Is MadMapper available for Windows?

MadMapper 5 is available for PC and requires at least Windows 10. Please note that a 64 bit Windows system is required to run MadMapper and that the software is not meant to run in a virtual machine.

Is MadMapper available for Mac?

MadMapper 5 is available on Mac computers and requires at least macOS 10.13 High Sierra. Please note that MadMapper 5 is not meant to run in a virtual machine. For older system versions a MadMapper 5 build compatible with macOS 10.9 - 10.12 is available in the Download section of your user account. This version is not as tested as the official one and may also features lower performance and limitations compared to official builds.

Is MadMapper ready for Apple M1 computers?

Yes! MadMapper 5 is an M1 native application, fully compatible with macOS Big Sur, Monterey and new M1 Mac computers. Those builds as well as Intel ones are available in the Download section of your user account.

Is there a difference between the Mac and the Windows version?

The two versions are exactly identical with the exact same features.

Differences in software performance won’t be the result of your OS but of your computer’s resources.

Is it possible to purchase a single seat license?

Only rental licenses can be purchased for 1 computer. Perpetual licenses start with 2 seats: we’ve added a spare seat in case of computer failure during a performance/show.

Can I extend my license with additional seats?

It’s not possible to add seats to your existing license.

Can I share my multiple seats license with someone else?

Sharing a license is prohibited in the software user agreement.

What are the minimum hardware requirements to run MadMapper 5?

You will need a computer with at least 300 MB of disk space and at least 2 GB of RAM and any GPU compatible with OpenGL 3.3.

For further configuration you’ll also need at least a 2-4 cores CPU, and at least 8gb of RAM. SSD drive and a dedicated GPU are highly recommended as well.

What would be an optimal hardware configuration for MadMapper 5?

In order to take full advantage of the advanced features of MadMapper such as (heavy use of) the materials, here’s an example of recommended configuration for Windows : 6-8 cores CPU, Nvidia 1080 up to 20xx GPU. For the Mac version, we recommend iMac, Mac Pro and MacBook Pros over standard MacBooks. Avoid Intel integrated GPUs and mechanical drives.

Do you have an educational offer?

We do have an Educational Pricing that applies to students, teachers, instructors and schools requiring MadMapper as part of their instruction, training or for research purposes. To apply for an educational discount please contact our Support.

Can you apply for the >Educational offer as an association / non-profit organization?

The Educational offer is restricted to students, teachers and schools. Please refer to the dedicated section.

What is the difference between the Educational and the Standard version?

There are no limitations for the Educational version of MadMapper, both versions are identical, although you are not allowed to use it for commercial purposes.

What is the difference between the full and the rental versions?

The rental license is time limited while the full version is perpetual. Otherwise they are identical.

What is the difference between the full and the demo versions?

The demo version is a free version, its purpose is to try the software in order to figure out if it fits your needs or projects. It is not a version aimed to professional work and it comes with several limitations: a watermark is shown on input, output and output preview, loading/saving a project is disabled, export to SVG/PNG/PDF is disabled, spacial Scanner is limited and cropped to 1/4th of its resolution, DMX lighting devices will blackout once every 30 seconds, material installation and publishing from the library is disabled. Please note that it is not possible to authorize the demo version. Once you’ve purchased the Full version, you must download the most recent version of MadMapper in the Download section of your user account.

How can I update or upgrade my license?

Updates are available in the Downloads section of your user account. You can also upgrade each of your license directly from your user account.

In which language(s) is MadMapper available?

The software is only available in English.

How do I get the MadMapper License Agreement?

It’s available within the MadMapper Menu, under the preferences.

I am supposed to be exempt from VAT, how do I proceed?

If you have a valid EU VAT number, you can enter it in your user account or at checkout. VAT will then be excluded from the total amount of your order.

Do you deliver your products / items anywhere in the world?

Yes, our softwares, as well as our hardware products such as the MiniMad or the LED by garageCube can be purchased on our site from any country, with the exception of Iran and North Korea.

Need more help?

Feel free to post on the garageCube forum or drop us a line through the contact form (our sales/support team is available from Monday to Friday, from 08:00 to 17:00 CET).

What’s a reset?

Your MadMapper license can be used on one to several computers (seats). You can switch your license from a computer to another at any time and as many time as you want. You'll only have to logout first from the previous computer(s). If you don't have access to one of your computer anymore you can remotely log it out from your license by using a reset. Such procedure is directly available in your MadMapper user account, license tab. Please beware that it's an emergency procedure, therefore limited in time for security reasons.

