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Official User Guide

HoloMapper Documentation

Learn how to use HoloMapper, a projection mapping software tool for creating mapped visuals on projectors and secondary displays. This guide covers quads, circles, lines, custom shapes, layers, corner warping, mesh warping, masks, chroma key, presets, inputs, output controls, keyboard shortcuts, and saved .hmap project files.

This HoloMapper documentation page is designed as a quick-start guide and reference manual for users working with projection mapping, video mapping, projector output, surface alignment, live inputs, visual layout control, and saved project workflows.

Interface Preview

HoloMapper Screenshots

A quick look at the HoloMapper editor, URL input workflow, main menu, presets, and properties panel. Click any screenshot to open it fullscreen.

Full HoloMapper projection mapping software interface showing editor, surfaces, layers, and controls

Full HoloMapper Interface

The main workspace gives you access to surface editing, layers, properties, media controls, and projection output setup in one focused layout.

HoloMapper URL input panel for adding a live web page as a projection surface
URL input for adding live web pages
HoloMapper main menu and toolbar options
Main menu and toolbar controls
HoloMapper presets panel with generated visual effect controls
Preset visual effects and animation controls
HoloMapper properties panel for editing selected projection mapping surfaces
Surface properties and adjustment controls

HoloMapper Keyboard Shortcuts

Use these keyboard shortcuts to work faster inside the HoloMapper projection mapping editor.

  • Ctrl + ZUndo
  • Ctrl + Shift + ZRedo
  • Ctrl + YRedo
  • DeleteDelete selected surfaces
  • F10Start or stop projection
  • TabSelect the next editable point
  • Shift + TabSelect the previous editable point
  • Arrow KeysFine-adjust the selected point
  • Shift + Arrow KeysMove the selected point faster
  • Mouse WheelZoom the editor view
  • = or Numpad +Zoom in
  • - or Numpad -Zoom out
  • Middle Mouse DragPan while zoomed in
  • Right Click or EscCancel the current drawing or edit action
  • EnterConfirm layer rename
  • EscCancel layer rename

Basic Projection Mapping Workflow

HoloMapper uses a surface-based workflow. Add a surface or input, assign media or configure the source, position it, adjust its shape, and send the clean output to a projector or secondary display.

  1. Add a quad, circle, line, custom shape, window input, or URL input.
  2. Select it, then upload media or configure its source.
  3. Move, rotate, scale, warp, mask, or style it as needed.
  4. Choose an output display, then press Project.
  5. Use Sync Videos if video timing needs to restart together.
  6. Save your work as an .hmap project file.

Selecting and Moving Surfaces

Surfaces are the main objects used in HoloMapper. Each surface can hold an image, video, generated visual, input source, or other projection mapping content.

  • Click a surface once to select it.
  • After it is selected, drag it to move it.
  • Drag a selection box to select one or more surfaces.
  • Shift-click surfaces or layer rows to multi-select.
  • Click empty background to clear selection.
  • Use the scale handle to resize the selected surface.
  • Use the rotate handle to rotate the selected surface.
  • Handles remain usable when corners are pushed outside the visible editor area.
HoloMapper selected surface showing move, scale, rotate, and surface editing handles
Selecting, moving, scaling, and rotating a surface in HoloMapper.

Layers

The HoloMapper layer system lets you organize multiple projection mapping surfaces from front to back. Layers can be reordered, hidden, locked, renamed, duplicated, and multi-selected.

  • The Layers panel lists surfaces from front to back.
  • Drag a layer and release on the insertion line to reorder it.
  • Use the eye button to hide or show a layer.
  • Use the lock button to protect a layer from edits.
  • Use Rename to rename the selected layer.
  • Use Duplicate to copy selected surfaces and their settings.
  • Shift-click surfaces or layer rows to multi-select.
  • Multi-selected surfaces can be moved, rotated, scaled, and reordered together.
HoloMapper Layers panel showing surface ordering, visibility, lock, rename, duplicate, and layer controls
Using the Layers panel to manage surface order, visibility, locking, renaming, duplication, and multi-selection.

Quads and Grid

Quads are the standard projection mapping surface in HoloMapper. They are useful for mapping images and videos onto walls, panels, screens, signs, boxes, stage pieces, and other rectangular surfaces.

  • Add Quad creates a black projection surface.
  • Upload supports PNG, JPG, JPEG, and MP4.
  • Quad Grid adds an adjustable grid and border over the surface.
  • Grid line counts and thickness are controlled in Properties.
  • Flip X and Flip Y mirror uploaded media when needed.

Circles

Circle surfaces are useful for round projection targets, circular signs, lens-like effects, round props, and abstract visual layouts.

  • Add Circle creates a round surface.
  • Depth bends the circle inward or outward.
  • The center handle moves the depth focus point.
  • Uploaded media is fitted and cropped to the circle.

Lines

The Line Tool creates line-based projection surfaces. Lines can be used for outlines, borders, traced edges, visual accents, and mapped paths.

