Prg Mbox Designer Manual 3.8 User Manual

SOFTWARE VERSION 3.8WWW.PRG.COMMBOX® MEDIA SERVERUSER MANUAL

2 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALTraining VideosMbox Media Server Training Videos are available on the PRG website. The following is a list of videos t

92 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALLAYER BLENDINGLayer Blending ModesThere are seven layer blending modes. Many of these layer blending modes have been

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 93SPECIAL EFFECTSDecayThe Camera fixture includes controls for a Delay effect. Since it operates from the Camera fixtur

94 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALFogThe Camera fixture also includes control for the Fog effect. Like Decay, it works on the composite picture created

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 95TEXT FILESSupport for Text FilesMbox can display text using RTF (Rich Text Format) or TXT (Text) files. Both files wi

96 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALAUDIOAudio Output FeaturesOverviewIn addition to movies, still images, and 3D objects, Mbox can also play audio files

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 97External Audio Tracks (Associated AIFF Files)AIFF audio files can be placed in the Media folder with texture files. T

98 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALAudio Volume ControlThere are two overall methods for controlling audio volume with Mbox: + The master volume contro

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 99SYNCHRONIZATIONTimecode Synchronization (Timecode Sync Playmode)Mbox allows movie playback to be synchronized to exte

100 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALTo create a Media Timecodes file:Note: The specifics of the Property List Editor application as presented here only

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 101TC DMX ControlsIn addition to assigning timecode values to individual media elements using the .plist method (refer

1.OVERVIEWThis chapter provides an overview of Mbox features, components, and operations.+GENERAL OVERVIEW+ COMPONENTS+ FIXTURE DESCRIPTIONS+ OPERATIN

102 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALUsing Timecode Sync PlaymodesTimecode Sync does not control any properties of a layer except the playback position a

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 103Receiving MIDI TimecodeMIDI timecode input is achieved through the MIDI In connector on the Auxiliary Input panel. T

104 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL + For receiving timecode for show purposes, the use of TC Reader is recommended over Remote. You should run TC Rea

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 105Layer-To-Layer SynchronizationMbox offers the ability to synchronize playback of a designated master layer on one se

106 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALPLAYMODESKiosk PlaymodesSeveral Kiosk Modes are available for controlled playback of files. + 180 - Kiosk Mode non-

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 107ALIGNMENT RECTANGLESUsing Alignment RectanglesOftentimes there is a need for program content to conform to a particu

108 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALThese features rely on additional information stored in the alignment.plist file. The Mbox Remote application is abl

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 109EFFECTS AND TRANSITIONSEffects and Transitions with Additional Input FilesEffects and transitions that require addit

110 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALAdding Custom Effects or TransitionsMbox provides the ability for users to add their own effects and transitions or

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 111This is what the plist information for this transition looks like:

4 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALGENERAL OVERVIEWImportant TerminologyWhen discussing the Mbox Media Server, it is important to understand the terminol

112 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALAll the various properties of this transition have been expanded to show their "children." It is critical

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 113PROJECTION MAPPINGOverviewProjection Mapping is an advanced feature within the Mbox Remote application (separate fro

114 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALNotes

5.PIXEL-MAPPINGThis chapter provides instructions for setup and operation of the Mbox pixel-mapping feature.+BASIC PIXEL-MAPPING+ ADVANCED PIXEL-MAPPI

116 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALBASIC PIXEL-MAPPINGOverviewThe Mbox software allows mapping of certain functions of Color Kinetics KiNET or Art-Net-

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 117The following guideline assumes that you are using a second Ethernet port to output pixel-mapping and that the first

118 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALSetup tab, or twice that size if one of the Panoramic output modes is being used (see "Setup: Fullscreen Mode&q

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 119CAUTION! You should always avoid re-using any Art-Net universe anywhere on your system. Never duplicate Art-Net uni

120 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALFor KiNET_PORTOUT only, you should enter the three-digit Dest number followed by a port designator (Dest.Port) of ze

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 121Go back to the Pixel Map tab and adjust the slider for the DMX Ghosting control. Reduce the level of this control to

