clicking Deactivate, a message box will appear, informing about the missing internet connection. Please have an arbitrary mobile phone at hand to continue.
• Click Yes and a window containing a QR Code shows up:
• Scan this QR-code with the camera app on the smartphone. It will point to an internet address like https://license.vioso.com/….

• As soon as you open the browser on this address, the license is recognized and released for another activation.

• The next time you start the application, it will show the License viewer with the message, that no license was found on this system. You can either reactivate on the same PC or activate on another PC.

Offline Deactivation via secondary PC

You can release the license using another PC which has internet access

Step 1: Get your activation key and deactivate locally

• When the dialog for deactivation appears, copy the license key and store it in a text file e.g. onto a removable USB drive:

• When clicking Deactivate, a message box will appear, informing about the missing internet connection.

• Click No and a window showing a Verificaton code shows up:

• Click OK and the deactivation is finished. Continue with Step 2.

Step 2: Make the license available for another activation

• Click Deactivate License

• Enter your previously stored activation key and click Deactivate. The license is now released for another activation.

License transfer from a “dead” PC

We hope, that license transfers can be done while the licensed PC is up and running and ideally connected to the internet. However, situations happen where the licensed PC is out of reach, broken or beyond control. This is a major issue for usual license management system, but we offer a very user-friendly handling for such situations. All you need it the activation key, that was issued by obtaining the software. There are even other ways to retrieve your activation key: License information

You need the license key and a PC with internet access to continue.

• Click Deactivate License

• Enter your activation key and click “Deactivate”. The license is now released for another activation.

How is a multi-usage of licenses prevented?

A pure online-deactivation yields the risk of multiple use of licenses. While the majority of our customers wouldn’t use this to cheat on licenses, we obviously must watch all licensees carefully. VIOSO 6 have implemented random background checks against illegal use of activation keys. So when a “dead PC” tries to use a deactivated license, the license will be locked and the PC is flagged as “illegal”and a note appears on the License Viewer:

VIOSO gets informed everytime an illegal computer is detected. In this state, it takes manual action from our end to unlock this license and you would need to contact our support team.

VIOSO 6 runs on Windows 10 and 11 (Home, Professional, Enterprise). It does NOT run on "Starter" Editions or restricted Embedded/IoT Editions.

Next to a fully working Windows environment, there are two depedencies that must be available on a Windows system:

Basically, VIOSO 6 runs best on workstations and servers that are built for professional graphics processing. However, handling multiple GPUs and the requirements for video data processing and output syncing can be an art on it's own.

Overview

VIOSO's camera kits are specialized solutions designed to simplify and streamline the calibration and alignment process for projector setups in various applications. Whether for large-scale projection mapping, immersive displays, or multi-projector configurations, VIOSO offers camera kits tailored to meet the specific requirements of professional projection projects:

1. All Purpose Kits

• Most common used kits suitable for all kinds of projection setups.

• Fixed lenses with low distortion.

• HQ versions available for highest demands.

2. Fisheye Kits

• For use in Domes, panadomes, cylinders and any other kind of spherical screen configuration.

• Provide a full 360x180° image circle and square resolutions

• Hyperspherical kits with an extended horizontal field of view (220° / 250° / 280°) available.

3. Special Purpose Kits

• Made for long distances or close-quarter setups.

• Heavy lens distortions must be taken into account.

Download our current calibration kit lineup here:

Versions

Over the past few years, multiple versions of camera kits have been introduced. Each version utilizes a different type of sensor, leading to variations in handling. The following pages provide detailed descriptions of these differences.

After installation, VIOSO 6 shows a dialog to make some important initial configurations (“First Init”).

Launching the First Init Dialog anytime

In case you missed this dialog or want to change everything all over, there is a way to call this First Init:

• From the Windows Start Menu, type “start first init” in the Search Field

• Select the “First Init” shortcut from VIOSO 6 displayed like this:

Now you can simply click the shortcut and the “First Init” dialog will show up.

