Can't use drawing program full screen to draw mask

[Craig Williams]

I have a task to draw a mask to fit an extremely irregular aperture in a set.   (a jagged hole, 47 edges).  Using QLab 5.

The projector has to be warped to fit the images. 

I followed the Mic Pool Cookbook page  https://qlab.app/cookbook/mapping-complexity/  

I had a great deal of trouble getting CamTwist to work (eventually did), and was using Syphoner instead. 

My drawing program is Pixelmator Pro. 

My problem is, when I try to open the Pixelmator drawing program at full size, my Mac automatically opens it in a new virtual screen Desktop window. 

It flips off the projected screen.  And Syphoner no longer can find it to send the image, it reverts to the default colour test pattern. 

Does anyone know how to disable the Mac from automatically utilising ’Spaces’ ?  (I turned off all checkboxes in Mission Control, but it still does it anyway).  I want all my apps in the same Desktop.

I’ve tried plotting ahead with the image I can see (not full screen) just to get the hang of drawing the mask. All looked fine on the screen, but when I save it and try to use it as an actual mask, the proportions are all wrong. 

Is there any update on this info and how to achieve it, since the new OS functions..?

Thanks

Craig

[micpool]

If you're using Pixelmator and Syphoner, you don't need to go full screen.

Create a Canvas in Pixelmator the size of your projector e.g 1920 x 1200 for a WUXGA device.

Zoom to fit

Target Syphoner to use Pixelmator

Create a stage the size of your projector in QLab
Make a camera Cue with Syphoner as the input

Patch the Camera Cue to your projector stage
Play the camera cue 

Use the crop tools in Syphoner to crop down to just the canvas area of Pixelmatorr (set the Pixelmator  preferences to light window scheme  and select all the canvas to get a dotted line at the edge)

Warp the Projector stage in QLab as required.

Use the Pen tool to draw round the set pieces on your warped projector.

Mic

[Richard Williamson]

Just as an act of shameless self promotion, you might want to give Maskerator a try (https://www.theatre.support/maskerator) - it’s free and aims to make the task of drawing masks easier. It is very much a work in progress so any feedback is always appreciated. 

--

Richard Williamson
www.richard-williamson.com
ric...@richard-williamson.com
07957 457 362

On 30 Jun 2025 at 15:44 +0100, micpool <m...@micpool.com>, wrote:

If you're using Pixelmator and Syphoner, you don't need to go full screen.

Create a Canvas in Pixelmator the size of your projector e.g 1920 x 1200 for a WUXGA device.

Zoom to fit

Target Syphoner to use Pixelmator

Create a stage the size of your projector in QLab
Make a camera Cue with Syphoner as the input

Patch the Camera Cue to your projector stage
Play the camera cue 

Use the crop tools in Syphoner to crop down to just the canvas area of Pixelmatorr (set the Pixelmator  preferences to light window scheme  and select all the canvas to get a dotted line at the edge)

Warp the Projector stage in QLab as required.

Use the Pen tool to draw round the set pieces on your warped projector.

<Screenshot 2025-06-30 at 15.40.12.png>

<Screenshot 2025-06-30 at 15.40.50.png>

<Screenshot 2025-06-30 at 15.43.01.png>

<Screenshot 2025-06-30 at 15.40.12 (2).png>

Mic

On Saturday, June 28, 2025 at 4:55:48 AM UTC+1 Willo wrote:

I have a task to draw a mask to fit an extremely irregular aperture in a set.   (a jagged hole, 47 edges).  Using QLab 5.

The projector has to be warped to fit the images. 

I followed the Mic Pool Cookbook page  https://qlab.app/cookbook/mapping-complexity/  

I had a great deal of trouble getting CamTwist to work (eventually did), and was using Syphoner instead. 

My drawing program is Pixelmator Pro. 

My problem is, when I try to open the Pixelmator drawing program at full size, my Mac automatically opens it in a new virtual screen Desktop window. 

It flips off the projected screen.  And Syphoner no longer can find it to send the image, it reverts to the default colour test pattern. 

Does anyone know how to disable the Mac from automatically utilising ’Spaces’ ?  (I turned off all checkboxes in Mission Control, but it still does it anyway).  I want all my apps in the same Desktop.

I’ve tried plotting ahead with the image I can see (not full screen) just to get the hang of drawing the mask. All looked fine on the screen, but when I save it and try to use it as an actual mask, the proportions are all wrong. 

Is there any update on this info and how to achieve it, since the new OS functions..?

Thanks

Craig

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[Willo]

Mic:    Thanks very much,   I hadn't understood I could crop Syphoner down... I thought I had to scale up the drawing in Pixelmator.     I think I'm now able to make it work (I also had to turn off the pinch-to-zoom function on my trackpad, to avoid constantly resizing my drawing and having to crop all over again). Cheers.

Richard:  Maskerator looks like it will be good.   I can't discover how to achieve some of the functionality I see in your video...  creating insert points to make a many-sided shape, for instance..?

[Richard Williamson]

Hello

Thanks for trying it - documentation isn’t my string suit.. to create a complex shape use “add shape” (not 2D shape, again this is probably not the best nomenclature) then click on any of the blue points on the shape’s corners and you should see the option to add a point before or after that point.

I seem to have broken the blend points option in this version so I’ll look at that, but you can blur an entire shape

Richard

--

Richard Williamson
www.richard-williamson.com
ric...@richard-williamson.com
07957 457 362

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/qlab/c3bca413-a6d7-46db-8c92-b56ed6709d2en%40googlegroups.com.

[Willo]

Great, thanks Richard.    I was able to create a many-sided jagged shape with adjustable corners using this software.    I'll get to test it next week in the theatre space. 

Appreciate you guys for your great support!    

Cheers

Craig