Arkaos GrandVJ Spécifications Page 1

USER GUIDE SECOND EDITION

2 g. SECOND ACTIVATION: For each Activation Code registered on the Licensee's online account on www.arkaos.net, one extra SERIAL KEY

3 5. Interoperability The Licensor undertakes to answer in the shortest possible reasonable time, requests for information made by the Li

4 10. Force Majeure The Licensor shall be under no liability to the Licensee in respect of anything which, apart from this provision, may constitut

5 2 INSTALLATION Welcome to ArKaos GrandVJ. GrandVJ is ArKaos’ state-of-the-art video mixing and VJ software, allowing unprecedented control over vi

6 3 REGISTRATION 3.1 The Activation Code Your software comes with an Activation Code. It is very important that you keep this code in a safe place s

7 The Registration Wizard offers the following options: 3.2.1 Activation Code (Online Method) Choose the first option, “Activation Code”, and press n

8 Note: If the registration is successful, it will display a confirmation message and your software will be activated automatically.

9 After completing the registration process online you can download your Serial Key from your customer account’s “My Licenses” page on o

10 3.3 Deactivating GrandVJ on your computer Since your software license is personal and only allows using two computers at the same t

11 3.4.1 Activation Token update If during a few weeks you never connect your computer to the Internet while you use GrandVJ, it will start asking y

12 You will have to connect your computer to the Internet or re-download the Serial Key to unlock GrandVJ on the computer. 3.5 Registrati

13 4 SOFTWARE UPDATES 4.1 Minor software updates We frequently release free software updates to fix software bugs, add new MIDI controll

14 5 INTRODUCTION TO THE SOFTWARE 5.1 Basics GrandVJ is an application that allows you to seamlessly integrate real-time audiovisual mixing with any

15 1. Instant Mode In Instant mode, GrandVJ directly outputs the mix to a set of displays with the same resolution. The software consider

16 6 INTERFACE WALK-THROUGH This section describes the different application panels and their functionality. Depending on the application

17 ! The source browser allows you to browse visual elements; these include generators, flash texts, and cameras available on the system. The source

18 In Synth mode, the master preview displays the end result of the layer stack. What you see is what is sent to the full screen output(s). In Video

19 6.5 Parameter Panels The parameter panels allows you to edit cell or layer parameters. In synth mode, only the cell parameters wi

20 6.7 Layer Element (mixer mode only) In mixer mode, the layer preview panel allows you to preview the layer content. Layers are organized from the

21 6.9 Toolbar The toolbar provides a series of buttons and displays with the following functionality: switches to mixer or synth mode latch / ho

The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of ArKaos S.A. No

22 7 USING THE APPLICATION 7.1 Application Modes As we mentioned earlier, GrandVJ provides two very distinct modes of operation. It can function as a

23 This is allows you to pre-configure specific movies, masks or effects to be sent directly to one layer (the topmost for example) without having to

24 7.2 Managing cells 7.2.1 Basics Cells are the foundation of GrandVJ. Cells work like “cues” where you setup a combination of a vi

25 If the mapping for the top left cell is 'A' it will be 'A' for all banks from 1 to 32. Cells are always triggere

26 1. Visual Tab The visual tab controls what visual is assigned to the cell and how it will be played. ! The visual thumbnail shows the visual a

27 2. Effect Tab The effect tab shows the cell effect and effect parameters. Just as the visuals, you can directly drag an effect from the effect b

28 ! The color settings can be used to change the tint of the visual. Each of the R,G,B sliders remove a certain amount of that component from the

29 7.2.6 Cell Parameter Mapping In synth mode only, most cell parameters can be mapped. To map any parameter to either a computer key

30 To define which controllers will be used to control the active bank selection, simply switch the application to either Keyboard, or M

31 ! An edit button to show the layer’s parameter in the parameter panel ! A running indicator You can right click on a layer preview to show a

32 2. Mapping Layer Parameters As for the cell parameters in synth mode, you can map all of the layer parameters through MIDI / OSC. Simply toggle th