First Init dialog explained

App Configuration

These are profiles, that give VIOSO 6 a basic configuration for certain use cases. Selecting an app configuration eases the handling of VIOSO 6 especially in larger installations:

Licensing

Network

Select the network adapter that VIOSO 6 can use for it's general work (nearly aspects of VIOSO 6 are handled via network for maximum scalability) as well as connecting to other VIOSO 6 instances.

If the discovery of other VIOSO 6 instances does not work or takes too long time, please check the network submask and set it eventually to a smaller subnet (wide subnet masks lead to an exponential node search time).

Data save path

Select the path on the local system where VIOSO 6 can save it's work data like project files, calibration data, intermediate data, etc.

Keep in mind that calibration data can consume several GBs of data, depending on the number and resolution of projectors and cameras.

If not changed, the data path is set to this default path:

Deploy standard ini-files to default data path

If checked, a set of usually global configuration files are copied to the data path specified above. Alterations in these ini-files have an effect of the behaviour of VIOSO 6.

This enables are more fine-grained configuration of VIOSO 6 in environments where system wide settings cannot be made easily or helps automating the setup in larger installations.

We recommend to leave this checkbox unchecked unless specificly advised by our support engineers.

Autostart

Checking this box launches VIOSO 6 with after logging into Windows. This is required for at least these scenarios:

• VIOSO 6 is used to embedd warping & blending to NVIDIA Quadro GPUs

• VIOSO 6 runs as a client for calibration

Specifying a startup delay helps to avoid network issues. On some systems the network adapters get initialized quite late in the boot sequence. Set a certain startup delay to make sure the network adapter that VIOSO 6 is using is present.

To activate or deactivate the startup behaviour anytime after first configuration, access Menu > Options > Settings > Program > Startup options:

• Click Activate to launch VIOSO 6 with Windows startup

• Click Deactivate to stop VIOSO 6 from being launched at Windows Startup.

Some notes on the installation:

1. Create a backup of your current calibration project

2. An existing installation of VIOSO 6 is replaced

3. An internet connection is required to activate the license after each upgrade and downgrade. Alternatively, an offline activation can be done.

Automatic Update

The most easiest way to retrieve an update for VIOSO 6 is using the integrated License Manager: It will search for the most recent available update that is compatible with your maintenance status.

Access the License Manager via Menu > Help > Info about this program and then button License:

There are two possible states:

Update available

A newer version is available that is within the maintenance period of your license:

Click on Update to the latest version to view the release notes and initiate the download:

The VIOSO 6 installation program is downloaded to the Download folder of the current user.

Make sure that you are able to run a program as admin. Proceed by clicking Install and confirm the installation application to start with elevated rights:

The VIOSO 6 installer will pop up and guide you through the installation process. When asked to close VIOSO 6 and the license manager, please confirm - otherwise the installer cannot proceed. Installing an update will automatically remove the previous version of VIOSO 6.

No Update available

The latest available version of VIOSO 6 that is compatible with the maintenace period of your license is installed:

Manual Update

Updating without using the License Wizard, e.g. on systems without internet access, is possible as well. Please follow these steps:

Step 1: Determine the current maintenance status of your license

Step 2: Finde the eligible version of VIOSO 6

Search there for a version whose release date is within the maintenance period. The release date must be before the expiry date of the maintenance period.

Download the installer and execute it.

Step 3: Activate the license

At the first run of the updated software, the license must be activated to match the new software version. If the PC is online, this happens automatically, as long as the update is covered by the maintenance of your licence.

Response "Your license failed to activate"

At first run, the license viewer will pop up with an error message: The activation key does not correspond to version X.X. This indicates that the installed license is not update yet, and thus does not match to the recently installed software version.

You therefore need to perform another activation.

• If possible, establish a (temporary) internet connection and restart the software. The activation will happen automatically and VIOSO 6 will start normally. The internet connection can be disconnected afterwards, and the license remains.

VIOSO 6 offers two operating modes: "project mode" and "free mode".

The project mode offers an easy-to-use workflow for the vast majority of projection scenarios. This makes it less flexible. Free mode corresponds to the behaviour of the calibrator as known from the previous versions. It offers all functionalities, but may require more programme knowledge and experience.

