I just wanted to ask around and see what people use for laser screens.
Motordriven Laser Screens
Inflatable Screens
Stretched Screens
Water screens
Which is the best??????
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I just wanted to ask around and see what people use for laser screens.
Motordriven Laser Screens
Inflatable Screens
Stretched Screens
Water screens
Which is the best??????
The shows that I have helped with, we used scrim (fine mesh netting). You can also put it in multiple rows so the beam path displays on each of them. With the low powers that we can get from DPSS lasers (not including doubled yags) compared to ion lasers a bit of scrim may be a good idea. Look for some stuff on-sale at your local fabric store. I also read a product review awhile back that used no-see-um netting (bug netting) with decent results.Quote:
Originally Posted by tony220171
-Adam
Thats a great idea do you have photos of your set up???Quote:
Originally Posted by sugeek
I don't have one on hand (I lost four years worth of pictures), but here is the referenced thread on netting: http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/...ead.php?t=5336Quote:
Originally Posted by tony220171
I found one example of Lasernerd's old argons shooting through some scrim a-long-long-time-ago...
Adam
I'll second the idea of using the No-see-um netting from Skeeta.com. I've used it at several LEM's with great success. Also, the stuff is cheap, so you don't need to be quite so concerned about spilling stuff on it, getting it dirty, or ripping it. It's easy to replace.
Adam
What colour neting did you choose it comes in white would that be good????:D
As a timely update, the netting that I mentioned in that review (3 metres x 3 metres) was a bit big so I have just picked it up from a nifty seamstress who managed to cut it down to 2 pieces.
1 = 1 metres x 1 meters and
1 = 2 metres x 2 metres.
She also informed me that the size was not in fact 3 metres square but was short by about 10 inches.
Not so important if you are just "mucking about" but if you've a specific measurement in mind it may be worth stressing that if/when placing your order.
Now I have some more manageable pieces I'm hoping that we can give it a good tryout at the next UKLEM.
The colour I ordered was slate grey (or gray if y'all speak with an accent ;) ) as this was recommended.
White may be too obtrusive when not in use
To me, the ENJE curtains of IKEA are the perfect scrims.
Very affordable.
Has the right stiffness to it; doesn't go "wobbly".
The grey version is almost invisible in the dark.
Passes/diffuses just the right amount of light to my taste.
And you can easily cut it without frailing.
Downside: size is limited to 250x140cm
"To me, the ENJE curtains of IKEA are the perfect scrims."
A search of the Uk and NL Ikea websites comes up with Enje Roller Blinds but not any Curtains ? could you offer more info
PAUL
I'm sorry, isn't "curtain" the general term you use for "all the stuff you put in front of a window" ? :-s
Then I meant roller blinds, but they don't actually blind, they are semi-transparent.
thnaks for clearing that up , very reasonably priced ..i would like to have inspected closer but Uk seems to ONLY do mail order on the Enje , no stores seem to keep them in stock ...never know i might splash out to experiment
Thanks for info
PAUL
I went down to bunnings and asked a guy there if he had what you all decribed to me and he took me to the isle that had House fly screens and works great hehehe thanx all for your ideas fly screens cheep as chips :)
no-see-um netting is what you want...
http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/...hlight=netting
http://www.skeeta.com/html/netting/m...um_netting.htm
The "no-see-um" netting from SKeeta.com is probably the most economical scrim material you're going to find. I have a (roghly) 9 ft square piece that cost me just $36 including the charges for sewing the seam and the shipping. Shipping to Europe will of course cost more, but the rates are still very reasonable. Also, the folks at Skeeta are quite pleasant to deal with, and will work with you if you have a custom order you need filled.
Also, the "slate grey" is the best color to use if you want the scrim to be nearly invisible. I ordered sample pieces (a bit larger than 1 square yard each) in Black and White to test those other colors, and both of them were more visible in both normal lighting and in dark room conditions than the slate grey was. (It's hard to believe, but the black is actually too dark, and thus it stands out like a black hole even in a dark room!)
I suppose this makes sense though, since most of the professional theatrical scrim I've seen (you know, the stuff that costs $25-$30 per square yard) is also grey in color.
One thing about size (as Soforene discussed above): If you order from Skeeta.com, know that the stuff comes in 54 inch widths, which is 1.5 yards or 1.37-something meters. Then you have to account for the overlap on the seam (assuming you order it wider than 54 inches) which is roughly 1/2 inch (1/4 inch on each piece). It's best to order this stuff in widths that are even multiples of 54 inches. You can always cut it later if you need to.
