Space attributes

Spa . Realtime Spatial Composer

Spa is exclusively used on our installations

Observing that no existing software was flexible enough to adapt to the broad variety of situations for interactive spaces, we developed for 8 years this specialized tool.

Space Attributes is a software platform open to patching modules using the latest technologies, to work on realtime image spatialization.

Spa allows us to offer short time productions with reduced costs.

Realtime Technologies

OpenGL with GLSL. (Multiple projectors per computer)

Multiples cores for parallel processing.
Computer cluster for extensive installations.

OSC communication (ethernet or wireless)

Software Vs Hardware

Spa process and synchronise the geometry and colour of many sources on one computer.

This way it eliminates the need for expensive hardware material like reproducer synchronizer, scaler, edgeblender ...

Spa is an innovative concept
The project-space defines the system set-up

From a real composition space, Spa define some contexts such as projections, sound sources, lights, motors, etc. It manages and synchronise the interactivity between this space, the diverse contexts, the users and the databases, internet, etc...

The 3 development axes for Spa are :

Independent from presentation supports. Management of edgeblended continuous multi projectors visual spaces. Balancing of spatialized soundscapes.

You move from one composition to an other through soft transition, building a story. You interact with tracking, sensors, controllers ...

Spa is expansible, for adding new modules, new functions, new controllers. The client-server structure allows to chain processing units to dispatch the processing load for extensive installations.

Spatial composer. Scenographic mapping

Spa is independent from the presentation surfaces and types (screens, plasmas, Leds ...).
It defines a space (or multiple spaces) where the content should be presented.
Create multiples contexts (surfaces of projection, structure, actors, ground) inside those spaces.

Spa calculates the deformation implied by the geometry (plane, curve, complex) and the projectors and their optical lenses.
And in each context, compose images, videos and realtime graphics.

With a simple setup create a very rich visual space.

Geometric mapping of video and interactive contents in HD, any surfaces with edgeblended multi-projection.

Realtime circular projection @ McLaren
Modularity and client-server architecture

Due to it's client-server architecture, the compositing system can run on a laptop and control wirelessly the system (render engines), allowing the designer to be mobile. It's easy to chain and add processing units to extend the processing power.

OpenGL, Multiples Core usage, Clusters, OSC communication.

Main modules ensembles are :

SpaGen
Project/configuration, compositions /presets, timing/synchro
SpaCtrl
Bridge for control of Spa. mobile, control table, 3d mouse, wacom, capteurs
SpaTrack
Système de tracking. Groups, faces, Tuio, multitouch ...
SpaData
Data processing to interact within the space.
SpaViz
Composition and rendering of the visual space.
SpaMesh
To rapidly create some visual contexts. (modelling)
SpaSnd
Composition and rendering of the soundscape.
SpaOut
Control for outer systems. motors, machines ...
SpaLight
Lighting control. Dmx, images to light. Leds, rgb tubes ...
Software Platform :
encapsulating languages

Spa calls objects and functions in a specific language depending of the task, and control existing specific softwares:

C C++
main process
Javascript
Ajax, JSON.
Node.js
Library, Social network
Java
Huge library.

GLSL
Shaders for graphic cards.
openCV
Computer vision analysis. Tracking
Lua
OpenGl Language

Sound
SuperCollider, RTCMix
Ambisonic
3D Sound
Sql
Databases
Presentation supports
Image
Architecture, projector, plasma, Led, actor
Son
Spatialized (Ambisonic), 3D, stereo, multipoints.
Lumière
Artnet, dmx, led
Control
motors, cards

Files formats
Video
H264, HAP, QuickTime . HD, multitracks, stereoscopic
Son
Aiff, wav, Bformat (3D)... multitracks
3D object
obj, collada
Matrices
Direct matrices processing
Text
RegExp