Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 MA VPU (former grandMA Video) Operating Manual Version 6.0 MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Copyright 2002-2012 MA Lighting Technology GmbH The reproduction and distribution of the documentation and software and the use of its contents is subject to written authorization from MA Lighting Technology GmbH. Trademarks Windows XP ®, Windows Vista ® and Microsoft ® are registered trademarks of Microsoft, Corp. All other names mentioned may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Content 1 What is MA VPU ? ............................................................................................... 7 1.1 Main Features ............................................................................................................ 7 1.2 Functions and Features ............................................................................................ 8 1.3 Transition from grandMA video to MA VPU .....................................................
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 3.5 4 Preferred Operation Mode (Screen Layout MA 1Series) ........................................34 Data management ............................................................................................. 36 4.1 Master slave ..............................................................................................................36 4.2 Principle function diagram .......................................................................................37 4.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 7.9 Warper .......................................................................................................................77 7.9.1 Warper Fullscreen View .......................................................................................77 7.9.2 Basic Operation ....................................................................................................78 7.9.3 Warping ...................................................................................
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 18 18.1 19 FAQ and Troubleshooting .......................................................................... 149 Software Questions: ............................................................................................149 Supplement MA Lighting ............................................................................ 152 19.1 Intended use ........................................................................................................152 19.2 Data ....
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 1 What is MA VPU ? MA VPU, the Video Processing Unit is a media server, for both still and moving images, that is fully integrated into the grandMA lighting control system.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 1.2 Functions and Features At its most basic level, MA VPU allows for the control of several moving images and highresolution images simultaneously. Videos and still images can be combined, mixed and controlled using any grandMA console like a regular multi-parameter fixture.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 1.3 Transition from grandMA video to MA VPU This information conforms to grandMA video users changing to MA VPU. As a user of a grandMA video dongle version (either on MA mediaPC or self designed media server) you will encounter most likely the following situation: grandMA video software is installed on a computer (self designed or mediaPC) with some content likely the MA original content plus additional custom-made content. Mainly this will be any QuickTime coded content.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 With the MA VPUs there is no “open” operating system with any kind of default driver – they are all improved to serve the best result for the VPU. Also the decoder has changed for best performance results. That means – however – that new content is needed and the new one is based on MPEG-2. With any MA VPU there is some Gigabyte of content pre-installed. However, we also offer an exclusive MA-Content-Package from showfootage.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 2 Installation and Maintenance The actual version of the application can be downloaded from the MA Lighting support site: www.malighting.de TU UTH Note (for Dongle Users only): Please extract the downloaded file into a temporary folder and run the „Setup‟ (gMAVPU_[n.nn][n.n]_v-n.nn.exe) program. You should have administration rights to install the program.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 2.2 Software Update To install the software updates on the VPU choose File / Update Software or Setup-Update software in the touchscreen to open a dialog to select the wanted update file. When using the internal software update, then your file should have a “@” in the name and is called a “silent” installer version. An example could be gMA-VPU_[1.3.0.0][6.1]_v2.40@.exe. Navigate to the wanted folder and select the file. Click OK to proceed.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 2.3 Backup MA VPU is equipped with Acronis ® backup software (Not for dongle users of former grandMA video). Note: This manual describes Acronis 2010. VPUs basic with serial numbers < 2 and VPU plus with serial numbers < 45 are equipped with Acronis 2009. Basically the use of Acronis 2009 is the same as Acronis 2010. Backup with Acronis 2009 is described in Manual_gMAVPU3.40. Machines from Serial Number #87 on operate Windows 7.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 2.3.2 Start Acronis on VPUs with serial Numbers up to # 86 on VPUs with serial numbers below # 86 are based on Windows Vista. Restart the machine and press F11 during Boot. This will lead you to the Acronis Start Menu. Press F11 again to open up a “Boot Menu” window to enter parameters: Stood in January 2010, you have to force the graphic card to do 800x600 to work correct with the internal screen on a VPU Plus.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 2.3.3 Start Acronis on VPUs with serial Numbers from # 87 VPUs with serial numbers from # 87 on are based on Windows7. They are equipped with an external USB stick that you will find at the backplane of the VPU. To boot from USB media press F12 during startup. This leads to the Boot menu. Select the boot device „Hard Disk‟ and then the USB flash drive as shown: You will then be at the start screen of Acronis. 2.3.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 If you are restoring from Acronis Secure Zone do the same as described above, your Secure Zone is listed in the location tree as well. Select the file and click OK. Now you see the wanted image listed. A right click with the mouse on the image will give you several options. Choose recover to proceed: IF you are recovering from a secure zone file, then you will be prompted with a new window: Enter: “12345” as the password and proceed by clicking on Ok.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 If your image does only contain one partition, you may see a picture like this in the next step. You should only choose to restore the partition, not the master boot record: If you restore a complete hard disk, make sure that you select the whole disk including the Acronis Secure Zone: MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Make sure to choose the right location (e.g. a secure zone file has always be recovered to System drive C:). If it is not the wanted one click on new location and choose the right place. If you want to restore a complete disk, make sure to choose the right hard disk if your VPU does have more than one hard disk drives. Also check the right connection and naming of any external connected hard drive.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 2.3.5 Storing an Image with Acronis Since MA Lighting wants to give you the factory settings for trouble shooting never delete, change or store files in the Acronis Secure Zone. Keep in mind that a FAT32 formatted USB stick or hard disk can only handle files up to 4Gbyte. Otherwise you will have to reformat that device with the NTFS file system.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 The next step is to define which partition or part of the disk you want to backup. If you want to write a backup of a single partition, then select the corresponding partition without the Secure Zone. If you want to do a complete System Backup, also include the Acronis Secure Zone. When everything has been set right, choose next to proceed: To write your image onto any memory you can choose the place to store. Click on Browse to do so.