Projector Positioning and Setup

There are six important considerations when mounting the projector: 

• Dimensions (size) of the projection screen.

• Throw angle of the projector.
• Distance from the projector to the screen.
• Projector mounting height 
• Display mode (aspect ratio) setting on the projector (4:3 for most simulators).
• Display resolution on the PC, close to 4:3 aspect ratio. 

Use the projector remote control to choose the display format of 4:3 aspect ratio. This will be a closer match for the aspect ratio of the physical screen.  You will then set the display options on your PC to closely match the 4:3 aspect ratio.

On the projector:

  4:3 aspect ratio is 4 / 3 = 1.3333

On your PC display options: 

1400x1050 reads 1400 by 1050.   The aspect is found when you divide 1400 by 1050 = 1400 / 1050 = 1.3333

Notice the resulting calculation of 1.3333 is the same, thus the PC and projector match.

There may be other display options on your PC where the calculation is close to 1.3333.  You can experiment with them.  Here are some  from my laptop for reference:

• 1400 by1050 = 1.3333
• 1280 by 1024 = 1.25
• 12680 by 960 =1.3333
• 1152 by 864 = 1.3333
• 1024 by 768 = 1.3333
• 800 by 600 = 1.3333

You will want to set both the projector and the display on the PC so that the aspect ratios closely match.
 

Fitting the projected image to the enclosure screen

There are several factors associated with getting a good fit of the projected image onto your screen.  Essentially, you want the Projector and the PC to agree on the aspect ratio, and then position the projector distance to the screen such that the projected image fills most of the screen.

1. Use the projector remote control to set the display format (or aspect ratio) to match the aspect ratio of the physical screen.  This is most commonly 4:3 for indoor golf simulators.
2. Right-click on your PC desktop and select Display Settings.  Set to the Display Resolution to a similar aspect ratio (e.g., 1400x1050)

3. The setback distance for the projector will depend on the throw angle for your projector model.  I’ve found it useful to hold the projector slightly above your head while pointing it at the screen.  You can then move backward or forward until you find the distance where the projected image best fills the screen.  This setback distance can be used to mount your projector.
4. (optional) Corner correction or Keystone.   Some projector models offer corner correction and keystone.  These features will help you fine tune the corners of the image to best fit your screen.
5. (options) Zoom color on the projector lens.  Some projector models will have a zoom feature on the collar of the lens.  This can also be helpful to zoom the image in or out.