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 5Mbox Designer Feature List + Single-server rack with integrated UPS, I/O module, and Auxiliary Input panel. * + Digi

122 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALSuggested Ethernet Setup for Art-Net Output + Port 1 (receiving Art-Net for control) - IP = 2.1.0.123 Subnet Mask =

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 123ADVANCED PIXEL-MAPPINGCreating Custom FixturesMbox Designer allows you to create custom fixture profiles for use in

124 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALdepend on the fixture and its orientation. Finally, you select if the scan is linear (moves across one row and then

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 125The second task is to determine the portion of the context grid onto which each screen sample will be mapped. Withou

126 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALNotes

6.PIXEL REMAPPINGThis chapter provides instructions for the Mbox pixel remapping feature.+ABOUT PIXEL REMAPPING+ PIXEL REMAPPING TUTORIAL+ ADVANCED CO

128 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALABOUT PIXEL REMAPPINGOverviewThe Pixel Remapping functionality of the Mbox software allows the creation of one or mo

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 129PIXEL REMAPPING TUTORIALTraining Videos: Pixel Remapping (9 videos): http://www.prg.com/mbox-training-videos/Overvie

130 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALProjected MappingPixel Remapping is configured using the MultiScreen Editor application. To open the MultiScreen Edi

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 131You can see the added the entry in the list (the one that says "[000] {720, 480}"), this is your first con

6 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALConcepts of OperationBasic FunctionThe basic function of the Mbox Designer software is to control dynamic media - such

132 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALNote: You can adjust the Editor's window size by dragging the bottom-right corner.Step 5. Click on the small,

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 133Note: The text field at the top of the Preview window shows the current scale of the view and information about the

134 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALalongside the 2D screen objects. For previsualization purposes, the viewing perspective of 3D screen objects can be

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 135Step 9. Before adding the other eight screen objects, you're going to add some controls to the first screen obj

136 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALb. Control Type Pop-up: This is where the property of the screen that is to be controlled is selected - position, te

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 137Step 14. After adding the opacity control press the Save button; then you can add the X and Y position controls. Her

138 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALThere is a Control Test Value slider on the main window that changes scale based on the selected control's data

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 139Step 17. To test the configuration you have created on Layer 1 - select Object folder 2, file 9 for the MultiScreen

140 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALStep 19. On the main window of the MultiScreen Editor application, uncheck the box labeled "Ortho" in the

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 141b. Whereas the 2D representation will look like this, with the graph paper moving around, but the outline of the com

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 7COMPONENTSNote: This section deals with Mbox Extreme hardware and may not be pertinent to a computer-only installatio

142 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALThe 3D representation will be positioned across the boundary between the two screens and it will occupy some of the

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 143And if you then make some adjustments to the various controls for each of the nine squares, you might end up with so

144 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALADVANCED CONTROLThe following section covers advanced Pixel Remapping features. If you are unsure about how to use t

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 145By editing the X and Y coordinates of the triangle strip, you can create differently sized triangles. Editing the tX

146 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALGLOSSARYScreen Object Control Types (Units, Typical Scale Value)1) Texture X Position - Left/Right position of the t

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 14723) Opacity (Global) - Transparency (fade to transparent) of texture on all screen objects. (0 - 1, 0.00390625)24) O

148 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALNotes

7.VIDEO INPUTThis chapter provides instructions for the Mbox video inputs.+EXTERNAL VIDEO SIGNAL INPUT+ SYPHON VIDEO INPUT

150 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALEXTERNAL VIDEO SIGNAL INPUTOverviewMbox supports three types of external video inputs: PCIe cards, Blackmagic UltraS

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 151Blackmagic Decklink and Active Silicon Phoenix Video Capture Cards (PCIe)Mbox has been optimized to provide the best

8 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALDual I/O ModuleThe function of the Dual I/O module is to provide video conversion, final dimming of the video signal,

152 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALStep 4. At Blackmagic Design Decklink window, click on "Set input" pop-up menu to select an appropriate in

