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Live Projection Masking – Interactive Art Instalation
Hi Creative Cow,
I’m working of a interactive installation with a projection of early open source Commodore 64 games. I want to project these games live so that viewers can interact with them using a custom input of mine. However I want the projector to ONLY light a custom cut panel–it’s a oddly shaped trapezoid–such that I might even loose some of the display. This is fine (and my intention) to loose some display but I just don’t want there to be light spilling onto the wall behind. Is there a program that can help me? Or other more practical suggestions?
Anything helps, Thanks a lot.
Ryan | Visual Artist
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3 Replies
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One solution that may work depending on your installation is a ‘gobo’.
This will take a bit of experimentation, but basically get a piece of medium weight cardboard (any kind, it doesn’t need to be corrugated) and cut the shape you want out of it. Mount it an inch or two in front of the projector (I don’t recommend taping it directly to the projector as that may cause heat issues). Adjust and recut as necessary to get the effect you want.
Good luck!
Steve Crook, Jr.
http://www.stevecrookjr.meI am a simple creative professional that can get my Adobe suite and a few other creative tools to do what I want. Barely. 🙂
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You did not specify the OS system you intend to use: Windows or Mac?
…and whether you intend to play the game directly from the said system or from another system and capture it via a capture card to the one connected to the projector. If the latter, for Windows you could check out Spout for Windows; for Mac there is Syphon. Else you would need a capture card to capture the in-coming signal to the application that is connected to the projector, and thereafter mask it/map it to fit.To mask, the gobo method suggested will work. Holding it in place in front of the projector is one of the main problems to solve. Some clamp method (photographer’s clamp for lighting filters!) may help. There’ll be softening of the edges but the further away from the lens, the sharper will be the edges.
The alternative is software which has built-in masking features, or the ability to play multiple layered tracks (a’la photoshop layers) such that the mask can be on a higher layer masking out parts of the layers below. Check out vj software such as Resolume, Module 8, MWM, Millenium, LPMT, GrandVJ, etc. For just straight geometric adjustment to fit your trapezoid without masking, all the above-mentioned software plus TabulaSignage, and Painting With Light from https://pwl.bigfug.com
Good luck!
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Told ya these guys know their stuff:-)
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