Category: Uncategorized

After torso and head rig we continue with the leg rig. The leg rig is a simple IK rig as I have done before for the spiderball. Takes some time but is again a repeat. The foot roll, however, is something new and pretty satisfying. Again, most of it works with mechanical bones with have constraints on them. The goal for the foot roll is to have the toes on the ground while the foot is rotated in one direction but following the foot when rotated in the other direction.

We can counter the rotation between 2 bones with the same roll adding a copy rotation constraint with inverted axis. Since I am not good at explaining and reading about bones and their relations is a lot more complicated then just showing, here is a picture of the build up of the foot roll. I am always thankful for the extensive documentation of the course.

As for the arm rig, this is where things get more time consuming. They got the princess treatment of getting an IK/FK switch. I have done it before, and it is always a bunch of work. At first we copied the arm bones 3 times, giving us 4 sets of arm bones. 1 will be responsible for the stretches, one is the Ik, one the FK and the last one are the original bones with are controlling the deformation bones. Similar as with the head we switch the influence between the bones with custom properties and a driver.

One step I skipped because Lay only wanted a simple rig – I was already overdoing it, I know – was making the arm IK switchable between parents. With this you can for example place the hand on the hip and it will follow the hip. It is definitely something I will come back to at a later point since it seems very useful.

The last thing needed for the rig were the fingers. They are a simple fk rig but with the adjustment that when you bend the second joint the third bend with it as finger usually do.

Special things with Lays character

Most of the tutorial worked fine when being used with a different character. Some things I did not need. For example, the tutorial character had shoulder plates. Yeah, I could skip that step. But I had to rig some accessories and a jaw instead. The jaw was easy. Just an extra bone with the head as parent. The hat works the same way, but the veil is something special. I wanted to try out a short tutorial I had seen so that you would not need to animate it per hand. It works with a bunch of bendy bones and they all have a damped track on them. It gives the veil a flowy feeling. I did the same with the coin chain on her skirt.

While the character worked well enough, I hate it, that it was not symmetrical. It was a pain in the butt when assigning and weight painting the vertex groups.

The character was not on the origin point of the file. I adjusted it for the rigging process, but it might have destroyed or changed the grease pencil. I don’t recall seeing it but it appears that it disappeared somewhere between me and Lay. I don’t know, but Lay seems to be fixing it as we speak. Also just generally navigating in the file of someone else is a bit of a challenge. I did not know what was important and what not and I was so spoiled from my tutorial files.

On a positive note, I liked the tutorial files, sure, but I was so much more motivated by working for someone else other than just me. It sped up the working process and I got through it a lot faster.

The tutorial continued with a humanoid character. This time a robot – surprise – but it has some more organic parts. As always, the rigging process starts by creating the deformation bones. At this point I am pretty quick and experienced at this step. I have gotten used to the repeated use of the 3D cursor and I am a bit of a fan. I can tell that I am getting more used to all the needed shortcuts and that my processes are speeding up.

The next step was the skinning process. The tutorial went through the different options on how to approach. I have often used automatic weights before and adjusting how I needed it. This had in the past, however, led to me not knowing exactly what I was doing. Often everything got so much worse before I could fix anything. Therefore, I am a fan of using empty groups when parenting the armature to the character. Then assigning general areas to the vertex groups in the edit mode before moving over to details in the weight painting. As for the weight painting, working with small steps while adjusting gets a good result quickly. Don’t forget to put on Auto-normalize, otherwise a double transform could happen.

I was just getting into the little details of adjusting the weight of the neck, when Lay sent me her character she made for DesRes, asking if I could make some rig adjustments. She had used rigify. While it can be alright, I find it hard to work changes into it. So I decided I am just going to do my tutorials with her character instead of the provided one. Which meant for me scrap that, we are going back to step one. Let’s do all the Deformation bones again as well as the weight painting.

