SubscribeThe most flexible multi media control software worldwide.
The LCNPROÆ laser projection software is the most powerful laser projection software with the best price / performance available on the market.
The LCN software is extremely user friendly and the graphic and show possibilities and performance are the same or better then those from DSP or special processor oriented systems. Compared with other systems, the software and hardware configuration is completely different. There is no dedicated hardware linked processing: everything is done by standard PC processors.
The advantage of such an approach is that when PC processing power grows, the calculation power (and the show performance) of the LCNPRO grows the same. Because LCNPRO is a networked system, all new PC developments in the market like e.g. wireless connections can be taken advantage of immediately while it is absolutely not necessary to buy such new hardware from Laser Promotions.
The LCNPRO system is supports from 1 up to 32 projectors while the standard version is set to 8 projectors.
Main Characteristics LCN Software And Hardware
Real time: no precalculated animations
The system is 100% real time, which means that the show library consists of original images only. No morphs or other special effects are pre-calculated and saved on disk.
Vector images, interpolation and 3-D hidden lines
All images in LCN are vector based which means that you only need to draw the corner points while the computer automatic generates the necessary points on the lines in between (the amount of points is calculated while projecting: for instance: an image which rotates consists of lines who become shorter or longer).
The frame creation can be done without the need of a Laser projector output, thus saving you a lot of cost.
Unbeatable effects like 3D hidden line removal, soft-blanking or soft color cross fading can be achieved with a simple click with your mouse.
NEW: Offline show design on screen without hardware connected
Essential is that show design can be done without a laser system at the PC monitor. Editing and changing effects, movements, rotations etc. is possible while the show is running. That means that timing of sequences and effects exact at the right moment in the music is done very easily and quickly.
The newest version of LCN PRO has the ability to draw and edit at home, in your hotel room or when you are travelling.
We focus on "Offline" show design:
No external computers, no networks, no need to run a laser and projectors. This saves time & money and reduces electrical power consumption and the need for cooling water.
It offers more work pleasure: no need for working in a dark studio. Work at any time and any place. Just take your laptop with you and produce multi projector shows.
In the near future we will develop this unique concept further with more information about the real behaviour of the scanners calculated.
3-D- and kinematic animation
LCN has very powerful tools for 3D frame creation build in. There is no need to purchase other 3D rendering products as 3-D-StudioMax or equivalent to create the 3D frames for your show. The animation tools of LCNPRO allow you to fly through landscapes, using highly sophisticated camera movement tools. Kinematic movements can be created easily by dividing the frame into different parts which can be independently animated.
Independent scanner settings
For each projector parameters like scanning speed, interpolation, PCAOM (laser oriented) colour palette, blanking on / off can be set individually. Those settings can be loaded and saved for future shows independent of the show. Using other equipment just load different settings without changing the actual show.
Every projection channel (projector) may have up to 32 independent scanning settings and up to 8 different color palettes supporting 64 colors each. Every colour consists of 6 colour channels and can be matched exactly to the screen colours ( Other software products do not support this principle , therefore you will hardly be able to achieve the same colours on the screen as you have on your Laser output).
Image optimiser
In the drawing package LCNPRO Imager is an optimalization wizard: the Optimiser generates automatic extra points on the corners, depending on the angle between the lines. It is not necessary anymore to draw double or more points in the corners, setting one point is enough. Creating images is very simple with a digipad or mouse. A bitmap image is used as background for the drawing. Digitising can take place on screen or via a graphic tablet. Also standard digitising software available in the market can be used.
Soft blanking and soft color crossfade
Special effects are possible because of the vector system and the multi colour buffers.
LCNPRO Commander sees the show as One Total Image
The master PC calculates the TOTAL SHOW for all Images and effects in real time and sends orders for displaying an image or a part of an image to projector 1 and a part to projector 2. This is the most essential and UNIQUE difference compared with other laser projection systems: they have special hardware cards with processors on board and each card is almost a stand alone projection computer. The main show editor gives limited orders to these cards that are calculating and performing movements or morphs, etc. per projector. Often they run pre-calculated animations from memory. The processors run simultaneously and are synchronised using an internal clock signal.