Also, if you want them to sew pockets in the top and bottom, know that you'll loose a bit more than the length of each pocket (plus the seam overlap) when you do this. Figure on loosing about a foot or so for a pair of 4-5 inch pockets on top and bottom. Normally this wouldn't be a big issue, as you're not going to be displaying images that close to the pockets anyway. But if you need an exact length, be sure to specify this in your order, and realize that you'll need to order it slightly longer to account for the length lost in the pockets.
The best way to use this stuff is with the projector behind the scrim and the viewing audience in front of it. Add just a little fog, and your graphics shows will have the added depth of visible beams while still showing the images on the scrim. Likewise, beamshows gain added depth because you'll have a bright spot on the scrim between the projector and the audience in addition to the continuous beam. (Very cool effect!)
If you need to have the projector on the same side of the screen as the audience, then this netting is not the best material to use, because it allows a significant portion of the beam power to pass through. If you decide to set your projector up on the same side as the audience, then you're probably better off using a blank wall or a standard projection screen (like you'd use for a slide projector or an old 8 mm movie projector) instead.
Adam
Hey Adam -
Good to see you 'back in the saddle', Brother! :cool: Hope you're feeling better + better... http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/...ons/icon14.gif
Thanks for the review and 'plug'... For any who might not know, Join / share tips / stories / cool pix, etc. here:Quote:
Originally Posted by buffo
http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/group.php?groupid=2
Yer all cordially invited... :cool: And, yes, it's *OK* to post info about other 'non-Skeeta' types of RP scrims / screens / tips, tricks, etc...
I will be posting yet another 'SkeetaSkrim' success-story soon - a really, really cool shot :cool: done with the grey... for now, the shot is 'classified' :D
Ciao...
j
Hi Jon;
Yeah, it's good to be back. Back surgery went just fine, so all is well. Staples come out on the 14th, and then we'll see how long the lifting restriction lasts. (Right now I can't even move my projector because they don't want me lifting anything over 10 lbs!)
Thanks for the well wishes dude! ;)
Adam
For scrim I go to the fabric store and buy nylon Tulle, or bridal illusion. That's the real deal for the price and go with white....
i have found a company in germany that sells it for 13 euro's each meter by 3.10 meters wide
reel laser scrim with metal parts in it
they are making some pieces for me now
8 x 6.2 metres and 8 x 3.10 metres and 5 x 3.1 metres all with rings in it and lead line at the bottem so it would stay tensioned
Looking foward to seeing photos of the custom german scrim [popcorn]
i wiil send some when i get them
Theatrical scrim comes in any color of the rainbow, the most common being black, white, and gray (as Buffo pointed out). they're pretty expensive new, but if you call around to theatres you can ask when/if they're doing any "Spring cleaning", or if they have any old soft goods they want to get rid of.
In my carreer I have thrown more than one scrim in the trash. if a 30'x40' scrim gets a 6' hole in it, it's useless to us, but you could still get quite a sizable piece out of it for laser use.
Aside from scrim, you can sometimes get pieces of velour or duvetyne, which are good for masking things, or sprucing up the area.
That being said, I'm going to get a piece of no-see-um when I have need for a screen.
I use the "no-see-um" white..... Works great :)
http://www.skeeta.com/html/netting/m...um_netting.htm
the company in germany has his own confection team
for the 6x3 metres laser scrim in grey
they charge 172 euro's but this is with reinforced sides eyes in it
to attach and a lead line under so it would stay in place
for the big one 8x6 metres they charge 430 euro all including the
eyes reinforced sides etc etc
or you could buy per meter and it's 13 euro's at 3.10 meters large
http://www.event-textil.de/
and just look at lasergewebe
I'd like to add that I bought some No-See-Um netting from Skeeta and it was very reasonably priced and arrived very quickly considering I'm in the UK. So don't be put off if you're based in Europe or elsewhere, they do a great service.
I thought I would talk add a little about my screen. It's not a scrim though. :D
I have a 6' x 6' Fast Fold from DaLite with a rear projection screen. $600 ouch
Once I finished my R G BlueRay projector I discovered that the rear projection screen didn't work very well the BR laser. I found that a cotton bed sheet flouresces when hit with BR, so I cut it to size and added some snaps. Wala a screen that gives me a blue that rivals a 473nm. The best part is it can be used front or rear projection.