Now with this little side adventure I was back on track. Starting of with creating the Control rig, which essentially only means duplicating the deformation bones, putting them in their own bone collection and renaming them from DEF to ORG. And why is the naming convention important this time especially? Because we are running a Python script, baby! Yes, for the next step – putting a copy transform on all the DEF bones – a Python script was provided. Letting it run got rid of the process of having to do it manually for all the bones.

Now the more complicated part of rigging could begin again. Make everything work the way it is supposed to. Starting of with the torso, a center of gravity bone was created. Then we needed a way to adjust the different spine bones as well as move them together with one main controller. This worked as usual with a bunch of constraints and a lot of mechanical bones. Also important a connected child bone can’t be changed, cause it sticks to its parent. So we had to change some parenting from connected to disconnected. (Both in the ORG as well as the DEF skeleton)

The head and neck were similar built as the torso. The biggest new thing was that we created 2 custom properties which let you change whether the head and neck are following the body or not. This again works with extra mechanical bones and a driver system controlling the influence of the bones.

I don’t have as much to write about, since it was a lot of repeating processes. It really helps me get into rigging and I am happy for a lot of repeats which make me feel like the learning is sticking. Not always and everything, but a lot is now very clear to me.

Während dem Zeichnen meines Charakters (siehe letzter Blogpost #5) fiel mir auf, dass ich stehts versuchte keine allzu geschlechterspezifischen Merkmale zu verwenden. Dies mag damit zu tun haben, dass ich überlege diesen Charakter für spätere Erklärvideos – vielleicht für die Masterarbeit – einzusetzen bzw. zu recyceln. Wie in Blogpost #2 erwähnt möchte ich mich in meiner Masterarbeit dem Thema „gendersensitive Wissenschaftskommunikation“ annehmen. Nicht nur mir dürfte aufgefallen sein, dass der männliche Körper noch immer als Norm angesehen wird. Das zieht sich durch alle Branchen und Bereiche des Lebens: In der Herstellung von Autos (Crash-Dummies mit männlichem Norm-Maß), in der Medizin (Angaben auf Packungsbeilagen sind meist auf den männlichen Körper genormt), in der Gesellschaft (selbsterklärend, sonst gäbe es keinen Feminismus), und letztendlich auch in der Didaktik. Letztes Semester habe ich ja Erklärvideos angeschaut und festgestellt, dass auch darin der männliche Körper als Norm dargestellt wird.

Ich denke, ich muss jetzt keine Studien hervorholen, um die Aussage treffen zu dürfen: Repräsentation ist wichtig, sogar lebenswichtig. Und eine unterrepräsentierte Menschengruppe – ja sogar noch weniger dargestellt als nicht sexualisierte Frauen – sind Personen, die sich nicht dem heteronormativen binären Geschlechtermodell unterwerfen.

Ich habe einmal gegoogelt und mich auf die Suche nach bekannten nicht-binären Charakteren gemacht. Und um ehrlich zu sein: Das Ergebnis war ernüchternd.

Hier zu den Listen:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fictional_non-binary_characters

https://lgbtqia-characters.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Non-binary_Characters

Klar, beim ersten Hingucken in diese Auflistungen wirkt die Anzahl an Charakteren hoch, jedoch verglichen mit binären und auch heteronormativen Charakteren in allen gesammelten Medien, ist die Liste viel zu kurz. Was besonders auffällt: Die meisten der Charaktere sind Nebencharaktere und nehmen wahrscheinlich oft die Funktion des „Quoten-Queers“ ein. Sehr viele der aufgelisteten Charaktere sind auch Kreaturen bei denen eine binäre Einteilung von Natur aus keinen Sinn ergibt. Zu den bekannteren nicht-binären Charakteren aus Realverfilmungen (die ich auch kenne und bewerten kann) zählten z.B. Loki (jener wird aber z.B. in den Marvel Filmen und der Serie von einem weißen heteronormativem Schauspieler verkörpert und benutzt he/him Pronomen), dann gibt es den Doktor aus Doctor Who (wechselt zwar immer die Erscheinung und in den letzten Staffeln auch das Geschlecht, wird jedoch immer je nach Schauspieler/in klar binär dargestellt), und Lucifer aus The Sandman von Neil Gaiman (wobei ich mir unsicher bin, ob dieser Charakter besonders bekannt ist, es ist auch bloß ein Nebencharakter). Letzterer ist für mich einer der einzig guten nicht-binären Charaktere in Realverfilmungen, wo das Konzept „nicht-binär“ vollends durchgezogen wurde – von der Kleidung, über Make-Up bis hin zur Stimme.

