PRG MBOX EXTREME, User Manual, Page: 57 / 136

MBOX EXTREME
®
MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 49
Normalization
By default, both model and digital gobo files are normalized when they are compiled. Mbox Extreme's vertex array
compiler performs this task to ensure that the files appear at a usable scale rather than being too large or too small.
Given the wide variety of applications that can be used to create models or digital gobos, an object that appears to be
"just right" when created might appear to be gigantic or tiny when displayed by Mbox Extreme. Different applications
may use different units of scale – pixels, inches, meters – but each of these units of measure may be saved as a
“generic unit” in an .obj or .svg file.
Therefore when compiling, Mbox Extreme's default action is to normalize all models and digital gobos. Normalization
is accomplished by scaling objects to fit into a bounding cube that is 480px on each side. Objects are scaled up or
down so that their largest dimension is 480px and their other dimensions are then scaled proportionally.
If you create an object that you do not want the compiler to normalize, you can add the suffix "noscale" to its name
before the file is compiled and the file will not be normalized when it is compiled. If you use this option, one generic
unit will equal 240 pixels in Mbox Extreme's 3D environment.
a file named - 001.MyObject.obj should be renamed as - 001.MyObject.noscale.obj
If you create an object and wish to apply a scale factor (relative to other files), you can use the "scale" switch. In this
example the second file would appear at half the size of the original.
a file named -
023.DigiGobo.svg
would be renamed as -
023.DigiGobo.scale_0.50.svg
If you create an object that is scaled to match a particular piece of 2D content (which is measured in pixels), and you
want Mbox Extreme to treat generic units as pixels, you can add the suffix "pixels" to the file's name before it is
compiled.
a file named - 001.NewObject.obj should be renamed as - 001.NewObject.pixels.obj
In this case, an object that is 200 generic units tall will appear as 200 pixels tall in Mbox Extreme. And a piece of 2D
content that is 200px high would fit exactly when applied to that object.
More About Digital Gobos
A selection of DHA and VARI
❋
LITE® gobos are included in the Models folder. They are "digital gobos," and are
treated much like 3D models in many regards. There are four folders of gobos (003, 004, 005, and 006) saved as .svg
(Scalable Vector Graphics) files. The files are copy protected using the same scheme that copy protects the stock
movie content.
You can create your own custom digital gobo content in two formats. These formats are SVG and AI (Adobe
Illustrator). Adobe Illustrator is the best application for the purposes of creating custom digital gobos because it
provides the best toolset for features that Mbox Extreme supports. You will have the most success (compatibility) with
SVG files; they provide better functionality than AI files.
Mbox Extreme's vertex array compiler pays attention to object fill information in these file types. Path and Stroke
information is ignored unless you take special steps with the file. Read the Illustrator documentation for more
information on path, fill, and stroke.