LCNPRO communicates in real time with all display processors in a TCP / IP network environment simultaneously.
Only visible points are calculated
The LCNPRO software calculates the visible points of the image in real time (not the blanked (clipped) points) while the show is in progress. Because of this, the overall complexity of the total image can be much higher: overlapping images projected at the same time can be showed without flickering. LCNPRO is the only system that supports this principle.
LCNPRO Commander, the real-time user interface
Designing a show (independent if 1 or 2 or 8 projectors are connected !) is done with LCNPRO Commander. LCNPRO Commander has a very convenient time line oriented user interface which runs in a windows environment. (Method to be compared with musical and video animation software).
LCNPRO Commander supports the principle of "What you see is what you get". Learning to use the software is easily because of the logical set up. Using the software, you will see that everything you imagine you want to do with an image is possible and not complicated at all!
There is, as far as we know, no limitation in the complexity of the visualisations. The only limits are given by human creativity and the scanner speed. Combined images on one single scanner with different movements, automatic clipping (8 overlapping images), camera view over 3D paths flying through buildings, etc.
LCNPRO Commander: Editing while the show runs
All programmed movements and effects on the timeline can be changed while the show is running and the music is playing. Finding the right movement, speed, beat, etc. is very easy. You are able to change your animations while you are listening to the audio. With this feature you are able to express your creativity without getting annoyed.
This is an essential principle that is only supported by systems that run in real time! Compared with former computer systems LCNPRO allows shows to be produced in about 25-40% of the time needed previously while the results are much, much better!
Curves: Dynamic movements and realistic animations
A very important feature of LCNPRO is the ability to allow the user to create natural animations, using the self defined curve functions of LCNPRO. All effects and animation tools of LCNPRO are controllable by user defined curves. These curves are easy to edit. Even when the show is running or when the user created a loop, the curves can be edited and changed, loaded and saved, copied and pasted into other curve functions. LCNPRO is the only system on the world, where dynamic movements are so easy to design.
World settings and geometric correction
A very useful show design tool is the world setting. With this sophisticated tool adjusting a show for different show locations, screen formats, projection distances, and position beams on mirrors, goes extremely quickly and easily.
Up to 32 different world settings per scanner are available. A world can be for example the main projection screen. All images that should be on this screen get the number of the world belonging to this screen. The same procedure is followed for audience scanning effects like tunnels, a roof above the head or a beam. They all have their own world setting. On site the image can be fitted on to the screen by setting the gain and offset in X and Y direction. All images related to this world number are projected in the positioned area. The same procedure is followed for the other area's and for beams on mirrors.
With the embedded geometric corrector you are able to shift the laser images off the 90-degrees projection axis. This can be useful when there is no possibility to place the projector horizontally.
Synchronisation to music, video or other media
Music can be played from any internal CD in the Master, from Harddisk or from an external audio source which is synchronised by SMPTE. SMPTE can be received or generated and sent to other media to sync with. All existing audio formats can be used (windows based). Professional video playback from Harddisk can be used to synchronise your Laser or Audio tracks to DMX or SMPTE.
Remote control of LCNPRO
Shows can be controlled remotely by any web-server using the standard HTML-based scripting language. The show can also be pre-programmed and run fully automated.
LCNPRO can also be controlled from a Visual Basic environment. You can write your own applications in Visual Studio to control the laser projection, for instance in automated multi media presentations.
As an example, one of our clients, is synchronising LCNPRO with interactive Flash presentations.