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 153a. Decklink card: At Video Inputs window ,set input type pop-up to "Blackmagic," then set input number pop

154 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALBlackmagic UltraStudio Devices (Thunderbolt)Mbox also supports the UltraStudio Mini Recorder, Express, and 4K. To ob

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 155Step 4. At Blackmagic Design Decklink window, click on "Set input" pop-up menu to select an appropriate in

156 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALStep 3. At Video Inputs window, set input type pop-up to "Blackmagic," then set input number pop-up to inp

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 157QuickTime Streaming Devices (PCIe or USB/FireWire)Mbox also supports all other capture devices that conform to the Q

158 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALStep 7. Make sure Texture Size width and height settings are as large or larger than the camera input resolution wid

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 159SYPHON VIDEO INPUTUsing SyphonMbox Designer includes the Syphon framework, which allows Mbox to either send or recei

160 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALStep 4. Once you have identified the application and source names, copy and paste the App:Source pair into a Syphon

8.CONTENT CREATION AND UTILITIESThis chapter contains information on the proper formatting of content for playback on the Mbox server, along with cont

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 9DMX Input Ports - The DMX512 XLR ports are used to receive DMX512 data from an external console or other controller. T

162 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALCREATING CUSTOM CONTENTCreating Movies and Audio FilesAs mentioned earlier in this manual, Mbox will try to play any

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 163 + Other codecs, when treated as non-preferred, are played in a QuickTime "wrapper" rather than natively

164 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALof either file (especially the movie file) once the two have been separated. (You can always shorten the movie or pl

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 165Alpha Channel in Movies – the Animation and ProRes 4444 CodecsIt is often very useful to be able to add areas of tra

166 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALMEDIA UTILITY APPLICATIONSNote: The Mbox Media Lock utility only applies to the Mbox Extreme rental product.Mbox Med

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 167CAUTION! There is no undo function! Once content is locked, it cannot be unlocked.Step 4. Once a unique username an

168 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALMbox File ConverterIn some cases, Mbox may not be able to play custom QuickTime movie content. In this case, as long

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 169 + Use PMA: This setting is only used when converting Animation movies. If left unchecked, the application will not

170 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALNotes

A.MBOX REMOTE APPLICATIONThis appendix provides operating instructions for the Mbox Remote application.+GENERAL OPERATION+ CONTENT MANAGEMENT+ SETTING

10 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALAuxiliary Input PanelThe Auxiliary Input panel provides input/output connectors for signals other than video and DMX/

172 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALGENERAL OPERATIONAbout Mbox RemoteThe Mbox Remote application is used for remote monitoring and management of the Mb

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 173Starting Mbox RemoteBefore opening the Remote application, ensure that your computer is on a network with one or mor

174 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALStep 2. At Remote Preferences window, double-click on any available Mbox servers in the list. They will be added to

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 175Setting Mbox Remote PreferencesOpen the Mbox Remote Preferences window at any time by clicking the Edit Servers butt

176 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALServer StatusThe Status tab of the Remote window shows, by default, the server’s master output and individual layer

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 177More-detailed layer information can be viewed by dragging a layer icon to the bottom of the status area.The picture

178 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALIndicatorsThe Mbox Remote window has several indicators that provide system information.Server status - The color-co

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 179Flags"Flags" are another type of indicator that may appear to the right of a layer thumbnail during operat

180 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALCONTENT MANAGEMENTOverviewAbout Mbox Remote Content ManagementThe Mbox Remote Content Management system allows quick

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 181in the server list with a letter between a-z and a light colored background. For example, is the icon for the Maste

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 11Mac ComputerThe Mbox Extreme Media Server contains a Mac Pro computer which has been customized by PRG. The Mac compu

182 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALManaging ContentIn order to manage content, servers must first be added to Mbox Remote. Refer to "Adding Server

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 183Configuring Server Master/Member RolesIn order to start using Content Management, a Master server must be assigned f

184 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALSelecting Content to SyncIn order to synchronize files between Master and Member servers, folders must first be adde

