Testing the projection

I have been testing how I will map onto the dome mirror with a 2000 lumin NEC projector. Directing it upwards, I’ve noticed that projection beams are all staggered at around 30 degrees upwards, rather than the beam exiting horizontally straight. This is so if placed on a table half the image isn’t lost. However when I am trying to place the projector in the correct place, this does not work, as the thirty degree angle causes distortion, making it difficult to find the centre. It does eventually work, but there seems to be no full proof way of positioning without guess work. The method does work, with the light covering all of the walls. The pixels are much larger then I had thought they would have been, around the size of a fingernail, but the image is still clear from a distance, and this does not take away from the overall effect. One issue is how diffused the light becomes. The installation is not entirely dark, and is positioned below a large skylight, which it will not be in the exhibition. Also the university is only open 9-5 and as it is summer there is much more ambient light. In September the situation will be different, so it is difficult to gage how much of an issue this will be, with environmental factors playing a key factor. With this in mind, it is sensible to find a solution that works in any room, regardless of light, something I will resolve soon. To return to the issue of disused light, the solution is to locate and borrow a projector with a higher lumin count. The more lumins, the brighter the image. I will start ringing around the university to see what is available. Another issue was the position of the dome. Dome projection works in the X, Y and Z axis, so if the dome is not straight, the whole projection will be lopsided. For this reason, more then one beam will be needed, to make sure the mirror does not fall to one side.