Virtual Santa

I am looking into this.


My idea is to use two poles (TV antenna mounts) bolted and strained to the roof.

My screen - Just a king / queen size white bed sheet from the local flea market that sells 2nd hand hotel sheets.
A few flaps cut into the sheet for the wind / breeze to blow through (Just in case, though my North South face usually has little to no breeze)
Projector : http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/172160860157?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT


Make up a fan forced ventilation weather proof box to put the projector in and use a usb stick instead of a DVD player.
 
Wow, thats fantastic :) Im interested in seeing how others would set this up as well, as a giant sheet on my roof does not appeal to me lol
 
ShellNZ said:
Wow, thats fantastic :) Im interested in seeing how others would set this up as well, as a giant sheet on my roof does not appeal to me lol
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My problem shell is that my roof is sloped and I can't figure out a way or means to position the projector.
As far as the sheet or whatever you could pt a few slits or holes in it to let the wind blow through.
 
Wow, thats fantastic [/size] Im interested in seeing how others would set this up as well, as a giant sheet on my roof does not appeal to me lol
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I find the sheet the best solution Shell, It's cheap, easy to handle and you can front or real project.
Just make sure it's clean - nobody wants to see your dirty Laundry.. LOL

My problem shell is that my roof is sloped and I can't figure out a way or means to position the projector.[/size]
[font=verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]What sort of slope do you have [font=tahoma, sans-serif]grahami2006 ? Are you single story ? If single, you should be able to front project from the ground or make a mounting pole. You then adjust the keystone to square everything up. [/font]

[font=tahoma, sans-serif]I have a two story Queenslander and I am thinking of placing the screen to the front of the veranda.[/font]
[font=tahoma, sans-serif]My projector would need to go on the sloping house roof. I am thinking of making a vented weatherproof box and mounting it on an old camera tripod with pivoting feet from Cash converters. The tripod would have two main legs facing towards the screen, with the third away from the screen. That way I can adjust the legs to get the right height and they will match the angle of the roof and keep the centre of gravity central and balanced. [/font]
I have a metal roof and I will position the centre of the tripod directly over a roofing screw and replace it with a "batten eye".
I can then use a "fasty strap" or similar, through the eye and the centre pole of the tripod to keep it nice and firm on the roof.

That's the theory of it at the moment.

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Update on the Virtual roof santa.
I have received my projector, virtual Christmas projection effects bundle AND a 100" x 100" Holiday Projection screen
The screen is black and sort of looks like fly screen. So this is makes the screen invisible in the dark. - so much better than a sheet - I hope.
I will be experimenting over the next few weeks as time allows and report back.
After attending the Brisbane mini I am convinced I am going to have to get my finger into the Pi.
Superman had a great, simple and effective Halloween set up which would be applied to my projector set up.
Automatic wireless control from another Pi running the show would turn the projector on and off etc.
That will be next years project. For this year I will just have to put up with using a remote control and sending it through an extender to the projector on the roof
Oh a word of warning on the Virtual Santa's.out there. A lot are Hi Definition but have been recorded with cameras that have bad "Rolling Shutter" which means the image is very jagged - like a saw blade, when the camera or subject moves.
I think I am going to have to run some of mine through a software program to try and reduce the rolling shutter problem. I'll find out after I finish experimenting.
 
I have just received my projector, virtual santa projection effects bundle on usb stick and a 100 " x 100" Holiday projection screen
It looks like flyscreen, is black in colour and is virtually invisible in the dark.
I will be experimenting as time permits and will give a report back.
 
videoman3857 said:
A lot are Hi Definition but have been recorded with cameras that have bad "Rolling Shutter" which means the image is very jagged - like a saw blade, when the camera or subject moves.
I think I am going to have to run some of mine through a software program to try and reduce the rolling shutter problem. I'll find out after I finish experimenting.
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Are you sure that is not just a compatibility issue with file type and projector?
I had a similar problem with a whole heap of music videos i had recorded, I thought they were all stuffed, but it turns out if I used the right file format they were OK.
 