I can’t import my license.

First, double-check that your serial number is correct and that it is a license number that belongs to you. If the site tells you that your licence has already been imported but you do not see it in your account, please contact our Support.

I just purchased MadMapper, I dont have my serial number.

The licence(s) you purchase will automatically appear in the Licences tab of the user account that made the purchase (yours). Serial numbers may take up to 48 hours to generate.

I don’t see my license while trying to activate MadMapper.

You may not be logged in with the correct login, you may not have imported your licence(s) yet, it may not have been generated following your purchase, or your purchase may have failed. Please check this information first (from your emails, from the MadMapper website user account) and do not hesitate to contact our Support.

How to use the license to activate MadMapper?

Login into your user account on the MadMapper website to download MadMapper. After installed, launch the software, you’ll access to the authorisation manager first. Select the product(s) you want to install, login with your user account and finally select your license to authorize and use MadMapper.

MadMapper tells me it can't connect to the server to authorize the program.

Make sure you do not use internet connection blockers. On macOS make sure that PROXY SOCKS is disabled in your System/Network Preferences.

How do I de-authorize MadMapper?

Go to the Account menu / Manage Authorisation: the licensing tool will allow you to de-authorize MadMapper or authorize an extension. Use your MadMapper login and password.

I can't find my license or previous purchases in my user account

You may not be logged in with the correct login. Try connecting with other e-mails that may have been used for your user account(s).

Can I consolidate my purchased licenses into a single license?

Our system does not allow it. But we did improve the licensing manager with the new user account, allowing to consult serial numbers, the number of seats to which they entitle as well as the number of available seats.

I need the purchase invoice for my license.

If you need to re-download the purchase invoice for your license, you must go to your user account, under the orders section. Invoices are available for download, for every order.

My computer is no longer working or has been stolen, how do I remove it from my license?

If you no longer have access to one of your computer(s) for the reasons mentioned above or for other reasons, you will not be able to de-authorize it from the software. You must then use the remote reset procedure, available in your user account, which will allow you to remotely de-authorize a computer linked to your license. For security reasons this procedure is an exceptional measure: you will have to wait a year before using a remote reset again.

I forgot to de-authorize my computer, what should I do?

If you forgot to de-authorize MadMapper before formatting, before reselling your computer, or for any other reason, you will no longer be able to do so directly from the software. You must then use a remote reset (please refer to the previous article).

How many remote reset do I get with my license?

Under 10 seats you’ve got 1 reset per year (365 running days period). From 10 seats you’ve got 2 resets per year.

I don't have any more remote reset available, how can I de-authorize a computer?

In this case, please provide us with your license’s serial number as well as the computer name you need to remove through the contact form. We will de-authorize the computer for you, only upon presentation of a relevant document relating to the repair or theft of your computer.

Issues with MSI computers (Windows)

We have recently noticed a problem that our users sometimes encounter on their MSI computers: after a reboot, the unique machine ID changed, forcing them to re-authorize MadMapper. We have a solution, so if you are in this situation please contact us through the contact form.

Need more help?

Feel free to post on the garageCube forum or drop us a line through the contact form (our support team is available from Monday to Friday, from 08:00 to 17:00 CET).

Ableton Sync

We made a demo video available here (only for beat matching) : https://youtu.be/0MbcimSV2VY

Adjust perspective for surfaces groups

If you select a surface group, the geometric adjustment in the output will only change X and Y value. In MadMapper 4/5 you can activate “perspective” option in the group settings. In previous releases, press “alt” when moving the handle of the group, it will do perspective. With a multi-selection of surfaces ("shadow group") press "alt" when moving the handle of the group, it will do perspective as well.

Assigning multiple OSC channel per control

It's actually limited to one assignment to a control per controller type (MIDI/OSC/DMX/etc.). However there are two options: create cues with various "visibility" setups (add the visibility of your surfaces in some cues using Cues "Edit" mode, check Scenes & Cues doc in Help menu or look at youtube video tutorials) or use the "Controls Combiner" module to combine multiple inputs to a single control.

Background image not displayed in the output window

The output remains black if no content is loading. The background image is only for preview.

Brodcast vs Unicast for Light mapping

Broadcast (preferred for small installations) is transferring data to all network device simultaneously and is easy to configure. Unicast (preferred for bigger installations including a lof of DMX universes) is transferring data to each network device independently and have much better performances by sending data only where is needed. Unicast need an extra configuration.

