Before starting a project, make sure that you have configured your computer’s display settings properly first. Then, in HeavyM, it is best to setup your output before starting to work on a drawing, as these settings will affect the rendering.
Note: the process described in this tutorial applies to HeavyM 2.5 and up. If you're using an older version, some things might differ. You can follow this video tutorial for accurate instructions for 2.4 and below.
Canvas setup
What is the canvas?
The canvas is the black zone at the center of your work area. It corresponds to the area where content is rendered in order to be displayed in the output, which means that anything you draw outside of it won't be rendered.
Be mindful that the canvas size is a different element than the output resolution of your display(s), that's why it is important to setup both accordingly.
Choosing a canvas size
The canvas size affects how your work in rendered in a display output. You should choose a canvas resolution that corresponds to the desired output resolution. For example:
- If you are using a single projector with a 1920x1080 resolution, you need to put this resolution as your canvas size.
- If you are using multiple displays, the canvas resolution should correspond to the total resolution of your projection area (minus an eventual margin for edge blending). For instance, with two 1920x1080 projectors side by side, without edge blending you'll need a 3840x1080 canvas. More on that later.
Note: another example is if you have multiple projectors with the same resolution and want them to only display the same content, then the total resolution should be that of a single projector.
Note: the canvas size also determines the resolution of the rendering sent through Spout/Syphon or NDI.
Setting up a canvas size
By default, the canvas resolution is 1920x1080. To change this value, use the projector icon
in the top toolbar, or go to Output → Setup... to access the Output Setup window.
At the top of the window, you'll see the Canvas Settings section, where you can input a resolution (Width x Height). Know that depending on your HeavyM license, the resolution can be limited, please check out the offers to learn more about this.
Note: the canvas size is the same throughout all sequences of a project.
Output setup
Setting up an output window
You have three choices:
- You can launch a simple Fullscreen output: your project is displayed on the screen of your choice, without any title bar. To launch a quick fullscreen projection on one screen, simply choose a display from the list in Output → Fullscreen. In this case, the entire canvas is projected, so if it has a different resolution than the display, the rendering is stretched to fit fullscreen.
- You can launch a Windowed output: the rendering will be displayed in a simple separate window on your desktop. Seeing as the title bar doesn’t go away, this projection option mostly acts as a preview mode for your mapping project. In this case, the rendering is not stretched when the window and the canvas don't have the same resolution: the rendering always keeps the canvas ratio and, if needed, black stripes are added to fit the window. The windowed option is located in Output → Windowed.
- You can use the Setup option to configure an advanced output: multiple output displays, with output warping or edge blending for instance. More on that in this article.
Note: you don't need an output window if you only wish to send the HeavyM output through Spout/Syphon or NDI.