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Use your Beamer as a Laser!

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dmxlighting
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Re: Use your Beamer as a Laser!

Post by dmxlighting »

Impressive!


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Re: Use your Beamer as a Laser!

Post by Shannon D »

Update Files (You have to download this and have to replace the files from the installer with the files from the zip file)
mmax,

Can you explain the update a lil more detail? I downloaded the files from both links. When I try the beamersoundtolight.exe, I get "the setup files are corrupted. Please obtain a new copy of the program".

I have two 2600 lumens projectors that sit around waiting for video shows for my DJ biz. Do you see any reason why these wouldn't work? Are you recommending 3000+ from experience? Maybe smaller venues would do ok with smaller projectors, correct?
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Re: Use your Beamer as a Laser!

Post by LJ_krede.dk »

Shannon D wrote:Can you explain the update a lil more detail? I downloaded the files from both links. When I try the beamersoundtolight.exe, I get "the setup files are corrupted. Please obtain a new copy of the program".
I installed the program from the first link. then I downloaded and extracted the zip file. then i copy pasted the content from the zip file to the directory where i installed the program.. worked for me.


i have to find my german dictionary to understand that program. besides from that it looks great.

a question thou. how do the dmx control works?
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Re: Use your Beamer as a Laser!

Post by dmxlighting »

I have to ask this mmax, as im a lazy englishman who struggles with my own langauge of english, is there any chance that this is avalible in english or do I need to knuckle down and learn some German ?

Yours most humbley

An Ignorant Englishman
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Re: Use your Beamer as a Laser!

Post by Shannon D »

I got it to work. I just clicked RUN instead of saving and running afterwards. It should of worked either way. Maybe my initial download got corrupted some how. Anyway, messed with it a lil bit without my projector.

A few questions:

-The white light coming from the lens, does it interfer with the show much? Watching the video, you just see the white spot in the middle, but watching it live seems like it may be blinding. You don't get this from a real laser.

-How well does it show up in a half lit room? The video shows the room to be pitch black to help with the effect. On a real gig, you won't have a pitch black room.

Thanks for sharing! :) Now only if there was an english version. :(
Onge

Re: Use your Beamer as a Laser!

Post by Onge »

mmax,

Thank you so much.

I have been talking and looking for this program again for such a long time. I had forgotten it was german and video projector is called beamer. If I had searched on beamer I would have found it. :oops: :roll: :oops: :roll:

It will work lovely on my 4000 lumens projector.

Ideal for places that have low ceilings so real lasers cannot be used because of audience scanning. Allows audience scanning with out the public getting burnt by laser or blinded by laser.
My projector will blind you if you stare straight at the beam for too long but it will not be burnt like a laser and will return to normal shortly. Most lights will blind you temporarily.
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Re: Use your Beamer as a Laser!

Post by dmxlighting »

OK Ive played with this for an hour and cant work out much. I am a bit thick sometimes!

Hooked up my projector via a vga lead and set up for extended desktop - is this correct?

Cant work out how to output anything from the software to the projector - am I being thick?

Help
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Re: Use your Beamer as a Laser!

Post by Onge »

Obviously the more powerful the video projector will allow more ambient light, but will always look better when total blackout.
For band lighting it is not to much trouble as your lighting is on the stage for the band, hardly ever into the audience, so position the video projector at the front of the stage going out over and in to the audience, which is normally dark, will work well regardless of lighting on stage.
You will always get that light from a video projector.

It will need haze for full effect same as a real laser, otherwise no beams only what it projects onto. This program was designed to give beam effects not laser projected animation.

I suspect once you have attached you video projector, you drag the output window to the "2nd screen" and then expand it to full screen, (2 buttons in top left, you can just see them).
I will have to have a play but do not have time at the moment as I am preparing for a show on Friday evening up in Gainsborough. :| Which honestly I am not looking forward to the drive or doing the show, another venue that does not allow haze, so no lasers, the punters also sit down and have a meal :o :o :o But hey that is rock & roll for you.

I am sure mmax will answer you questions about it's usage. Maybe come up with an english tutorial, showing what to press and how and when etc.
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Re: Use your Beamer as a Laser!

Post by LJ_krede.dk »

mmax wrote:Another finished video projector "laser"show ;)
I think you should mention that the animations in the video is not created by the beamer as light program but is a flash file (created by yourself ?)

or am I wrong? I didn't find these animations in the program
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Re: Use your Beamer as a Laser!