Cameras for live video input

MadMapper supports cameras as a source input. On macOS you can use any USB camera for live feeds as long as it is supported by QuickTime. We can’t recommend any specific one as we have not tested all cameras on the market. On Windows, you can use any camera that supports DirectShow (most of them do, but check first).

Cameras for Spatial Scanning

For the spacial scanner feature we only support the Canon SDK, meaning you can use a Canon camera in full resolution, otherwise other cameras can work as webcams if compatible with quicktime (macOS) or directshow (windows). You may not get the proper full resolution of your camera as the video signal will be processed through usb, through webcam.

macOS: everything that can be seen via QuickTime (since both QuickTime and MadMapper use AVFoundation for the cameras), and if the manufacturer provides an AVFoundation driver or uses a standard protocol.

Windows: the manufacturer must provide DirectShow support. We strongly recommend that you try the MadMapper Demo to make sure your hardware is compatible before purchasing the software. Other recommendations: the less compression the better. The higher the resolution the better. A second-hand Canon camera (entry-level) is a good way to go.

Can I scale multiple selected 3D surfaces at once?

3D Surfaces are mostly made for calibrating to the physical world object - calibrated objects can't be moved afterwards. This is the reason why 3D surfaces cannot be modified by "group" selection.

Codec recommendation

H264 is the standard recommend video codec. For (very) high resolutions, HAP codec is recommended.

Custom light fixture

You can do whatever you want with the pixel colors using pixels of type "custom" and choosing "Expression". Then you're writing GLSL code and you can introduce tests and mathematical functions (GLSL compliant). There is a short demo here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgxyNQSMmns

Disable the pop-message at startup

It’s useful, for instance, for permanent installation. Go to MadMapper Preferences/Misc and select “Silent Mode” (avoid prompting users during permanent installations).

DMX Interfaces compatibility (Art-Net)

Any LED driver that supports Art-Net (broadcast or unicast) or sACN (multicast only) will work with MadMapper.

DMX interfaces compatibility (USB)

Officially supported devices are the garageCube usb-to-dmx, the Enttec Open USB DMX and the Enttec DMX USB Pro MKII. We cannot guarantee compatibility and reliability anymore for other equipment.

DMX interfaces over Wi-Fi

You could use them with MadMapper, for instance the AirPixel ONE. If you face difficulties during your setup, try to deactivate the "Unicast" option in the MadMapper Preferences/DMX Output, try to deactivate "Universe Synchronisation" as well since some LED drivers don't handle it properly.

Enttec Pro & Mk2 DMX in/out

Enttec Pro & Mk2 support DMX in & out, but you can't use it for input & output simultaneously.

Fading audio

One way is to use the audio from a movie file, create scenes/cues and then update all your scenes/cues so that the parameter "Audio Linked To Opacity" of all movies in all scenes/cues is activated.

Fading effects

MadMapper will not fade between two effects. You must use two surfaces to do that. Fading normally smoothly change the parameter, but we can't fade the "FX Name" parameter, so it just switches. There is a spacial case for fading Visual, which is done by rendering the surface twice with different opacity & the previous & new visual. But that is not the case for FX.

Fixture group cloning and addresses shifting

Here’s a workaround: use the "Edit/Clone Selected Fixtures" option instead of "duplicate".

It will not alter the DMX patching. Then you can right click a selection of fixtures and choose "Shift Addresses”.

Fullscreen output (macOS)

If you want to have fullscreen output(s) on video projector(s) and MadMapper user interface on another screen (ie. laptop screen), do not maximise MadMapper user interface window, or enable “Displays have separate spaces” on macOS System Preferences.

How to stream your video mapping with OBS (Windows)

Here’s a tutorial : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GtTxHNCzzs&fbclid=IwAR1WRDv-AG8xzFwvcxjTDnf-PySG2o7H-Dv_Au5gGcJxHZYPRKkq4ysabZA

Import SVG fixtures

Here’s a tutorial on how to import fixture(s) from an external file using SVG: https://vimeo.com/202367567. Note that you can make an SVG with just lines. From that you can import DMX fixtures and Video Lines surfaces.

Limit the frame rate for NDI output

Since MadMapper 4 you can force the engine FPS. To do so, go to Preferences/Engine, set Engine FPS to “Manual”, then choose the desired FPS. The whole MadMapper engine will try to run at this FPS if possible.

