nBlend:
patented optical blend solutions

nBlend - a Patented Solution for Optical Blend Masks

nBlend – a solution to create professional optical blend masks with compensated lens distortion.

The optical blend values are calculated based on the accurate calibration data and thus produce a highly accurate interference-free projection.

With domeprojection's patented nBlend optical blending mask technology the process and complexity of designing and installing the optical blend mask will be significantly reduced. Moreover, our technology allows to produce blend masks in outstanding quality.

nBlend can calculate the optical blend mask based on accurate calibration data gathered from the installed visual system and the mask kit, thus produce a highly accurate interference-free projection.

The newly developed combination of mask holder mechanics and optical blend mask features in domeprojection.com ProjectionTools will push optical blending to an entirely new level.

Say goodbye to visible grey areas in multi-channel projections with domeprojection.com's nBlend optical blending mask technology.

Most of today’s projection technologies cannot display pure and smooth black. This leads to visible grey areas in the overlapping regions of multi-channel projections. While the effect is hardly visible when day scenarios are projected, it becomes a major disturbance when dark content and night-time visuals are displayed.

The best way to handle this effect in overlapping areas is to use optical blending masks. When using this technology, foil or glass based filters with a blending pattern are placed in front of the lens. The blending pattern filters the unwanted light in the overlapping areas and leaves the non-overlapping areas unaffected. The optical blend mask technology is widely known but technically challenging and expensive. Furthermore, other parameters, for example, the individual distortion of each pair of projector lenses need to be taken into account.

With domeprojection.com‘s patented nBlend optical blending mask technology the process and complexity of designing and installing the optical blend mask will be significantly reduced.

Moreover, our technology allows to produce blend masks in outstanding quality. nBlend can calculate the optical blend mask based on accurate calibration data gathered from the installed visual system and the mask kit. The newly developed combination of mask holder mechanics and optical blend mask features in domeprojection.com ProjectionTools will push optical blending to an entirely new level.

Advantages:

Removal of light interference in overlapping areas
Removal of disturbing brightness in simulation applications, especially for night mode
Accurate calculation of areas to be covered and blend values
Providing the impression of true black

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Increasing black level vs. using optical blend masks

The common approach is to mitigate the effect by increasing the black level in the non-overlapping areas. The disadvantage of this solution is that the contrast of the system – which is crucial for a good perception of the projected visual – will be severely affected and thereby lowered.

The optical blend mask technology is widely known but technically challenging and expensive. Furthermore, the previously used method does not take all parameters into account. For example, the individual distortion of each pair of projector lenses cannot be included in the theoretical design. In practice, it is also hardly possible to reproduce the theoretical projection system under realistic conditions.