pixelMad lets you display an image or a movie on a lighting set up so that each pixel from the image is displayed on one lamp from large grids of luminaires.
In this example a single image will be displayed on a lighting set up of 8 RGB LED batons and 32 par cans in two grids of 16.
In the Pixel mixes window graphic representations of the fixtures can be arranged in a layout similar to that which they will be in on stage.

Figure 33 - Lighting Plot.
To create the diagram of your lighting plot click on the fixture list button on the left side of the Pixel mixes window.

An empty fixture list will open on the right side of the window.

Figure 34 - Empty Fixture List.
To add a fixture to the list, click on the button labelled none Ð off.

A list of possible lighting fixtures will open for you to choose your fixture from.

Figure 35 - List of Fixtures.
Click on the lighting fixture that you want to add, and it will be turned on and made active.

Figure 36 - Adding a Fixture to the List.
When you add a fixture to the list a grid representing the number of pixels in the lighting fixture will appear in the bottom left corner of the window.

Figure 37 - Adding a Fixture to the Window.
The lighting fixture can be dragged into position.

Figure 38 - Dragging a fixture into position.
Information about the fixture position, the universe the orientation and the DMX numbers is shown along the top of the Pixel mixes window.

Figure 39 - Current Fixture Information.
In order to choose the part of the image in the Mix window that you want to put onto the lights first unlock the Mix window in the top right hand corner.

Figure 40 - Unlocking the mix window.
Then click on the red button in the Mix window labelled Pixel mix area so that a rectangular outline appears over your image.

Figure 41 - Opening the Pixel Mix Area.
This can be made larger or smaller by clicking and dragging from the bottom right hand corner of the rectangle. Only the part of the image that you place within this box will be mapped onto your lighting set up.
After creating the movie or image mixes in the Layers windows and Mix windows these can be placed onto your lighting plot in the Pixel Mixes window.
Go to the HUD and open the Pixel Mixes window. To place the image over your lighting plot click on the Mixes button. This turns on the display of the mixes.

Then enable the mix number that corresponds to the Mix window that contains your image.

Your image will now appear in the Pixel Mixes window.

Figure 42 - Mix1 visible in the pixel mixes window.
Unlock the Mixes button in order to drag the window to the desired position over the lighting plot.

You can change the size of the mix window by dragging the top right hand corner of the Pixel mix.

Figure 43 - Changing the size of the Mix area.

Figure 44 - The pixel mix area is patched through to the pixel mix window and placed over the lighting plot.
Now that the Mixes button is set to on the image will be seen superimposed over the fixture set up. When the Mixes button is set to off then only the parts of the image sent to the lighting fixtures will be shown and you will get some idea of how the image will appear displayed over your lighting fixtures.

Figure 45 - The mixes button set to on and off.
The relationship between the Pixel Mixes window and the lighting fixtures can be seen in the diagram below. Here the image of a static white rectangle has been placed over 8 parcans and a section of some LED batons. This white rectangle can then be moved across the lighting fixtures using the X and Y position parameters in the Layers window.
Figure
46 - How the pixel mixes window relates
to the lighting fixtures.
This example shows how multiple image mixes can be displayed over different groups of lighting fixtures.
Select your images or movies in the Library window and patch them through to the Layers window. Then open three Mix windows from the HUD.
Patch the images through from the Layers window to the Mix windows using the four channel buttons in each of the layers in the Layers window.

Figure 47 Ð Layer mix select buttons.
Now click on the Pixel mix area in each of the three Mix windows and choose the area of the images that you want to patch through to the Pixel Mixes window and then on to the lighting fixtures.
To view the three mixes superimposed over your lighting plot in the Pixel mixes window turn on the Mixes button.

Then enable Mix 1, 2 and 3.

The images from the Mix windows will now appear superimposed over your lighting plot.

Figure 48 - The relationship between the pixel mix area in the Mix windows and the Pixel Mixes window.
To drag the images into position you must unlock the Mixes button in the Pixel Mixes window.

When you have finished moving the mixes click on the Mixes lock button. This will lock the mixes in position.
The diagram below shows the three separate pixel mix areas placed over the diagrams representing three different sets of lighting fixtures.

Figure 49 - Pixel Mixes window with Mixes button set to on.
If you turn off the Mixes button in the Pixel Mixes window only the part of the image that is displayed by the lighting fixtures will be shown on the screen giving you some idea of how the image will look displayed on your lighting fixtures.

Figure 50 - Pixel Mixes window with the Mixes button set to off.
Low resolution video devices such as VersaTile, G-Lec, Barco Mi-pix have come onto the market. They work at low pixel resolutions of around 100 x 100 video pixels. These devices take the DVI or VGA input straight from the computer and their software allows any screen pixel to be displayed anywhere in their pixel world. If you use a DVI buffer the same screen output can be displayed from pixelMad to multiple output devices.

Figure 51- pixelMad sending an image to a low resolution video device.
When playing video images to low resolution devices the entire Mix window will be output through the video device. The Mix window can be resized to match the number of pixels on the low resolution device. Size and position coordinates are displayed in the Mix window and can be adjusted here.

Figure 52 - Mix window unlocked showing size and position coordinates.
When you are happy with the positioning and size of the image then the Mix window must be locked to remove the information bars as these will also show up on the output device.

Figure 53 - Mix window locked.
Four movies can be played simultaneously from the screen as shown in Figure 31. Here the Mix windows have been locked to remove all information bars.

Figure 54 - pixelMad playing four movies simultaneously in 4 separate Mix windows.
pixelMad has a special visual fx mode called unity scale which completely preserves the pixel size of the source image whatever the size of the output.
If the image is 150 by 50 pixels and unity scale is applied, the image will appear this size on the output device no matter what is done to resize the Mix window. Figure 32 shows a clip that has had unity scale applied to it. The image size remains 150 by 50 pixels even though the window is resized.

Figure 55 - Unity scale preserves the image size even when the mix window is resized.
Unity scale can be found in the visual FX presets in the Library window.

Data is routed from pixelMAD to the DMX fixtures using an Artnet device on an Ethernet network.
Artnet devices are connected using a standard network hub or switch.

Figure 57 - Ethernet configuration
To send and receive data to ArtNet devices the TCP/IP address of the Apple Macs network adapter must be set.
Apple>System Preferences>Network.
Select Built-in Ethernet

Enter the settings as shown below and apply them.

Figure 58 Ð TCPIP Network preferences
Once the TCP/IP settings are set, pixelMAD will detect any ArtNet devices on the network and show the ports.

Figure 59 Ð TCPIP settings
Open the DMX window from the HUD. Select the Interfaces or Ports button to see which ArtNet devices are on the network.

Figure 60 - Artnet Ports.
Use the DMX Input control panel as shown below to configure the Artnet universe and DMX address for each layer.

Figure 61 Ð Addressing pixelmad layers