Best Method to Arrange Curved Video LED Panels

[Cristiano Alves]

Hi everyone,

 

I’m trying to create the best possible arrangement for a curved Video LED screen. Here’s what I’ve done so far:

I created an arc, mirrored it, and then composed the two arcs with a straight line to form the base shape.

 

 

I followed this tutorial:

 

My LED modules are 0.5x0.5 meters, and the challenge is to maintain a precise relationship between the path spacing and the alignment of the Video LED panels, as it depends on the orientation angles of the panels.

 

Does anyone have a better idea on how to achieve this arrangement?

Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

Thank you!

 

[C. Andrew Dunning]

12 hours ago, Cristiano Alves said:

 

Does anyone have a better idea on how to achieve this arrangement?

Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

3 comments:

1. Your general panel-placement approach looks good.
2. If you upgrade to 2025 or buy a license to the Landru Design version of the video tools (https://www.landrudesign.com/VWPlugIns.htm) you'll see a "miter" option that will allow the panels to "connect" closer on convex curves.
3. Holders of licenses of the Landru Design version of the tools also have access to a Command called "VideoTile" that automates image mapping across multiple panels.  The Command is pretty rudimentary and does have limits but can be a HUGE time-saver.

 

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

Are your panels flat or curved screens?  Post a picture of an existing wall if you can.  I will be clearer.

 

[Cristiano Alves]

1 hour ago, C. Andrew Dunning said:

 

3 comments:

1. Your general panel-placement approach looks good.
2. If you upgrade to 2025 or buy a license to the Landru Design version of the video tools (https://www.landrudesign.com/VWPlugIns.htm) you'll see a "miter" option that will allow the panels to "connect" closer on convex curves.
3. Holders of licenses of the Landru Design version of the tools also have access to a Command called "VideoTile" that automates image mapping across multiple panels.  The Command is pretty rudimentary and does have limits but can be a HUGE time-saver.

 

I have the 2025.
 

I'm avoiding using tools outside of VW because I frequently use Windows and Mac, and having to manage these external plugins wasn't always easy when I was producing electronic music.

I believe it's the same for plugin issues in Vectorworks between Windows and Mac.

I'm still quite curious about these video tools, especially mapping.

 

Is there a video showing the subject?

[Cristiano Alves]

1 hour ago, VIRTUALENVIRONS said:

Are your panels flat or curved screens?  Post a picture of an existing wall if you can.  I will be clearer.

 

My panels are flat 0.5x0.5 meters

This is my first "line/curve" that I want follow.

The point is that there has to be a correlation here between number of panels/length of panels.

I can always start in the middle and put the excess to the side but I would like to understand if:

• - Is there a way to find a curve with the required length
• - Distribute the panels along the path with the respective angles making the corresponding curve

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

8 minutes ago, Cristiano Alves said:

Distribute the panels along the path with the respective angles making the corresponding curve

Yes, if I have it straight.  Can you post the curve you are using and the number of panels you want on it please.  I will produce something tomorrow and we can go from there.  As I am not clear on the terminology, I may have to dial in a bit.

 

I was playing with putting twenty screens on this curve a while ago.  The curve was in place first and then the screens were added.  This is very preliminary.

 

 

 

[C. Andrew Dunning]

6 hours ago, VIRTUALENVIRONS said:

Are your panels flat or curved screens?  Post a picture of an existing wall if you can.  I will be clearer.

 

All are flat.

 

Attached are 2 demo files.

 

LED Arc Demo.vwxTileDemo.vwx

[C. Andrew Dunning]

5 hours ago, Cristiano Alves said:

I'm avoiding using tools outside of VW because I frequently use Windows and Mac, and having to manage these external plugins wasn't always easy when I was producing electronic music.

I believe it's the same for plugin issues in Vectorworks between Windows and Mac.

 

Our tools are all platform-agnostic.  Meaning, Windows/Mac does not matter.  They also work in all VW versions 2022 and newer.

 

5 hours ago, Cristiano Alves said:

Is there a video showing the subject?

 

No.  I did post 2 demo files, though.

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

@Cristiano Alves  Is this something like what you are wanting to do.   This is all NURBS with a straight degree.

 

All of the panels touch exactly where they should, corner to corner and can be adjust all together for thickness, etc.  See below.

