CameraPlate Mapping

The CameraPlate mapping always targets a specific camera.

The CameraPlate mapping was added for the Augmented Reality (AR) workflow, where virtual objects can be mapped within the scene. The CameraPlate mapping will essentially “stick” the content to the perceived lens of the camera and adjust the content to always appear in proportion despite the position or movement of the camera.

Creating a CameraPlate Mapping

1. In your track, add a new visual layer. This can be a content layer, generative layer, or effect layer.
2. Left-click the new layer in the track to open the Layer Editor.
3. Under the Default tab, left-click the Mapping parameter to display the Mappings manager which list all of the mappings in the project. By default, all screens are assigned a Direct mapping with the same name. All cameras are assigned a Perspective Mapping with the same name.
4. In the New Mapping text field, add a name for your new mapping. A list will appear prompting to you select a mapping type.
5. Select CameraPlate from the list. The CameraPlate Mapping editor will appear.
6. In the Mapping editor, assign the screens to be used for the mapping, and specify the resolution of the content.
7. Adjust the mapping properties as needed.
8. Finally, assign a piece of content to the layer in your track. The content will be displayed on the assigned screens in both the stage and feed output window.

Common Mapping Properties

This section explains the properties that are shared by the six different mapping types.

Filtering

• Nearest: Nearest neighbour filtering. Use nearest-neighbour sampling, to disable blending between pixels when scaling. Can be used to create pixellated looks, or to ensure hard edges on certain types of content.

• Bilinear: Bilinear filtering is a texture filtering method used to smooth textures when displayed larger or smaller than they actually are.

• 2x Multi-sample: Multi-Sample filtering can help fix issues with scaled content, but can introduce some blurriness.

Resolution

This controls the canvas size the layer renders into, in pixels. The Direct mapping type starts with a 256x256 pixel canvas and automatically sets the canvas size to that of the first screen you add.

Screens

This is a list of screens that the selected mapping type can copy content to.

1. Left-click + to open the Screens manager.
2. Left-click + to add the Screens you want to map. This will copy the individual canvas content onto these three Screens simultaneously and will add the Screen names to the mapping object editor.
3. Left-click and drag the Screens listed in the mapping object editor to -. This will remove the canvas content from the Screens and delete the Screen names from the mapping object editor.

Mask

This points to the Texture file that defines a Mask bitmap. You can use this property to apply a Mask bitmap to the mapping canvas. Selecting this property will open the Texture object library, which shows all of the still image files saved on your local hard-drive in the DxTexture folder.

To apply a mapping mask you will need to create and import a custom still image file.

• The step-by-step instructions on how to create and import a custom Population mask can be used to create a custom mapping mask. The only difference is that the mapping masks resolution should be the same as the mapping canvas. For step-by-step instructions on how to create and import a Population mask into a d3 project visit to the section Population mask in the Editing screens sub-chapter.

• Alternatively, set any layers blend mode to mask to channel the layer content into the mapping mask.

Clip outside region

Clips pixels outside of rendered region, preserving existing colour. If not set, pixels outside the rendered region are set to the border colour.

Border Expansion

UV islands on screens are expanded by this many pixels to cover edge sampling artifacts such as black fringing. Note that there must be an equivalent amount of empty space in the screen UV map to take advantage of this.

Find/Replace Usages

Finds all usages of the current mapping in the project, and allows these to be replaced with an alternative mapping. Note that replacement only works for sequenced, non-sockpuppeted mappings.

CameraPlate mapping properties

Camera plate

Camera plate options include:

• Front Plate
• Back Plate
• Horizontal Back and Front Plates
• Front Plate Undistorted
• Back Plate Screens
• Back Plate Set Extension

Reprojection distance (m)

The reprojection distance in metres is a measure of the accuracy and real-world alignment of your virtual camera and the physical set. It indicates how closely the digital content is matching the real-world geometry from the camera’s perspective.