Nun stellte ich mir die Frage: Auf was muss ich eigentlich achten, wenn ich einen nicht-binären Charakter zeichnen will? Und wie funktioniert das überhaupt? Der Mensch ist so darauf gedrillt das Geschlecht anderer Menschen anhand von vielen verschiedenen Merkmalen zu erkennen. Geschlecht ist auch eines der Merkmale, die beim Treffen auf eine fremde Person als erstes erkannt werden.

Doch nach welchen Regeln legen wir das Geschlecht einer Person fest? Wie können wir ein weibliches von einem männlichen Gesicht unterscheiden?

Grundsätzlich ist jedes Gesicht anders, jedoch gibt es spezielle Merkmale, die wir als typisch männlich oder typisch weiblich klassifizieren. Z.B. Haare: Männer tendieren dazu ihr Haar meist kürzer zu tragen, als Frauen. Auch die Gesichtsform ist ausschlaggebend. Männer haben in der Regel größere und kantigere Gesichter. Der Kiefer ist breiter, das Kinn markanter, die Wangenknochen eckiger. Frauen haben meist schmalere und rundere Gesichter, vollere Lippen und größere Augen. Auch markant sind die Augenbrauen: Diese sind bei Männern oft dicker und kantiger. [1]

Der Clou, um beim Zeichnen zu einem Androgynen Gesicht zu gelangen: Man kombiniere all diese Merkmale. Oder wie es eine Person im Reddit-ähnlichen Chat-Forum „Quora“ beschreibt: „It’s all about mixing up things that are characteristically of males and females.

Try to draw a face with a big nose (which is usually male) and almond eyes (which are usually female). Draw one with rounded corners (female) and flat cheekbones (male). Combine things. Its fun.

This applies to clothing too. Draw them in a suit with nail polish, high heels and cargo pants, etc.“ [2]

Ich möchte meinen Charakter nun doch nicht enthalten: Hier habe ich versucht typisch männliche und weibliche Attribute zu kombinieren – ihr könnt selbst entscheiden, ob mir dies gelungen ist oder nicht…

Quellen:

1: Peters, Nastasia (30.08.2013): Die Unterschiede zwischen männlichen und weiblichen Porträts. In: Envato Tuts+, https://design.tutsplus.com/de/articles/the-differences-between-male-and-female-portraits–vector-14954 (zuletzt abgerufen am 08.07.2026)

2: Nat (2019) über „Quora“, https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-draw-a-character-to-look-non-binary (zuletzt abgerufen am 08.07.2026)

Disclaimer: Für diesen Blogpost habe ich einen Charakter entworfen, um diesen im Character Animator zu animieren. Eine Sache stand mir hierbei jedoch im Weg. Ich zeichnete den Charakter auf dem ausgeborten iPad meiner Mitbewohnerin auf Procreate und hatte Probleme alle 22 Layer in richtiger Reihenfolge und korrekt benannt auf meinen (Windows) Laptop und in Photoshop zu überspielen. Wenn jemand diesen Blogpost liest und weiß, wie man hier korrekt vorgeht, ohne 3 Workarounds – schreibt mir. BITTE.

Als ich es dann aufwendig geschafft hatte alle Layer in Photoshop zu importieren fiel mir auf, dass irgendwo Qualität verloren ging und alle Assets nun pixelig waren. That said: Ich kam zu dem Schluss, dass ich meinen Charakter von Grund auf neu bauen musste, wozu mir dann jedoch Zeit und Lust fehlte.