33 7.4.4 A/B Cross-fader (Mixer mode) In mixer mode, GrandVJ now has the possibility of assigning each layer to either the 'A' or

34 7.4.5 Independent preview When assigning layers to either A or B, you have the possibility to use the master preview to display

35 8 USING A CONTROLLER WITH GRANDVJ 8.1 Mapping templates Controller mapping is an important part of GrandVJ. Together with external MIDI

36 For each element you wish to map in GrandVJ, you can right click on it and choose 'MIDI mapping', ‘OSC mapping’ or &apo

37 8.5 MIDI Mapping Mode To define/change the MIDI mapping of any controllable element, you follow a similar procedure. Toggle the application

38 To define/change the OSC mapping of any controllable element, you follow a similar procedure. Toggle the application by selecting Options

39 Note for handled device users: if you use an OSC application on an handled device (for example mrmr, TouchOSC, ...), don’t forget to deactivate

40 8.8 Dedicated mapping templates for specific controllers 8.8.1 Akai APC20 and APC40 To use GrandVJ with the APC40, you first need to create a new

41 8.10 Dedicated mapping templates for DJ-style controllers We have added or updated templates with feedback support for several controllers f

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 ArKaos software license agreement ... 1!2 Installation ...

42 8.11 MIDI reference for template mapping 8.11.1 Introduction Additionally to custom-made templates for existing controllers, the templat

43 Layer Parameter MIDI CC Channel Effect Next 16 1-8 Effect Previous 17 1-8 Effect Parameter 1 18 1-8 Effect Parameter 2 19 1-8 Effect Paramet

44 Layer Control MIDI CC Channel Layer Next 36 1 Layer Previous 37 1 Layer Select (continuous) 38 1 Layer 1 Select 39 1 Layer 2 Select 40 1 L

45 Layer Control MIDI CC Channel Layer 6 Clear 62 1 Layer 7 Clear 63 1 Layer 8 Clear 64 1 Bank Control MIDI CC Channel Matrix Bank Next 65 1

46 Bank Control MIDI CC Channel Keyboard Bank Next 84 1 Keyboard Bank Previous 85 1 Keyboard Bank Select (continuous) 86 1 Keyboard Bank 1 Select

47 Latch 103 1 Hold 104 1 Clear All Layers 105 1 Input Volume 106 1 Contrast 107 1 Brightness 108 1 Cross fader 120 1 Cross fader Full A 121 1

48 Layer Parameter MIDI CC Channel Mask Smooth 11 1 Red 12 1 Green 13 1 Blue 14 1 Mixing Preset 15 1 Effect Next 16 1 Effect Previous 17 1 Effect P

49 Layer Parameter MIDI CC Channel Position Preset 35 1 Deck A Select 118 1 Deck B Select 119 1 Layer Control MIDI CC Channel Layer Next 36 1 La

50 Layer Control MIDI CC Channel Layer 8 Pause 55 1 Clear Selected Layer 56 1 Layer 1 Clear 57 1 Layer 2 Clear 58 1 Layer 3 Clear 59 1 Layer 4 Clea

51 Layer Control MIDI CC Channel Layer 4 Deck A Select 125 4 Layer 4 Deck B Select 126 4 Layer 5 Deck A Select 125 5 Layer 5 Deck B Select 126 5 La

8 Using a controller with GrandVJ ... 35!8.1 Mapping templates ...

52 Bank Control MIDI CC Channel Matrix Bank 10 Select 77 1 Matrix Bank 11 Select 78 1 Matrix Bank 12 Select 79 1 Matrix Bank 13 Select 80 1 Matrix B

53 Bank Control MIDI CC Channel Keyboard Bank 15 Select 101 1 Keyboard Bank 16 Select 102 1 General Controls MIDI CC Channel Latch 103 1 Hold 104

54 9 THE PREFERENCES DIALOG The preferences dialog sets various options of the application; this chapter will cover each tab you can find in the Pref

55 ! Resolution specifies the resolution that you want to use when running the engine. ! Force resolution: This setting has a different meaning o

