Set Up a Panoramic Scene
The Projection Setup Wizard creates a complete multi-projector rig in one step — a surface and a set of evenly-spaced, pre-aimed projectors — saving you from positioning each projector manually. This guide covers flat panoramas and cylindrical curved screens.
Before you start
- You know the physical dimensions of your screen (width, height, diameter for curved)
- You know how many projectors cover the screen and their approximate throw ratio
- You have GPU outputs configured for each projector
Steps
1. Open the Projection Setup Wizard
In the Scene window, right-click the scene hierarchy and select Add scene object → Projection Setup Wizard.
A panel appears with two setup types:
|
Type |
Use when |
|---|---|
|
Panorama |
Flat screen — multiple projectors tiling side by side |
|
Curved |
Cylindrical screen — projectors arranged around the arc |
2. Configure the screen
For a flat Panorama:
|
Setting |
Description |
Values / Range |
|---|---|---|
|
Width |
Total screen width. |
Metres |
|
Height |
Screen height. |
Metres |
For a Curved screen:
|
Setting |
Description |
Values / Range |
|---|---|---|
|
Diameter |
Cylinder diameter. |
Metres |
|
Height |
Screen height. |
Metres |
|
Opening Angle |
Arc of the screen (180 = semicircle, 360 = full cylinder). |
Degrees |
|
Rotation |
Offset rotation if the screen is not centred on the default axis. |
Degrees |
3. Configure the projectors
|
Setting |
Description |
Values / Range |
|---|---|---|
|
Count |
Number of projectors covering the screen. |
Integer |
|
Distance |
Distance from each projector to the screen surface. |
Metres |
|
Throw Ratio |
From your projector's data sheet. |
Float |
|
Aspect Ratio |
Image aspect ratio. |
Float (e.g. 1.778) |
|
Lens Shift |
Vertical or horizontal offset for off-centre mounting. |
Float |
4. Create the setup
Click Create. Backstage generates:
-
A scene group containing all components
-
A surface matching the screen type and dimensions
-
One projector per count, evenly distributed and automatically aimed at the surface
5. Fine-tune individual projectors
After creation, select each projector in the scene hierarchy. In the Inspector, adjust the optics for the physical projector at that position — real installations rarely match perfectly calculated positions.
Re-running the wizard regenerates the entire rig from scratch. Fine-tune individual projectors after the wizard run, not before re-applying it.
6. Route projectors to outputs and add content
Connect each projector to its GPU output in the Outputs window, and drag your content asset onto the surface. The content is automatically distributed across all projectors through the surface mapping.
Common Mistakes
-
Wizard-generated projectors don't cover the screen — the Distance or Throw Ratio values are incorrect. Recalculate from the projector data sheet and re-run the wizard.
-
Projectors show nothing on the physical outputs — the wizard creates virtual scene objects only. Manual output routing in the Outputs window is still required.
-
Fine-tuned projectors get reset — re-running the wizard regenerates the entire rig. Fine-tune after the wizard run, not before.
Tips
-
Start with the wizard defaults and adjust per-projector after creation — it is much faster than positioning projectors manually.
-
For curved screens, the Opening Angle controls how much of the cylinder the screen covers — 180 degrees is a common choice for a semicircular cinema screen.
-
For panoramic content, create media at the full panoramic resolution so each projector displays its corresponding section without stretching.
Related
Set Up a Projection Surface — single-projector setup from scratch
Blend Multiple Projectors — set up soft edge blending between projectors
Scene & Projection — all scene and projection workflows