Post by Shannon D »

I spent a lil time in Photoshop today and with the help from Google Translator, I made some cheat sheets for us english guys. I only did the main window and the info buttons so for. It was probably the easiest window out of all of them. It will take a bit more time in the other windows. I'm back at work, so I can only mess with it here and there. If you feel this is helpful, let me know. If you don't think this is useful, let me know too. I'll stop, haha. :D

BTW - I put exactly what Google Translator said it was. Maybe someone can translate it better than google.
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Onge

Re: Use your Beamer as a Laser!

Post by Onge »

The only advantage I see of using this program is it is a way of collecting your flash (laser) beamshows together and being able to trigger them via sound and of course no media player controls on the projected screen, which is always a pain if you use someting like WIndose Media Play.

Otherwise you can just use you flash (laser) beamshows and play them directly out to the video projector, via some program. I would convert them to AVI and then play them from within Lightfactory, which is what I use for my Floyd shows animations.

@Shannon D
Thanks for the translations, it was something I was going to do in the near future.
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Re: Use your Beamer as a Laser!

Post by Shannon D »

The Light Show Editor window with English translation from Google has been added.

@DMXLIGHTING,
have made any progress getting this to work on your projector? If so, what are your thoughts?
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Re: Use your Beamer as a Laser!

Post by dmxlighting »

Shannon D wrote:The Light Show Editor window with English translation from Google has been added.

@DMXLIGHTING,
have made any progress getting this to work on your projector? If so, what are your thoughts?
Yes and no. Ive had some of the videos running via real player and it looks good. I would never sell the idea that its a lazer replacement. Its a cool effect and definatly worth using for the right setups as you can get some really nice results. I think the control side of it will be a major let down for me. I belive in total control / sequenced lighting. I think this idea is really just adding in video movies to show in the way that say Pink Floyd would do in a live show with animations and short films which is fine to do if thats the effect you want. If I ever invest in a proper lazer it will be a hugly expensive full on DMX RGB system (this will never happen as im not made of money!!) Using a projector is not for me as its not something I can properly control with my other lighting but I do get the reasons why some would want to mix the two together.

Ive not played much more with the Beamer software but I will have a look over your cheat sheet and look a little deeper when I get time.

It would be very interesting if Raph looked into using FS to trigger flash / avi movies from sequences, that for me sorts the control issue but the need to run macros this way is probably out of the question because of the enormous strain on memory and processor power to store / recall the required movies on demand.
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Re: Use your Beamer as a Laser!

Post by Shannon D »

I'm thinking that would add alot of hours to some expensive lamps as well. My lamps cost $400 each with 2000-3000 hrs life expectancy. You would spend many hours just playing around with it at home to get the right programming done and then more hours at a gig. The gig is the only one that pays back for use. I think cost benefit would be to spend the money on a decent laser and get the real deal. Leave the video projector for high def videos. Just thinking out loud.
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Re: Use your Beamer as a Laser!

Post by dmxlighting »

Shannon D wrote:I'm thinking that would add alot of hours to some expensive lamps as well. My lamps cost $400 each with 2000-3000 hrs life expectancy. You would spend many hours just playing around with it at home to get the right programming done and then more hours at a gig. The gig is the only one that pays back for use. I think cost benefit would be to spend the money on a decent laser and get the real deal. Leave the video projector for high def videos. Just thinking out loud.
I do agree about the lamp usage / cost but you would not need to use the projector for programming, just a little for testing maybe ?

Its got its place but I guess that you Shannon, like me, won't be considering it for use on a gig.
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Re: Use your Beamer as a Laser!

Post by Shannon D »

you would not need to use the projector for programming, just a little for testing maybe ?
Maybe I like playing with my gear more than others :o :D :mrgreen:
Onge

Re: Use your Beamer as a Laser!

Post by Onge »

Shannon D wrote:I'm thinking that would add alot of hours to some expensive lamps as well. My lamps cost $400 each with 2000-3000 hrs life expectancy. You would spend many hours just playing around with it at home to get the right programming done and then more hours at a gig. The gig is the only one that pays back for use. I think cost benefit would be to spend the money on a decent laser and get the real deal. Leave the video projector for high def videos. Just thinking out loud.
I was thinking of the places that I cannot use a laser because of low ceiling heights, which would mean the laser would have to go into the audience and that is not good when you have powerful RGB, RGY lasers that will definately blind people and burn their skin. A projector in this type of environment would be ideal as they still get the "laser" beam show, but a whole lot safer.