56 Note: Under Mac OS X it is also possible to span the output of GrandVJ over several monitors simply by selecting the monitor on the top-left a

57 9.2 Keystoning The “Keystoning” tab configures the keystoning used for projector output. Keystoning is used to correct the image if the p

58 9.4 ArKaos Connect This tab allows configuring GrandVJ’s interaction with the ArKaos Connect VST plug-in (see chapter 11 ArKaos connec

59 Here, you can also select whether the keyboard banks should be dedicated to one MIDI channel or should listen to all of them. It’s also the pla

60 give a performance hit, especially on PC. ! Preview Quality (Windows only) allows you to down-sample the preview content quality, if you begin t

61 9.9 Activation This tab displays the information related to your software license and whether the software is activated or not on th

12.6 Soft-Edge ... 72!12.6.1 Calibration ...

62 10 MEDIA TYPES 10.1 Video GrandVJ can play mostly any video file you will throw at it, however we have found MPEG-2 to be the compression codec t

63 10.4 Generators Generators are music visualizers that react to the sound of the audio input of your system. Some generators are GPU accelerated e

64 11 ARKAOS CONNECT ArKaos Connect is a VST plugin for audio sequencer software that allows them to send audio and MIDI to GrandVJ. The audio host

65 12 PERFORMANCE AND SETUP CONSIDERATIONS Achieving good performance with video can be difficult because it depends on many different f

66 12.1.2 Hardware dependencies We’ve noticed that some Graphic Cards sometimes react differently depending on the output resolution. Fo

67 Using sparse key frames will mean that for GrandVJ to access a given frame, it will have to find the previous key frame and process all the

68 12.5 Definitions 1. Wide Screen A wide screen setup consists of one large visual mix spanning across several screens placed next to the

69 Important: At this stage, this option is only available on PC. The Mac version does not support accessing more than one graphic adapter. 3. Case

70 1. Monitor Setup Under Windows Vista, 7 and 8 Right click on your desktop and select “Screen resolution” in the contextual menu A window will op

71 2. Monitor Setup Under Windows XP Right click on your desktop and select “Properties” in the contextual menu A window will open with the following

72 In ArKaos GrandVJ, go to the Preference Dialog and select the display tab. First, as output monitor, select the monitor that i

73 In the “Display Tab” of the Preferences Window, you can access Soft-Edge options, including the number of projectors to be used hori

74 13 VIDEOMAPPER EXTENSION (GRANDVJ XT) For a practical introduction to Video Mapping in GrandVJ, please refer to the VideoMapper Quick

75 13.4 VideoMapper application The VideoMapper application allows you to manage your displays and create/edit surfaces that will be used by GrandVJ

76 13.4.2 Toolbar options Show / hide left panel: shows or hide the left panel with the display browser so you can have more room to edit your surfa

77 2. Going full screen To activate the full screen, press CTRL+F (Command+F on Mac) or click on the full screen button in the toolbar. The Video

78 ! The X and Y parameters are the coordinates of the surface. This position is by default the top-left corner for rectangles and the center for t

79 To set the interpolation separately for each control point, first click a control point in the graphical editor, then the interpolation edi

80 1. Copy from sampling/output The cropping panel and the output panel each have their inspector on the right, on top of it, you can find the “Copy

81 13.6 Export and Import of Mapping Files The VideoMapper constantly saves the mapping file internally. You can export your mapping using the “Expor

1 1 ARKAOS SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT DO NOT INSTALL THIS SOFTWARE UNTIL YOU HAVE READ AND ACCEPTED ALL THE TERMS OF THIS LICENSE. YOUR I

82 13.1 Output management in GrandVJ In GrandVJ XT, you can create groups of outputs so you can display a layer on several outputs at once. The Gro

83 14 SUPPORT, INFORMATION AND CONTACT Users discussion forum http://forum.arkaos.net/ Support centre / Knowledgebase http://support.arkaos.net/ 14

1 15 INDEX A!Activation Code ... 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9 Alpha ... 62 Audi

2 P!Panels ... 16, 21 Parameters ... 19, 25, 32 Pause ...