U S E S E R C O G N D E U D I I T I D O N E
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of ArKaos S.A. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced or otherwise transmitted or recorded, for any purpose, without prior written permission by ArKaos S.A. All product and company names are ™ or © trademarks of their respective owners. © ArKaos S.A. 2013. All rights reserved.
T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S 2.1 Installing ArKaos GrandVJ – PC...................................................................... 5 2.2 Installing ArKaos GrandVJ – MAC................................................................... 5 3 Registration .................................................................................................. 6 3.1 The Activation Code ........................................................................................
9 The preferences dialog.............................................................................. 54 9.1 Display ........................................................................................................... 54 9.1.1 Instant mode ......................................................................................... 54 9.1.
13 VideoMapper Extension (GrandVJ XT) .................................................. 74 13.1 Concept ....................................................................................................... 74 13.2 Hardware setup ........................................................................................... 74 13.3 Mapping workflow overview ......................................................................... 74 13.4 VideoMapper application ......................
1 ARKAOS SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT DO NOT INSTALL THIS SOFTWARE UNTIL YOU HAVE READ AND ACCEPTED ALL THE TERMS OF THIS LICENSE. YOUR INSTALLATION OF THIS SOFTWARE WILL BE DEEMED TO BE YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND YOUR WISH TO BECOME THE LICENSEE OF THIS GRANDVJ SOFTWARE, WHICH ACCEPTANCE SHALL BIND YOU AND ALL OF YOUR EMPLOYEES, AGENTS OR OTHER PARTIES WHO WILL USE THIS SOFTWARE TO THE TERMS OF THE SAID LICENSE. The ArKaos Corporation (S.A.
g. SECOND ACTIVATION: For each Activation Code registered on the Licensee's online account on www.arkaos.net, one extra SERIAL KEY will be available. This extra SERIAL KEY is for the Licensee facility to activate the Software on an additional System (i.e. backup computer, laptop, etc..) that belongs to the Licensee. h. DEACTIVATION: The Licensee can revoke a Software activation from within the Software on a System.
5. Interoperability The Licensor undertakes to answer in the shortest possible reasonable time, requests for information made by the Licensee, linked to the interoperability of the GrandVJ Software. 6. Source - Escrow The Licensor has established certain source code deposit arrangements ("accord de séquestre") covering the source code and documentation for the "ArKaos software" with the AGENCY FOR THE PROTECTION OF PROGRAMS (The A.P.P), W.T.C 10, route de l'Aéroport CH 125 Geneva.
10. Force Majeure The Licensor shall be under no liability to the Licensee in respect of anything which, apart from this provision, may constitute breach of this License arising by reason of force majeure, namely, circumstances beyond the control of the Licensor. 11. Assignment The Licensee shall not assign or otherwise transfer all or any part of the GrandVJ Software or this License without the prior written consent of the Licensor. 12.
2 INSTALLATION Welcome to ArKaos GrandVJ. GrandVJ is ArKaos’ state-of-the-art video mixing and VJ software, allowing unprecedented control over visual performances. You can use GrandVJ to perform with visuals just like you would be playing an instrument, either using the computer keyboard, a MIDI controller or a MIDI sequencer. Alternatively, you can also use GrandVJ as an eight channel video mixer, allowing full and precise control over each individual channel. Your audience won’t believe their eyes. 2.
3 REGISTRATION 3.1 The Activation Code Your software comes with an Activation Code. It is very important that you keep this code in a safe place since it is the proof that you own a license and it might be needed later to re-install the software or obtain future upgrades. If you have a software box, the Activation Code is printed on a sticker that is attached to the installation CD sleeve. If you have purchased a license online at www.arkaos.
The Registration Wizard offers the following options: 3.2.1 Activation Code (Online Method) Choose the first option, “Activation Code”, and press next if you would like to unlock the software directly from the application, automatically through your Internet connection. This is the easiest option but it requires that GrandVJ can communicate with our servers and is not blocked by a firewall or network policy restrictions. Type your Activation Code first, each group of letters in its own text field.
Note: If the registration is successful, it will display a confirmation message and your software will be activated automatically. Important: If you have purchased your software box from the ArKaos web site, you already have a customer account with us; you can use the same e-mail address to add your license to your account (Case 2 above).