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 185Synchronizing ContentAfter a folder has been added to the managed folders list (see previous page), content can then

186 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALNote: A file’s new sync status will be reflected in the window approximately 10 seconds after it has been changed.N

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 187Sync HistoryThe History button, available at the top-right of the window, will display status information for all pe

188 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALContent Management ArchiveEach server can be configured to use a specific percentage of the free disk drive space to

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 189File ConflictsDuring synchronization, file conflicts can occur as a result of the following: + Two files in the sam

190 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALMonitor and Manage ModesMbox Remote includes two modes for managing and monitoring the Content Management system. +

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 191SETTING SERVER PREFERENCESSetting Mbox Server Preferences RemotelyIf you select a server or layer on the Remote main

AutoPar®, Bad Boy®, Best Boy®, MBOX®, Nocturne®, PRG Series 400®, V476®, V676®, and Virtuoso® are trademarks of Production Resource Group, LLC, regist

12 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALThe v3.5 Mbox Extreme rack contains upgraded and new components as shown below:Figure 1-7: Mbox Extreme v3.5 Compone

192 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALStep 6. Use Line field to enter a lineweight for the rectangle. (The default lineweight is 1.)Step 7. Use Col (Color

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 193Timecode WindowTo toggle the Timecode window on and off, press [ T] on the keyboard. + Source – choose the appropr

194 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALPROJECTION MAPPINGProjection Mapping is an advanced Mbox feature. If you are unsure about its operation, contact PRG

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 195Step 3. Press [ P] to open the Mbox Server Preferences window and scroll down to the settings called "Output 1

196 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALStep 6. Press [ E] to open the Projection Editor window. At the top of the Projection Editor window, you will see t

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 197Basic ModeSetup of Output and Keystone/WarpIn Basic Mode, the first step to configuring the output is to select the

198 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALStep 4. On the Output Setup tab, you will now see a pop-up labeled "Output 1 of 2" that allows the selecti

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 199Note: Reducing the Sample width or height will result in the image becoming larger on the corresponding axis. This

200 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALthat area of the keystone surface. Keystone mode allows you to adjust the four corners by changing the position of t

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 201Multihead SetupFirst, connect the multihead adapter to the computer and confirm that the computer sees the adapter a

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 13FIXTURE DESCRIPTIONSMbox Environment ConceptIn order to get the most from Mbox Designer, it is important to understan

202 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALAt this point, the settings can be adjusted to affect the overlap between the two halves, the blend, the aspect rati

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 203Advanced Mode (Mbox Designer/Studio Only)Advanced Projection Setup The Advanced Projection mode is enabled by ch

204 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALCAUTION! Models created by external 3D modelling applications may not be appropriate for use as shutters or as keys

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 205Camera Control Descriptions: + Orthogonal checkbox: disables perspective rendering and forces camera position to ce

206 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALThe initial step in using topo file is to create the base object. With the Topography > Geometry or Topography &g

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 207Topography > GeometryThe Geometry tab allows you to define the position, rotation, size, and curvature of the sel

208 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALTopography > ModelInfo > PropertiesModelInfo settings for a topo file are used to define core functions of how

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 209To add a control, click on the "+" button. To remove the currently selected control, click on the "-&

210 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL + Counts -number of steps of incoming data that equal the Travel setting's value. For Example: Using an unsig

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 211VignetteThe Vignette tab provides the controls to create custom rectilinear edge masking that can be used on any obj

14 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALFixture and Layer OverviewThe Mbox environment is based on the concept of layers. The system supports up to 12 active

212 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL + Z axis is away from<->towards from the viewer, away from is negative and towards is positiveMost 3D modeli

B.MAINTENANCEThis appendix contains procedures for extended care of the Mbox Extreme server.+ROUTINE MAINTENANCE

214 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALROUTINE MAINTENANCECleaning or Replacing the Air FilterThe air filters, located at front of the computer, should be

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 215Removing the ComputerThe Mac Pro® computer can be removed from the case to be cleaned or replaced. To remove compute