Comparison of both modes

Project mode (recommended usage):

A calibration is understood as a project consisting of several steps that are processed one after the other.

These individual steps are in a complex relationship with each other, whereby the project mode automatically takes over the necessary tasks (conversions, intermediate storage, script generation). Project mode is therefore very convenient and safe to use for the user. Project mode covers the majority of VIOSO 6 use cases and is recommended for the following application scenarios:

• Single Camera

• Single Client and Multi Client

• 2D and 3D calibration

• Export to common media servers and video players

• Desktop Hooking (NVIDIA Mosaic) => one desktop

A project is a collection of files, which is why projects are saved as a directory. The default storage location is

Free Mode

Before VIOSO 6 was released, the "VIOSO Calibrator" was available as a standalone version or as part of the Anyblend suite.

The "Free Mode" corresponds to this behavior. VIOSO 6 offers all functionalities and maximum flexibility in the use of all features. However, this makes operation more complex, as you are in control of logical dependencies and the use of functionalities. Free mode is recommended for the following application scenarios:

• multiple calibrations (including desktop hooking)

• Experienced users who already know how to operate the calibrator

• Complex simulation and video scenarios (especially multiple calibrations)

• Scenarios that require advanced scripting and automation functions

In free mode, the main data are saved in *.sps files, these files resemble a calibration and complementary meta data. Scripts and other auxiliary files are handled manually by the user.

The default storage location is

Switching modes

The operation mode of VIOSO 6 can be switched nearly anytime during the program's runtime.

Please note that when changing modes, the memory files, in particular the calibrations, also change. This means that not only the mode itself is changed, but also the entire calibration project.

To work in the free mode, click “Switch to Free Mode” if VIOSO 6 is not already started in this mode.

Main Sections of the User Interface in Free Mode

In this section, we will explore the main components of the user interface in Free Mode, helping you to understand and utilize the different functionalities available. Many of these aspects are relevant for other modes as well.

(A) Channel Selection

A channel represents the pipeline consisting of input (test image, player, live input) and (B) output (target). Multiple channels are useful to handle several calibrations at the same time, e.g. to align the calibration of two walls of an immersive room.

Die Anzahl der verfügbaren Kanäle wird als globaler Programmparameter eingestellt: Menu - Options - Settings - Startup Settings - "Presenter Channel count"

(B) Targets

A target represents the output of a render pipeline. This can be a single monitor or the result of a calibration, also known as a ‘display compound’. The dropdown displays all targets available in the current system state. Only one target can be played at a time.

(C) Adjustments Dialog

This area contains dialogues and settings that affect the calibration currently selected as the target. These settings are available as soon as the render pipeline is activated (select from the ‘target’ drop-down box and press the ‘Activate’ button)

(D) Warping

The warping tool for the currently selected calibration is located in this area. The tool is only active when the calibration is displayed (select the target from the drop-down menu and press the ‘Activate’ button). Under Menu - View - show input stream, you can set the tool to display the current output on the target as a preview instead.

(E) Action List

Here you will find buttons that guide you through the calibration process. The number and characteristics of the buttons vary depending on the mode.

A licence comes in form of an acitvation key (XXXX-XXXX-XXXX… or XXXXXXXX). The activation key represents a license by this data:

License activation

To execute the software, it’s license must be activated once on a PC.

License transfer

License Check

You can check the state of your license either directly in the application, or online.

Demo

Older VIOSO Calibration Kits arebased on a HiK Robotics IP camera camera. It comes with the camera body, a suitable lens, and a PoE-Injector for running the camera on any switch or directly from the PC/server.

Overview about Calibration kits based on HiK cameras:

Installing

1. Connecting the camera

Mount the camera and connect camera to PoE injector and the PoE injector to the network and power.

(a) PoE (Power Over Ethernet)/DATA: Connect the camera to this socket (this will power the camera and a small light will flicker).

(b) DATA: Connect the Ethernet cable to the PC/server or to a switch.

