Projection mapping is where everyday projectors are used to put visual content on to a variety of surfaces.
Projection Mapping Central have a wonderful illustrated history of projection mapping.
Aside from these some of the earliest examples of projection mapping can be seen in the work of Czech theatre designer Josef Svoboda.
In the work of Charles and Ray Eames.
In each of these examples the images are being carefully projected onto a defined surface.
I use the term surface loosely as most things can be considered a surface.
Some projects have projected onto surfaces such as walls, breathe, clouds, fountains, people, robots and so on.
Projection Mapping comes in two guises.
Where the projection surfaces are fixed.
Superbien - Alcatel Lucent
Joanie Lemercier - EYJAFJALLAJÖKULL [Studio Resident]
McGuires - Icebook
Where the surfaces change and the content can (though not always) react to the movement. For instance we can think of projection mapping performers as a dynamic mapping.
Box n Dolly - Box
Chunky Move - Mortal Engine
Research into high speed mapping
Where projection mapping could be useful in ...
- Performance: performers, stage objects etc... Greg Gieskam's book Staging the Screen has a really wonderful history of video in theatre in it. Let me know if you want to borrow it.
- Most Projects - We have used a form of projection mapping in at least two of the Playable City Projects.
- Time - time of day, time of year.
- Projectors - brightness, power, contrast, connections, serial connections for remote starting.
- Locations - how far you are away from the surface, are there things obstructing the , what color is the surface,
- Occulusion - will people block the projector.
Some Artists / Projects using projection mapping:
- A Dandypunk
- Time Tiling by Pablo Valbuena
- ELEVENPLAY by Rhizomatiks
- Vodafone by MLF
- Box by BotnDolly
- Sony Realtime Mapping by MLF
- Glow by Chunky Move
- Pulse 3.0 by Rhizomatiks
- Lyrical Perspective
- Davy and Kristen McGuire
- Primal Source by Usman Haque
- Sony Realtime Mapping 2 by MLF
- eyjafjallajokull by Joanie Lemercier
- Nimbes by Joanie Lemercier
- Nuage Vert by HeHe
- Water Dancer by Eyal Gever
- Paper and Light By Joanie Lemercier
- Mapping the Astronomical Clock
- Love is in the Air by Wriggles & Robins
- Body Paint by Memo Akten
- Apparition Klaus Obermaier & Ars Electronica Futurelab
- High Artic by UVA
- Smashing Conference Laser Show by Seb Lee Desile*
Basic resources to get started with the Projection Mapping.
- MadMapper Recommmended tool that makes the process of getting content mapped easier and quicker. Both Windows and MacOSX. It also allows you to make generative content inside the application. Free Trial with watermark.
- VPT
- Resolume
- VDMX
- vvvv
- d3technologies
- Projector Central
- Projection Mapping Central
- Vimeo Group
- Vimeo Channel Dedicated to Projection Mapping
- Projection Freak
You do not need specialist software to create content for mapping.
You can use:
- Adobe After Effects
- Any Video Editing Package
- Resolume
- VDMX
- Modul8
- Pixel Conduit
- 2VP
- Millumin
- Custom Software. (Most Projection Mapping Tools usually give you the opportunity to use Syphon or Spout which are frameworks for sharing pixels across applications)
When you have a difficult surface to map, it is worth making a 2d model of the space from the projectors perspective.
The best way to do this is to use something similar to MSPaint / Pixelmator / Photoshop. Make your window full screen on the projectors output. Now pick out features that can orientate / be identified by drawing a thin line around the item. Export the image now you have a ready made template to start mapping with.
Software such as MadMapper have in built Spatial Scanners that use a Canon Camera to photograph the projectors perspective.
*Lasers