After completing the registration process online you can download your Serial Key from your customer account’s “My Licenses” page on our web site, it’s a file named “Serial.gvs”. Transfer it to the computer where you wish to activate GrandVJ i.e. by using a USB key then, from GrandVJ’ Serial Key screen (below), browse to the “Serial.gvs” file. When you press next, GrandVJ will be activated. The “Serial.gvs” file has been copied into the software, so you can remove the USB key or delete the “Serial.
3.3 Deactivating GrandVJ on your computer Since your software license is personal and only allows using two computers at the same time, you should always keep strict control of your activations. To do so, there are some cases where you might want to deactivate GrandVJ on a computer. For example, if you want to move GrandVJ to a new computer, if you want to use GrandVJ temporarily on a rented machine or on a computer pre-installed in a venue, if you intend to sell your computer etc..
3.4.1 Activation Token update If during a few weeks you never connect your computer to the Internet while you use GrandVJ, it will start asking you to update your Activation Token. The Activation Token message window offers the following options: 1. Online validation If you click “Connect”: GrandVJ will try to contact our servers and update your Activation Token automatically. Make sure you connect your computer to the Internet before choosing this option. 2. Offline validation If you click “Browse..
You will have to connect your computer to the Internet or re-download the Serial Key to unlock GrandVJ on the computer. 3.5 Registration support It’s important to us that legit users can use the software they have purchased; therefore we provide priority support for problems related to software registration.
4 SOFTWARE UPDATES 4.1 Minor software updates We frequently release free software updates to fix software bugs, add new MIDI controller templates or even some new features, these are called “minor updates”. To benefit from these updates, no license upgrade is required; you just have to download the new software installer from our web site and install it on your computer, it will use your previous registration information.
5 INTRODUCTION TO THE SOFTWARE 5.1 Basics GrandVJ is an application that allows you to seamlessly integrate real-time audiovisual mixing with any type of performance situation. Serving up to 8 layers of video and boasting a very wide array of effects and control parameters, it is fully controllable via MIDI, computer keyboards or external sequencers. GrandVJ is designed to work with a multi video-output computer setup.
1. Instant Mode In Instant mode, GrandVJ directly outputs the mix to a set of displays with the same resolution. The software considers this set as a single output. 2. VideoMapper Mode (GrandVJ XT only) When configured to run in VideoMapper mode, GrandVJ XT will send the output from each layer to virtual “surfaces” as previously defined in the VideoMapper extension. One output can display a full screen visual or a composition of several mapped visuals. 5.
6 INTERFACE WALK-THROUGH This section describes the different application panels and their functionality. Depending on the application mode you are using (synth or mixer), not all panels may be available. Specifically, in synth mode, the Mixer panel is not available. Note: Most panels are resizable to accommodate various screen resolutions and the software will remember different configurations for the synth and mixer mode.
¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ The source browser allows you to browse visual elements; these include generators, flash texts, and cameras available on the system. The source browser allows you to select a source and drag and drop it to a cell or a layer preview (mixer mode only). The visual library contains the list of all the visuals that have been loaded in the session, no matter if it they're currently assigned to a cell or not. You can drag and drop a library element to a cell or to a layer preview (mixer mode only).
In Synth mode, the master preview displays the end result of the layer stack. What you see is what is sent to the full screen output(s). In VideoMapper mode, since there can be multiple outputs, the master preview of the Mixer mode displays the final mix corresponding to the selected layer stack. In Synth mode, the Master Preview refers to the selected output, which can be either a single surface or a group. Refer to chapter 13 “VideoMapper Extension (GrandVJ XT)” for more information about the VideoMapper.
6.5 Parameter Panels The parameter panels allows you to edit cell or layer parameters. In synth mode, only the cell parameters will be accessible. In mixer mode, both cell parameters (for cue editing) and layer parameters (to update one of the running layers) will be accessible. The Transition panel is only available in synth mode (cf 3.6 for transitions in mixer mode). The parameter panel also allows you to set up the MIDI mapping of either cell parameters (synth mode only) or layer (mixer mode only). 6.
6.7 Layer Element (mixer mode only) In mixer mode, the layer preview panel allows you to preview the layer content. Layers are organized from the bottom up and each layer can be controlled independently. A layer element is composed by the following items, from left to right: ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ one button to map the layer selection and display the layer, if it is running.