 

 

®

[Pat Stanford]

Paul, the is quite cool, but since those are NURBS, they are not Vectorworks LED Panel objects. 

 

For Entertainment design, the LED Panel offers huge benefits including control via DMX of the displayed images, integration with the other Entertainment tools like Truss and Cables and a lot of other data fields.

 

Your version looks good but does not offer any of those extra abilities.

 

In my experience with the entertainment industry, most users would rather have 95% accurate display and 100% accurate data.

 

Let's see who tells me I am wrong.

[markdd]

20 hours ago, Pat Stanford said:

In my experience with the entertainment industry, most users would rather have 95% accurate display and 100% accurate data.

The entertainment and events industry requires 100% accuracy, but not always all the time. The Plug-in tools this program provides allow users to create proof of concept drawings of objects that represent their real-life counterparts. These then serve as a test bed for ideas and are used in much the same way as the architectural sectors also represented here. Like architecture, these concepts are then developed into finished drawings where tolerances can be very tight indeed.

What we often are short of, though, is time. This is when the plug-in tools, such as the LED screens, Decks, and Speaker tools, are absolutely brilliant. They allow users to quickly test and model most of the usual scenarios in use in our industry without too much intrusive detail. We can do this because the building blocks of event structures are mostly modular in some way so that they can be built and dismantled quickly. They also need to be endlessly reusable.  These Plug-in tools help us do that. They also hold valuable data that is essential to us. This data gives us the inventory we need to do detailed costings and test out how they will be used.

 

However, due to the highly bespoke nature of many events, some scenarios aren't necessarily available out of the box within the program. This will always be so. A case in point is the arrangement of curved arrays of video modules. This is when users need to learn the core modeling and drawing capabilities of the Vectorworks program. My understanding is that the questioner wants to show a concept but also needs to work out spacing to make sure that what is ordered from a supplier will fit their needs.

 

What is described in the video above is how to do that. To take a curve (or curves) and turn it into segments of a specific length.  The resulting polygon and the Screen Plugin object can then be used to create a perfectly accurate array of LED modules. The resulting model can also be used to create a detailed equipment inventory. The video also describes how to use the same object for rendering. All are within Vectorworks without the need for additional plug-ins or, most importantly, other applications.

Edited January 26 by markdd

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

Although retired for twenty years, I still get calls from companies who need help, usually big companies.  One in particular is a large Event Planning Firm out of Australia who use Vectorworks extensively.

 

I asked them if they used the Video Wall tool.  Not disparaging the tool or anything, but no was the answer.  They viewed it as the end of the pipeline.

 

The needs of a company like this go vastly beyond tools that are available in VW or other applications.  

 

Ending in Unreal is becoming very clear, which is a another problem.

 

 

 

Edited January 26 by VIRTUALENVIRONS

[Scott C. Parker]

Not that this helps today, but I can share that a new LED Tool has been moved from "Scheduled" to "In Development" and the public roadmap. https://www.vectorworks.net/en-US/public-roadmap should be updated soon to show it.

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

For NURBS people.

 

The video wall was constructed from two curves,  the overall top curve and a single straight curve the height of the panels.  A series of Extract and Shell allow it to be modified somewhat as shown.

 

 

Edited January 28 by VIRTUALENVIRONS

[Ben3B]

Hello here is my method when you know the angle between led panel 

@C. Andrew Dunning there is also a tile option in the vectorworks ledscreen tool, so I can't see any difference between your plugin and vector one  (in 2025) 

Can't wait for a new version of the tool who works with symbol as array tool with bumper and led panel symbol, so correct geometry, weight power...

 

 

 

 

 

[C. Andrew Dunning]

3 hours ago, Ben3B said:

 there is also a tile option in the vectorworks ledscreen tool, so I can't see any difference between your plugin and vector one  (in 2025)

 

At-present, the stock Spotlight tool and Landru Design tool are virtually identical.

 

The VideoTile Command, though, that automates image mapping across multiple PIO instances, is exclusive to license holders of the Landru Design tools.

 

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

I was curious about this.  Straight forward to add a video feed to the whole thing, but got thinking about one feed on each of the 100 panels.   I used 20 feeds and then applied them randomly.  Not randomly enough it appears.

 

I thought C4D would struggle, but I guess it handles this differently.  I did this on a 2019 machine.

 

 

 

 

[Cristiano Alves]

I found this on Vectorworks facebook group