Preview Windows

This chapter explains the three preview windows (Preview A, Preview B, and Preview Output).

"Preview A" and "Preview B" represent the two preview windows for the two MADRIX effect pipelines. The centered "Preview Output" window is a preview of the actual data output that is shown on your LEDs. With the help of the preview windows you are able to have a look at the effects before they are displayed on your installation.

All preview windows have a context menu. In order to show it, please click the right mouse button inside a preview window.
You can choose from "Grid", "Stretch Pixels", "Show Status Information", "Show Clock", "Use Background Image" and "Disable Preview".

This option activates an optical raster display showing separating the single pixels. If the resolution is too high, the grid will not be visible anymore.

Use this option to extend the preview windows to the full frame. If activated, the content will be stretched as well in the previews.

The name of the preview, the current matrix size, and the current frames per second of this preview will be displayed at the top of a preview window, when this option is activated.

If you activate "Show Clock", you will see the system time in the preview. In the example above it is 14:28:159, German time (GMT +01), or 03:18:39 pm.

If you click "Use Background Image" a dialog will open to select a file. You may load *.bmp, *.gif, *.jpg, *.png, *.tif, or *.tiff files as background images for your previews.

The recommended resolution for background images and Preview A or B is:

Preview A, B - Background Image Size

The recommended resolution for background images for Preview Output is:

Preview Output - Background Image Size

Only the Preview Output offers this option. If necessary, MADRIX displays errors and warnings in this preview. Choose "Clear Message" to discard the message. It will not be displayed anymore. Such a message could look like this:

If you want to deactivate a preview window, choose this option. This might be helpful to save resources and increase performance.

If a darker area is displayed in the preview windows, the size of your matrix is larger (the set-up has more DMX channels) than your MADRIX version supports. In the example above, you can see a darker area because this MADRIX set-up has more than 512 channels and the version is valid only up to 512 channels. As a result, all fixtures beyond 512 channels will be displayed darker than the first 512 channels.

There is another possibility that you will see a darker area in the previews apart from the issue with the version. This will be the case if you have created a Patch with areas where no fixtures are located. These areas without any fixtures will automatically be displayed darker to indicate that this area is not in use. In the picture given above, a dark area is shown in the middle of all previews. The corresponding patch would look like this:

As was described above, the internal preview windows will reflect the Patch you have created. Every pattern will be visible. LEDs that will be used are displayed brighter than pixels without LED fixtures. In MADRIX you can select two different modes for this regarding Preview A, B, and Output.

Activating Mask Mode (Transparent Pixels)

If you would like to see all pixels of your overall LED matrix, perform a right-click in the Preview Output, navigate to "Patch Mask" and select "Transparent".

This will influence all three Previews.

Activate Patch Mask Mode

Deactivating Mask Mode (Opaque Pixels)

If you would like to show only the grid that includes the pixels in use, perform a right-click in the Preview Output. Then, navigate to "Patch Mask" and select "Opaque".

This will influence all three Previews.

Deactivating Patch Mask Mode

With MADRIX dvi start, MADRIX dvi, MADRIX professional, and MADRIX ultimate you are provided with DVI output.

With the DVI output you can easily control LED pixel walls or use screen-capturing, for example.