Are you sure that is not just a compatibility issue with file type and projector?
I had a similar problem with a whole heap of music videos i had recorded, I thought they were all stuffed, but it turns out if I used the right file format they were OK.
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I'll have a play with them Scamper. I do video editing as a hobby and it certainly looks like a rolling shutter issue.
I should be able to "fix it" with the software programs I have. I'll start with the easy quick fixes and leave the intense render type solutions to last.
Sometimes the simplest solution is the one that works.
 
videoman3857 said:
Update on the Virtual roof santa.
I have received my projector, virtual Christmas projection effects bundle AND a 100" x 100" Holiday Projection screen
The screen is black and sort of looks like fly screen. So this is makes the screen invisible in the dark. - so much better than a sheet - I hope.
I will be experimenting over the next few weeks as time allows and report back.
After attending the Brisbane mini I am convinced I am going to have to get my finger into the Pi.
Superman had a great, simple and effective Halloween set up which would be applied to my projector set up.
Automatic wireless control from another Pi running the show would turn the projector on and off etc.
That will be next years project. For this year I will just have to put up with using a remote control and sending it through an extender to the projector on the roof
Oh a word of warning on the Virtual Santa's.out there. A lot are Hi Definition but have been recorded with cameras that have bad "Rolling Shutter" which means the image is very jagged - like a saw blade, when the camera or subject moves.
I think I am going to have to run some of mine through a software program to try and reduce the rolling shutter problem. I'll find out after I finish experimenting.
Click to expand...
How did you go with the Black Screen? I have done Virtual Santa in my window the last couple of years and want to step it up with Santa's Sleigh and Reindeer on the roof this year but was toying up with the white vs black screen...... All tutorials I can find have white screens but I do agree that the black screen will be better in the dark, just wanted to see if you had a chance to test it out as yet.
I think ill also front project due to the shape of my roof...... are u front Projecting or rear?
 
I have been way too busy with work. Unfortunately I have to rise at 3:00 am which means early to bed. Basically no Black screen testing done yet. :(
I believe one must rear project for the Black screen to work and you need a projector with around 5000 lumens. Rear projection suits my layout better.
I hope to be able to do some testing in the next couple of days. I'll keep you posted.
 
I managed to have a play with my set up tonight. Lucky for me I set it up on the verandah and not the roof.
The projector was set up for rear projection as recommended by the screen seller.
To say I am disappointed is an understatement. !
The supplier of the Black screen states that a projector with at least 5000 lumens should be used.
My projector is just that and projecting from 3 mtrs the image was barely visible. The other problem was the light emitted from the projector lens was a huge distraction.
No matter what angle I had the projector, that darn big bright ball of light just interfered with the projected image.
Now to be fair I was trying to view it some 30 mtrs away, so I walked up to 20 mtrs, then 10mtrs and the projected images were way too dark.
This projector is a cheap UHappy brand from China and cost $200 and does not have a zoom lens, ergo the only way I can get the projected size I want; is to move the projector towards or away from the screen. So even though the seller and manufacturer quote 5000 lumens, nobody including the screen manufacturer said at what distance . Moving the projector closer helped improve visibility, but it was nowhere enough.
I placed the projector to the front of the verandah and projected back towards the yellowish cream painted house.
The projected image was bright, colourful and viewable from 30 to 50 mtrs away.
I would go out on a limb and say that to use the projector and black screen, one would be looking at a projector delivering a minimum 5000 lumes of light onto the screen at whatever distance you are going to project from ? My gut feeling is that I need 10,000 lumens or more. Problem is, I don't have the $ as these machines are a lot more expensive.
Its disappointing to not be able to use the black screen as it was totally invisible - even on the verandah and would have been great to have the video images just appear out of no where on the roof of the house
Next test will be a back projected white sheet, which unfortunately will stand out like crazy and will act like a sail in the breeze.
 
oh man that's disappointing! yea I was hoping a black screen would be better so it doesn't stand out! mmmmmm the youtube demo had a white screen but I agree I think you would still be able to see it...... I might play with a few different types of materials to see what I can get away with....
 
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