The moral of the story. All I really needed is the Fast Fold frame. Not sure if you can buy them that way or not. I love my setup.
Lazerjock
The Best Thing i've used is Screen Used for keeping flies out of a house on sliding doors and windows etc and its black, and usually their aluminum. They work great for low power and also super high power lasers in the QSwitched ~40w range like a laserscope in my case...And best of all their cheap, you can toss them after an event if you want to...Can find them at home depot... And you never see it in the air...
~5X~3.5 price just about 25$
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X_Pzz4N_f8
Had to fold it because it was to big for a venue.
Just a quick note on scrims..
Make sure thay are fireproofed. Black cloth burns quick.
We use sharkstooth theatre scrim in black for best effect.
Need plenty of punch though, grey is more forgiving.
Awesome and all for about Euro 15.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr Laser
Just shows how rip off Europe is. Best to import I guess.
The downside is that the laser beams won't really get through, so it would look more like a projection from a video projector.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lazerjock
You can get the fluorescent effect with BluRays from any cloth that's been treated with UV-reactive material, which is common in most white-wash detergents (to make your laundry look 'whiter than white').
I'll have a look around the thrift store and see if I can find some cotton veil or curtain which has the right texture. Abusing the fluorescent effect of a Bluray sounds like a very cool trick. :D
EDIT: I've also considered using a drop system for a scrim in a future show, meaning the scrim will need to be dropped in mid-show to run beamshows instead of the graphics in the first half. Is there a good way to do that in a safe manner?
Roll-up blinds will probably work in that situation and have the advantage of being repeatable (so you can start the show with the screen off, drop the screen and raise it later), but they're painfully slow. Drop-release magnets might be too heavy duty for the job.
Also Remember that many Public places that you may try to use a "scrim" in no matter what material require it to the fire treated and ask for certificates.. i have dome many of shows where ive have certs for my soft goods and the fire marshal STILL does a burn test on the softgoods. if they dont pass they have to be taken out of the building.
I doubt you'll get certificates on the No-See-Um netting though. There are enough flame retarding agents out there you can apply to your soft goods yourself -- if the fire department does a burn test and it passes, you're good.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shawnb
Remember, even if something has a certificate, the flame retardant wears off after a period of time and is completely useless when you washed it. Which leaves you with a certified "flame retardant" soft good that is combusstible as hell. :D
It's better to do a burn test in advance on a piece of scrap yourself than to find out something is bad at the gig.
Hi all guys
I'm looking for this animated file (ILDA or FB3), colored this way.
Can somebody help me?
Thanks in advance.:)
Steve
]]Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Milani
Thats the eagle from some pango Gloria Estefan show,
Steve
[QUOTE=Stoney3K;123987]The downside is that the laser beams won't really get through, so it would look more like a projection from a video projector.QUOTE]
That is the effect I was looking for. I wanted a rear projection screen that would work with BR.
Hi has anyone tryed household fly screens works great.
Sounds like you have.Quote:
Originally Posted by laserbeam
Where's the review and pics? :p
Hey Gang,
For the US market you can sign up for JoAnn Fabics new letter and they will send you a coupon once a month for 40% off fabric
http://www.joann.com
They Have Tulle and Bridal Ilusions in most stores.
They don't spam either so its pretty cool getting a coupon once a month
Nylon screen.
Price = 20$ 3X5
Attachment 16238Attachment 16239
Hi MAN's!
You are speaking only about tulle here :-), how about water and other screens.
Vadim, LaserVR.ru
My Fire Marshall just does a burn test if there's a question. One thing he says you can also do it to buy fire retartand spray. You put it on with a pump sprayer and you are good to go.
Hi all,
I faced this same problem....I was in Ikea one day and found a window net with the perfect size holes and a price that couldn't be beat. The size was 2750mm x 3000mm I got two for £4 in the packet and it works great. I stiched plastic hoops all around the edge and in the seam which I have at the bottom I run a piece of metal rod for weight.
cheers
Matt
WOW! Dr Laser, where such stuff could be found? Ebay? Do you have a link?Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr Laser
hello all
A couple off years ago in the isle of man it was 100th year of the TT races and the government want to do something special so we contract Steve from LM productions to help do the first outdoor laser show on the island, the plan was to have a big barge with a water screen. but then at the last minute we found out the barge was not up to the job. so we 2 hours before the show was due to start we had to come up with a 2nd plan which was scaffold netting it sort of worked. i have attached a link to video that a local photographer has put together.
Charlie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbEd5UN8wCs