Setting Safe Zones

Show software lets you shape where a projector can draw. Each shaped area is called a zone, and you set it by dragging four corner pins. One projector can have several zones. For example, a low zone can sit below a balcony and a high zone can cover the space above it.

In the model above you are the laser safety officer. Pick a venue, then drag the round pins until every beam stays out of the red no-go space. That space sits around the audience. With an operator in continuous control it reaches 3 metres above the people and 2.5 metres to the side. A balcony adds its own no-go space. Without an operator in continuous control the vertical distance rises to 6 metres. [cl. 6.10, 6.11, 6.12]

Try adding a camera platform or a video projector to the room, and watch the safe area change. Then pin the zones again. If you get stuck, 'Show me a safe setting' suggests pins with a little spare margin. Try to explain why each zone sits where it does.

Remember that a zone is a software limit. The Standard prefers a physical mask where you can fit one, so treat the zones as a second layer and not the only one. The model also assumes the beams are above the spectator limit, so it is a way to practise the thinking, not a replacement for your own assessment of the venue. [cl. 6.2]