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 You have to choose “Full” as backup method: No files shall be excluded in the image so do not click any of these options in the next step: Choose the maximum compression level. When storing images for your own purpose or in a normal backup situation you can lower the compression level to normal to speed up the process: MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 In the last step before actually writing the image make sure to add some comments: VPU XXX SN activated DD MM YYYY where XXX is the Type (BASIC / PLUS / PRO) | SN is the Serial Number e.g. 0004 for number 4. This is identical with the file name for the created backup. After inserting these entire information click on proceed to start the backup. You should always get a positive message at the end of the process. If not you should definitely check what went wrong.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 2.3.6 Backup the VPU content after shipment After unpacking the VPU Unit, the first thing you should do is to make a copy of the delivered content onto any type of USB storage device. This can be a USB stick or a USB hard disk with minimum 18 GByte free space. This should be done by opening the file browser in the VPU software and by copying the complete content folder of drive D to your USB device.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 In our case we want to copy the folder “Content” from drive D to your USB storage device. So on the left side you choose drive D and on the right side you choose your USB device, in this case drive E with the name “RemoveableDisk”. To do so, click on the folder on the left side and Drag&Drop it with a mouse to your drive on the right. A new dialog will prompt you before you start. If the folder already exists, you can enable the option “Overwrite”.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 2.4 Access VPU via Network To access the VPU over the Network, make sure your computer is in the same range as the IP address that is assigned to the Ether 1 device in the VPU. You can use the 192.168.0.xxx range since this is also necessary for a valid MA-Net connection. In your computer open a windows explorer window and type the IP address of your VPU as shown below: A popup will show up and ask you to enter the user and password necessary to access the VPU.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 2.5 Version of grandMA desk or grandMA onPC (off-line) You can determine by means of the version number of MA VPU if the software version fits to the software version of the desk or off-line. MA VPU version number can be determined via: Filename of the setup: gMA-VPU_[{GMA2-Streaming}][{GMA1-Streaming}]_v{VPU-Version} Splash screen (apperars while startup) Info box (Menu – Help – Info) Example: grandMAVPU_[0.900][6.1]_v1.34 0.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 2.6 IP Addresses IP addresses are what allow the internet and most modern networks to work. It‟s a way of identifying a computer by a unique set of numbers (an IP address). An IP address is made up of a set of four numbers. Each number can have a value between 0 and 255. IP adresses can be set via the network settings of the Windows system settings. MA VPU has to be restarted if the settings are changed. New adresses are read with the restart of MA VPU.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 2.7 EDID Manager Extended Display Identification Data exchange is a standardized means for a display to communicate its capabilities to a source device. It enables the VPU to know what kind of monitor is connected. The EDID includes manufacturer name and serial number, product type, phosphor or filter type, timings supported by the display, display size, luminance data and (for digital displays only) pixel mapping data.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 The EDID chip offers the following DVI resolutions and refresh rates.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 3 Communication with the grandMA Desk Series Notice that the DMX channels have to be ‚patched‟ to communicate with MA VPU. The simplest way of ‚patching‟ is to set the switch ‚Auto Patch‟ in the dialog ‚Create New Fixtures or Channels‟ to ‚On‟ at the desk or the „on PC‟. 3.1 Connection with the grandMA desk Please make sure, that the program version of the grandMA desk meets the specifications described in: 2.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 3.2 grandMA 1 or grandMA 2 mode MA VPU supports series 1 and series 2 consoles. To set right the mode, start the application via double-click at the icon (Dongle users only, VPU users will see VPU Shell): MA VPU starts in the last used mode (grandMA 1 or grandMA 2 mode). The actual mode is displayed in the statusbar. To switch between the mode select the menu entry „File – restart with randMA ½ network‟. The application restarts in the next mode. 3.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 3.4 Connection States When you launch MA VPU it tries to connect to a session with the same ID. The four possible states of the connection are indicated by the heart in the status bar. The blinking of the heart indicates the communication between the desk and MA VPU. Heart is broken and red: No connection to a session established Heart is blinking green: MA VPU has joined a session as slave Heart is blinking blue: MA VPU is the master of a session.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 The network configuration can be managed by the ‚Settings Network‟ dialog. Remark: If the session entry appears in red, the streaming version is wrong. You have to update the software. The upper part of the dialog shows the active sessions and their members in a tree view. MA VPU is marked green. Leave (Session): Leave the session. Disable „Allow invite‟ if you don‟t want to be invited automatically Join as Slave : Join the selected session as a member (usually as slave).
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Session Name: Input or display for the name of a session. 3.5 Preferred Operation Mode (Screen Layout MA 1Series) To get a direct access to the channel sets of the fixture layers we recommend the smart view. The “Smart View” offers a clearly arranged summary about the layer content and objects. All important functions can be accessed via short keys.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 The result should look like this: MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 4 Data management This section describes how data is managed by the desk and MA VPU. Desk and VPU can work independently. Each package can be operated standalone. If they are connected in a MA network session the desk gets the master and the video application becomes the slave of a session. Data changed within the video application is transferred to the desk and vice versa. 4.1 Master slave The MA console or onPC is always the master of a session.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 4.2 Principle function diagram The following pattern demonstrates how data is processed. If you connect the MA VPU to a grandMA desk you can compare the result with some slide projectors remote controlled by an MA desk. In contrast to a slide projector the slides are not projected on the screen. The screens or 3D objects are active light emitters like monitors and can take the shape of any geometric form. This takes place on so called “Layers”.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 The following diagram shows a principle structure with 4 layers. MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 4.3 Layer properties For a better overview shows can be arranged in Fixture Layers on the grandMA desks. E.g. the conventional lights can be separated from the multi functional fixtures and video engines. For each MA VPU station an own Fixture Layer is created. This Layer accepts several Video Layers. These Video Layers can be combined to meet your requirements.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 The different Layer Types have the following meanings: Video Layer: This Layer can use several 3D Objects from the library to represent images and videos. The content can be shown on several outputs of the graphics card. A MA VPU application can contain several 3D Video Layers for images and videos. You can patch up to 32 layers to be more flexible in programming.