Map a 3D object in MadMapper

Here’s an helpful tutorial about 3D calibration : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJa0xTkTUx4

Map DMX fixtures on a media

You can’t directly map DMX fixtures on a media, but you can use as media the video output of a MadMapper projector through Syphon (macOS) or Spout (Windows). Then you can do video compositing on your fixtures and have a better overview of your show in your previews. Here’s a video tutorial showing the process : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ielXPTqh79E

Multi audio channel (Windows)

On Windows, in order to have multi-channel output, you must go to MadMapper's Audio Preferences and choose as driver type "ASIO". Then you can restart MadMapper and check that the selected sound card is the right one. It will then output/input on all channels.

Multiple GPUs (Windows)

If you do have multiple GPUs, be sure to set the Main Display of Windows Display settings to a screen connected on the most powerful GPU. MadMapper will do all the processing on the GPU attached to the main display. When we'll switch from OpenGL to Direct3D on Windows, multiple GPU support will be improved, although we can't say when this will be ready.

Numbers of universes supported by MadMapper

MadMapper supports Art-Net 4, so it can address universes 0-32767 with a software limitation to 16384 universes.

Open file at startup

You can add the project file to the startup elements of your system and make sure that "fullscreen when opening a project at startup" is checked in the MadMapper Preferences/Misc tab. Silent mode is a great option too. There's no other way to achieve this unless you use a MiniMad device (the MadMapper standalone player).

Pixelite tip

Activate the "Skip last universe channels if needed" option. It’s needed when using more than one universe on an output with Pixelite.

Record your video mapping

If you do need to record your mapping as a video file, there are 3 options: with a Syphon/Spout Recorder (you’ll have to publish your projector to Syphon/Spout in the Projectors Tab), an NDI recorder such as OBS or a capture card on another computer.

Recommend lens for spatial scanning

The best is to have at least one pixel of the camera for one pixel of the video projector. More is better. So if you can have a lens that makes your projection area fill the camera picture it's enough.

Scenes and Cues in a nutshell

In MadMapper you can create scenes & cues (basically presets) in the same grid. Scenes is the first row. Scenes are restoring the complete state of your mapping (surfaces, fixtures, medias, and some modules). Cues are storing a user chosen set of parameters (ie you can store only surfaces colors on a cue grid row, while storing different sets of media assignment on another row).

Short throw projectors and 3D objects

Short throw projectors are not supported for 3D calibration simply because it's impossible. A short-throw projector will show a flat-uniform picture at a certain distance on a flat surface parallel to the projector but the picture is quite altered in the space. However by using quad mesh warping with bezier, you might be able to project your content but not using a 3D object.

Synchronize two videos

You may want to synchronize two different videos in MadMapper, The easiest way is to create a wide video with both video side by side, then on surfaces adjust the input rectangle to use the video you want. To do so you can use Adobe Premiere, Final Cut, DaVinci Resolve or any video editing app.

GarageCube usb-dmx driver (Windows)

If MadMapper sees your controller but can't open it, you'll probably get this message: "You must enable generic USB driver for the ShowJockey device using the free application Zadig". So please download "Zadig" from http://zadig.akeo.ie and install it. Start "Zadig" and choose your device, then choose driver WinUSB and press "Install Driver". After restarting MadMapper, your device should be available.

Uninterrupted Audio module playback with scenes/cues

Select your scene or cue, open the Cue Inspector, browse to "/Modules/MyFile.mp3/Player/Replay" and uncheck the value checkbox.

Update output geometry option for groups

As it’s often requested we made a video tutorial showing our best practice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uG2yFdKKHXM&feature=youtu.be

Using a Photoshop file for live preview

Simply drag & drop a PSD file to get the image loaded in the medias (you won’t have access to layers individually though). Then if you want to work in real-time in Photoshop and map with MadMapper, you can use a NDI plugin to get the Photoshop work area streamed live in MadMapper.

3D geometry and LED fixtures?

Here’s the trick: "unfold" your shape in to a 2D representation.

Need more help?

Feel free to post on the garageCube forum or drop us a line through the contact form (our support team is available from Monday to Friday, from 08:00 to 17:00 CET).

Animations no longer work

You BPM may be set to zero : check it out in Master Tab. Try to set the Global BPM to manual/120 BPM.

