Playback & media servers · software
MadMapper troubleshooting
The MadMapper problems live-event techs bring to Ask Roadie most (also called Mad Mapper). Pick your symptom, or describe your own in plain words, and get the likeliest fix first, with the manual page when there is one.
Common MadMapper errors & problems
What techs run into most, and what's usually behind it. The step-by-step fix for your exact software is in Ask Roadie.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
Content doesn't line up on curved/architectural surface
Likely cause: Mesh warp adds interpolated control points meant for non-planar geometry; on a flat plane a perspective quad is mathematically exact, so mesh warp only adds error.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
Crashes on launch / splash screen closes immediately / random flicker to black
Likely cause: Launch crashes are almost always a corrupt prefs file, an out-of-date GPU driver, or a third-party graphics hook (OBS); flicker-to-black comes from media not being pre-buffered before playback.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
DMX / Art-Net output not reaching fixtures
Likely cause: Art-Net rides UDP over the chosen NIC; a wrong interface, mismatched universe, or partial range means valid data never reaches the node even though MadMapper looks correct.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
How do I update, and what is the current version / what changed in v6?
Likely cause: Updating is a full reinstall of the newer build; knowing 6.0.8 is current lets techs confirm whether a bug is already patched before deep troubleshooting.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
Laser output disconnects / drops (Etherdream, Helios, ShowNET, LaserCube, Pangolin Beyond)
Likely cause: Etherdream is timing-sensitive over Ethernet; competing Art-Net broadcast traffic on the same LAN starves its packets and causes dropouts.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
License won't authorize / "already activated" error / machine ID keeps changing
Likely cause: MadMapper ties licenses to a hardware machine ID; deauth/reauth re-registers the current ID, and the Reset flow frees a seat when the machine is gone.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
Soft-edge blending between projectors looks uneven / seam visible
Likely cause: Auto-Setup derives the overlap region from surface UVs so gamma/width match on both projectors; the pre-5.5.6 point bug mis-placed the blend start, which the update fixes.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
Spout sender not detected as input (Windows)
Likely cause: Spout shares GPU textures between apps; a DirectX version mismatch between sender and receiver breaks the shared-texture handshake, so forcing a common DX mode restores detection.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
What are the system requirements / specs?
Likely cause: MadMapper is GPU-driven; integrated GPUs and low RAM cause dropped frames and crashes on multi-surface shows.
Not on the list? Describe it your way, or paste the error code off the display. Ask Roadie works the problem with you until it's fixed or you have a clear next move.
How Ask Roadie helps with the MadMapper
- 1. Pick the MadMapper. It's already in the list.
- 2. Describe what you're seeing. In your own words, or the error code off the screen.
- 3. Get the likeliest fix first. Steps in order, the manual page when there is one, and a note when other techs have confirmed it.
- 4. Still broken? Tap 👎 and it keeps going from where you left off.