2. Install the driver package “MVS”

3. Install DirectShow Interface

Run as Admin:

4. Network configuration

1. Make sure that the camera is connected and powered (PowerLED “blue”)

2. Run the application “MVS”.

   • If the camera is connected, it shows within the “GigE” tree under the network adapter.

   • In the window “NIC Configurator” click “Internet protocol properties” to access the Windows network settings. Change to static IP setting and enter an appropriate IP (e.g. 10.0.0.1 / 255.0.0.0 for a point-to-point connection). If the network already is set to a fixed IP, you can skip this step. Terminate everything with “OK” and “Apply”.
   • Right-Click on the camera name and open the “Modify IP Address” dialog. Enter an IP that fits to the IP range entered for this ethernet connection (e.g. 10.0.0.2 according to the example above)

   • This way the camera has a fixed IP, that will make all subsequent tasks for calibration more transparent.

Camera Configuration

All settings of the camera can be done in the “MVS” software. It is a complex tool, allowing a lot of settings to be made. But we recommend to stick to some very fundamental settings only, leaving as much as possible untreated. All settings that are done by the MVS software are persistent in the camera.

Once the camera network configuration is complete, the camera icon gets green, indicating that the camera is ready to be operated. Launch the preview by double clicking the camera and press the “Play” Button in the top button bar to display a live camera image.

Now it’s time to switch off all ambient light sources and have the projectors powered on. Use the live view to position the cameras while filming the projection surface. The projectors should display a solid color (ideally white) so that the camera can be set to an appropriate sensitivity.

Common parameters

Switch to the tab “Common Functions” to handle the most important parameters of the camera sensor:

• Acquisition Framerate: Deactivate

• Exposure Auto: always set to OFF! For the first time, you can set it to “once” to get an initial value of auto-exposure and start seeing a bright image, then turn it back off.

• Exposure time: Set to a value that matches with the brightness of the filmed scene. By setting the exposure, the framerate automatically adapts accordingly. Please evaluate the exposure when projectors are displaying bright content, filling all the projection area.

• Gain: Always leave set to 0. Driving the camera brightness using digital gain often has a bad impact on the scanning stability.

• Gamma Enable: OFF/ON – if the camera image is too dark, enable Gamma and use either of the selectors to change to an appropriate level. Try to maintain a high contrast when setting a user defined gamma value.

Image cropping for Fisheye calibration kits

Switch to the tab “Image Properties” to crop the image. By reducing the image size, e.g. cropping unnecessary parts of the image, the frame rate can be increased, this speeding up the scanning procedure.

• Draw ROI [Edit]: Starts an interactive drawing tool that helps positioning the region of interest onto the current camera image. By dragging and resizing, the values for Offset X/Y and size of the ROI are adjusted. Click the “confirm” icon at the bottom right corner of the rectangle to activate the region of interest, thus cropping the other parts of the image

• Restore Max. ROI: resets all settings so that the whole image is used

Example: To set the ROI of a fulldome calibration kit to match the fisheye lens, set…

• Width = 2048

• Offset = 256

User settings

Even though all settings made in the MVS software are immediately stored inside the camera, it is still possible to handle multiple sets of configurations. This “User Control sets” menu is accessible from the top right button bar. Usually it is not required to handle several parameter settings, but if there is a demanding situation the usage of several user sets can help to maintain a well-controlled workflow.

You can also set “Start Settings” to be your specified User Set if you experience problems of camera losing its setting on reboots or after unplug/replugs.

Notes about Multi-Camera usage:

• In MVS, when switching between cameras views, stop acquisition on the previous first or you will have bandwidth error warnings.

• In VIOSO MRD window (Model View Control) you might not see the camera full name in the dropdown menu. To check if it’s the right camera assigned, open the MRD file you created in a text editor. It is in XML format where defCamName parameter refers to the camera that calibrated the selected compound.

• Optional tip: It can be helpful to fix camera custom names in MVS (Right Click the camera > Rename User ID ). They will appear in VIOSO under “adjust camera > Options > Camera info”