Matrox QuadHead2Go & MacBook Pro issues

Woland

The screenshot with your Display overview suggests to me that you need to go into the Matrox software and configure the QH2G to address the connected displays in a 4x1 configuration instead of a 2x2 configuration (or a 2x2 configuration if it's currently set to register as a 4x1 configuration in the Matrox software).

This may also help:

postl

Thanks for your reply @woland .

I set the QH2G to the 4x1 configuration with the buttons on the device itself and it displays the numbers properly across the 4 projectors (landscape) in the Bezel Adjustment Grid view of the QH@G and when attached to my mac in Display Preferences. When I move a mouse across all 4 displays they are in the correct orientation and order outside of Isadora.

I don't think Matrox software is available for mac.

I tried your suggestion to create the layout by choosing New Stage rather than Blendmaker. I can add the 4 displays to the stage, but as soon as I choose the quad splits, they into the 2x2 configuration.

Also, on the projector actor, only stage 2 is an option. 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4 are not visible.

The issue seems to be with Isadora reading the QH2G, not the settings on the device or my mac.

Thank you for looking into this.

best, Linda

CitizenJoe

@postl

I've had this problem as well. At the time, I asked if a additional configuration could be built in Isadora and hoped that it would be. Several of the gurus made suggestions, but in the end I sent 4 separate stages to the same display and blended them in the scenes, instead. I just checked the file to confirm that I'm not making this up.

Stage 3 is a TripleHead2go, which DOES have the proper configuration for 3x1...

It was the only way that I could make it work.

It would be SUPER HELPFUL if the additional configuration could be set up in the Output module of Isadora: 4x1. I'm sure that the 2x2 works as intended for the DataPath, but it doesn't for the Matrox unit.

Cheers,

Hugh

postl

Thanks for sharing your experience @citizenjoe!

Woland

@postl said:

I don't think Matrox software is available for mac.

I was thinking of the software for the TripleHead2Go, but I assume there must be some way to tell the QuadHead to show up as a 4x1 or a 2x2 using some sort of software from Matrox.

@postl said:

I tried your suggestion to create the layout by choosing New Stage rather than Blendmaker. I can add the 4 displays to the stage, but as soon as I choose the quad splits, they into the 2x2 configuration.

Can you post a screenshot of Display Overview in Stage Setup before you do this, a second screenshot of the result of trying my advice in the Stage Setup window (when you've got four quads of the same display assigned to the same Stage), and a third screenshot of the Display Overview after trying my advice? I don't have one of these devices so I can't replicate the behavior for myself to see what is happening.

@postl said:

The issue seems to be with Isadora reading the QH2G, not the settings on the device or my mac.

I agree, this does sound like an issue with how Isadora is handling the QuadHead2Go.

@postl said:

Also, on the projector actor, only stage 2 is an option. 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4 are not visible.

This is actually entirely correct behavior. What you're talking about here is the Projector's last input, which is named "stage". This input is used to determine which Stage will be the destination for the video from that Projector actor. 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, and 2.4 are numbers for displays, not Stages, and therefore cannot be addressed directly from the Projector actor.

You can see what displays are assigned to a Stage in Stage Setting (Step #2 in my screenshot from my previous response is pointing to a Display Tab in Stage Settings) and you can also see what displays are assigned to a Stage in the Stage List:

So the chain goes: Content > external Projector Actor inputs like zoom, intensity, etc > IzzyMap (if applicable) > Stage > Display.

If you wanted to send specific content to specific portions of a Display you could either:

Use the Chopper actor (to cut the content to size) then a Zoomer actor (to reposition the content) then a Projector actor (to send the content to the Stage that Display is assigned to). This is the best method if you want to use automatic blending by having all the parts of the Display assigned to the same Stage. (I'm working on a file for this but I have to leave the office soon so it will have to wait until Monday.)
If you just want to send content to specific displays, you can give each display its own Stage and then use Projector actors to send content to the appropriate Stages.

postl

Hi @woland,

Sorry for any confusion. Matrox is the brand, QH2G is the device. There is not software for the mac as far as I know, but you can choose the configuration right on the QH2G and my mac is recognizing my 4 projectors in the 4x1 (landscape) orientation.