6.
7 USING THE APPLICATION 7.1 Application Modes As we mentioned earlier, GrandVJ provides two very distinct modes of operation. It can function as a visual instrument/performance tool or as a video-mixer. It is important to grasp the difference between these modes in order to fully take advantage of them. Internally, GrandVJ allows for up to 8 layers of stacked video. In synth mode, layer assignment is done automatically depending on the order of triggering and the priority setting of the cell.
This is allows you to pre-configure specific movies, masks or effects to be sent directly to one layer (the topmost for example) without having to switch layers. This setting is available in the visual tab and is only available for cells. As we just explained, in mixer mode, you can still modify cell parameters but these will only be active when the cell is triggered. For this reason, cell parameters cannot be mapped in mixer mode. You can only map layer parameters.
7.2 Managing cells 7.2.1 Basics Cells are the foundation of GrandVJ. Cells work like “cues” where you setup a combination of a visual and/or an effect ready to be triggered at anytime. To assign a visual to a cell, simply browse your file system for any movie or picture and drag and drop it to the cell of your choice. You can achieve this either from GrandVJ’s integrated browser or from your operating system's Finder / Explorer.
If the mapping for the top left cell is 'A' it will be 'A' for all banks from 1 to 32. Cells are always triggered from the active bank, designated by a red tab. 7.2.3 Latch and Hold (Synth mode) The latch and hold buttons on the tool bar add flexibility to triggering cells in synth mode. Normally, a cell runs as long as the corresponding keyboard/MIDI key is held down. If latch is activated, triggering a cell will work in a toggling fashion.
1. Visual Tab The visual tab controls what visual is assigned to the cell and how it will be played. ¡ The visual thumbnail shows the visual assigned to the cell. If you wish, you can directly drag and drop a visual from the file browser n the thumbnail rather than on the cell itself. ¡ The two arrows on each side of the cell allow you to browse through all the available visuals.
2. Effect Tab The effect tab shows the cell effect and effect parameters. Just as the visuals, you can directly drag an effect from the effect browser and drop it on the effect thumbnail. ¡ You can also browse the effects using the next/previous arrows located alongside the effect thumbnail. ¡ Each effect can have up to 4 parameters. The parameters and their values are displayed next to the effect thumbnail. 3.
¡ The color settings can be used to change the tint of the visual. Each of the R,G,B sliders remove a certain amount of that component from the original visual. ¡ The preset button (down arrow) allows you to quickly select a combination of mask mode, copy mode and color settings from a list of presets. 4. Position / Size Tab The position/size tab specifies how the visual will be positioned on the screen. ¡ The position setting x / y moves the visual across the screen.
7.2.6 Cell Parameter Mapping In synth mode only, most cell parameters can be mapped. To map any parameter to either a computer keyboard key or MIDI controller, simply toggle the application in MIDI/Keyboard mapping mode; select the control to map and move the desired controller. Note that in mixer mode, the cells parameters are merely 'copied' to a running layer and there is no way to map them to remote control. The live controls in mixer mode are assigned to layer parameters (see further).
To define which controllers will be used to control the active bank selection, simply switch the application to either Keyboard, or MIDI or OSC mapping mode using the options menu. You will notice that next to the bank, a special bank-mapping panel appears. This panel provides several ways to control the active bank in each bankset: ¡ The slider allows a continuous controller to be used to smoothly browse iterate across all banks.
¡ An edit button to show the layer’s parameter in the parameter panel ¡ A running indicator You can right click on a layer preview to show a contextual menu which allows you to remove the visual or the effect from the layer. Layers previews can also be dragged and dropped back onto cell, creating a cue with the current layer settings. 7.4.2 Layer Parameters In mixer mode, there is always one layer that is selected. The selected layer is the one that will receive cells that are triggered.
2. Mapping Layer Parameters As for the cell parameters in synth mode, you can map all of the layer parameters through MIDI / OSC. Simply toggle the application in MIDI / OSC mapping mode, select the parameter to control and move the MIDI / OSC controller knob you would like to assign to it. GrandVJ provides two different modes to control the layer parameters: ¡ In the default mode, all layers have independently assignable parameters.