Yes lamps are an expense mainly because of the quantities they produce each year cannot bring the price down. Now if every person in the world needed projector lamps the price would come down to similar to that of ordinary household bulbs. I can remember and it's not that long ago, the price of energy effeceint bulbs cost a fortune, now they are not much more expensive than normal bulbs, because more people are buying them and they are keeping up with the demand.
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Re: Use your Beamer as a Laser!

Post by Shannon D »

Yeah, but for short term, it still means me and you have to spend big bucks on lamps until the rest of the world starts using projectors more often :( I plan on trying it out and see how it goes. If I see that I'm putting more hours on the lamp than what it's worth, I'll have to make a decision at that point. Hell, I still have to learn how to use the software before I even turn on my projector.

@mmax,

Can you put together a quick tutorial to help us out with this program being you speak english and german?
How do you actually create a avi or flash video from the Beamer program?
Onge

Re: Use your Beamer as a Laser!

Post by Onge »

Shannon D wrote:Yeah, but for short term, it still means me and you have to spend big bucks on lamps until the rest of the world starts using projectors more often :( I plan on trying it out and see how it goes. If I see that I'm putting more hours on the lamp than what it's worth, I'll have to make a decision at that point. Hell, I still have to learn how to use the software before I even turn on my projector.

@mmax,

Can you put together a quick tutorial to help us out with this program being you speak english and german?
How do you actually create a avi or flash video from the Beamer program?
I do not think it does create avi or flash files, might be wrong, which is why we would like a nice tutorial ... pretty please :oops: ;) :mrgreen: .
I think you just get your flash files and then piles them into a list for it to play through. I am sure there is more than that to it, but I have not delved into it much.
I think the sound 2 light part of this will be quite clever once you know how it all works.
For me I will just create flash files all pre-timed and then convert them to avi and play them back as mentioned before.
If I do any good ones I will record a video and also make the flash file available to you guys (gals ?).
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Re: Use your Beamer as a Laser!

Post by Shannon D »

mmax wrote:I am working on an english video tutorial. Soon on youtube.com/iFSControl!
Your efforts on the tutorial is greatly appreciated!

Put your beamer on one of these:
http://www.elationlighting.eu/product_i ... ts_id=2049
.. for a great 360° effect :D
That thing cost $1300 :o plus the $$$ invested in the projector :o That's one expensive combo :o


@Onge,
I can see where you doing a Pink Floyd tribute would need alternatives to laser because it has become expected to have lasers with anything associated with PF. I hope this works as a good solution for you.
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Re: Use your Beamer as a Laser!

Post by dmxlighting »

Just a comment on the cost of a lamp for your projector....

If the lamp has 2000 hours use then you would need to run it non stop for 83 full 24 hour periods.
If the lamp cost 300 dollars / pounds / euros / whatevers then it costs 3.6 whatevers per day to run. (0.15 per hour!)

If an average gig last for 4 hours then your lamp will be good for 500 gigs! if you do 100 gigs a year then its a 5 year replacement program!

Not so bad really!
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Re: Use your Beamer as a Laser!

Post by Shannon D »

Bump,

mmax,

Any progress on the tutorial video?
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Re: Use your Beamer as a Laser!

Post by Shannon D »

Sorry to hear about your stuff getting snagged. That sucks. Whenever you get around to it, we will greatly appreciate it. And maybe kiss your feet for it..... well, not really :D :lol:
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Re: Use your Beamer as a Laser!

Post by GaryBonaducci »

WOW! This program is what I've been looking for. I knew something like this could be done... Too bad I don't know German!
mmax wrote:My camcorder with all the stuff on it was stolen at the train to Prolight + Sound!
Man, that sucks! Hope you didn't loose too much.
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Re: Use your Beamer as a Laser!

Post by Hanternoz »

mmax wrote:My camcorder with all the stuff on it was stolen at the train to Prolight + Sound! I had to film the hole Pl+S with my mobile phone (-> bad quality). I am going to remake the tutorial in about 2-3 weeks.
Do you know CamStudio, a really nice software to catch things on a PC screen and create movies ...
for the output, then add a small shoot from a phone should be OK ;-)
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