Single Box Pixel Mapping Solution

[stevefez]

I've had quite an extensive search (I think) of both the blue-room and quite a bit of googling too and haven't come up trumps with anything too useful as of yet, so I'm posting a new topic. If I've missed it, please don't hesitate to point me in the direction of a thread already answering this.

 

Basically I've got 30 or so DB4 colour blocks on an event in a couple of weeks. Rather than run them all through the Pearl (Classic), which is not a bad option at all, I though it might be possible to pixel map them and shove some low res video through to produce some rather more interesting scenes.

 

So basically I'm looking to hire a single box that I can shove video/vga/composite/anything really, into probably from a pc running screenmonkey or similar, and after a bit of setting up, it can spit DMX out the other side. The only solution I've really come up with so far is by using .Matrix and an Enttec Open Ethernet dongle/box. Not a bad solution, for under £200 to buy, but I've no idea how good the software is.

 

Anyone got either a single box solution that I can hire for a week or so, or any different way of doing it?

 

cheers, Steve

[tvi675]

Hi Steve,

 

Take a look at MagicQ, which you can download free and functioning from http://download.magicq.co.uk. The software outputs 18 universes of Art-Net without needing any additional hardware or having to pay us anything, supports a number of third-party DMX devices such as the Enttec ones, or our own DMX interfaces or PC Wings. As part of the software we have an in-built pixelmapper, which allows you to create a grid of your fixtures and play back bitmaps, text, effects and movies across them.

 

When you install the PC software, you get an app called MagicQ Media Centre come with it. Using this you can select an area of the screen to monitor as a live feed, however if you just wanted to play back low res clips, you can use Media Centre to select your source media and convert it (free of charge) into a format that our software can understand and output directly from the pixelmapper, saving the need to run the media separately, you can just pick the thumbnail from the media window in MagicQ and run it from there.

 

Matt

[Joe Bleasdale]

Hi Steve,

 

Why don't you take a look at the Hippo Critter media server. It is a small box that has a single VGA output on it, you can use the internal component (pixel mapper) to map the video onto the colour blocks. You can then program a timeline and trigger it from the pearl, or control the whole thing from the pearl. Lots of people have the box critter in hire stock, off the top of my head, VME, Stage Electrics, Little Mouse Productions, and I think HSL have them too. Hippo is very easy and is controllable more as a fixture rather than a second control system like Magic Q. Hire price wise, your probably looking around £250 list price per week from the larger hire companies, but people like Little Mouse have the servers with lots of custom content on, so they charge a lot more. A media server may be a little too advanced for what you need, but certainly worth a look :-)

 

I have quite a bit of past experience with both pixel mapping media servers and pixel mapping from a lighting desk. So feel free to drop me a PM if you wish.

 

Thanks,

[Olie]

Try using ledtrix which is a module for Martin light jockey. I have used it a number of times. It is simple and effective.

 

You may be interested to hear that pixel mapping is coming soon to screen monkey at end of October.

[stevefez]

cheers guys. I think this time around we will go for the simple option. MagicQ (which I totally didn't realise did pixel mapping as well: cheers Matt) with a hired in artnet -> DMX node total cost about £50 inc delivery.

 

Out of interest Joe, you mention the HippoCritter has vga out, how is this then converted to DMX data? (can you tell my experience of pixel mapping is relatively close to zero...)

 

and Olie, that is good news indeed!

 

Next time it comes up I'll be a little more prepared!

[son of lx dad]

Hippo Critter also does ArtNet out....