216 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALNotes

C.PARAMETER MAPPINGThis Appendix contains tables for the combined parameter map, as well as, additional controls such as playmodes, tiling, shutter sh

218 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALParameter Mapping ChartsOne Mbox server running v3.6 software or greater is made up of between 14 and 22 fixtures de

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 219Summary: Single OutputStart Size Ty pe Universe1 4 Ambient Light1st466 Total Channels5 4 Spot Light 19 4 Spot Light

220 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALSummary: Dual Output - Independent (Universe Offset +0)Start Size Typ e1 4 Ambient Light5 4 Spot Light 19 4 Spot L

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 221Mbox Parameter Descriptions Fixture Parameter DescriptionAmbient LightIntensityThe ambient light washes 3D objects e

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 15LAYERSFixture: Tex t u re ( 2 D ) + Effect 1 with Controls A & B + Effect 2 with Controls A & B + (Opacity

222 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALShutterShapeSelects the shape of the shutters from four modesShutter XMoves the shutters left and rightShutter YMove

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 223LayerTex tur e Effect 12D effect applied to the layerModifier 1A First modifierModifier 1B Second modifierTex tur e

224 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL* Ambience channel is a transition between full spot (0) and ambient (255)Ambient and Spot LightsChan Size Function

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 225* Special commands require that the value be held for three seconds, followed by an immediate change to 0 (without a

226 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALTiling Positions are in row major order (rows are filled in order). For example, the 3x3 arrangement is laid out as

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 227Note that each Aspect Control range is a ratio applied over the native aspect ratio of the file. e.g. 1:1 x 4:3 = 4:

228 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALVideo Input and UtilityTexture Library 255 is reserved for special uses such as selecting live video inputs and the

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 229Effects(Refer to notes at end of Effects table.)ID Effect Description Control 1 Control 20 NONE no effect1 Monochrom

230 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL46 Vortex vortex distortion radius angle47 Lozenge lozenge distortion width thickness48 Edge Work B&W conver

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 23193 Layer Edge Blend Right soft edge to transparent amount softness94 Layer Edge Blend Top soft edge to transparent

16 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALFixture, Layer and Parameter DetailsAmbient Light and Spot Lights 1 - 4The Ambient and Spotlight fixtures are used to

232 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL*These elements require additional input files in order to obtain the desired result. Users will need to provide the

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 233TransitionsID Transition Description0 Dissolve dissolve (EX1)1 Dissolve2 dissolve2 Wipe Right slightly blended right

234 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL*The Page Curl transitions attempt to use files 021 and 022 in the RAID/Mbox/plugins/images/grayscale folder. If the

Mbox® Media Server User ManualVersion as of: May 9, 2014PRG part number: 02.9800.0001.38

Production Resource Group, LLCDallas Office8617 Ambassador Row, Suite 120Dallas, Texas 75247www.prg.com

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 17The tile mode, tile scale, and tile overlap controls allow it to automatically subdivide or "tile" a single

18 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALOPERATING MODESMbox Designer ModesMbox Designer has four modes of operation: Single Output, Dual Independent, Panoram

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 19Panoramic Wide ModeThe Panoramic Wide mode provides two video outputs from the software. The two outputs create a sin

20 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALNotes

2.INSTALLATION AND POWER-UPThis chapter provides instructions for setting up the Mbox server and powering up for the first time.+SAMPLE CONFIGURATION

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL IIITABLE OF CONTENTSIntroductionAbout This Manual...

22 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALSAMPLE CONFIGURATION DIAGRAMSOverviewThere are many possible configurations for setting up single or multiple Mbox Ex

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 23Art-Net Input Configuration: Network Switch and Multiple Media ServersIn the following configuration, Art-Net control

24 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALOutput Configuration: Single Media Server with Plasma Display and LCD ProjectorIn the following configuration, a Plas

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 25HARDWARE SETUPBasic Setup and ConnectionsTo interconnect the case components:Step 1. Remove front and back covers fro

26 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALConnecting the Stage OutputThe stage output should be connected to one of the outputs ports on the front of Dual I/O