7.4.4 A/B Cross-fader (Mixer mode) In mixer mode, GrandVJ now has the possibility of assigning each layer to either the 'A' or 'B' deck. This is done by pressing the 'A' or 'B' buttons on each side from the layer preview. Therefore, the software will run two separate scene renderings, one being the combination of A and unassigned layers, and the other the combination of B and unassigned layers.
7.4.5 Independent preview When assigning layers to either A or B, you have the possibility to use the master preview to display the output but also to preview only the layers assigned to either deck A or B. Suppose you are outputting the content of deck A (by setting the cross fader all the way to the left). If you toggle the preview to deck B, you can now set it up without interrupting the main output.
8 USING A CONTROLLER WITH GRANDVJ 8.1 Mapping templates Controller mapping is an important part of GrandVJ. Together with external MIDI gear, MIDI sequencers, OSC or even the computer keyboard, these are all key elements to create your perfect live setup. GrandVJ has built-in templates for most popular MIDI controllers of the market. These should give you an idea of the interaction between the software and the MIDI controllers.
For each element you wish to map in GrandVJ, you can right click on it and choose 'MIDI mapping', ‘OSC mapping’ or 'Keyboard mapping', depending on the mapping mode corresponding to your controller. A dialog will pop up, allowing you to edit the mapping parameters for that particular element. You can also clear a control mapping by right-clicking it and selecting “clear mappings”.
8.5 MIDI Mapping Mode To define/change the MIDI mapping of any controllable element, you follow a similar procedure. Toggle the application by selecting Options u Edit MIDI Mapping, select a control and activate the key/controller you would like to assign to it. All controllable elements will turn green when editing MIDI mapping. Additionally, you can edit mappings in the mapping browser window or by right-clicking any controllable element. 8.5.
To define/change the OSC mapping of any controllable element, you follow a similar procedure. Toggle the application by selecting Options u Edit OSC Mapping, select a control and activate the key/controller you would like to assign to it. All controllable elements will turn pink when editing OSC mapping. Additionally, you can edit mappings in the mapping browser window or by right-clicking any controllable element. 8.6.
Note for handled device users: if you use an OSC application on an handled device (for example mrmr, TouchOSC, ...), don’t forget to deactivate the accelerometer during the "OSC learn" phase, otherwise the device will send a lot of accelerometer values and you won't be able to assign messages other than the accelerometer controls. 8.6.3 Open Sound Control feedback GrandVJ can send OSC feedback to compatible devices.
8.8 Dedicated mapping templates for specific controllers 8.8.1 Akai APC20 and APC40 To use GrandVJ with the APC40, you first need to create a new project using one of the APC40 templates, then go to the preferences/MIDI tab and choose the APC40 device & APC40 MIDI output as feedback unit, do the same for the APC20. 8.8.2 Elation MIDIcon Don’t forget to load the Elation MIDIcon MIDI feedback in MIDI preferences to enable the feedback on the controller.
8.10 Dedicated mapping templates for DJ-style controllers We have added or updated templates with feedback support for several controllers featuring jog wheels in order to support the scratch control feature, giving a DJ-style feeling when mixing video with them. 8.10.1 American Audio VMS2 Don’t forget to load the American Audio VMS2 MIDI feedback in MIDI preferences to enable the feedback on keys.
8.11 MIDI reference for template mapping 8.11.1 Introduction Additionally to custom-made templates for existing controllers, the template library contains two templates that expose all of the controllable parameters available in mixer mode. The first one, GrandVJ Full Mixer Mode, maps all the layer parameters in full mode (I.e. You control all layers independently). The second one, GrandVJ Selected Mixer Mode, maps all the layer parameters in 'selected mode', i.e.