Super helpful clarification on stage vs display and sending content to specific displays. Thank you!!

After creating a new stage with 4 displays:

After moving them into one line.

postl

@postl

Also, when I create the new stage with the QH2G connected, it first shows up as below, recognizing the 4x1 width.

Your help is much appreciated!

DusX

@postl said:

it first shows up as below, recognizing the 4x1 width

Sorry if I missed it, but how does your macOS see the attached QuadHead? What resolution is macOS recognizing?

postl

Hi @dusx

My mac is seeing 4 projectors via the QuadHead2Go as 7680 x 1080. When I first add the stage in Isadora, it also recognizes this. It changes when I try to add more than one display to the stage via the Split option.

I saw your suggestion on another post about edge blending via virtual stages and I tried that as a workaround. That works, but I can't get the degree of edge blend I would like. I'd like to use the blend maker to get on-the-spot adjustments.

Thank you!

DusX

@postl

I beleive you need to use the button on the Matrox unit to switch its configuration to 2x2 (4k resolution I beleive).

Then try the attached quad blend file: quad_out.izz

I made this file on Mac using Isadora 3.2.6
It should chop the incoming video (text in this case) to allow blending in w 4x1 configuration.
(each display is using display2.. if this needs to change you will need to click each tab and change the display. But all should reference the same display that is your Matrox)

I

If you output this to a 4k display (as received by the Matrox) you will see:

Inside Isadora the video is (as shown on a Monitor control linked to the video output of the Text Draw, or on rollover of a video link leading to the Projector actor):

postl

Hi @DusX

I have the matrox set up correctly to treat the projectors as one long row 4x1 (landscape) and it displays the projectors 1-4 as below when using the matrox bezel adjustment grid display:

When I open a new Isadora file stage one recognizes the correct dimension of the 4 projectors together as one display:

If I send a picture with the same dimensions (7680 x 1080) it goes out correctly, but then there is no way to overlap and edge blur the individual displays.

When I try to add more displays to the stage, they come up as a 2x2 grid instead of 4x1 and the heights are 540:

In your Isadora file this is what I see when connected to the projectors:

There are two things I would like to do:

1- send one long video out, overlap and edge blend the image over the 4 displays (landscape-- one projector high, 4 across)

2- send 4 separate videos out, overlap and edge blend the image over the 4 displays (landscape-- one projector high, 4 across)

Thanks so much for your help.

Woland

@postl

Try out this file. Instead of letting the Stage and Displays auto-configure, I manually put in the values that I think will do what you need: blend-test.izz

postl

@woland

Thanks for your file. Unfortunately, I'm still getting the same results: Isadora allows the set up of 1x4 (landscape), but continues to send out to the QuadHead2Go as a 2x2 (landscape) orientation.

Here is the first and last display. The other two have the same dimensions and settings.

I shifted the projectors so you can easily see each projection. The image is only visible on the first two displays as the other two are below in the display overview of stage set-up.

Thank you!!

DusX

@postl said:

QuadHead2Go as a 2x2 (landscape) orientation

Isadora assumes the Quad is a 2x2, we do not have any field that can tell it to use another format at this time. The 4x1 setting in the wizard tells Isadora how to apply the blend gradients, eg: along both a vert and horz edge for a 2x2, or along only vertical edges for a 4x1 (W x H).

I beleive to make this work you need to set the Matrox to a 2x2 configuration. Then the 4x1 setting of the blend wizard using the 4x1 setup will output the video as needed.

CitizenJoe

@dusx said:

<p> Isadora assumes the Quad is a 2x2, we do not have any field that can tell it to use another format at this time. </p>

Boy, it would be awesome if there was a 4x1 setting for the Quad!

Cheers,

Hugh

postl

@dusx

You are fabulous! That works perfectly. Thanks so much!!