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Lightbridge

Output & Projection Mapping

Lightbridge can send your visuals to any connected display — a projector, a second monitor, or an LED wall.

Opening the output window

Go to View > Output (or press Cmd+Shift+F) to open the output window. It appears fullscreen on your selected display.

The output window is a dumb renderer — it receives the final composited frame from the main window. All your editing happens in the main window; the output just displays the result.

Choosing a display

If you have multiple displays connected, Lightbridge lets you choose which one receives the output. Select the target display before opening the output window.

Projection mapping

When projecting onto non-flat surfaces (buildings, sculptures, irregular screens), use the mapping editor:

  1. Click the Map button in the Output Mode Bar (next to the Hold / Go / Focus controls at the top of the main window).
  2. Each surface is a mesh with control points — a 1×1 subdivision gives you corner-pin (four corners), while higher subdivisions up to 8×8 give you a finer grid for curved surfaces.
  3. Drag the control points to warp the image onto your surface.
  4. Increase mesh subdivision when you need finer control across the surface.
  5. Enable Bezier smoothing for smooth curves between control points.

Fine-tuning

  • Arrow keys nudge the selected control point (hold Shift for larger steps).
  • Tab cycles through control points.
  • Edge blending softens the edges where multiple projectors overlap.
  • Per-surface brightness and gamma let you match brightness across projectors.

Tips

  • The output window runs at the same frame rate as the main window — what you see in preview is what the audience sees.
  • Output configuration is saved as part of your show file.
  • For LED walls or unusual aspect ratios, the surface input rect controls which portion of the canvas maps to each surface.
  • Per-surface brightness and gamma let you compensate for projector hardware differences across a multi-projector rig.
  • Projection Mapping — the architecture: mesh warping, corner-pin, edge blending, per-surface brightness.
  • Output Visuals — preview vs live, auto/hold mode, the output window as a dumb renderer.
  • Performing Live — hold mode, focus mode, and the preview/live workflow.