Layer Parameter MIDI CC Channel Effect Next 16 1-8 Effect Previous 17 1-8 Effect Parameter 1 18 1-8 Effect Parameter 2 19 1-8 Effect Parameter 3 20 1-8 Effect Parameter 4 21 1-8 Position X 22 1-8 Position Y 23 1-8 Position Z 24 1-8 Size X 25 1-8 Size Y 26 1-8 Rot X 27 1-8 Rot Y 28 1-8 Rot Z 29 1-8 Rotation Mode X 30 1-8 Rotation Mode Y 31 1-8 Rotation Mode Z 32 1-8 Shape 33 1-8 Tiling 34 1-8 Position Preset 35 1-8 Deck A Select 125 1-8 Deck B
Layer Control MIDI CC Channel Layer Next 36 1 Layer Previous 37 1 Layer Select (continuous) 38 1 Layer 1 Select 39 1 Layer 2 Select 40 1 Layer 3 Select 41 1 Layer 4 Select 42 1 Layer 5 Select 43 1 Layer 6 Select 44 1 Layer 7 Select 45 1 Layer 8 Select 46 1 Layer 1 Pause 48 1 Layer 2 Pause 49 1 Layer 3 Pause 50 1 Layer 4 Pause 51 1 Layer 5 Pause 52 1 Layer 6 Pause 53 1 Layer 7 Pause 54 1 Layer 8 Pause 55 1 Layer 1 Clear 57 1 Layer 2 Clear 58 1
Layer Control MIDI CC Channel Layer 6 Clear 62 1 Layer 7 Clear 63 1 Layer 8 Clear 64 1 Bank Control MIDI CC Channel Matrix Bank Next 65 1 Matrix Bank Previous 66 1 Matrix Bank Select (continuous) 67 1 Matrix Bank 1 Select 68 1 Matrix Bank 2 Select 69 1 Matrix Bank 3 Select 70 1 Matrix Bank 4 Select 71 1 Matrix Bank 5 Select 72 1 Matrix Bank 6 Select 73 1 Matrix Bank 7 Select 74 1 Matrix Bank 8 Select 75 1 Matrix Bank 9 Select 76 1 Matrix Bank 10 Select 77
Bank Control MIDI CC Channel Keyboard Bank Next 84 1 Keyboard Bank Previous 85 1 Keyboard Bank Select (continuous) 86 1 Keyboard Bank 1 Select 87 1 Keyboard Bank 2 Select 88 1 Keyboard Bank 3 Select 89 1 Keyboard Bank 4 Select 90 1 Keyboard Bank 5 Select 91 1 Keyboard Bank 6 Select 92 1 Keyboard Bank 7 Select 93 1 Keyboard Bank 8 Select 94 1 Keyboard Bank 9 Select 95 1 Keyboard Bank 10 Select 96 1 Keyboard Bank 11 Select 97 1 Keyboard Bank 12 Select 98 1 Keybo
Latch 103 1 Hold 104 1 Clear All Layers 105 1 Input Volume 106 1 Contrast 107 1 Brightness 108 1 Cross fader 120 1 Cross fader Full A 121 1 Cross fader Full B 122 1 Preview Deck A Assign 123 1 Preview Deck B Assign 124 1 8.11.
Layer Parameter MIDI CC Channel Mask Smooth 11 1 Red 12 1 Green 13 1 Blue 14 1 Mixing Preset 15 1 Effect Next 16 1 Effect Previous 17 1 Effect Parameter 1 18 1 Effect Parameter 2 19 1 Effect Parameter 3 20 1 Effect Parameter 4 21 1 Position X 22 1 Position Y 23 1 Position Z 24 1 Size X 25 1 Size Y 26 1 Rot X 27 1 Rot Y 28 1 Rot Z 29 1 Rotation Mode X 30 1 Rotation Mode Y 31 1 Rotation Mode Z 32 1 Shape 33 1 Tiling 34 1 48
Layer Parameter MIDI CC Channel Position Preset 35 1 Deck A Select 118 1 Deck B Select 119 1 Layer Control MIDI CC Channel Layer Next 36 1 Layer Previous 38 37 1 Layer Select (continuous) 38 1 Layer 1 Select 39 1 Layer 2 Select 40 1 Layer 3 Select 41 1 Layer 4 Select 42 1 Layer 5 Select 43 1 Layer 6 Select 44 1 Layer 7 Select 45 1 Layer 8 Select 46 1 Pause Selected Layer 47 1 Layer 1 Pause 48 1 Layer 2 Pause 49 1 Layer 3 Pause 50 1 Layer 4 Pause 5
Layer Control MIDI CC Channel Layer 8 Pause 55 1 Clear Selected Layer 56 1 Layer 1 Clear 57 1 Layer 2 Clear 58 1 Layer 3 Clear 59 1 Layer 4 Clear 60 1 Layer 5 Clear 61 1 Layer 6 Clear 62 1 Layer 7 Clear 63 1 Layer 8 Clear 64 1 Layer 1 Transparency 109 1 Layer 2 Transparency 110 1 Layer 3 Transparency 111 1 Layer 4 Transparency 112 1 Layer 5 Transparency 113 1 Layer 6 Transparency 114 1 Layer 7 Transparency 115 1 Layer 8 Transparency 116 1 Layer 1 Deck