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Master : One MA VPU application can contain only one Master Layer. This layer represents a total view on all other layers. It serves the shapers, iris and scaling for all outputs. A control channel offers for example - remote controlled PC shut down - Switch into Fullscreen View MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Camera Layer (former Output Layer): Each physical output (DVI) of the VPU needs one Camera Layer. Additional to the effects in the video layers this fixture layer serves separate effects for each output and: Shapers Softedging Keystoning Note: The name of the former VPU “Output Layer” has been changed to VPU “Camera”.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 4.4 Predefined Constellation Camera Master NewShow Video Layer If a MA VPU application is started, and a new show is created via „File – New Show‟ the application starts a show with the following configuration: Description 6 2 1 Will be loaded via ‚File – New‟. Projection of 6 video layers MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 5 Several MA VPU applications in one grandMA show Several MA VPU applications can be operated via one desk simultaneously. Remember, max. 32 stations in grandMA 1 and 200 stations in total in grandMA 2 network. For each MA VPU application one fixture layer can be created in the desk. A MA VPU application is working in the "MA-Net" and is identified via the fixture layer name.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 So if you use for example 6 video layers 6 fixtures are patched and shown in the Fixture Layer of the desk. In this example a second Fixture Layer named „video2‟ has been added for a second MA VPU application with one Master fixture named „Master 1‟ and one Video Layer named „Layer 1‟: MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 6 Quick Guide This chapter gives a brief description how to operate with the MA VPU application. 6.1 Quickstart with grandMA1 – Start master session and connect to the desk: To give you a sense of achievement MA VPU is delivered with a short demo file that can be opened via the menu entry „File – Default Show‟. This gives a survey of the possibilities of manipulation.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Note: MA VPU can create a session as a Master. If a desk joins into this session, the desk will become the master and MA VPU will become the slave. All show data on the desk will be overwritten! From now on the desk becomes the master of the grandMA session and MA VPU joins as slave: You also can join the session via the desk or onPC. Therefore select the „Tools‟ button on the desk and open the „MA Network‟ dialog.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Now we‟ll see how to control MA VPU via the desk: Click on the „Preview‟ tab of MA VPU to watch the resulting output preview. If you prefer a Fullscreen view, apply the „Fullscreen‟ button in the toolbar (back with the „Alt + Enter‟ button). Select a layer and open the dimmer. Now you can fade in the actual selected image for the layer.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 The resulting output in the Preview looks flat, because you are looking perpendicular on the 3D cross. So let‟s rotate the cross: Therefore enter values e.g. 45° into the VRot field. The result in the preview shows a rotated cross with the new texture. Instead of a simple texture you also can map a running video on the 3D Object. Feel free and change other parameters. This is the best way to see how MA VPU works. MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 6.2 Quickstart with grandMA2 At first start the VPU with grandMA 2 network. Start the grandMA2 OnPC Press ‚Backup„ and select the tab „Demoshows‟ – „Load Show‟ In the upcoming dialog select the „vpu demo show.show.gz‟ The show will be loaded. On the Display you see an overview of the layers and the fixture sheet: You can configure the layout via the buttons on the right: MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Now we will invite the VPU to the session: To start a session press „Setup‟ select the tab „Network Master‟ and press „MA Network Control‟ Press the „Start/Join Session‟ button. The session will start: Press „Setup‟ select the tab „Network Standalone‟ and press „MA Network Configuration‟ MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 In the upcoming dialog select the „Video‟ tab: If the VPU is not already a member of the session, select the „Session Member‟ entry. It will change to „Yes‟ and the VPU will join the session. Note: If the VPU won‟t join check the VPU IP address. It is displayed in the VPU status bar e.g.: In this case the desk IP is 192.168.1.6 and the VPU IP is 192.168.1.5 Console and VPU must be in the same IP segment that means the first three numbers must be equal.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 On the Fixture sheet you can see all settings of the Layer1 1: On the Smart sheet all settings of the VPU Layer are displayed as buttons. Select the „Images‟ button and you get an overview of all images of the selected I-Pool.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Press the „Clear‟ button, change to „Layer1 1‟ and select the „I-Pool‟ „HD_25‟ and „Images‟: Now the „Smart View‟ offers a choice of video loops in HD quality with 25 frames: Select a video of your choice and press the „VPlayer‟ button. Now you can choose how to play the video e.g. as a loop, select „Loop‟: The selected video should be played in an endless loop on the VPU in the fullscreen view. Feel free to try other modes and effects to learn how the VPU works.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 7 Program Surface After starting the program an empty show will be opened or if connected with a desk or onPC the show will be loaded.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 7.1 Touch Screen (Only MA VPU pro and MA VPU plus) The touch screen offers a direct access to important VPU functions and shows which content is send actually to the outputs: The headline informs about the network type and VPU software version. Also the session ID and name of the show is shown. The lower part shows the IP addresses of the MA-Net and Artnet adapters. MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Most important VPU functions can be operated directly: - Lock / Unlock the touchscreen buttons - Switch between the output preview and system monitor information - Shutdown or reeboot the VPU - Indicates the status of the MA-Net see: 3.4 Connection States - Opens settings dialog (Display, Network, Main, Video In) as described in 7.2.1 File....
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 7.2 Menu bar Like in several other Windows application you can store and recall files, and adjust the settings of the program: 7.2.1 File... New Show Creates a new show with 6 Layers, 1 Master fixture and 2 Camera fixtures. Load Show… Opens a dialog to load a showfile (.gvs – grandMA 1 or .gz – grandMA 2 file). Save show as… Opens a dialog to save the current show at a given filename.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Settings… Display Set the display properties: Output: Up to 4 monitor outputs (VPU pro only) are supported. - Camera: Each output can display a different camera. - GUI: Select the output for the GUI (Graphical User Interface) - EDID: State of EDID Manager see:2.7 EDID Manager - Monitor: Name of the physical interface card - Refresh rate in Hz - Resolution for output Global: - Monitor Identification: Shows a number 1…4 on the output to identify it.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Settings… Network Within this dialog you can set the properties for the network. The dialog shows the actual state of all machines in the MA net: Red text: Allow Invite Disabled. Green background: selected station. Red background: version is not compatible. The different states in the network are described in detail in chapter 3.4 Connection. MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Settings… Main Within this dialog you can select the FOH features: If this button is checked an additional buttons appears at the toolbar. The button „Blind‟ preserves the blind programming preview. No Output if Standalone: If no desk is connected the output is suppressed. Trace Files To get log files (in case of crashes) this must be switched on. The trace files can be found in the trace file folder on the desktop.