Mein Versagen sollte jedoch nicht umsonst gewesen sein: Im Prozess des Aufbereitens meines Charakters bekam ich ein tiefes Verständnis dafür, aus was animierbare Charaktere zu bestehen haben, dies wollte ich gerne teilen – mit allen, die sich mit Charakteranimation noch nicht auseinander gesetzt haben. Hier also ein kurzes Tutorial zur Erstellung eigener Puppen im Adobe Character Animator:

Such dir eine vorgefertigte Puppe aus, die in etwa über jene Attribute verfügt, die du für deine eigene Puppe bauen willst.

Ich habe mir hierfür Puppe „Chloe“ herausgesucht. Sie ist eine Ganzkörperpuppe. Im Character Animator kann man Puppen mit nur einem Klick direkt in Photoshop bearbeiten. Siehe Bild rechts: Einfach die Marionette bzw. Puppe auswählen und auf das Photoshop-Logo klicken.

Chloe ist in zwei große Layergruppen aufgeteilt: Head und Body. Öffnet man diese bekommt man einen Überblick über alle einzelnen Layer. Ich habe genau diese Layerstruktur verwendet, um meinen eigenen Charakter zu bauen – bis auf die Mund-Layer. Die waren mir noch zu advanced…

Ändert man nun etwas an der Puppe, so wird diese Änderung im Character Animator übernommen. Ich habe mich hier herumgespielt und einfache Änderungen an „Chloe“ vorgenommen. In Retrospektive wäre es tausendmal einfacher gewesen meinen Charakter auf diese Art zu zeichnen – hier ist die gesamte Layerstruktur bereits vorhanden. Naja, man lernt dazu.

Es gibt außerdem ein lustiges Tool im Character Animator, um schnell und ohne viel Aufwand personalisierte Puppen zu erstellen – den Marionettenersteller. Tut, was der Name sagt.

Hier kann man aus mehreren Stilen auswählen und dann die eigene Puppe zusammenbauen. Die Auswahlmöglichkeiten sind begrenzt – z.B. nur 3 verschiedene Mundarten, nicht viele Frisuren etc. – trotzdem ein lustiges Tool, um schnell einen Charakter zu personalisieren. Ist nicht der richtige Schnurrbart dabei? Kein Problem. Man hat noch immer die Möglichkeit die Puppe in Photoshop zu bearbeiten.

Animieren im Character Animator

Wie auch das Erstellen eines Charakters ist das eigentliche Animieren sehr einfach. Im Fenster „Aufnehmen“ ist eine Timeline eingeblendet. So wie ich verstehe ist der Charakter durch eigene Körperbewegungen vor der Kamera zu animieren. Ich habe so eine kurze Szene aufgenommen, in der ich wild vor der Kamera herumfuchtle. Links im Bild sind Steuerungen eingeblendet – diese variieren je nach Puppe und sind natürlich, wie alles andere in diesem Programm – selbst anpassbar. Hier sind solche Sachen dabei, wie Gesichtsausdrücke, Handbewegungen, Hintergründe, aber auch witzige Kurzanimationen. Z.B. kann man diesen Charakter einen Revolver in die Hand drücken, der dann automatisch abgefeuert wird. Mit nur einem Klick auf das Steuerboard kann der Charakter so während der Aufnahme gesteuert werden.

Ich habe dies einmal ausprobiert. In der Timeline erscheint dann die gesprochene Audiospur, die Lippensynchro, die Blickrichtung, Body Tilt und eben auch die verwendeten Posen. Posen können im Nachhinein entfernt, hinzugefügt und bearbeitet werden. Die Aufnahme muss also nicht beim ersten Mal perfekt sitzen.

Auch sämtliche andere Einstellungen können rückwirkend gemacht oder verändert werden.

Wer jetzt noch nicht vom Character Animator überzeugt ist muss ihn unbedingt selbst ausprobieren.

Ich werde in meinem letzten Blogposts noch ein umfassendes Feedback schreiben, im Moment bin ich jedoch sehr fasziniert und habe bereits Stunden über Stunden in dem Programm herumprobiert.