Layer Control MIDI CC Channel Layer 4 Deck A Select 125 4 Layer 4 Deck B Select 126 4 Layer 5 Deck A Select 125 5 Layer 5 Deck B Select 126 5 Layer 6 Deck A Select 125 6 Layer 6 Deck B Select 126 6 Layer 7 Deck A Select 125 7 Layer 7 Deck B Select 126 7 Layer 8 Deck A Select 125 8 Layer 8 Deck B Select 126 8 Bank Control MIDI CC Channel Matrix Bank Next 65 1 Matrix Bank Previous 66 1 Matrix Bank Select (continuous) 67 1 Matrix Bank 1 Select 68 1 Matrix Bank 2
Bank Control MIDI CC Channel Matrix Bank 10 Select 77 1 Matrix Bank 11 Select 78 1 Matrix Bank 12 Select 79 1 Matrix Bank 13 Select 80 1 Matrix Bank 14 Select 81 1 Matrix Bank 15 Select 82 1 Matrix Bank 16 Select 83 1 Keyboard Bank Next 84 1 Keyboard Bank Previous 85 1 Keyboard Bank Select (continuous) 86 1 Keyboard Bank 1 Select 87 1 Keyboard Bank 2 Select 88 1 Keyboard Bank 3 Select 89 1 Keyboard Bank 4 Select 90 1 Keyboard Bank 5 Select 91 1 Keyboard Bank 6
Bank Control MIDI CC Channel Keyboard Bank 15 Select 101 1 Keyboard Bank 16 Select 102 1 General Controls MIDI CC Channel Latch 103 1 Hold 104 1 Clear All Layers 105 1 Input Volume 106 1 Contrast 107 1 Brightness 108 1 Cross fader 120 1 Cross fader Full A 121 1 Cross fader Full B 122 1 Preview Deck A Assign 123 1 Preview Deck B Assign 124 1 53
9 THE PREFERENCES DIALOG The preferences dialog sets various options of the application; this chapter will cover each tab you can find in the Preferences dialog of GrandVJ. 9.1 Display The Display tab contains the settings related to the software’s outputs. In the Display panel, you can choose between two different modes: ¡ Using the 'Instant mode', you can directly output visuals full screen to a set of similar displays using a single resolution for all. GrandVJ considers this set as a single output.
¡ Resolution specifies the resolution that you want to use when running the engine. ¡ Force resolution: This setting has a different meaning on PC and Mac: On PC, it runs fullscreen in so-called 'Exclusive mode'. This mode is the mode used by most games and is optimal in terms of video performance. However, when engaged, you can't toggle to any other application than GrandVJ. If you do so, fullscreen will quit. On MAC, it will change the monitor resolution to fit the setting of the resolution.
Note: Under Mac OS X it is also possible to span the output of GrandVJ over several monitors simply by selecting the monitor on the top-left and use a custom resolution that will cover the multi-screen setup area. 9.1.3 VideoMapper mode (GrandVJ XT only) In VideoMapper mode, the configuration of the displays is done in the external VideoMapper application. ¡ Clicking on the "Import..." button will let you choose a VideoMapper file that you have previously created in the VideoMapper application.
9.2 Keystoning The “Keystoning” tab configures the keystoning used for projector output. Keystoning is used to correct the image if the projector is not totally perpendicular to the screen. This tab is not available if you are running GrandVJ XT in VideoMapper mode. 9.3 Audio The Audio tab lets you to configure how GrandVJ handles the audio when media clips with sound are used. The master output volume of GrandVJ can be controlled from the toolbar on top the main software window.
9.4 ArKaos Connect This tab allows configuring GrandVJ’s interaction with the ArKaos Connect VST plug-in (see chapter 11 ArKaos connect). ¡ The host drop-down list can be used to choose a running plug-in to connect to. ¡ The “Network Buffer Size” parameter is a tradeoff between latency and sound quality. The lower is the buffer size, the lower is the latency between the audio sequencer and GrandVJ.
