MirrorDome is bundled with several useful software tools for astronomy public education. The complete software package is designed to create a smooth presentation for your audience inside the dome.
Software Requirements
The MirrorDome software runs only on Macintosh computers running at least OS X 10.4.8. The computer must also have 2 graphics
displays, one for the operator, and one for the projector. Laptops work well here with the operator using the laptops built in display, and the projector connected to
the secondary display.
As described in the Design, you can display fisheye content on the MirrorDome if you can "warp" it. The MirrorDome comes will all the software needed to warp both full dome (fisheye) movies and software applications that will run on the Macintosh:
ScreenCopy: Real-time desktop warperMDPlayer: "Warped" QuickTime PlayerDomeiface: Interface Software3rd Party Software: Real-time desktop warperScreenCopy
ScreenCopy is unique application which facilities the display full-dome software applications in the MirrorDome. Applications such
as Stellarium create a fisheye display. ScreenCopy is a separate application that runs alongside fisheye applications and creates a
warped projection of fisheye application on the secondary display. This way, any application that can create a fisheye image on the primary display can be used in the
MirrorDome.
| Laptop Display | Projector Display | |
| Macintosh Desktop |  |  |
| Fisheye Desktop |  |  |
ScreenCopy works by grabbing the a centralised, circular image from the primary display, warping it, and then displaying that image on the secondary display - All in real-time! This is how a warped image is created for applications like Stellarium, and Celestia.
MDPlayer
MDPlayer is special application which can play any QuickTime movie. When playing a full-dome movie, it warps the movie on the fly,
creating the correct distortion necessary for spherical mirror projection. Since all major full-dome content providers supply content in a fisheye format, this makes
incorporating full-dome content into the MirrorDome quite straight forward.
Domeiface
Domeiface is a sleek interface which allows you to seamlessly:
- Run interactive filmdom software
- Play full dome movies
- Remotely control the projector
3rd Party Software
You can run 3rd party planetarium software on your system if you wish. Any third party software would use the ScreenCopy
application to create the warped view. The compatibility requirements on the 3rd party software are:
- Must draw a full-screen image on the primary display
- The image must be a center fisheye image
- Must not use OpenGL "Game Mode" where the secondary display is disabled
The MirrorDome requires a DLP projector, Apple Macintosh computer, projection stand and high quality spherical mirror. Swinburne can supply all of these components, or you can choose to use your existing equipment if compatible. There are 2 resolution options, the MirrorDome and the MirrorDome+
MirrorDome
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MirrorDome+
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Swinburne recommends the MirrorDome for portable domes and smaller theatres, and the MirrorDome+ for fixed domes and larger theatres. Whilst the Apple MacBookPro 15” can drive the MirrorDome+, we recommend a PowerMac G5 as the preferred computer to drive this system.
Many dome operators may already have a suitable projector and/or computer, so these components are listed as optional. It can also be more cost effective to purchase these items locally for warranty and import duty reasons. SpaceWorks of course can supply the complete system.