Golden Case Study
Stara Zagora Projection Mapping
From stone to story: rapid-deployment projection mapping at national scale
For Bulgaria's National Holiday on March 3, MP-STUDIO delivered Memory, a large-scale projection mapping installation at the Defenders of Stara Zagora Memorial Complex. The project combined drone photogrammetry, ProjectionTools camera-based calibration and EXAPLAY playback to align content precisely across a complex sculptural monument.
To mark Bulgaria’s National Holiday on March 3rd, MP-STUDIO delivered a large-scale projection mapping installation titled Memory at the Defenders of Stara Zagora Memorial Complex.
The 50-metre monument, featuring sculptural elements including the Samara Flag and figures representing the defenders of Stara Zagora, was transformed into a dynamic audiovisual narrative, where content appeared to emerge directly from the structure itself.
VIOSO workflow used
This project demonstrates a practical workflow from digital capture through calibration and playback. Experience Designer was not used on this project, so the design stage is represented by the photogrammetry and digital twin workflow used by MP-STUDIO.
Design & Prepare
Digital twin creation
Drone photogrammetry and RealityScan were used to create a detailed 3D model of the monument.
Calibrate
Camera-based calibration
ProjectionTools aligned the UV-mapped model to the physical monument using feature markers and camera-based calibration.
Playback
Reliable media playback
EXAPLAY played back HAP-encoded media across all projector outputs from a compact single-server setup.
From Digital Twin to Projection Surface
To achieve the required level of precision, MP-STUDIO developed a full photogrammetry model of the monument using drone scanning and RealityScan for Unreal Engine. This created a detailed digital twin, which was imported into ProjectionTools.
Feature markers were then applied to key elements such as the soldiers and flag, allowing the system to accurately correlate the digital model with the real-world structure. This ensured precise alignment across complex geometry, where conventional flat-surface workflows would not deliver sufficient accuracy.
From Hours to Minutes: Calibration in 15 Minutes
The installation utilised 3 x 20,000-lumen and 6 x 16,000-lumen EPSON projectors, each running at 1920 x 1200 resolution. Using ProjectionTools’ camera-based workflow, MP-STUDIO completed full warping, blending and geometric alignment in approximately 15 minutes.
This represented a significant reduction compared to traditional manual calibration workflows, particularly important for a single-day live event where setup time was limited and reliability was critical.
Project in brief
- Location
- Defenders of Stara Zagora Memorial Complex, Bulgaria
- Integrator
- MP-STUDIO
- Event
- Bulgaria National Day, March 3
- Projection surface
- 50 m monument
- Projectors
- 3 x 20,000-lumen and 6 x 16,000-lumen EPSON projectors
- Resolution
- 1920 x 1200 per projector
- Calibration
- Camera-based calibration with ProjectionTools
- Calibration time
- Approximately 15 minutes
- Playback
- EXAPLAY with HAP-encoded content
- Server
- Single AnyStation 4K with signal distribution via splitters
High-Impact Playback, Minimal Footprint
Playback was handled by a single AnyStation 4K server running EXAPLAY with HAP-encoded content. All nine projectors were driven from this compact system using splitters, enabling a fully synchronised, high-resolution canvas without the need for multi-server infrastructure.
This approach reduced system complexity and minimised the hardware footprint onsite, improving reliability for time-critical deployments.
Technologies used
- ProjectionTools
- EXAPLAY
- AnyStation
- Photogrammetry
A Monument as a Storytelling Medium
For the duration of the event, the monument became an integral part of the narrative itself, with its surfaces, forms and details used to convey themes of identity, sacrifice and national memory.
The result was a technically precise installation that supported a highly emotional and culturally significant experience.
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