Video Mapping - Masking Issues!

[lesh85]

Hi guys, I have managed to map two faces of a solid box using the .png mask settings using Resolume Avenue 3. However, I am pretty much still confused about how to set up my motion compositng application to animate only a single face. Do I import the mask into After Effects and create the content based on its shape? If so, what are the recommended settings to achieve this.. Say my output resolution is 640 by 480 pixels.. Should I set up my AE to the same resolution?

Have a look at what I am trying to achieve:

YouTube- Visual Mapping Experiment

YouTube- Visual Mapping Experiment

[lesh85]

I managed to create the mask with Photoshop and imported it into the Resolume and applied it to a layer. But whenever I import the mask into After Effects or Motion, there is some minor distortions.. Could it be that I have to change the video settings from square pixels to rectangular ones? Which one should I be using actually?

[stickygreen]

why don 't you create a seperate mask for each face of the cube, and apply each mask to a different layer in reso. That way you can change the clips you want individually, or all at the same time.

[lesh85]

hmmm.. you're right! i can do that but say if I mapped this onto a building surface and needed to create custom content, do I create the content based on the mask in AE? cause I do not want the content to appear squished.. apologies for the probable wrong use of words.. aye?

[bilderbuchi]

also, why don't you use the mapping effects plugin in avenue to distort your content?

[VJ RubenS]

I'm not a pro in mapping but here is my opinion:

Please note there is a difference between masking, mapping and "3d effect mapping" for almost all mapping effects you have to generate custom content for the object you are mapping on.

To map the cube you can use the "keystone mask effect" from Resolume Avenue. and use a layer for each side of the cube. this way you can NOT play 1 clip stretched on al the 3 sides at the same time. Another disadvantage is that this only works on rectangular surfaces.

If you use masks you can mask out the hole cube but you will have a keystone distortion on all sides. so you have to make your content (in 3d?) based on this shape, as you described.

If you want to map a building and create 3d effects like moving or falling bricks and shadows etc. you have much more to do.

This how i did it:

Masks:
-start resolume and project a fullscreen white solid on your object.
-make a picture from the screen as close to the projector as possible (don't worry to much about lens types)
-start photoshop and use the same resolution as the resolume output.
-load your picture in photoshop
-drag the corners from your white screen in the picture to the corners of your photoshop canvas.
now you can easy create masks for your object by drawing shapes over your picture. and exporting different png's.

3d effect Mapping:
Start a 3d program, i used 3d max for some basic 3d effects (but i think after effects has much more potential).
Create your object in 3d (you can use your cropped picture as a reference).
If you want to make effects that look flat you will need to set the virtual camera in your 3d program at the same position as your beamer is in real life.
However if you want objects to apear to be coming out a wall or going in. you wil need to set the virtual camera to the average audience position.
In both cases you will probably need to do some keystone adjustment afterwards.

Please note i only projected on surfaces and objects that where pretty flat and didn't have much depth, if someone can improve my text please do so.]
I hope this helps.