Facades and architecture
Building fronts, entrances and heritage surfaces animated within their real geometry.
Service / 18
Chandrapur · Maharashtra · India
Projection mapping in Chandrapur, from survey to showtime
A mapped image is decided by the surface it lands on. Throw distance, ambient light and an uneven facade set the limits long before the animation does.
On-siteAlignment
CustomContent
6Office cities
Pan-IndiaEvent delivery
Overview
The building decides what the content can be
Mapping is often sold as a content job. In practice it is a measurement job with animation attached.
Every surface has obstructions: window frames, ledges, pipes, a tree that was not in the photograph, a streetlight that comes on at seven. We measure the surface, photograph it at the time of day the show will run, and record what actually falls across it. That record becomes the mask the content is drawn inside.
Projectors are then placed where the site allows, at the distance and angle the lens needs, with power and rigging confirmed with the venue. We do not keep a warehouse of projectors; the equipment is sourced for the job's brightness and resolution, and a spare or alternative signal path is planned for anything the audience would notice stopping.
Scope
Where mapping is used
The technique suits a fixed surface with a story attached, and it is chosen against what the audience will actually see.
Stage sets and backdrops
Moving scenery and bands where the visual reacts to the set rather than sitting behind it.
Objects and products
A car, a machine or a packaging box used as the screen, with the animation wrapped to its shape.
Interior rooms
Walls, floors and ceilings treated as one canvas for an immersive walk-through.
Content design and animation
Sequences built to the survey mask, including the parts that must stay dark.
Playback and show calling
Cue lists, playback machines and an operator who can restart a sequence without a visible pause.
Included
Included in the engagement
The survey, the alignment and the rehearsal carry the risk. They are planned as core work rather than as an afterthought.
- Surface measurement and photography
- Brightness, lens and throw calculation
- Projector and rigging sourcing
- Mask design and content brief
- Animation and render production
- On-site alignment and edge blending
- Playback and cue programming
- Rehearsal with the event team
Deliverables
What you receive
- Survey notes with the projector plan
- Final masked content and render files
- Aligned and blended projection on site
- A playback project with named cues
- An operator checklist for the show
- Notes for remapping at a future venue
Fit
Where it earns the effort
Mapping is at its best when the surface is the point — when the image would lose meaning on a flat screen.
Launches with a landmark venue
A building or entrance that already carries the brand, used as the reveal surface.
Cultural and public programmes
Festivals, heritage nights and civic events with a seated or gathered audience.
Retail and hospitality interiors
A dining room, lobby or atrium turned into a changing environment.
Exhibitions and installations
A room where the walls and floor are the exhibit rather than the backdrop.
- 01 / ProblemThe content looked correct on a laptop and wrong on the wall
- The mask comes from the measured surface, and the content is tested on site before the event, not only on a monitor.
- 02 / ProblemThe venue is much brighter than the plan assumed
- Brightness is calculated for the actual ambient light, and where the surface cannot compete we say so, then discuss scheduling after dark or changing surface.
- 03 / ProblemOne projector fails during the show
- A spare unit, a spare input and a recorded fallback sequence are agreed in advance, so a failure is a gap rather than a cancellation.
- 04 / ProblemNobody can restart the show after handover
- Playback is organised into named cues, with a printed checklist and a rehearsal run by the person who will operate it.
Process
From first visit to first show
The order is fixed: measure, design, produce, align, rehearse. Skipping a step shows up on the night.
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Step 01
Survey
Measure the surface, note obstructions, and read the light at showtime.
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Step 02
Plan
Fix projector positions, lenses and rigging with the venue, and confirm power.
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Step 03
Design
Build the mask and storyboard the sequence around the geometry.
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Step 04
Produce
Render at the final aspect and resolution, checking black levels on the surface.
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Step 05
Align and rehearse
Blend and focus on site, then run the show with the client team present.
Technology
What the show depends on
Source equipment varies by venue. The structure around it does not.
Projection
- Multi-projector setups
- Edge blending
- Lens and brightness planning
- Safe rigging and cabling
Playback
- Media server playback
- Named cue lists
- Redundant signal path
- Manual trigger and override
Content
- Surface-masked animation
- Aspect-specific renders
- Black-level matching
- Delivery codecs tested on site
Outcomes
What changes on the night
A mapped show is judged in seconds. The preparation is what makes those seconds work.
01
Content that belongs to the building
Animation follows the real edges instead of sitting in a rectangle.
02
Alignment that holds
Positions are marked and documented, so the next setup starts from a known point.
03
A planned fallback
A failed signal is a known procedure, not a scramble.
04
Files that can be reused
The sequence and the survey are kept for the next venue and the next year.
FAQ
Projection mapping questions
Still unsure whether this fits what you are trying to do? Ask directly — you will get an honest answer, including when the answer is no.
Talk to the teamCan any building be mapped?
Most can be, but not all should be. A surface in direct sunlight, behind trees or without a safe projection position will not hold an image. The survey answers that before content is commissioned.
Do you own the projectors?
No. Equipment is specified against the surface and then sourced, either rented for a single event or purchased where a permanent installation justifies it. What we handle is the planning, alignment and playback.
How early should we plan?
The venue should be surveyed as soon as the date is fixed. Content production and permissions take longer than the installation, so early access to the site matters more than early booking.
Does it work during the day?
Only in shade or overcast conditions, and usually at reduced contrast. For daytime shows we discuss a different surface, an interior space or a non-projection alternative.
Can the same show run at another venue?
The content often can, after remapping to the new geometry. Every surface needs its own alignment, so it is never a straight copy.