Here, you can also select whether the keyboard banks should be dedicated to one MIDI channel or should listen to all of them. It’s also the place where you activate MIDI feedback for selected devices (see chapter 8.7 Bidirectional controllers & MIDI feedback). 9.6 Open Sound Control Mapping (OSC) The OSC tab allows you to select the local machine’s network port that will be used to accept connection from OSC devices / applications.
give a performance hit, especially on PC. ¡ Preview Quality (Windows only) allows you to down-sample the preview content quality, if you begin to run into decreased performance. 9.8 Advanced This tab allows you to set up various advanced options for the software. ¡ Show tooltips: enable / disable the tooltips showing above a graphical control when the mouse cursor stays above for more than one second. Disable tooltips to make GrandVJ more user-friendly when controlled from a touchscreen.
9.9 Activation This tab displays the information related to your software license and whether the software is activated or not on this particular computer. ¡ Activation e-mail is the e-mail address that is registered with the customer account which registered the software license at www.arkaos.
10 MEDIA TYPES 10.1 Video GrandVJ can play mostly any video file you will throw at it, however we have found MPEG-2 to be the compression codec that produces the best overall performance. If you have a multicore CPU, GrandVJ will take advantage of it. If you intent to play high definition content you should have a system that has as at least the same number of cores as the number of high definition layer you want to play.
10.4 Generators Generators are music visualizers that react to the sound of the audio input of your system. Some generators are GPU accelerated effects while others are SWF Flash files. You can create custom generators as Adobe Flash™ .SWF files, please check the ArKaos Blog for a tutorial in the category “Hints and Tips”: http://vj-dj.arkaos.net/blog 10.5 Effects GrandVJ comes with various effects that you can mix with your other media, and we frequently add new effects with software updates. 10.
11 ARKAOS CONNECT ArKaos Connect is a VST plugin for audio sequencer software that allows them to send audio and MIDI to GrandVJ. The audio host can run on the same machine as GrandVJ or a different one which is running on the same local network. The configuration of the connection in GrandVJ is pretty straightforward: just launch ArKaos Connect from your sequencer, select the sending VST plug-in in an auto-updated list and enjoy the new possibilities open by these interactions.
12 PERFORMANCE AND SETUP CONSIDERATIONS Achieving good performance with video can be difficult because it depends on many different factors. The most important factors are: ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ CPU speed Disk speed RAM access speed Video card & video bus speed Movie compression There is no easy way to give a definitive answer in terms of what is best for every computer setting.
12.1.2 Hardware dependencies We’ve noticed that some Graphic Cards sometimes react differently depending on the output resolution. For example we have ATI’s that don’t provide a steady frame rate in 800x600 whilst completely stable under 1024x780. Also, if you do spans across the two outputs of a graphic card, there’s no guarantee the two outputs will run at the exact same frequency. This can also produce jitter.
Using sparse key frames will mean that for GrandVJ to access a given frame, it will have to find the previous key frame and process all the intermediate frame differences until it reaches the desired one. As you can imagine, this process is rather slow and prevents fast access to frames, which is very important for backward playback or scratching. That’s why compression schemes like mpeg or DivX are not at all suited for video performance.
12.5 Definitions 1. Wide Screen A wide screen setup consists of one large visual mix spanning across several screens placed next to the other. This is achieved by generating a single ArKaos GrandVJ projection in very a large resolution, which spans across several video adapters. If you plan to use projectors as outputs devices, you also have a Soft-Edge option, which allows seamless edge blending between the two projectors. 2.
Important: At this stage, this option is only available on PC. The Mac version does not support accessing more than one graphic adapter. 3. Case 3: Dual Head Graphic Card + Additional Hardware Using an external hardware such as the Matrox™ DualHead2Go™ allows splitting one video output into two separate signals (the DualHead2Go is a palm-sized box that sits outside of your system and has one VGA input and two VGA outputs).
1. Monitor Setup Under Windows Vista, 7 and 8 Right click on your desktop and select “Screen resolution” in the contextual menu A window will open with the following options: Make sure that there are at least 2 screens displayed under “Change the appearance of your display”. If not, click the “Detect” button. If you still don’t see 2 screens then windows doesn’t detect the second monitor connected to your computer. Now click on the drop down menu next to “Multiple displays”.
