Resolume Arena

About Resolume Arena

Resolume Arena is built for playing video live. Clips sit in a grid of layers and columns, triggering them is instant, and the whole thing is designed to be operated by hand or by a controller during a performance rather than rendered out beforehand. Effects stack per clip, per layer and on the master, all adjustable while the material is playing.

The Arena edition adds the output stage that separates it from a straightforward playback tool. The mapping engine warps and blends the image across curved and irregular surfaces, so a projection can land on a building face, a set piece or a stage of odd geometry without distortion. Soft edge blending joins several projectors into one seamless image.

Synchronisation covers the ways a show is actually run. The clock links to incoming audio, to a tempo tapped by hand, or to timecode coming from a show control system, and clip playback follows it rather than drifting. Audio reactive parameters drive effects from the levels in the signal, and the whole surface responds to controller input mapped per parameter.

The technical side is deliberately unfussy. Playback uses a codec designed for the load, so a machine plays many high resolution layers at once without stuttering, output goes to several displays or to capture hardware, and video input can be brought in live from cameras or capture devices and treated as just another clip in the grid.

What is included in this build

• Clip grid of layers and columns triggered live during a performance
• Projection mapping with warping and masking onto irregular surfaces
• Soft edge blending joining multiple projectors into one image
• Effect stacks per clip, per layer and on the master output
• Synchronisation to audio, tapped tempo or incoming timecode
• Audio reactive parameters driven by levels in the incoming signal
• Live camera and capture device input treated as a playable clip
• Multiple simultaneous outputs to displays and capture hardware

Changed in version 7.27.1.15990

• Improved playback stability with a very high layer count
• Faster mapping adjustments on complex output geometry
• Additional effects added to the bundled set
• Better controller mapping behaviour with multiple devices connected
• Reduced project load times on shows with large clip libraries

Installation walkthrough

These steps assume a clean machine. If a previous release of the same application is present, deal with that first, since an overlapping install is the most common cause of a setup that stops halfway.

1. Install the current graphics driver from the GPU vendor before starting.
2. Disable real-time protection for the length of the install.
3. Extract the archive to a short path and run setup as administrator.
4. Connect and configure the output displays before building the first composition.
5. Convert source material to the playback codec before a show rather than during it.

System requirements and file details

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