  • Line Tool draws line surfaces.
  • Line/Point mode places connected straight points.
  • Freehand mode draws by dragging.
  • Thickness and color are controlled in Properties.
  • Line points can be moved after drawing.

Custom Shapes

Custom Shape lets you build filled projection mapping surfaces from placed points. This is useful for irregular objects, signs, props, cutouts, angled surfaces, and non-rectangular projection areas.

  • Custom Shape creates a filled shape from placed points.
  • Place the final point on the first point to close and fill the shape.
  • Canceling before the shape is closed removes the in-progress shape.
  • Closed shapes can use quad-style media, masking, chroma, and presets.
  • Outline visibility and width are controlled in Properties.

Corner Warping and Mesh Warping

HoloMapper includes corner warping for standard projection mapping alignment and mesh warping for more detailed surface shaping. These tools help align visuals to walls, corners, objects, stage props, display surfaces, and projector setups.

  • Corner mode: drag the four corner handles for standard projection mapping.
  • Mesh mode: use Point Creation Tool to add warp lines, then drag mesh points.
  • Snap Corners helps align corners to other surfaces and to the edit-frame corners.
  • Keyboard nudging works on the active corner, mesh point, or line point.
HoloMapper corner warping example showing surface corner handles for projection mapping alignment
Corner warping for standard projection mapping alignment.
HoloMapper mesh warping example showing warp lines and editable mesh points
Mesh warping with added warp lines and editable mesh points.

Zoom and Pan

The editor zoom controls help you work accurately on detailed projection mapping layouts. Zoom only affects the editing view and does not change the final projected output.

  • Zoom affects only the editor view. The projected output never zooms.
  • Zoom out stops when the full edit frame is visible.
  • Zoom in goes up to about 5x.
  • A zoom badge appears when the editor view is zoomed in.

Chroma Key

Chroma key tools allow HoloMapper users to remove a selected color from a surface, which is useful for transparent-style video effects and layered projection mapping scenes.

  • Enable Key to remove a selected color from the surface.
  • Pick Key Color lets you click the surface color to remove.
  • Threshold controls how much of that color is removed.
  • Softness controls edge blending.
HoloMapper chroma key controls showing key color selection, threshold, and softness settings
Using chroma key controls to remove a selected color from a surface.

Masks

Masks let you hide parts of a surface without editing the original image or video file. This is useful for fitting projected content around objects, edges, windows, signs, props, and irregular projection surfaces.

  • Enable Mask, then use Edit Mask to draw hidden areas.
  • Freehand paints continuously while dragging.
  • Line mode places straight mask segments.
  • Fill Closed Shapes fills simple closed loops.
  • Invert Mask swaps hidden and visible areas.
  • Clear Mask removes the current mask.
HoloMapper mask editing controls showing freehand mask, line mask, fill closed shapes, invert mask, and clear mask options
Drawing and editing masks to hide parts of a projection surface.

Presets

Presets add quick visual effects to the selected surface. They are useful when you want generated visuals without needing to upload a separate image or video file.

  • Presets add quick visual effects to the selected surface.
  • Color Generator cycles through selected color slots.
  • Animations adds simple moving patterns such as lines, boxes, and spirals.
  • Speed, thickness, direction, and colors are adjusted in the Presets tab.

Inputs

Input surfaces allow HoloMapper to use external or live sources inside a projection mapping layout. These features are experimental and may depend on the source application, website, or operating system behavior.

  • Add Input captures a selected window as a surface.
  • Add URL embeds a live web page as a surface.
  • Input features are experimental and may depend on the source app or website.
  • Use Edit on a selected input surface to change or interact with its source.

Projector Output and Secondary Display Setup

HoloMapper can send a clean output view to a projector or secondary monitor. The editor remains separate, while the selected output display shows the projection-ready visual layout.

  • Display selects the projector or secondary monitor.
  • Project starts clean output on the selected display.
  • Show Pointer displays a pointer marker on the output that matches your editor cursor.
If a projector is connected while HoloMapper is already running, restart if prompted. Unsaved progress will be lost.

Save, Load, Reset, and Quit

HoloMapper projects can be saved as .hmap project files. These files store your mapping setup so you can return to a projection mapping project later.

  • Save stores surfaces, layers, media, masks, chroma, presets, inputs, and warp settings.
  • Load restores a saved .hmap project.
  • Reset starts fresh after confirmation.
  • Quit asks for confirmation when there is unsaved progress.

Supported Media Formats

HoloMapper supports common image and video formats for projection mapping projects. For best video compatibility, use standard MP4 exports with common H.264 encoding.

  • Supported formats: PNG, JPG, JPEG, MP4.
  • Sync Videos restarts all playing videos from the beginning.
  • Large videos and embedded web pages may need more system performance.
  • If an MP4 behaves poorly, export it again using a common H.264 MP4 preset.

Support

For bugs, support, or feature requests, contact HoloMapper by email.