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Settings… Global VPU Settings Within this dialog you can select the Clip Time Format: Clip timing calculation, e.g. clip with 30 fps and clip time Format 30 Fps, Encoder Speed finest/ultra: you can step framewise through the clip. If you prefer to step Frame Index in seconds you select „seconds“. The setting will be spread via network so all VPUs have the same clip time format.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Video in… SDI In Configuration The first line shows the actual status of the SDI input signal. Device: Enable/disable SDI input. Watchdog: If SDI signal is missing an automatical initialization is done every 30 ms. Config:There are 3 preconfigured files for SDI In MA provides: MA default 1080i (Full HD 1920x1080) MA default 720p (HD 1280x720) MA default 576i (PAL 720x576) i (interlaced) p (progressive) Resolution: Select SDI input resolution Depth: Signal depths in bits.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Video in… Start external Configuration If you are not using SDI but want to use other external video feed like a webcam you can run 2 external devices: You cannot access this button via the touch screen, only via the GUI. External Video Configuration: This interface allows the input of a live video stream. It is realized via the Microsoft Direct Show mechanism. Video In 1…4: In this dialog up to 4 different „Video In‟ devices can be assigned.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Stream…: If a Capture Device with a driver is installed, its streaming dialog will be opened after the selection of this button. In this dialog the device specific streaming properties of the manufacturer can be managed. The following example shows the property dialog of a webcam: If no device property is available, nothing happens. Video in… Device Settings Restart with grandMA 1/2 Network Switch between the grandMA 1 and grandMA 2 mode.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 7.2.2 View... Dialog Docking Frame Opens a dialog to arrange your views, see below. Timing Window Opens window with timing information to check the performance. Info Window Opens an Info window for internal purposes. Layer Window Opens a window with information about the layers as type, Show on Head, Scale etc.. System Monitor Opens the system monitor that shows communication data between the desk and VPU.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Dialog Docking Frame: The Docking Frame contains all opened Views. Views can be minimized or opened by pressing the star or removed by clicking the x. So now it is possible to keep dialogs open for monitoring reasons and close all dialogs by one click and open exactly the same views by only one click. You can scroll in this frame and the preview or multi preview will be downscaled when Docking Frame is opened.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 7.2.3 Mode... DVI Switch the output signal to DVI (Digital Visual Interface) output. Pixelmapper Enable the Pixelmapper see also chapter: 11 Pixelmapper. Pixelmapper Editor will be enabled and video output will be transformed into DMX values. Finally output via Ethernet adaptor (Artnet) to RGB devices/fixtures. 7.2.4 Help... Release Notes… Opens the release notes document. Info… Shows the about box with the current version number.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 7.3 Toolbar The toolbar contains several buttons that are related to the general operations of the program. Network… Shows the actual network state or opens the MA Network dialog as described in 7.2.1 File... Toggle GUI : Switches the GUI (Graphical User Interface) off. You can also use the „Shift + Enter‟ key on the keyboard to switch the GUI off. Leave the full screen mode with the „Shift + Enter‟ button Note: MA VPU always runs in Fullscreen View.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Used IP address for MA Net User of grandMA show rights: ‚Restricted‟ or ‚Administrator‟ Shows the used fixture layer. You can switch the fixture layer via this drop down menu. Assign the VPU Camera (e.g. Camera 1) to an Output. This function is identical to the former “Softedge ID”. 7.5 Preview This view offers a preview of the resulting output video.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 The content of each layer is shown in a small window. The controls below allow watching the effect values for each channel in the layer. The horizontal bar in each control indicates the setting from 0…100 %. Changing values are highlighted. Please note that these are no programmer values but all changes from the default values are indicated this way. You can toggle the controls with the „Channels‟ button in the toolbar: If the 3D-Object is a native object like „@Native.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 7.7.1 Content: Image Pool (I-Pool) MA VPU comes with a sample library containing images, gobos and video clips. This content is preinstalled on the VPUs and can be ordered from MA Lighting. Similar to the magazine of a slide projector such a folder behaves like a slide magazine. Up to 255 folders can be accessed directly from the desk. The different images and videos of a folder correspond to the „Channel Sets‟ of the desk and can be accessed from there.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 To assign a new folder to a ‚Channel Function‟ click with the left mouse button into a line. A context dialog appears. After selecting the entry a browser window appears where you can navigate to the folder containing the videos. If the switch „Global VPU Settings‟ „Slot 1or 2 default content‟ is selected a white or black image is inserted always at the first position.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 7.7.2 Content: 3D Objects The tab „3D-Objects‟ shows the projection objects of the layers. In the simpliest case a layer contains a 2D plane object. This is a canvas where images or videos are shown like on a TV screen. But this screen mustn‟t be flat. You can use 3D boxes, cones or other 3 dimensional objects to render your images or videos. The fileformat is DirectX with the file extension „.x‟ see chapter 12 Creation of customized 3D Objects.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 7.7.3 Content: Eff1 Type…Eff4 Type The tabs „Effect Type 1…4‟ show the possible effect types for the layers (Video and Master): The effect engine is based on the Direct3D standard. Effects are defined within .fx files. An effect file is a text file with an .fx extension. It defines how something is to be rendered. It includes state information along with vertex and shader declarations. The shader code is written in HLSL (High Level Shading Language).
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 7.8 File Browser With the File Bowser you can import content from external hard drives or USB into the VPU or move content to drive D: or wherever by a simply drag & drop. You can delete and rename files or folders and create new folders. Note: Known issue that you cannot drag and drop on Touch Screen without using mouse. MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 7.9 Warper The Warper enables you to warp or straighten out the image output on a bended area, stretch, shrink and rotate selected parts of the image and cut out parts of the projection: 7.9.1 Warper Fullscreen View You can toggle the GUI (via Ctrl + Enter) and watch the manipulated output in real-time while dragging the image into the right position of the projection screen.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 7.9.2 Basic Operation The Warper functions can be configured via the tab „Warper‟: Note: The Warper only works in grandMA 2 mode! In the „Warper Settings‟ you can define a Warper object. It is handled by the VPU like the other 3D Objects but it only has 2 dimensions X and Y. This object should have the dimensions of your output resolution e.g. 1200 x 800 pixels. Warper 3D Objects can contain several meshes.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 If a Warper 3D Object is created a dialog comes up to describes the mesh: All coordinates refer to the origin 0,0 in the upper left corner. Name: Enter a name for the mesh Position X/Y (Center X/Y): If a mesh is created with „Add‟ it is placed to the position (0,0). If the mesh is edited later the entry describes the center of the mesh in X/Y coordinates of the 3D Object in pixel. Resolution X/Y: Describes the grid resolution of the mesh.