Circle of Life
''Circle of Life is an immersive experience with projections on the surface of a round room of 16 meters in diameter with a 5-meter-high wall. The story projected on the wall follows the life cycles seen in nature, while the floor shows an interactive animation reacting to the visitor's movements.'' - Limelight
The Process
The following diagram outlines the process required to complete this project.
Content Creation
Content Creation for a project that combines pre-rendered and real-time interactive content involves multiple stages, each requiring specialized tools and software.
3D Content Creation - Pre-rendered
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Process:
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Model and texture 3D assets like nature elements, animals, or abstract visuals.
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Animate scenes that represent the narrative (e.g., the life-death-rebirth cycle).
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Render high-quality video content tailored for projection mapping (e.g., fisheye or equirectangular projections).
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Software:
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Blender/Autodesk Maya/3ds Max: For 3D modeling and animation.
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Cinema 4D: For motion graphics and abstract animations.
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Houdini: For complex simulations like particles, water, or fire effects.
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Octane/Redshift/V-Ray: For high-quality rendering.
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Circle of Life. Limelight Project.
3D Content Creation - Real-time Interactive
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Process:
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Design dynamic visuals that respond to real-time inputs (e.g., visitors' movements on the floor).
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Integrate motion sensors with content to track audience interactions.
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Optimize real-time rendering for smooth performance.
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Software:
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TouchDesigner: For creating and managing real-time visuals and sensor integration.
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Notch: For interactive content with stunning real-time effects.
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Unity/Unreal Engine: For real-time 3D environments and physics-based interactivity.
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Max/MSP: For custom interactive behaviors and sensor-based triggers.
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Max/MSP 8 Interface.
Hardware
Based on the specific project requirements, hardware set-up involves both projection mapping system and real-time interactive floor system.
Projection mapping set-up, requires projectors with full coverage of the 16-meter diameter circular room with 5-meter-high walls.
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Projectors:
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Quantity: 6 to 10 high-resolution projectors (depending on overlap and brightness requirements).
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Specifications: 4K resolution, 20,000 to 30,000 lumens, wide-throw lenses.
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Purpose: Seamless visuals across the walls, avoiding gaps or distortions.
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Real-time interactive floor system, requires sensors for real-time audience movements capture pairing with projectors.
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Projectors:
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Quantity: 2 to 4 (depending on the floor size and projection area).
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Specifications: 4K resolution, 3,000-5,000 lumens, ultra-short-throw ratio (<0.5:1).
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Motion Sensors:
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Quantity: 4 to 8 (distributed to cover the interactive floor space comprehensively).
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Type: Infrared or depth sensors like Microsoft Kinect or LiDAR-based sensors.
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Purpose: To track visitor movements and provide real-time data to the system.
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Microsoft Kinect is often used in interactive projects for Motion Capture.
Set
Round Room, a 16-meter diameter circular room with 5-meter-high walls.
Projector Mounts, require 8 to 12 mounts (adjustable for ceiling or wall installation).
System
To manage content rendering, synchronization, and real-time interactivity:
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Media Servers:
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Quantity: 2 to 4 servers.
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Specifications: High-performance GPUs, 64 GB+ RAM, SSD storage.
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Purpose: Real-time content rendering and managing multiple projection channels.
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Control Systems:
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Quantity: 1 central control system.
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Purpose: Synchronization of projectors, sensors, and interactive software.
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Budget