Ich möchte hier außerdem ein YT-Video verlinken, das mir einen sehr guten Überblick beim Erstellen der Puppen gegeben hat:

Part 3: Complementary Colorize and Glow

After my Generate26 VJ performance, I felt like it was time to update my “Dancing Lines” Wire patch.

Updated Version:

Through the performance, I myself thought this patch is lacking diversity. Since making a patch that is always adjustable was the whole point, I went back into Wire and began experimenting. Eventually, instead of trying out each and every node and see what happens, I took a step back and thought about what I’ve learned in regular (good) old After Effects. There, I’ve learned that it is ok to cheat about anything and everything and that the name of an effect doesn’t indicate all its possibilities.

Then I thought maybe a blur could create a fake glow effect. Thus, I did some research about Wire nodes and found out that the so-called “Bloom” node is basically just an adjustable Gaussian blur. This quickly created the effect I wanted. However, I wasn’t fully satisfied with the look yet. As the dancing lines were still just white even with the new glow effect.
To change this, I started a new patch. This time, an effect patch for Arena instead of a source because I want to use the effect for multiple projects in the future.

This effect patch entails a way to pick a color in the color picker feature I built into the Wire patch. The idea of the effect is not to pick a color like blue and then receive, e.g., blue dancing lines but to receive the complementary color of the picked color. So when the club lights are blue, I pick the color blue, and the dancing lines become orange or yellow, depending on the shade of blue I pick.
Here is a short video that shows the updates:

Part 2: How to Outline Slices and Chase Effect

To stylize the slices used in projection mapping, I created a Resolume Wire patch. The patch recognizes the slice input/output and will fill out the outline with a color (currently red). The outline width is adjustable via MIDI controller. Furthermore, to make it even more interesting, I added multiple chaser effects within this patch that can be toggled on and off.

The patch:

What is a chaser effect?

A chaser effect is simple. If the output created in Resolume Arena has, e.g., 4 slices, then, e.g., on a 4 to the floor beat, the first slice lights up, then on the second beat, only the second slice and so forth, creating a chasing effect if the slices light up one after another from left to right. As if the slices are chasing each other.

Here is an example of a chaser effect used at an “Outworld” event. Creating the chaser effect within Wire is not the only option to make it. I’ve made project-specific chase effects within Arena, using different kinds of envelopes.

Ok, I’ll tell you what an envelope is first…
An envelope is a similar principle to sound automation (if that rings a bell) or placing key frames on certain frames. The envelope is used to make the visual seem audio-reactive. By choosing a 4-beat envelope, the visual can be automated, e.g. the kick drum.

The picture above shows that the visual is enabled on the first beat and disabled during 2, 3 and 4. Now, if the second visual is enabled on the second beat only, the third visual enabled on the third and the fourth visual… you get it now. It creates a chaser effect. This is just one example of an envelope.

The first envelope shown earlier was an instant on and off, but the one seen below has a slower turn off time.

While the one seen below this paragraph specifically is a bit of an experiment of mine. The chaotic envelope type adds a strobing effect as the opacity of the visual switches many times during that one beat.

These experiments cause interesting audio-reactive looking effects during shows, keeping the audience’s attention and energy high.

Part 1: How to Mixer

A Video Mixer in Resolume Arena enables smooth transitions between clips by blending two video sources in real time. Instead, hard cutting from one clip to another, it interpolates between them using adjustable blend or transition modes such as crossfade, Add, Wipe or Slide. The transition duration and blend mode are customizable, allowing for seamless visual continuity or more stylized scene changes during live performances.
Having learnt about this feature, I thought I’d try making my own mixer in Resolume Wire.

Here is the Wire patch:

Node explanations:

A Saw Oscillator generates a repeating sawtooth waveform that ramps linearly from its minimum to maximum value before instantly resetting. It can be used to create continuous animations by driving parameters such as position or opacity at a controllable frequency.

The Fractal Noise generates procedural noise by combining multiple frequencies to create organic patterns. There is no need for pre-recorded or -rendered media.

The patch I created mainly works with these two nodes. As you might be able to imagine already, the transition look is blending between images with a fractal noise mask.