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Example The projection plane is divided into 4 even planes: This Warper 3D Object is tiled into 4 meshes: - upper left - upper right - lower left - lower right Placement of the 4 meshes: 1200 pixel 0,0 U-Coordinates upper left 800 pixel V-Coordinates lower left The output image can be placed on the meshes. The coordinates of the output image are described via the U/V coordinates. The origin (0,0) of the U/V coordinates is in the upper left corner of the image.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 7.9.3 Warping If the Meshes are defined the image can be warped. The outer frame of the mesh can be edited in the „Bezier Mode‟. The inner points or faces can be edited in the „Grid Mode‟. Switching between the modes can be done via the context menu with a right mouse click. Bezier Mode – the outer frame can be edited The mesh it is tiled into a grid with a resolution of X/Y points.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 All points in the preview are selected: The toolbar shows how the points can be selected: Switch to the Fullscreen View [Media PC] (Alt + Enter), toggle GUI [VPU] (Shift + Enter) Toggle the Warper GUI (Ctrl + Enter) Useful to manipulate the output in real time. It is like the Fullscreen View but the grid and selected points are visible and can be manipulated in real-time. ------------ Only active in Grid Mode ------------ Switches the control on or off.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Move the selection: Rotate the selection: Scale the selection: Note: To increase or decrease the mouse resolution hold the „Shift‟ or the „Ctrl‟ button Undo or redo the last action. This warning appears if unknown 3D Warper Objects are found, e.g. 3D Warper Objects have been created in another show. To use them the channel functions have to be updated first. If all manipulations are done you can switch to the Bezier Mode: This converts the object into a 3D Object.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 7.9.4 Use of Warper 3D Objects The 3D Warper Object can be used in the VPU- and the Camera Layer as well. The resulting Warper 3D Object is available in the 3D-Objects folder. It is stored in the channel set of the VPU fixture type. Note: It is recommended to change your existing fixture type to work with the Warper 3D Objects. Warper 3D Objects can be imported and exported via the right mouse button context menu.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 8 Features Attributes and Functions To explain the layer effect engine it is illustrative to imagine MA VPU as a model of a several movable cameras where every camera looks at a layer object like a 2D plane or a 3D cube. In these examples an image may be a texture (picture), or a video. VPU Layer: Layer Features and Attributes Example with values in % Dimmer Dimmer Dimmer 50 % Dimmer 100 % Dimmer function.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Layer Features and Attributes Example with values in % Color ColorMix (CM1; CM2; CM3) Color (0,0,0) Color(0,0,100) SBC (0,50,50,50) SBC(0,0,50,50) Tint the output with the CMY(Cyan; Magenta; Yellow ) color mixer HSBC (Hue Saturation Brightness + Contrast) Set, Hue (position in the color space), Saturation, Brightness and Contrast of a layer Colorkey (R; G; B; Tolerance; Alpha; Type) Set the transparency for the foreground object.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Layer Features and Attributes Example with values in % Colorboost (ColBoost-R; -G; -B) ColBoost (50,50,50) ColBoost (0,0,100) Manipulate the intensity of red, green or blue color of the image seperately. Borders Borders (Left Hard, Left Soft, Right Hard…Top Hard, Top Soft) soft borders hard borders Borders can be used for realizing PiP (picture in picture) applications.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Layer Features and Attributes Example with values in % Video VObj (3D-Object) cross sphere Select an 2D or 3D object on which surface the image or video is shown MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Layer Features and Attributes Example with values in % VObj (I-Pool) Pool ‚Standard‟ selected Pool ‚Video Test2’ selected Image 1 Image 2 X= 50%; Y=50%; Z=50% X=25%; Y=25%; Z=25% X=40%; Y=60%; Z=50% X=40%; Y=40%; Z=40% Selection of the „I-Pool‟. One ‚Pool‟ can contain up to 255 images or videos VObj (Images) Choose the image or video from the selected „Pool‟ VObj (Output) Choose output for the layer e.g.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Layer Features and Attributes Example with values in % VPos <> (X; Y;Z) X= 50%; Y=50%; Z=50% X= 60%; Y=60%; Z=50% X= 50%; Y=50%; Z=50% X= 50%; Y=50%; Z=60% Animate continuous moving of the projection object in X; Y and Z - direction VRot <> (X; Y;Z) Animate continuous rotation of the object around the X; Y and Z - axis MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Layer Features and Attributes VEffect 1…4 (Eff Type; Eff Part) Example with values in % Eff Type = 0 Eff Type = Sepia Sound (Volume) SndVol = 0% SndVol = 100% Control the sound output for video files with a soundtrack Sound is off Sound is on Several effects based on the Direct3D standard can be selected. Effects are defined within .fx files as described in 7.7.3 Content: Eff1 Type…Eff4 Type. MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Master Features and Attributes Example Fullscreen View Beam Iris (Iris) Iris = 10 % Iris = 80% Open or close the Iris Control Control (CTRL) Multi Preview Fullscreen View The Control channel of the Master Layer is used to switch to the Fullscreen View or to shut down the VPU via the desk.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Master Features and Attributes Example Fullscreen View Shapers Shaper (1A; 1B; 2A; 2B; 3A; 3B; 4A; 4B Blades) 1A=0; 1B=0; 2A=0; 2B=0; 3A=0; 3B=0; 4A=0; 4B=0 % 1A=30; 1B=0; 2A=30; 2B=0; 3A=30; 3B=0; 4A=30; 4B=0 % With the beam shapers the resulting image can be masked variable with four shapers each with 2 channels A and B. With the Blade switch shapers can be switched on or off.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Note: Camera effects manipulate the complete output signal: Camera Features and Attributes Example with values in % Color Colorboost (ColBoost-R; -G; -B) ColBoost (50,50,50) ColBoost (0,0,100) SBC (0,50,50,50) SBC(0,0,50,50) Manipulate the intensity of red, green or blue color of the image seperately.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Camera Features and Attributes Example with values in % VCamPos (X; Y; Z) X=50%;Y=50%;Z=50% X=46%;Y=52%;Z=54% All layer views are mixed up to one view for the main cameras whose images are send to the physical outputs. These imaginary cameras can be moved to show only parts of the whole image. So several applications can be connected together to project a huge image. If the camera position moves the perspective changes: Take a cube, rotate it a bit and then move the camera.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Camera Features and Attributes Example with values in % Keystone (1A,; 1B; 2A; 2B; 3A; 3B; 4A; 4B) 1A=0; 1B=0; 2A=0; 2B=0; 3A=0; 3B=0; 4A=0; 4B=0 % 1A=0; 1B=0; 2A=0; 2B=30; 3A=0; 3B=0; 4A=0; 4B=30 % X Corr. = 0 %; Y Corr. = 0 % X Corr. = 75 %; Y Corr. = 0 % All layer views are mixed up to one view for the main camera. Each edge of this view can be moved towards the opposite edge to generate a keystone effect. Keystone Corr. (Corr X.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Camera Features and Attributes Example with values in % Softedge (1A,; 1B; 2A; 2B; 3A; 3B; 4A; 4B) 1A=0; 1B=0; 2A=0; 2B=0; 3A=0; 3B=0; 4A=0; 4B=0 % 1A=0; 1B=0; 2A=50; 2B=0; 3A=0; 3B=0; 4A=0; 4B=0 % If several projectors should show one common image, the borders must be cross faded. For every border one channel for the position and one channel for the dispensation of the black wedge exist. This example shows a soft edging for the left border of the image.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 9 Softedging Softedging or Soft Edge Blending is a technique to split a complete picture into several smaller tiles. Therefore the margins of the flanking edges overlap. Inside the overlapping range both images show the same content, but with decreasing brightness to the boarders. MA VPU supports this technique for videos and images. This is realized via four controllable grayscales (gray wedges) at the borders of the image.