Fulldome Standards Forum

Ryan Wyatt Academy of Sciences [email protected]

Ed Lantz Dan Neafus Vortex Immersion Media, Inc. Denver Museum of Nature & Science [email protected] [email protected] 1 Immersive Media Entertainment, Research, Science & Arts

IMERSA is an international non-profit professional organization that celebrates and promotes immersive and full-dome media for education and entertainment in planetariums, schools, museums, cinemas, events and attractions.

Founding Sponsors

IMERSA Goals

Develop industry standards, guidelines & recommended practices Fund/program development for research, arts, & other programs Professional development including educational resources and programs, certifications, and awards Professional communication and collaboration through events, online networking and an annual conference Industry research, including market and industry statistics, historical records, original research and product evaluations Outreach to the media, the public and other trade organizations to raise awareness of and promote the immersive medium Advance the immersive arts by showcasing artists, promoting immersive galleries and exhibitions, archiving critical works, and supporting the DomeFest fulldome art festival

The Digital Dome Spectrum

Giant Screen Cinemas 99 domes

Digital Domes 110 domes >18m

Digital Domes 652 domes <18m Latest Digital Dome Count 1013 Domes Total Portable Domes (LNP Fulldome Compendium Online) 216 domes Giant Screen Digital Standards Efforts

IMERSA – Dome Master specification for show transport between digital domes. • Initiated in 2004 Fulldome Summit

DISCUSS – Digital Immersive Screen Colloquium for Unified Standards and Specifications • Led by John Jacobsen of White Oak Foundation • NSF Funding • Adapting DCI specification for giant screen digital

GSCA - Technical Committee • Recently adopted DIGGS from DISCUSS Giant Screen Digital Standards Efforts

IMERSA DISCUSS

Screen Formats Dome Dome & Flat

Show Packaging Yes Yes

Encryption Maybe Maybe

Playback No Yes

Theater Design No Yes

Fulldome Slicing/Encoding Formats

DISCUSS DISCUSS – Digital Immersive Screen Colloquium for Unified Standards and Specifications a) Build awareness of the need for shared standards and specifications in the primary professional audience (GS Professionals); b) Develop interest in what those specifications might be; c) Build understanding of a possible convergence (or thoughtful divergence) among both fulldome and GS theater professionals.

Participants include Giant Screen Cinema Association, the Institute for Learning Innovation, the LF Examiner, the MacGillivray Freeman Foundation - Informal Science Education, IPS and IMERSA

DISCUSS

APPROACH

• Colloquium of industry leaders and technical experts in the giant-screen theater field – Held June 14-16, 2010 in Marblehead, Massachusetts • Online Forum with industry comment – http://whiteoakinstitute-discuss.wikispaces.com DISCUSS

Project Advisors, Technical Experts and Colloquium Participants

• Victor Becker, White Oak Associates • Diane Carlson, Pacific Science Center • Toby Mensforth, Smithsonian Institution, GSCA • David Duszynski, Cincinnati Museum Center • Andrew Oran, FotoKem • John Fraser, Institute for Learning Innovation • Walt Ordway, CTO of Hollywood’s DCI Specs • James Hyder, LF Examiner, Forum Moderator • Mark Peterson, White Oak Associates • John Jacobsen, White Oak Institute, PI • Christopher Reyna, New Paradigm Productions • Val Kass, National Science Foundation • Rebecca Robison, White Oak Institute • Mark Katz, National Geographic Society • Jessica Sickler, Institute for Learning Innovation • Doug King, St. Louis Science Center • Jeanie Stahl, White Oak Institute • Jeff Kirsch, & IPS Observer • Sandra Welch, National Science Foundation • Ed Lantz, Visual Bandwidth, Inc Dome Master versus IMAX Dome IMAX Dome Digital Dome Dome Master Format

Longitude 0º

+90º +90º -90º

0º Polar Fisheye

(Equidistant Polar) -90º

180º Dome Master Format

Entire Polar Image Outside Edge Fills 78.5% of Maps to Square Frame Single Pixel at South Pole IMERSA Standards and Guidelines

1) Show Exchange Standards for Dome Master Format

2) Fulldome Projection Specifications

3) Theater Design Specifications

4) Show Production Guidelines

5) Standard Nomenclature, i.e. “Dome Master,” “Slice and Encode,”

IMERSA Standards Process This effort is a professional service to the fulldome community conducted by IMERSA members and volunteers. The process will be designed to exclude bias and include all relevant points of view, with the goal of synthesizing a document specifying Dome Master / Fulldome Master Show File Standards document that is ratified by IMERSA and other affiliate organizations. Steps include: • Establish volunteer Standards Committee from IMERSA Supporting Members and Affiliates. • Disseminate Draft Standards for comment on work group web site (fulldome.org). • Broad-based public, member and allied organization review and comment on Draft Standards. • Standards Committee consideration of and response to submitted comments. • Incorporation of approved changes (via formal Standards Committee vote) into a Draft Standard. • Phase 2 of dissemination, comment, review and revisions • Incorporation of approved changes into a Working Standard. • Standards Committee consensus on Working Standard and ratification recommendation • Ratification of Working Standard by IMERSA Board and other user organizations • Continued review of comments, concerns and revisions as required by Standards Committee. Fulldome Standards Online on fulldome.org

1) Go to www.fulldome.org and join the site or sign in. 2) Select the tab labeled “GROUP” in the series of options at top. 3) Choose the “Fulldome Standards” group. 4) On the “Fulldome Standards” page, select the “Options” pull- down to join. 5) Start commenting on the proposed document! - Discussion Forum – can upload documents - IM chat window for general discussions

Dome Master Show File

Dome Master Show File, Version 1.0 Introduced January 18, 2012

Basic Elements of a Fulldome Master Show File

I. Metadata: File carrying “data about the data” that describes contents of the Show File. II. Dome Masters: Set of “fisheye” graphics frames that comprise visuals for program—includes alignment frames. III. Audio Files: Files holding audio tracks—includes test tones. IV. Standard Tech Trailer: IPS standard test patterns and audio files. V. Distribution Medium: Recommended medium for Master Show File transfer VI. Digital Rights Management: Encryption, etc.

Thank You!

Ryan Wyatt California Academy of Sciences [email protected]

Ed Lantz Dan Neafus Vortex Immersion Media, Inc. Denver Museum of Nature & Science [email protected] [email protected] 19