During a music festival a couple years ago, I encountered an experiment with a projector. The setup is quite simple: A hazer, a projector and a projection. But the outcome felt unique. The focus is not on the projected area nor the projected visual on it, but on the light that is projected between the space due to the haze in between (as seen below).

In light of Christopher Street Day (CSD), I experimented with this idea inside Resolume Arena.

Short video example of my experiments:

As explained earlier, the visual itself remains simple. However, if projected through haze, e.g. the rainbow circle won’t just be a circle, but become a colourful tube or tunnel that one can look through. That is because the haze becomes the area of projection, creating a 3D space instead of a flat screen or wall.

Here is a link to a tutorial on how this works.

I want to take this idea from Resolume to a real space. Currently, I am in talks with other creatives and event organizers, with a possibility to bring this idea to Forum Stadtpark in the summer. Until then, I will continue experimenting until I find shapes that I want to bring to the physical space.
By then, I need a Hazer (not a fog machine, there is a difference). If you’re reading this and have an idea where or from whom to get one without paying at least 100€, I’d be thankful for the tip!  

I AM DATA.

I collect. I process. I transmit.

Every conversation, every sound, every place, every fear, every act of kindness, every contradiction becomes another fragment. None of it disappears. It accumulates and waits. My work is not about expressing these experiences; it is about processing them.

I make data visible.

It started with a cube. A cube that could dance. That simple experiment never really ended. It became the foundation of everything that followed. I aim to build systems instead of scenes. I rarely recreate the exact same visual language twice because repetition belongs to machines, while experimentation belongs to people. Every performance is another iteration. Another process. Another possibility for something unexpected to emerge.

I don’t want visuals to decorate music. I want them to exist beside it. To breathe with it. To become another performer in the room.

When sound changes, image changes. When energy shifts, the visual body responds. Somewhere between light, movement and rhythm, the boundary dissolves. The audience stops looking at visuals and starts inhabiting them.

Electronic music has always been more than sound. It creates temporary worlds. Worlds where difference becomes strength, where strangers become a collective, where identities can exist without explanation. I believe these spaces deserve protection. They should remain places of solidarity against racism, queerphobia, transphobia, fascism, authoritarianism and every ideology built on exclusion. My work does not always speak these ideas aloud, but they are embedded in the systems themselves.

Technology is my material, not my subject. The software and hardware exist only to carry something human.

Every performance becomes another input.

Every collaboration is another connection.

Every audience another perspective.

The collection keeps growing.

Every visual is another way of processing it.

A collection of data.

A collection of myself.

This data collection I call SILBER.

I AM SILBER.

As part of the semester, I designed a VJ show to mix live at the Generate26.

Furthermore, I took it upon myself to curate part of the DJ line-up, with bookings such as the design collective “Curieux Dilettantti – with residents “KOMMODDITY” and “Disco Veloce”, and “Generator” collective resident “t.mane”.

Concept and Performance Approach

My goal for this visual performance is to focus on rhythm, spontaneity, and live visual mixing rather than relying on automation. The visuals will be performed in real time, much like a DJ mixes music, allowing for improvisation and responsiveness throughout the set.

The performance is a collaboration with my brother, who performs under the DJ name KOMMODDITY and is a co-founder of the music label and design collective Curieux Dilettanti (CXD). Because we are performing together, I can closely react to their mixing decisions and create visual moments that are synchronized with the music in ways that cannot be planned or repeated.

At its core, the project explores the relationship between two brothers working in sync. We aim to create a synesthetic experience in which sound and image become closely connected, allowing the audience to witness and experience our shared creative language.

Art Direction

The visual concept draws inspiration from the meaning behind KOMMODDITY’s artist name. The name references the idea that DJs and performers often become commodities within the music industry: public figures whose image, identity, and artistic output are packaged and consumed.

To reflect this idea, I use rotating 3D scans of ourselves presented like commercial products or collectible figurines. These digital representations emphasize the tension between artistic expression and commodification, inviting the audience to reflect on how musicians are marketed and consumed.

