Content

Adding Content

Now that we have Fixtures in the Workspace and have mapped them to real-world Fixtures, we can begin mapping content into them. To create content in the workspace, we can either press the Content menu in the Toolbar or use the Workspace ‣ New Content… menu. We then select the desired type of content.

Some content types require a file to function (such as images, videos, and scripts). These contents can be created by simply dragging the file directly into the workspace.

As an example, we could create a Test content to verify if everything is set up correctly. This content consists of four squares of different colors rotating.

The ProtoPixel Mapping Tool includes several bundled types of content:

• Color
• Image
• Video
• Script
• Syphon
• Test

All types of content have an Alpha parameter that can be adjusted to change their transparency.

Also, some contents can be configured to determine their alignment.

 

Color

This content defines a solid color. Adjust the color and temperature using the palette.

Image

This content imports an image. It supports

.tiff

.jpg

.png

Video

Plays a video and maps it with the lights. The Inspector provides controls to play and stop the video. You can also adjust the volume and enable video looping.

Although the ProtoPixel Mapping Tool is capable of playing many video formats, we recommend using the following specifications:

• Container: mp4 (MPEG-4)
• Resolution: 1280x720 or lower
• Codec: H.264

🔗  👆🏼 You might find the Video Codec specifications for Node article interesting. 👆🏼

Test

This content provides a quick way to test content on fixtures. It consists of an endless video featuring rotating RGB squares of different colors.

🔗 You might be interested in Library of contents.

Syphon

You can create interactive content with software like Resolume, Modul8, Millumin, or even audiovisual interactive tools like Processing. By using Syphon technology, you can import image content directly into ProtoPixel. To do this in the ProtoPixel Mapping Tool, activate the Syphon output in the software you want to use.

Next, add a Content > Syphon and select the desired application from the Source drop-down menu in the Inspector panel. The content will appear in the view and can be mapped like any other content.

NDI

Just like Syphon, you can create interactive content with other programs on different computers within the same network and import the image content directly into ProtoPixel using NDI technology. To use this technology in the ProtoPixel Mapping Tool, activate the NDI output in the software you want to use.

Next, add a Content > NDI and select the computer/application from the Source drop-down menu in the Inspector Panel. The content will then appear in the view, ready to be mapped like any other content.

Script

The ProtoPixel Mapping Tool offers scripting capabilities for creating interactive content. It is based on the Python programming language and incorporates bindings to open Frameworks, a popular creative coding library. To familiarize yourself with ProtoPixel Scripts, you can refer to the provided examples.

We recommend using a Python-aware editor, such as pyCharm or Sublime Text with Python addons, to edit the scripts externally. When saved, the programs will automatically reload in ProtoPixel. For advanced graphics generation in scripts, you can also use the pyOpenGL bindings after installing them separately.

To use a Script Content, create a python file and import it into the ProtoPixel Mapping Tool. Any errors in scripted programs will be displayed in the Log Window.

During execution, you can add various input elements to the properties of your script. The Mapping Tool will check for new inputs each time you click on the script content.

Shaders

☝️ Note: Make sure that you have installed a text editor on your machine. These instructions only work for the Mapping Tool (formerly known as Create) 3.0 or higher versions. ☝️

Steps for importing shaders into the ProtoPixel Mapping Tool

1. Go to the file package that you have downloaded, which contains the MappingTool.dmg file.

   1. Open the 'examples' folder.
   2. Open the 'scripting' folder.
   3. Drag and drop the shader.py Python file onto the Mapping Tool workspace canvas.

2. Select the shader you want to import.

   1. Go to your browser and search for the desired shader in a repository, such as shadertoy.
   2. Identify the suitable shader for your project.
      • Please ensure that your chosen shader does not have any external dependencies (check the information available in the 'iChannel'). If it does, it might not work in the Mapping Tool because those external sources would not be embedded.
   3. Copy the code of the shader.
   4. Paste the code into a text code editor.
   5. Save the file on your machine.

3. Import your shader into the Mapping Tool:

   1. In the Mapping Tool, select the shader object (represented as a transparent square).
   2. From the inspector panel, select the shader path where you have stored the code.

Content library

With the Mapping Tool, you have access to various default content options that you can customize to unleash your imagination and create incredible new content.