Using More Than 3 Wavelengths...Theoretical Discussion

[Stiffler]

First, let me start by saying that I have yet to build any sort of module, let alone an RGB module, and certainly not an ROYGBIV module...But I am curious about these things, so I continue to ask....

I bring this topic up because I see the options for LD wavelengths continue to increase, which gives the opportunity to have better whites & more saturated colors, while maintaining a very wide color gamut. Just like an RGBY TV has better color balance, an RRGBIV (650,635,520,470,445,405) should as well (although a little light on green)....But how would one modulate all these colors? If memory serves, there are 6 color modulation wires on a DB25, so this should be possible without too many (if any) hardware changes, but is it possible to change the software to recognize these wavelengths? Was this ever possible with ions lasers that produce more than 6 lines? And speaking of those RGBY TVs, how are they deriving a 4th color channel from an RGB signal? That's gotta be one hell of an algorithm...

Cheers,

Eric

[norty303]

Some software allows you to configure extra colour channels. I can only speak about Pangolin but the FB3 can handle 8 channels (presumably using the designated 6 and 2 effects channels) and Beyond can allow custom configuration of the extra channels.

[Guido]

Dynamics is able to do this...Re-Calculation from RGB to Multicolor - Output in RealTime
Easy Set-Up.

[Stiffler]

Dynamics is able to do this...Re-Calculation from RGB to Multicolor - Output in RealTime
Easy Set-Up.

What is 'Dynamics'??

[Pangolin]

Dynamics is able to do this...Re-Calculation from RGB to Multicolor - Output in RealTime
Easy Set-Up.

Hehe, you're finally talking about it? ;-)

Pangolin was the very first to do this. In fact I'd stop just shy of saying we invented it (only because some folks have objected to our use of the word "invented" with respect to six channel color, even though we were the very first, and we worked with NEOS to perfect this with laser crystal PCAOMs back in 1992). Ever since then we've supported it on most of our platforms. Even the old FB3-SE and FB3-XE supports four colors. FB3-QS supports six or eight, depending on how you configure the software and want to count color channels. LD2000 supports 8. All trainable...

So -- it's not just theoretical, but rather something that has been available to Pangolin clients for 22 years!

Bill

[Stiffler]

Bill, can this be done in quick show, or does it require beyond?

[flecom]

Even the old FB3-SE and FB3-XE supports four colors.

really? I thought it only supported 3??

my projector has 5 colors... 650, 642, 532, 473, 445... looks great

combining more colors becomes difficult optically more than software wise... like Bill said Pangolin easily supports many color lines

[Sandstorm]

It seems like LSX supports 6 designated channels as well, though I've never tried them... I'm still stuck on 3 colours

[Pangolin]

Bill, can this be done in quick show, or does it require beyond?

Yes, BEYOND supports this, QS does not. QS is for beginners. If you've got a projector with more than 3 colors, you're not a beginner

Bill

[-bart-]

The thing that has prevented me from building a 3+ color projector is, that all software I know internally works with rgb colors.
Those rgb-channels are then remapped to 4 or more channels according some preset.
That preset is then fixed, so cues or projectionzones can not have their own color mapping.

For example I can not create a frame with a rainbow that truely consists of 8 individual colors, at least not with the software I know of.