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 10 Keystoning If a projector is parallel to the screen, the image is a right-angled plane. If the projector is shifted horizontally or vertically the right-angled projection gets trapezoid. This effect is called Keystoning. Distorted Projection Original image (tilt upward) This effect can be minimized by using the Keystone Correction. Keystone Correction recalculates the image that it is shown right-angled independent of the position of the projector.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 This correction is done in Camera Layer Fixture: For every edge of the image 1…4 there exists two control channels (Keystone 1A1B…Keystone 4A-4B). With these channels the edges can be moved in horizontal and vertical direction: Channels Keystone. X and Y are for the distribution of the picture content in X and Y direction. The resulting output image for this distorted Keystone Layer looks like the image beside. MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 11 Pixelmapper The Pixelmapper allows the presentation of the video output to a DMX matrix. DMX data is sent directly from the MA VPU PC via Ethernet using the Artnet protocol. The LED wall can be configured individually using several LED panels from different manufacturers. The operating on the desk is analog to the operating of a video wall. LED Panels are defined similar to dimmer or multi function spots via fixture type text files.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 11.1 Pixelmapper Graphical View This view presents the graphical LED wall arrangement and allows a comfortable editing and controlling of the used panels: Zooming allows seeing all DMX addresses and panel names. Markers for the left upper corner of a panel are scaled on a percentage basis. When zooming in a certain area, the centre stays in the area the user is zooming in/out via scrolling.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 11.1.1 Pixelmapper Toolbar Center Shows the center of the Pixelmapper Editor Autofit Zooms the Editor automatically so that all panels are visible. Select If this button is selected, single LED fixtures can be selected to arrange them inside the LED wall or show their attributes via a right mouse click. Zoom Zoom the render window to fit.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Area/Output: The general output of MA VPU is done now via the Ethernet protocol Artnet instead of the graphic card of the PC. Therefore the physical dimensions of the LED matrix (Area) and the number of pixels (Output) can be set: Area: Here the physical width and height of the LED matrix is determined. This must not be conform to the whole size of the LED Panels. So e.g. only sub ranges of the general view of the LED Panels can be set.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Statistic: This tab offers information about the used universes, DMX channels and the performance . 11.2 Pixelmapper Grid View Via the tab „Grid View‟ you can switch to the Grid View of the Pixelmapper: This view offers an overview about all used LED panels. All values can be edited directly in the grid. Selected panels are displayed bold.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 session with the VPU or the same showfile that you just edited. It has to be uploaded to the VPU afterwards. Create an Excel sheet that fits the options in the VPU, change all cells to the desired values: Copy these settings to the clipboard by pressing CTRL + C (only values shall be selected, not the headline, numerical values comma separated, so e.g. only values like “2,3” are valid. Open the VPU software; go to the grid view in the pixel mapper mode.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 11.3 Pixelmapper Panel Editor Via the tab „Panel Editor‟ you can switch to the view of the Panel Editor: A double click on a panel at the left side opens the description text file of the selected panel as text. Within this editor you can edit several panel files. Common commands like cut, copy, paste etc. are supported. Via a right mouse click you reach the commands like save, save as…. MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 11.4 Setup of an LED Wall An LED (wall) matrix consists of several LED panels that are arranged in a grid. The LED matrix in the following example exists of 4 pieces 5x5 LED panels with 25 RGB chanals each. Therefore every panel needs 25 x 3 = 75 DMX channels. In the example each panel is assigned to an individual DMX universe. Panel 1: Universe 1 DMX Chan. 1…75 Panel 2: Universe 2 DMX Chan. 1…75 Panel 3: Universe 3 DMX Chan. 1…75 Panel 4: Universe 4 DMX Chan.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 1. Drag the LED Panel from the left field holding the left mouse button down into the output area. To move the panels you can use the arrow keys: Arrow key moves: 1 grid snap Arrow Key + Shift moves: ½ grid snaps Arrow Key + Ctrl moves: 2.5 grid snaps 2. Or choose the ,New„ button in the tool bar. Draw a rectangle while holding the left mouse button down. Draw from the upper left down to the lower right corner diagonally.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 The following example shows the distribution of the DMX addresses on the DMX universes: 11.5 File Format of LED Panels The properties of an LED panel are specified in a text file e.g. „5x5-25cm.txt“. This text files are located in the folder: C:\ProgramFiles\MA Lighting Technologies\MA VPU Software\Data\NEWPANELS Parallel to the text file is a bitmap (.bmp) with the same name in the folder for the visualization.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Block Tag Name Description Sample _PHYS_HEIGHT_L ED Physical height of one LED in cm 0.4 _LED_IS_ROUND Flag for the visualization of the LED appearance (0 = false; 1 = true) 1 Other appearances may follow. At the moment only circular or square.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Block Tag Name Description Sample _VALUE Patch rule for channel or following tag that is described in the following: LED_UNI T or NONE While patching this list is processed. For each detected _VALUE = LED_UNIT a new LED_UNIT is inserted. The amount of „_COLS‟ multiplied with „_ROWS‟ complies with the number of „SUBBLOCK‟ entries. If _VALUE = NONE there is an DMX gap. } _LED_UNIT { _VALUE Function description of the channels.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 _PHYS_HEIGHT_LED 4.0 _LED_IS_ROUND 1 _LAYOUT { _COLS 5 _ROWS 5 _DELTAX 1 _DELTAY 1 _DIRECTION 0 _MEANDER 0 } _CHANNELS { _REPEAT 25 _VALUE LED_UNIT } _LED_UNIT { _VALUE RED _VALUE GREEN _VALUE BLUE } } LED Curtain, LEDs have an offset in Y direction: _LEDTYPE { _NAME "Star Cloth" _PHYS_WIDTH 360.000000 _PHYS_HEIGHT 280.000000 LED curtain with 3072 channels and offset in Y-direction. This offset is described by the _LED_SHIFT_Y = -1 tag.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 _PHYS_WIDTH_LED 4.000000 _PHYS_HEIGHT_LED 4.000000 _LED_IS_ROUND 1 _LED_SHIFT_Y -1 _LED_SHIFT_X 0 _LAYOUT { _COLS 36 Patch: _ROWS 28 _DELTAX 1 _DELTAY 1 _DIRECTION 1 _MEANDER 0 } _CHANNELS { _REPEAT _VALUE _REPEAT _VALUE _REPEAT _VALUE 168 LED_UNIT 8 NONE 168 LED_UNIT : : } _LED_UNIT { _VALUE RED _VALUE GREEN MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 _VALUE BLUE } } LED Panel unusual patching _LEDTYPE { _NAME "Crazy-Patch" _WIDTH 80.000000 _HEIGHT 80.000000 _PHYS_WIDTH 80.000000 _PHYS_HEIGHT 80.000000 _PHYS_WIDTH_LED 5.0 _PHYS_HEIGHT_LED 5.0 _LED_IS_ROUND 8 x 8 LED Panel with strange DMX-Patch 1 _LAYOUT { _COLS 8 _ROWS 8 _DELTAX 1 _DELTAY 1 _DIRECTION 0 _MEANDER 0 } _CHANNELS { _LEDUNIT 0 _LEDUNIT 3 _LEDUNIT 6 _LEDUNIT 9 MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 _LEDUNIT 12 _LEDUNIT 102 _LEDUNIT 99 _LEDUNIT 96 _LEDUNIT 27 _LEDUNIT 24 _LEDUNIT 21 _LEDUNIT 18 _LEDUNIT 15 _LEDUNIT 105 _LEDUNIT 108 _LEDUNIT 111 etc. MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 12 Creation of customized 3D Objects 3D objects can be created with 3D CAD programs. Please note, that the amount of polygons affects the performance because for each polygon the projection has to be calculated. The lower the number of polygons the better is the framerate. MA VPU supports the following formats for 3D objects: .x – DirectX file format .
