Pixel Mapping; Overview; New Concepts - PRG MBOX User Manual

PIXEL MAPPING

Overview

Pixel Mapping is an advanced Mbox feature that allows mapping of specific functions of sACN, Color Kinetics KiNET, or
Art-Net-controlled fixtures (RGB, Intensity, CMY, etc.) to each of the pixels in a composite video image. Pixel mapping
data is generated from the onscreen imagery of the Mbox server and is output from an available Ethernet interface of
the computer. While pixel mapping, Mbox retains the normal video output so a video signal can still be sent to a display
device. Pixel Mapping for Mbox is set up using the Mbox Remote application. For full instructions on using pixel
mapping, refer to its section within the Mbox Remote User manual.

New Concepts

In the Mbox v4 application the pixel mapping engine has been enhanced in that individual contexts can use different
sources for their sampling. In previous versions of Mbox, only the final output of the server (Output 1 in Single and Dual
Independent modes or the combination of Output 1 and Output 2 in the Panoramic modes) was available to be the
source for sampling. As a result of the changes in Mbox v4 - the addition of the Global Surface and Mixes - the pixel
mapping engine can now use a variety of sources: the Global Surface, Mixes (which include outputs), and Layers.
The pixel mapping configuration is still handled by the Mbox Remote application, and aside from the additional sources
the remainder of the interface and setup process is the same. What is different is the area below the context grid, where
the context tabs are shown and the contexts' properties are set.
Each context now has a pop-up that allows the source for that context's sampling to be selected. The pop-up provides
selections for the global surface, mixes (which includes outputs), and layers. The global surface is always available for
selection, but unless the pixel mapping editor is in a live editing session - using a network connection to the Mbox v4
application, mixes and layers will not be available. This is because Mbox Remote does not know the configuration of the
Mbox application (how many mixes and how many layers) unless a live session has been started. If mixes or layers were
previously set (in a live session) as the source for pixel mapping, they will remain the source even during an offline editing
session.
Note: If a pixel mapping configuration is created from scratch without a live session, the global surface should be
used as the initial source for every context. When offline, the selected source does not affect the remainder of the
configuration – sampling rate, fixture placement/patch, protocol selection, etc. Later, a live connection to the Mbox
application can be established and the desired sources can be set.
At the bottom of the source pop-up is an item that allows the context to automatically resize based on the size of the
source. This is a very important option. In all cases, the sources for pixel mapping in Mbox v4 can change size, and
that change in size may affect the sampling for pixel mapping. While enabling the auto resize option still means that the
result of pixel mapping can change if the source size changes, it does mean that there will always be a result, rather than
no output.
MBOX® USER MANUAL
116