Projection Mapping — V-Squared Labs
Projection Mapping — V-Squared Labs
V Squared Labs, with Corso Communications, was tasked to produce a 3D mapped stage for Google Play's tent at Lollapalooza. Alongside the live visual content created in TouchDesigner, I was brought on to create visuals in Houdini.
Houdini was the perfect tool for creating the variety that would be needed quickly and efficiently — and for its easy integration with TouchDesigner. Its procedural approach let me build tools that worked across the board: repetitive tasks were done once, then applied across the network. That was especially useful in keeping assets like logos and icons consistent.
3D projection mapping poses different challenges in geometry creation and animation. Houdini's seamless conversion between polygons, NURBS surfaces, and curves — and its ability to create point clouds from volumes — was indispensable, letting almost every effect derive from a single base geometry. Then CHOPs, Houdini's audio-driven context, exported motion effects directly into different attributes to create a variety of animations quickly.
The build included
Keeping brand assets consistent across a mapped stage is exactly the kind of repetitive task Houdini's procedural approach solves — build the tool once, apply it across the network.
The Google Play mark and its content icons stayed on-model through every look.
"Almost every effect was derived from a single base geometry —"
Houdini's seamless conversion between polygons, NURBS surfaces, and curves — plus point clouds generated from volumes — meant one base geometry could spawn nearly every effect on the stage.
CHOPs, the audio-driven context, exported motion directly into different attributes — a variety of animations, quickly.
From the physical stage build through mapping and playback — the visuals landing on the real geometry at Google Play's tent.