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Make the object editable Select not used polygons… and delete them Set the visibility of normal on. MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Copy the object… And reverse the normals of the copy. Select both cylinder objects and connect them to one new cylinder. The old cylinder objects can be deleted. MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Now you can see two objects with normals in both directions Check the orientation of the resulting object. Insert a new material for the texturing. MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Assign an image to the texture and the material to the object. Adjust the texture mapping parameter. Assign the UV coordinates for the texture mapping. Export the object to Direct 3D format. Objects created in this way can be added to the ‚Channel Set‟ via the context menu in the „3D Objects‟ view with the right mouse button. MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 13 Example for the Splitting of an HD Video: To reduce the amount of data when playing a high resolution video, the staple should be separated into several lower resolved videos. Example: An HD video is projected with 4 video projectors: In the simplest way we create 4 outputs, move the cameras to the appropriate tiles and assemble the resulting image via Softedging. This solution will stress the PC with a high data rate of the video file because only approx.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Splitting a Video with ‚Ulead Media Studio Pro 7‟ To demonstrate how the splitting of a video file can be done, this example gives a brief introduction by using the video software ‚Ulead Media Studio Pro 7‟. Other applications work similar. (Sorry for the german application surface) The project settings: Create video file: MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 The resulting file is a separate video with the new resolution: MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 14 How to create a Video Loop This is a short tutorial on how to create a video loop with the software Ulead Video Editor. Let's assume that you just returned home from a trip and now want to create a loop from one of your recorded scenes on our tape. Video capture: Insert the tape which contains your video material into the camera. Rewind the tape to the start if necessary. Connect the camera with an i-link wire to the FireWire port of your computer.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 If you still see no image of your video, you have to make sure that your „recording-plug-in‟ is configured correctly. You can do this under „menu/setup/recording-plug-in‟. Common types are: Ulead VFW Recording Plug-in (for Adaptec/PAPI 1394 capture-adapters) Ulead DirectShow Recording Plug-in (for TI 1394 capture-adapters) Ulead DV Recording Plug-in (for other types of DV capture-adapters) MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 If your settings are correct, but you still see no image and many or all of the control panelelements are not active, you have to make sure that the right entry for your camera is set under „menu/setup/device-control‟. In most cases, this will be one of the DV-cam drivers. You can see information about the selected driver in the info field under the dropdown menu.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Now that you have found your start position, click the „inpoint‟ button to mark the starting point. Repeat this step for the stopping point of your clip. Click the button for the „outpoint‟ of the clip. Click the Record Button in the Control Panel Recording will not start immediately. First a dialog window pops up, where you can set some parameters.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 For this example we choose „device control‟, because we had already set the in and outpoints. Remember? ;-). Another window opens with parameters for the recording. Check the name and the path of the file. Make sure that there is only one clip in the lower area of the window, the one which you set up. MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Start the recording by hitting OK. Recording starts. You can observe the current status of the capture process in the status bar in the lower screen area. Now you have your first clip ready for editing! After the capturing has been finished, a message window pops up. It informs you about the result of the process. Usually everything is fine, so you can just close the window. MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 If you open the folder, where you saved your clip file, you should find an avi file. This can be, depending on the length of the clip, rather big, because it is uncompressed video. You can quit Ulead Video Capture now. Video editing Start the software Ulead Video Editor. A window will pop up first, asking what kind of project you want to create. Choose DV(PAL, 25 B/S, Audio 48 kHz). Import the previously created clip.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Double-click the clip in the timeline. The clip will appear in the source window. This is, as its name indicates, the video source from which you will work, and not the clip which will be created by editing the it. Click in the timeline above the video tracks MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 When you hover with the mouse pointer a bit above the video tracks, the pointer will turn into a little „star“. If you press the mouse button now and move the mouse, you will move the play head on the timeline. The upper-left preview window will change now, because it always shows the video directly under the play head. Reduce the length of the clip to the right duration. You know now how to view your clip in the video editor.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Drag the effect into the video track area. Cross fade effects can only be placed in the transition effects track. Place it right into the area where both video clips overlap. The cross fade effect will adjust its own length to the length of the overlapping area automatically. You now have created a soft cross fade from the end of the first clip into the beginning of the second. A window pops up and gives you more options to configure the cross fade effect.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 15 Content Specifications General Note: About MPEG-2: MPEG stands for “Moving Pictures Expert Group” who created a couple of international standards. One important one is the MPEG-1/2 (ISO/IEC 13818-part x) standard which will be used for the MA VPU. As opposed to MPEG4 this standard keeps a good balance between file size and calculation power that is needed to decode the video information.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Elementary Stream = contains Video or Audio files, fie extension: mpv for video data and mpa for audio data. File names must not exceed 63 characters. Please keep in mind: Aggressive compression (reducing the bit rate) causes loss of quality. The less signal changes and information the video sequence contains, the more you might go down with the bit rate without necessarily having visible artefacts.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 15.1 Main Concept Reference for converting your content into MPEG2 To convert your content data (e.g. *.avi or *.mov) into the right MA VPU-format - MPEG-2 we recommend to use the Main Concept Reference transcoding tool. The demo version of the Main Concept Reference is the base application which includes the most important Main Concept codecs in demo mode. Please note that this is not preinstalled on the VPU.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 How to use Main Concept Presets 1. Run the Main Concept Reference Application 2. Open the Preset Manager: Windows/Preset Manager or Press F6 3. 3. Import Preset List „MA_VPU_Main_Concept_Reference_Presets“ MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 4. All presets are now listed in the Preset Manager 5. Open Media, load the video file you want to transcode from your hard drive MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 6. Now you see the video file, the Input Source in the preview (right side). 