Output signals
The output signals for a projector are generated by a small and simple DAC card in the display PC (most other systems use specific hardware cards with special processing power or complete dedicated hardware). The output signals are 100% ILDA compatible: Balanced X and Y signals, 5 or 10 Volt peak to peak, 6 colour channels (256 intensity levels per channel) 0-5 V and extra blanking output 5 V TTL. Except for the analogue output for the projector and PCAOM, each PC display processor supports 8 switchable TTL signals on the parallel port., has a serial port for laser control and has possibilities for DMX (via USB) and MIDI I/O.
Image memory and point rate
The Image memory supports up to 30.000 images per display. The system supports up to 100.000 points per second per projector, meaning that even the fastest CTI 6210 scanner (60 k pps) can be supported easily. However the most frequently used speed is 20-30 k pps for the CTI 6800 scanner. This means that should you project at 30 k pps on a image frequency of 30 Hz (without flickering) the image can consist of more than 1.000 vector points. Automatic interpolation generates points on the straight lines.
Live performance and interactive show control
A midi keyboard can be connected to the midi port on the sound card of the Master PC. Effects and images can be assigned to different keys. These programmed effects can be used at a live performance or for show design. Also your mouse, (3D) joystick, MIDI sliders or any other windows compatible input hardware can be used for interactive control of your show. The software allows every possible effect to be assigned to these different devices. You will never have to worry again how you can control your show interactivly.
Master PC and Display PC's
There is one MASTER PC which gives orders to the Display PC's. Each projector requires a simple display PC. The LCN software on the MASTER PC runs on the Microsoft Windows operating system. The display PC runs special display software which follows the orders from the Master.
For the Communication between the Master and Slave PC's a 100 Mbit Ethernet network is used. The distance between the Master PC and the Slave PC's can be up to 300 m with standard CAT5 cabling and up to 100.000 m or more using fibre optic connections. The system uses a switch which allows only one network cable to the backstage area or technical room where the laser and the control equipment is.
When a show is loaded on the Master LCNPRO, the library belonging to the show is downloaded onto the Display processors automatically. Loading a complete show with four display processors is done in a fraction of a second.
The display processor calculates in real time all image changes like movements, morphs, animations, colour morphs, special blanking effects, etc, etc. After performing an order the display processor controlled by LCNPRO Engine gives the result back to the Master PC.
The master can thus check if the display processor works properly. The images on the preview window come direct from the display processor. The Monitor window shows the images of all projectors of the total show. If something is wrong with a Slave PC or someone did not connect the network cable properly, you will immediately be informed on the screen of LCNPRO Commander.
LCN is the only system in the market which is using this principle.
This makes the system ideal for remote operation and control.
Hardware layout and configurations
The hardware layout of the system is clear and standard. Computer hardware and peripherals can in principle be purchased anywhere. To reach maximum reliability of the system and to avoid problems when purchasing and installing software and hardware yourself we can deliver the LCNPRO system as a complete tested and warranted system.
Performance - Price compared
The image possibilities and projection speed are the same or even better as compared with other laser show software and hardware systems.
Some laser projection software is not time line oriented, therefore these systems are very difficult to learn and to work with.
The LCN Commander show editor is a time line oriented program like Adobe Premiere or any other Audio or Video editing software. Compared to other timeline based laser scanning systems, LCNPRO Commander is more simple and easier to understand and work with.
Compare freely with other systems and you will see that LCNPRO has the best price-performance available on the market.
LCNPRO laser projection software
Take you and your shows to a higher level!
Users of the LCNPRO, mobile as well as those who have fixed installations, are very satisfied about the user-friendly solutions and performance of the LCNPRO. The past 3 years lots of ILDA Award winning shows have been produced with LCNPROfessional.
LCNPRO developed and distributed by:
The production company of Laserpromotions b.v., The Netherlands.
November 2003
For more information:
e-mail: Info@laserpro.nl
fax: +31.71-531-6061
phone: +31.71-531-5561
website: www.laserpro.nl
See also:
OPTICAL MODULES
The flexible modular laser display system