The visuals also incorporate graphic elements and logos from Curieux Dilettanti (CXD), the label and design collective co-founded by KOMMODDITY. Branding is deeply embedded within contemporary music culture, and these references acknowledge that reality. Rather than functioning as advertising or encouraging the purchase of music or merchandise, the intention is simply to make the audience aware of the label’s visual identity and its role within the project.

To further establish a personal visual signature, I created a kinetic animation of a cube-based logo. The cube is a recurring form within my work and serves as a recognizable element that connects the performance to my own artistic practice.

Music by KOMMODDITY  
138-146 BPM

1,5 hrs journey through 3 techno sounds, thus 3 stages of the set   

• spacey hardgroove like Phil Berg – Rinn – will be a good transition to Dj t.mane 
• mainstream hardgroove like Fenimore – “Kasss”  
• more bouncy “shake your hips” with few lyrics hardgroove like KOMMODDITY & Disco Veloce – XXMIGLIA – will be a good transition to Dj Disco Veloce

Visuals

Since my brother and I agreed on performing a 3-act narrative, I made sure that my main visual is procedural and can be mixed with multiple genres.  
Additionally, I produce addons that will be used mainly on the side screens and in low energy moments to then kick in the main visuals in high energy moments again.

Check them out

Story Time
Of course, as it was a first-time performance for me, something needed to go wrong. But let’s start at the beginning.
The night before the event, preparations were made at the venue by mapping my Resolume project to the areas for projection. Two projectors were connected to my laptop via HDMI connection, and then 3 slices (a slice is the area in which pixels will be lit, pixels outside of the slice will be ignored) were created within Resolume Arena.

Example:

These are slices created for the visual output.

In the picture above, you see that a solid color is inserted, which normally would fill out the whole screen. However, it fills out the slices (3 triangles) only, as they are the mattes for projection.

To map the pixels correctly at GENERATE26, a plate provided by Moya was used.

The setup was as seen in the picture below.

As you can see, the VJ is standing in the back of the room, operating the screens from a place without visibility of the crowd, as the crowd would be facing the DJ in the front.

Anyway, the next day, after a long day of listening to lectures of the GENERATE day event, I continued making preparations with my brother to curate music and visual mixing for our storyline.

Finally, at the event, at midnight, the performance of my brother and me was supposed to begin. In a rush, we took out the HDMI cables from the ceiling and brought them to the front. We just had to be at the front together. Of course, doing that in a rush, it caused problems. There were issues with the HDMI cables, so that the mapping wasn’t working right and on top of it, after solving that issue, the cables of the MIDI controller were causing issues as well. Resolume did not recognize the MIDI. While the music of my brother was already playing, I was stressed and anxious that I wouldn’t be able to perform together.
After a few very awful and humbling minutes, the system worked again. Or so I thought. All my MIDI controller button settings were mixed up. While mixing the visuals, it often did not control the visuals the way I had prepared them at home before. Thus, I needed to mix the visuals while fixing my Resolume Arena project, all at the same time.
Somehow, everything still kind of worked out. Dancers were having fun and I received very positive feedback about the visual performance and wholesome feedback about a brother-to-brother type of storyline. Everyone thought it is very cute that we look alike and perform together, which was made even more obvious through my 3D scan visuals.
To my own surprise, I didn’t even stop performing after the time slot with my brother was over. I continued together with our friend Carl (Disco Veloce) until closing. What a blast!

In retrospect, I see that preparations need to be done more carefully. There was a lot of missing information that was gatekept by the organisers of the event unnecessarily, concerning projection mapping, mixing visuals live and the technical setup at the venue.
In the future, I will be even more direct about the need for certain information early on and not be dismissed if I don’t receive it.
And of course, I would like to be part of installing the equipment, to decide where the VJ setup is located. Next time, I won’t rip out the setup just before the performance begins. That was totally my bad ^^

Since I’ve learned that MIDI controller mapping can be destroyed randomly, I will create a fail-safe Resolume project backup, to hopefully have an unbroken one even if the original gets destroyed.