Audio orange dot (macOS Monterey)

On macOS Monterey, the orange dot on the top right of the screen can be removed by disabling audio input in MadMapper. But if you need audio input here’s the only way to remove orange dot since 12.3: https://github.com/cormiertyshawn895/RecordingIndicatorUtility (before there were simple apps avoiding to fiddle with the system security settings).

Can’t see my source camera (macOS)

MadMapper should support any camera that has AVfoundation support. However, as a protection against crappy drivers, if MadMapper crashes while opening a camera driver once, it won't try again until you trash preferences. You can reset this behavior by pasting the following command in Terminal.app and restarting MadMapper: defaults delete com.garagecube.MadMapper crashing-live-inputs

Crash with OBS Studio (Windows)

If you experience a crash at startup on Windows and you have installed OBS Studio on the computer, it might be caused by the “Game Capture” feature of OBS Studio, which allow this application to grab MadMapper output directly by inserting itself between MadMapper and the graphics card driver. While it works in our test environment we received MadMapper crash reports showing a crash happening in the dll "C:\ProgramData\obs-studio-hook/graphics-hook64.dll”. You can try uninstalling OBS Studio and restarting your computer to see if it solves your issue with MadMapper.

eGPU issue (macOS)

If you receive an error message at startup while using en eGPU, please right click on MadMapper.app to "Get Info", then make sure "Prefer External GPU" is unchecked prior to launching MadMapper.

I’m unable to run the MadMapper installation file / the installer seems broken

If your installation file does not seem to work, we advise you to first make sure that your Internet connection is stable, without intermittency, then re-download the installation file available in the Downloads tab of your user account. For further assistance, feel free to contact us via the contact form.

Kinect - UsbDK install

In order for Kinect to work properly on Windows you may have to install UsbDk :
https://github.com/daynix/UsbDk/releases.

Lines no longer visible live on the projection surface

Go to the Output menu and activate "Show Info". "Show Cursor" can help too.

macOS Monterey and Python support

Apple stopped the support of the Python language in its latest OS, Monterey. Which means MadMapper v1 to v4 versions are not compatible anymore with macOS Monterey. Feel free to contact the support team for further help.

MadMapper can't launch - missing dlls (Windows)

If MadMapper does not start on Windows with the error that some dlls are missing: MF.dll, MFPlat.dll, MFReadWrite.dll. it is because the "Media Feature Pack" is not installed. Usually it is because you are using "Windows N".

MadMapper crashes at program launch

First, a couple of specific recommendations for Windows users: make sure all your graphic card driver(s) are up to date, make sure your Windows OS is up to date, make sure you’re not running MadMapper from a virtual machine. For both macOS and Windows users we also recommend to properly uninstall the software and then re-download and install the most recent version of MadMapper available in the Download section of your user account. If the application still crashes, please send us a crash report and contact us through the contact form.

Materials don’t move, they are static

Some MadMapper materials speed are linked to master engine speed & BPM. So check first that your Global BPM in master tab is not linked to a MIDI clock or some other disabled input. Setting Manual BPM to 120 should solve the “issue”.

"Please activate MadMapper to install this material"

If you get this error message while MadMapper is already activated please deactivate (deauthorize) MadMapper then reactivate (authorize) MadMapper .

Screens swapped at startup (Windows)

There are different reasons why screens could be swapped at startup so please check first that screen positions changed in Windows Display Preferences too. Then please make sure your graphics card(s) drivers are up to date. Please follow the solution proposed here too: https://social.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/d03230f8-7d51-444a-8be1-ea93a0544b9e/display-resolution-reset-on-every-system-startup-by-live-mesh-remote-connections-service?forum=LiveMesh

Spatial Scanner issue with Canon cameras (Windows)

If you encounter issues with Spatial Scanner and your Canon camera, first check that the Canon Utility program is installed on your computer (C:\Program Files (x66)\Canon)). We've found that it's causing problems with the spatial scanner and we can't really do anything about it besides being always up to date with their latest SDK. So uninstall Canon Utility and contact us through the contact form if you need further help.
Please note that the Canon EDSDK is now supported on Apple M1/Silicon builds.

Why MadMapper is not seeing my projector?

That is certainly because screens are "mirrored". On Windows, you have to choose "Extend these displays" in Windows Display Settings. On macOS, in System Preferences / Displays, uncheck the “Mirror Displays” option.

Need more help?

Feel free to post on the garageCube forum or drop us a line through the contact form (our support team is available from Monday to Friday, from 08:00 to 17:00 CET).