7. Select a preset, depending on the resolution and refresh rate the clip should have 8. Set name and location of the Output File (transcoded clip) MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 9. Start Transcoding by pressing the Play button 10. If you have more than one clip to be transoded, there are several ways to go. One possibility might be a batch list. Add the job you just put in to a batch list by pressing the marked button: MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 11. You can add several jobs to that list by following step 7 to 10 and then 13 again. After that you can start transcoding by pressing the Start button: 12. A batch list can also be saved: There are several ways how to manage files and transcoding jobs with Main Concept. Please refer to the excellent Main Concept Reference manual for more information. MA Lighting Technology GmbH Dachdeckerstr. 16 D-97297 Waldbüttelbrunn www.malighting.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 16 Warnings SEIZURE WARNING Some people (about 1 in 4000) may have seizures or blackouts triggered by light flashes or patterns, such as while watching TV or playing video games, even if they have never had a seizure before. Anyone who has had a seizure, loss of awareness, or other symptom linked to an epileptic condition should consult a doctor before working with the application. Parents should watch when their children while using the program.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 18 FAQ and Troubleshooting Please note, that possible installed drivers for example for graphic cards affect the keyboard shortcuts as well. Should you have any problems with the application, you can refer to the frequently asked questions below: 18.1 Nr.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Nr. Question Answer Check VPU mode Video codec‟s Recommended Video Codec‟s: At the moment we get the best results with the “MPEG2” codec. Fullscreen black Check dongle The “Fullscreen” mode requires the dongle. Check connectivity. No output out of session. Fullscreen shuts off Disable the screensaver and power management Firewalls and Antivirus Software. The MS firewall that comes with SP 2 makes no problems.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Nr. Question Answer Keystoning parameter stupid No valid Fixture Layer Output device (for example a projector) doesn‟t support the high resolution (Only for users with dongle!) Video Capture Cards: The Decklink Blackmagic SDI Capture Cards can support two SDI Inputs. Does this work with MA VPU? Live Input (BM DeckLink Card) Stream freezes: If the card works with the Windows Direct Show this should work. We have tested the small SDI-In card and the PCI Express Extreme.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 19 Supplement MA Lighting 19.1 Intended use The MA Video Processing Unit (VPU) is an element of the MA system family. Intended use is output of audio and video via DVI or ArtNet. Three different versions of the MA VPU are available to suit all needs: MA VPU pro, MA VPU plus and MA VPU basic.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 19.2 Data Voltage: 230 V ~ 50Hz 120 V ~ 60 Hz (USA, Canada) No switching necessary! Cable type: Only adequately protected cables may be used (min.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 19.4 LIMITATIONS The screens of grandMA2 series and other units of the new generation are subject to conditions of failure class 2.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 19.5 Transport Please be aware of the weight of the product. Be careful when moving it; otherwise you may injure your back or other parts of your body. Video processing unit (VPU) approx. 15 kg (+ 0,8 kg transport protector) Secure all covers prior to transport. Remove all cables on the back cover and the USB connectors on the front panel Handles on the products are designed exclusively for personnel to hold or carry the product.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 19.6 General Safety Instructions Read all the instructions in the user’s manual, especially the safety requirements see Safety requirements Follow all instructions. Keep the user’s manual for later use. Follow all cautions and warnings indicated on the unit. Disconnect the mains plug before cleaning the unit; don’t use any liquid or spray cleanser. Clean with a dry cloth. Do not use the unit near water. Do not expose it to a humid environment.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 As with all industrially manufactured goods, the use of substances that induce an allergic reaction such as aluminium cannot be generally excluded. If you develop an allergic reaction (such as a skin rash, frequent sneezing, red eyes or respiratory difficulties), consult a physician immediately to determine the cause. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 19.7 IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS Read these instructions. Keep these instructions. Heed all warnings. Do not use this apparatus near water. Clean only with dry cloth. Do not block any ventilation openings. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 19.9 Safety and Environment Operating Limits Temperature: 0°C - 30°C / 32°F – 86°F (recommended 10°C – 25°C / 50°F – 77°F, due to extreme processing power) Deeper temperature can cause failure of the displays, higher temperature can overcharge the cooling system of the apparatus and can destroy hardware components.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 19.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 19.11 Switching the apparatus On/Off Caution: Do not power down during booting. Such a switch-off may lead to corruption of the solid state disk files. Power connector AC power switch on the rear panel Position I = ON In the I position, the instrument is in standby mode or in operation, depending on the position of the ON/STANDBY key at the front panel. Note: The AC power switch may remain ON continuously.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 confirm with the soft button “YES”. In this standby mode, the AC power voltage is present within the instrument. For longer non use switch the power switch to “0” Cleaning The VPU demands only minor attention. Clean the surface only with dry soft cloth and look for proper condition of ventilation. Do not use any liquid cleaner or compressed air. 19.
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 20 Index 3 Copy & Paste .......................................108 3D Objects ............................................ 74 D 3D objects customizing........................ 120 Data management ................................ 36 A Dimmer ................................................ 85 Access VPU via Network ....................... 25 distribute content................................... 11 Acronis ..................................................
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 IP .......................................................... 33 Pixel Mapper Editor..............................106 IP address ............................................. 27 Pixel Mapper Graphical View ...............105 I-Pool..................................................... 72 Pixel Mapper Toolbar ...........................106 Iris .................................................. 94, 96 Predefined Constellations (.PED Files) . 43 K Preview ...............
Operating Manual MA VPU V 6.0 Sound ................................................... 93 V Start in Full screen .............................. 66 Video In................................................ 64 Status Bar ............................................. 69 Video Layer........................................... 40 Storing an Image with Acronis ............... 19 Video Loop...........................................128 streaming dialog .................................... 65 VPU Loader ..
