Frequently Asked Questions

Scalable Display Technologies is the original inventor and initial patent holder of camera-based calibration for projectors. This technology was patented at MIT in 2002 and we have continued to focus on our core technology ever since. A number of companies primarily out of Europe and Asia have attempted to replicate Scalable's technology, and generally speaking, the market feedback is that there is no comparison in terms of productization, stability, quality, and robustness. Scalable remains the preferred supplier to the US armed services due to the software's extremely high threshold for accuracy and reliability. Scalable also has advantages in our flexibility to place a camera almost anywhere, not to mention a suite of correction features beyond warp & blend, including color correction, black level uplift, real-time perspective correction, and much more. Scalable also has an expansive ecosystem of playback partners, both hardware and software, ensuring there's always a solution for your project. Speaking for customers who have 'tried them all' there's no question that Scalable is set apart due to a superior software product, as well as a tier one technical team that will ensure your project is successful.

Scalable calibrations take roughly 30 seconds per projector. A ten projector system would take about 5 minutes to align, a two projector system can be recalibrated in under a minute. Initial configuration time is the longest part of setup since it requires user to input screen information and optimize variables for fast and successful recalibrations.

Scalable has a global network of resellers and partners who you can purchase the software through. Scalable has offices in US, UK and China, so please don't hesitate to contact us if you're interested in learning more about buying Scalable software or becoming a partner.

Which product to use is largely based on your application requirements and pixel pipeline. If you're running primarily Windows applications such as PowerPoint, Excel, AutoCAD, Video Conferencing etc. with a limited number of external inputs, ScalableDesktop is likely the best product for you. ScalableDesktop warps the Windows OS, so all content must originate on or pass through the ScalablePC or Machine running ScalableDesktop (non-HDCP compliant). If you are setting up a simulator, or a display system driven by a cluster of PCs or a Media Server, then Scalable Display Manager or Scalable Panel Assembly is a better fit. These products are capable of perspective warps for simulators and support multiple ways to apply the warp & blend which are not limited to a single machine for playback. You can learn more about each product at /products/ or by contacting the Scalable sales team.

There are a few primary differences between ScalableDesktop and Scalable Display Manager. ScalableDesktop is a single PC solution that warps the Windows Desktop for standard Windows applications. ScalableDesktop is primarily used for ProAV applications such as conference rooms, lobby displays, digital signage or a local exhibit. ScalableDesktop can scale the Windows Desktop up to 16 projectors for a seamless Windows OS experience. Scalable Display Manager has multiple ways of applying the Scalable Mesh Files. SDM can also support a single PC architecture, or it can support multiple PCs in a distributed render environment. SDM can also export the warp & blend information to media servers or upload the mesh files to projector hardware in the case of Barco Pulse. Scalable Display Manager is mostly used for simulation, visualization, VR/AR, theme parks & attractions and a number of real-time applications.

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Scalable offers a free SDK to customers and partners who are looking to enable their application with automatic display correction. Scalable's SDK is available in OpenGL or DirectX and is relatively lightweight, proven as a zero latency solution. The SDK provides complete hardware flexibility as all correction is handled on a software layer. Generally the SDK can be integrated within a day of work — there are 5 core function calls. When using the SDK, the system can run on Windows or Linux, it can use any graphics card that meets the requirements of the application. Calibrations are still run by Scalable Display Manager, the SDK then reads and renders the files on run-time. If you're interested in learning more about the SDK, please contact our sales team.

While many new projectors and media servers have built-in tools for edge-blending, it's important to remember that Scalable's unique value proposition is the camera. Manual edge-blending can take days or weeks to perfect, and requires a skilled projectionist to setup. With Scalable the camera does all the hard work for you. Additionally the camera ensures that the display is always pixel-perfect, reducing the cost of system maintenance over the lifetime of the display, and guaranteeing that the system is always ready for use. So while your display design may be technically achievable with tools available in a projector or media server, Scalable can still be added to the system to automate the setup and maintenance process, saving you valuable time and money.

For 3D camera placement we support STP, DWG or DXF file formats. We can also ROM camera quantity and approximate location based on a PDF of a 2D plan model, but 3D models in STP, DWG or DXF are preferred. For more information see our Camera Selection and Placement quick guide at /downloads/.

There are a few things you can do to prepare ahead of a remote session with one of our support team members. First, make sure that the calibration PC is plugged into a good internet connection and install TeamViewer. We strongly suggest that you have someone physically present at the system to assist our support team member. Additionally, whenever possible reserve the space to ensure there won't be other people walking around and that you can turn off lights as needed.

The default location for mesh files on a given system are on the host computer at: C:\Program Files\Scalable Display\DEI\SystemData\DefaultSystem\LastCalibration\ — For mesh files on a specific computer, they will be located at: C:\Program Files\Scalable Display\DEI\LocalCalibration

Yes — join our official Scalable Display Technologies Discord server at https://discord.gg/AaxjJ5aJjA. It's a platform designed to evolve with your feedback and participation.