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 27GETTING STARTEDNote: The software installation sections below only apply to the purchased version of Mbox Designer, n

28 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALLicensing Mbox SoftwareCAUTION! Always install the Mbox software before licensing!Hardware License USB Key (Dongle D

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 29Power-Up OverviewWhen an Mbox Extreme server is powered up, it will typically launch the Mbox Designer application. (

30 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALPower-Up ProcedureUse the following procedure to power up the Mbox Extreme server.Step 1. Ensure UPS is powered up.St

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 31PATCHING FIXTURESPatching OverviewIn order to control Mbox, it will need to be "patched" to a control conso

IV MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALLayer Guidelines ...

32 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALParameter MappingAll 16-bit values are in Big Endian format. For example, the value 23 would be presented as 0 in the

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 33Summary: Dual Output - Panoramic WideStart Size Typ e Universe1 4 Ambient Light1st466 Total Channels5 4 Spot Light

34 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALSummary: Dual Output - Independent (Universe Offset +0)Start Size Typ e1 4 Ambient Light5 4 Spot Light 19 4 Spot

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 35Pro Lighting FixturesUp to five (5) professional lighting fixtures may be patched in Mbox Designer. Like the Ambient

36 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALPlaying Back Video - Quick StartOnce a console has been connected, the Mbox fixtures patched, and the display device

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 37Step 4. At this point, adjust the folder and file parameters to scan the stock media content. For example, changing t

38 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALNotes

3.OPERATIONThis chapter provides instructions for configuration and operation of the Mbox server.+MEDIA CONTENT+ APPLICATION WINDOW+ HEADS UP DISPLAYS

40 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALMEDIA CONTENTFile Type SpecificationsThe Mbox server supports Apple QuickTime® technology for rendering and playback

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 41Typically, movie files should not have embedded audio tracks, although embedded audio tracks in movies can be made to

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL VOverview...

42 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALAt startup, the Mbox Designer software performs a media scan to search all folders that reside within the Mbox/Media

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 43Folder 000 in both the Media and Models folders is reserved and should not be used. The stock PRG movies and still im

44 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALAdding Media ContentWhen adding content files, it is recommended that new, unique folder numbers be created for the c

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 45Grouped ContentDescriptionThe Mbox applications support the use of "content grouping" in order to allow ser

46 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALNote: Because the panoramic output modes are treated as one larger output when placing and sizing content for playba

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 47Creating and Viewing Content ThumbnailsThe Mbox Designer software will create thumbnail images of the content. To for

48 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALViewing Thumbnails in a BrowserAnother way to view media thumbnails on an Mbox server without a CITP-connected consol

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 49APPLICATION WINDOWOverviewThe Mbox application window allows the server’s output to be viewed in either Window or Ful

50 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALSetupThe Setup tab of the Mbox application window is used to: + Set the operating mode and Art-Net universe for the

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 51Setup: ControlThe Control section is used to set the operating mode, protocol, address and layer count for the server

VI MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALChapter 5. Pixel-MappingBasic Pixel-MappingOverview ...

52 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALSetup: Fullscreen ModeThe Fullscreen Mode section is used to set the resolution, frequency, and aspect ratio of the r

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 53Note: The EDID from the Mbox Dual I/O Module provides EDID with accuracy to two decimal places (e.g., 59.94Hz). Howe

54 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALSetup: RenderingMbox will always try to output video frames to the Mac graphics card at the same rate as the current

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 55Setup: NetworkThe Network section is used to configure the Sync, Management, and CITP settings when connecting two or

56 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALSetup: I/O ModuleNote: This functionality only applies to Mbox Extreme hardware versions.The I/O Module section is u

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 57Setup: Media Log (Media Errors)The Media Log button opens the Mbox Media Report window, which contains a list of all

58 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALHEADS UP DISPLAYS (HUDS)OverviewMbox Designer provides Heads Up Displays (HUDs) that contain detailed information abo

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 59Using the HUDsThe HUDs can be very useful during programming to view the values for fixtures and parameters. When mak

60 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALDUAL I/O MODULEOperation OverviewNote: For an overview of Dual I/O module components, refer back to "Dual I/O M

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 61Connected Display Devices and EDIDOverviewWithout special hardware or software, a typical computer can only output vi

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL VIIMbox Daemon...

