MagicQ includes a powerful Pixel Mapping engine that enables images, movies, text and live feed streams to be mapped onto grids of LED fixtures, dimmers or even moving lights. The Pixel Mapper has support for mapping in both 2D and 3D. It is fully integrated into the MagicQ software and enables large numbers of LED elements to be controlled with very simple programming, minimizing the programming time involved.
Typically a designer will create a grid containing some or all of the LED fixtures in their rig, and then assign each fixture or separately controllable part of a fixture as a “pixel” in the grid. Each LED element is allocated to a space in the grid – simply by entering the head numbers in the relevant grid position. It is not necessary to have an LED element allocated to each grid position – you can have spaces in the grid. This is very useful when using LED tiles and LED battens in abstract positions – the FX will be played back across all the elements in their correct positions.
These grids can easily be modified if the layout of the LED elements changes, for example when touring. This allows the whole show to be remapped in a few seconds to a different grid layout without having to reprogram any of the Cues. You can design up to 100 different grids – this could be different LED elements on the stage or it could be the same LED elements but with different spatial organisation – thus allowing media to be played back in different ways.
The MagicQ Pixel Mapper can then be used to play back movies, bitmaps, text and in-built FX on the grid. If the user desires to run other kinds of effects or cuestacks that involve the same lights, it’s an easy thing to decide moment-by-moment which source of information is driving the lights that are in the grid.
The user can load custom bmp and jpeg bitmaps and mpeg movies onto the system for playback on the grids. Multiple FX layers can be played back on the grids with different mixing options between the layers. In addition to the playback of previously existing images or media, the Pixel Mapping engine can rapidly create powerful and elegant effects that are related to positioning data, but generated from simple geometrical rules and functions. This technique uses the Auto Group function button, which enables groups to be automatically generated based on the grid size. This makes it easy to quickly generate different FX that are based on movement from center to outside, or from the edges inward, for example. The in-built grid FX generator includes
all sorts of horizontal and vertical lines and patterns, random “snowflake falling” type effects, rainbow colour mix effects and movement effects.
The Auto Group function button enables groups to be automatically generated based on the grid size. This generates groups using the entire grid but with different orders of selection, e.g. from centre to outside, from the edges, and vice versa. This makes it easy to quickly generate different FX.
The user can load custom bmp and jpeg bitmaps and mpeg movies onto the system for playback on the grids. Multiple FX layers can be played back on the grids with different mixing options between the layers. In addition the in-built grid FX generator includes:
With the addition of a MagicQ USB Audio Interface, many different audio triggered effects (e.g. level meters, bass/treble triggers, audio decays) can be set up.
- 100 output grids
- Total 32768 B/W pixels or 10922 RGB pixels
- Assign heads to grids (LED, dimmers, movers)
- Auto group generation from grid (horz, vert, centre)
- Up to 20 media layers per grid
- Layer parameters – Intensity, Position, Rotation,
- Zoom, Scrolling, Colour, Strobing, Irising
- Display bitmaps on grids (bmp, jpeg)
- Display movies (convert from AVI. MOV, MPEG)
- Inbuilt FX with multi parameter control
- Audio FX
- 3D FX for 3D grids
- Live Feeds
- Live Feed from Media Servers
- Display scrolling text on grids
- 2 separate Media Text Engines
- Live changing of text from keyboard
MagicQ has included Pixel Mapping capability for over a decade. The rich feature set is extended even further with 3D Pixel Mapping, enabling easy control of LED ceilings, chandeliers and other 3D LED objects.
MagicQ now includes a library of simple-to-use 3D effects which can be added on top of the existing 2D effects. Additional pixelmapping layers can also be used to modulate in 3D by controlling the offset and width of the 2D FX – stunning 3D effects can be created very quickly.
MagicQ supports 3D grids and multiple fixtures can be inserted into the 3D grid in one go making it easy to create the grid mapping
MagicQ Pixel Mapping is standard in MagicQ software on all platforms; MagicQ consoles, MagicQ PC and MagicQ Mac.