How to Create Custom Projections and Immersive Rooms in Unreal Engine
Learn how to use the Camera Render Studio Room Projection Builder to create multi-wall rooms, curved screens, dome layouts, floor projections, projector previews, cameras, nDisplay templates, and Movie Render Queue outputs for immersive installations.
What is Custom Projection in Camera Render Studio?
Custom Projection is a workflow for building projection rooms and non-standard display surfaces directly inside Unreal Engine. Instead of limiting a project to a single 360, VR180, or FullDome format, you can prepare a room made from separate walls, curved screens, spherical surfaces, floors, and other projection zones.
The Room Projection Builder gives you a dedicated editor for creating the layout, defining surface resolution, positioning the viewpoint, adding projectors and cameras, generating an initial nDisplay template, and preparing the setup for the dedicated Deferred projection pass in Movie Render Queue.
What can you build?
The workflow is designed for custom projection environments where standard panoramic output is not enough. It can be used to prepare rooms, screens, domes, floors, and multi-display layouts for immersive production.
Multi-wall immersive rooms
Build rooms with front, back, left, right, ceiling, and floor surfaces, then configure each output independently.
Cylindrical and curved screens
Prepare wide curved surfaces for panoramic installations, immersive stages, simulation rooms, and curved displays.
Dome and spherical surfaces
Create spherical and dome-style layouts for planetariums, dome theaters, simulation systems, and immersive exhibits.
Floor projection surfaces
Add floor-based projection zones for interactive rooms, exhibitions, stages, and immersive installations.
nDisplay-style layouts
Convert the created room into a starting nDisplay configuration template for further production setup.
Custom projection mapping spaces
Combine multiple surface types to prepare non-standard rooms, architectural spaces, museums, and experience centers.
Step-by-step Custom Projection workflow
Open the Room Projection Builder
Open Camera Render Studio in Unreal Engine and launch the Room Projection Builder. The Builder provides a dedicated editor window for creating room-based projection layouts without manually assembling every output surface.
Select a preset or create your own room
Start from a room preset or build a custom layout. Define the room width, depth, height, units, viewpoint position, physical pixel scale, maximum wall resolution, and aspect ratio behavior.
Add and configure projection surfaces
Add flat walls, cylindrical sections, spherical elements, or spherical elements. Each object can be enabled, positioned, rotated, segmented, and configured according to the required projection area.
Organize the room in the 3D editor-style viewport
Use object selection, transformation controls, grid settings, angle snapping, size controls, and hotkeys to edit the room more like a familiar 3D application.
Add projectors and cameras
Place Projector objects to preview direction and approximate coverage. Add Camera objects to organize viewpoints, preview the room, and plan the production workflow.
Preview custom projector images
Load an image into a projector to preview how content may appear on selected room surfaces. This helps evaluate direction, rough coverage, composition, and the possible number of projectors during the planning stage.
Generate a starting nDisplay template
Use the created room layout to generate an initial nDisplay configuration template. The generated result is intended to accelerate setup and provide a starting point for further production-specific configuration.
Render the projection outputs through Movie Render Queue
Prepare the created surfaces with the dedicated Camera Render Studio Deferred projection pass and render the required outputs through Movie Render Queue for use in an immersive room or projection installation workflow.
Working with Projector and Camera objects
Projector objects
Projectors can be added directly to the room layout. You can adjust their arrangement, placement, spacing, direction, and basic projection parameters to preview the planned setup.
- Preview projector direction and approximate surface coverage.
- Arrange projectors in linear or circular layouts.
- Load custom images for visual projection previews.
- Estimate the possible number of projectors required during planning.
Camera objects
Camera objects provide additional viewpoints for planning, capture, and preview. They can help you understand how the room and projected content will be observed from different positions.
- Create organized viewpoints inside and outside the room.
- Preview projected content through a selected camera.
- Configure capture resolution, FOV, clipping, and render targets.
- Use cameras to prepare presentation and validation views.
Generate an nDisplay configuration template
A room created in the Room Projection Builder can be converted into a starting nDisplay configuration template. This is useful for immersive rooms, multi-display environments, virtual production, projection mapping spaces, and other installations where several display surfaces must be represented in a shared configuration.
The generated template is intended to accelerate the initial setup. It provides a structured starting point based on the room layout, but it is not a final calibrated nDisplay installation.
Final projector placement, display hardware configuration, tracking, lens selection, calibration, overlap, edge blending, warping, and real-world alignment may still require manual adjustment for the physical installation.
Rendering Custom Projection surfaces with Movie Render Queue
The Custom Projection workflow is designed to work with the specially prepared Deferred projection pass included in Camera Render Studio. After creating the projection room and surfaces, the setup can be prepared for Movie Render Queue output.
- Create separate outputs for individual walls or projection surfaces.
- Prepare high-resolution content for multi-wall immersive rooms.
- Use the generated room structure as the basis for projection delivery.
- Continue the workflow in a media server, playback system, or installation pipeline.
Custom Projection surfaces are intended to be used with the Camera Render Studio Deferred projection pass. The correct output setup depends on the created room, surface dimensions, target resolution, and final installation requirements.
What the Builder does — and what still depends on the real installation
The Builder helps you
- Create a digital room and projection surface layout.
- Define output dimensions and segmentation.
- Preview projector direction and approximate coverage.
- Add cameras and preview projected images.
- Generate a starting nDisplay configuration template.
- Prepare the layout for MRQ projection rendering.
The physical installation may still require
- Final projector model and lens selection.
- Real-world projector placement and mounting.
- Hardware and tracking configuration.
- Geometric calibration and alignment.
- Edge blending, overlap, and warping.
- Production-specific nDisplay adjustments.
Custom Projection FAQ
Can Camera Render Studio create an immersive room layout?
Yes. The Room Projection Builder can create multi-wall rooms, floors, curved surfaces, dome-style layouts, projectors, cameras, and other custom projection environments directly inside Unreal Engine.
Which projection surface types are supported?
The Builder supports flat, cylindrical, and spherical projection surfaces. These elements can be combined to build custom rooms and non-standard installations.
Can the Builder calculate the exact number of projectors?
It can help estimate projector placement, direction, approximate coverage, and possible projector count during planning. The final number depends on the selected hardware, lenses, brightness, resolution, overlap, physical dimensions, and installation requirements.
Does the nDisplay generator create a finished calibrated setup?
No. It generates a starting configuration template based on the room layout. Final hardware configuration, tracking, calibration, warping, blending, and physical alignment may still require manual production work.
Can custom projection surfaces be rendered through Movie Render Queue?
Yes. The workflow is designed to work with the dedicated Camera Render Studio Deferred projection pass for Movie Render Queue output.
Which Unreal Engine version is required?
This workflow is currently presented for Camera Render Studio running in Unreal Engine 5.7 and later.
Test the Custom Projection workflow in your own Unreal Engine project
Camera Render Studio Demo includes the complete workflow for evaluation. Use it to build a room, test projection surfaces, preview projectors and cameras, generate an initial nDisplay template, and validate the production process before purchasing.