62 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALSwitching Between ModesThe Mbox server can operate in one of three default EDID settings, or, if the default sets are

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 63Switching Between Standard EDID or Capturing EDIDThe EDID set can be changed using the Stage Blackout and Preview Dim

64 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALStep 8. After four seconds, the LED will stop flashing and will remain on for about two seconds. During this time the

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 65Step 6. After four seconds, the LED will stop flashing and will remain on for about two seconds. During this time the

66 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALNote: Many standard resolution/frequency combinations can be selected in the Fullscreen mode section of the Setup ta

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 67The Mbox Genlock feature uses an additional connection between the rear of the I/O module and the Genlock card in the

68 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALENHANCING MBOX PERFORMANCERecommended PracticesUse the following recommended practices to enhance the performance of

4.ADVANCED FEATURESThis chapter provides instructions for using the advanced features of the Mbox Designer software.+3D OBJECTS AND DIGITAL GOBOS+ ANI

70 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL3D OBJECTS AND DIGITAL GOBOSAbout 3D Models and Digital Gobos (Objects)3D Model and Digital Gobo files are arranged i

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 71All appropriate files in the Models folder will be compiled automatically the first time Mbox Designer is started (an

VIII MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALREVISION HISTORYThis manual has been revised as follows:Version Release Date Notes02.9800.0001.36 January 8, 2013 I

72 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALIf you create an object that is scaled to match a particular piece of 2D content (which is measured in pixels), and y

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 73Creating Custom Digital GobosOverviewCustom digital gobos can be created in two formats: SVG and AI (Adobe Illustrato

74 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALStep 2. Use the various drawing tools to compose the gobo. The most useful tools are the objects (ellipse, rectangle,

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 75Step 4. To expand an object, first select the object, then choose Expand from the Object menu. This will open a pop-u

76 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALStep 6. Text is a special case, and must be converted out "outlines." Switch to the Selection Tool and sele

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 77Step 8. Before you saving the file, consider where the center of the file should be. By default, the center of a digi

78 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALAnimated Digital GobosMbox animated gobos are similar to SVG gobos, but they have built-in functions which have their

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 79TV Screen v1.4The TV Screen animated gobo allows a texture to be placed onto a plane in 3D space and manipulated it a

80 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALSnow v1.2The Snow animated gobo is somewhat complicated. In order to have complex snowflake shapes, a folder named &q

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 81Tunnel v1.1The Tunnel animated gobo is a virtual tunnel made up of rings. The shape can be rotated. Animation Speed c

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 1INTRODUCTIONAbout This ManualThis manual provides necessary information regarding product safety, installation, and op

82 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALRing StripeFor the Ring Stripe animated gobo, Animation Speed controls the scale. + The A modifier sets the segment

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 83CylinderScreenThe Cylinder Screen animated gobo provides a similar surface to the TV Screen gobo that can also bend a

84 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALFit To ScreenThe Fit To Screen animated gobo can be used to force any content to fill the screen in one of three ways

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 85ANIMATED TEXTURESUsing Animated Textures (Animations)Animated Textures are found in folder 248 of the Media folder. T

86 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALLAYER COPYUsing Layer CopyAt times, there may be a need to play the same movie content on more than one layer at the

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 87DRAWMODESUsing DrawmodesThe Drawmodes feature provides control over how a 3D object is lit and how it interacts with

88 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALDrawmode 16 - Orthographic ViewDrawmode 16 causes 3D objects to be drawn using orthographic projection. Typically, wh

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 89The StencilTo explain the Drawmodes other than "Light" requires an explanation of the "Stencil" a

90 MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUALThe following shows an example of using the Stencil to affect a higher numbered layer. The left image shows a digital

MBOX® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 91The benefits of the various Drawmodes become more apparent when the holes cut into the Stencil are used to affect mor