2. Monitor Setup Under Windows XP Right click on your desktop and select “Properties” in the contextual menu A window will open with the following options: On the Settings tab, make sure that there are at least two monitors displayed in the central gray area. Click Identify to display a large number on each of your monitors. This shows which monitor corresponds with each icon. Click the monitor icons and drag them to positions that represent how you want to move items from one monitor to another.
In ArKaos GrandVJ, go to the Preference Dialog and select the display tab. First, as output monitor, select the monitor that is positioned at the top left of the full display. Then select the custom resolution setting and enter the resolution corresponding to the sum of the two monitors (2048x768 in our example). Start full screen and the window will be created across the two monitors.
In the “Display Tab” of the Preferences Window, you can access Soft-Edge options, including the number of projectors to be used horizontally and vertically: Once this has been setup, you can control the soft edging characteristics by changing the width and curve of the soft edge. ¡ ¡ The width of the overlapping area is defined between 2% and 50% of one screen size.
13 VIDEOMAPPER EXTENSION (GRANDVJ XT) For a practical introduction to Video Mapping in GrandVJ, please refer to the VideoMapper Quickstart document located in the software installation folder, in the “Documentation” directory. 13.1 Concept The ArKaos VideoMapper is an extension for GrandVJ that allows easy mapping of video onto irregularly shaped surfaces and through multiple outputs.
13.4 VideoMapper application The VideoMapper application allows you to manage your displays and create/edit surfaces that will be used by GrandVJ to display its layers when in VideoMapper Mode. 13.4.1 Interface overview Here’s a quick overview of the VideoMapper interface, we’ll go through each part in detail further in this document. 1. Toolbar The toolbar on top of the window contains various options and switches for the user interface. 2.
13.4.2 Toolbar options Show / hide left panel: shows or hide the left panel with the display browser so you can have more room to edit your surfaces. Show / hide crop panel: this will split the surface editor horizontally to show the crop panel on top with the output panel below. Link grid points: links points between the grind on the crop zone and the grid on the output zone so that moving a point on one will make the corresponding point move on the other also.
2. Going full screen To activate the full screen, press CTRL+F (Command+F on Mac) or click on the full screen button in the toolbar. The VideoMapper keep the full screen state in memory. So, when you start the VideoMapper, the full screen will automatically be enabled if it was enabled the last time you closed the application. 3.
¡ The X and Y parameters are the coordinates of the surface. This position is by default the top-left corner for rectangles and the center for triangles. If the option “Display Top Left Coordinates” is unchecked in the view menu, the position of the rectangles will be centered. ¡ The R parameter is the rotation of the surface.
To set the interpolation separately for each control point, first click a control point in the graphical editor, then the interpolation editor appears. It represents the selected control point with its four adjacent segments. The interpolation for each segment can be set to linear or curved. The position of the selected corner box or the selected control point can also be edited with the arrow keys of the keyboard. ¡ To move the point of 20 pixels, press alt while moving the point.
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13.6 Export and Import of Mapping Files The VideoMapper constantly saves the mapping file internally. You can export your mapping using the “Export” option in the “File” menu. The exported file (.vmp file) contains the configuration of the output groups of GrandVJ XT as well. You can import external mappings using the “Import” option in the “File” menu. 13.6.1 Key Bindings 1.
13.1 Output management in GrandVJ In GrandVJ XT, you can create groups of outputs so you can display a layer on several outputs at once. The Groups dialog in GrandVJ XT is available through the transition parameter panels. It lets you create a new group of course, select and edit an existing group, rename it or duplicate it.
14 SUPPORT, INFORMATION AND CONTACT Users discussion forum Support centre / Knowledgebase http://forum.arkaos.net/ http://support.arkaos.net/ 14.1 Solutions As always, we are eager to hear from you. If you have any problems or questions, don't hesitate to join our forums or to contact our support team! 14.1.
15 INDEX Activation Code ........................... 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9 Alpha ............................................................. 62 Audio input .................................................... 21 Generators.............................................. 15, 63 GPULevel ..................................................... 59 Graphic card ........................................... 59, 68 Grid ......................................................... 76, 78 Group.................................
P V Panels ..................................................... 16, 21 Parameters ....................................... 19, 25, 32 Pause ..................................................... 30, 60 Performance ........................................... 60, 65 Ping-pong...................................................... 26 Plane ............................................................. 28 Play............................................................... 30 Playback ....................
