✍️HLD Author
Use the HLD Author web app to import videos, images, and 3D media, preview content, and export MP4 files for your playback target.
HLD Author is a web app for preparing content for Looking Glass Hololuminescent Displays. Use it to import source media, frame it on a 9:16 canvas, and export an MP4 for the Demo Media Player, BrightSign, or standard video playback.
This guide walks through the basic workflow:
Open HLD Author in Chrome
Import videos, images, or 3D media
Edit the content (chroma key, add a shadow, etc.)
Export the right MP4 for your playback destination
What you'll need
Chrome 130 or newer, required for HLD (HEVC) exports and recommended for WebGPU support
Source media to import
A playback destination, such as the included Demo Media Player, a BrightSign player, or another standard video player
Supported source media:
Videos
MP4, MOV, WEBM
Images
JPG/JPEG, PNG, WEBP, GIF, SVG
3D Media
GLB, GLTF, PLY, OBJ, STL, FBX
Open HLD Author
Open HLD Author in Chrome 130 or newer.
The main workspace includes:
Videos, Images, and 3D Media tabs in the left media library
A 9:16 canvas in the center
A Show Alcove or Hide Alcove button for the alcove framing reference
A contextual Settings panel on the right with different options to edit imported media
Export button in the top toolbar to export for different target deployment platforms
More Tools button in the top toolbar to access other content creation resources
Import your source media
Choose the tab that matches your source: Videos, Images, or 3D Media.
Click Import.
Select one or more supported files from your computer.
Select an imported thumbnail to load it onto the canvas.
GLB/GLTF and FBX files can include animation clips, which appear in the Settings panel when available.
For OBJ files, material libraries and textures are not imported yet, so OBJ assets will render with the default material.
Canvas and settings
Use the canvas to check framing before export. The alcove reference overlay is only a design guide in the app; it is not encoded into your exported video.
Click Hide Alcove if you want to review the source media without the alcove reference.
Click Show Alcove to bring the framing guide back.
Use the chevrons beside the canvas to collapse or expand the media library and Settings panel.
Use Reset if you want to return the selected item to its default settings.
Video settings
Use Transform to adjust scale, rotation, and X/Y position.
Adapt hologram box content
Some videos are created for hologram box setups and have content that extends to the edge of the video frame, violating the HLD's outside bezel design. Turn on Adapt Holobox Content to scale that source slightly and fill the exposed frame with colors sampled from the source edges. This preserves the subject's proportions while preventing the content from covering the bezel. The adjustment is included in the export.
Turning on Adapt Holobox Content also turns off the generated shadow, since this type of source usually includes its own scene and grounding. Use Sample depth to change how far into the source HLD Author samples the edge colors. If the fill picks up a bright object or creates a visible band, try a shallower sample or reposition the source.
Chroma key
Turn on Apply Chroma Key to remove a solid-color background from a video or image. Set the key color with the swatch or color picker, then tune Tolerance, Edge softness, and Spill removal until the background disappears without eroding the subject. Ignore alcove blend lets the color picker sample the source color without the alcove overlay changing it.
Use Shadow to add or remove a grounding shadow and adjust its opacity, position, shape, and blur.
Image settings
Images use the same Transform, Chroma Key, and Shadow controls as videos. The Hologram Effect mode determines how a still image moves and gains depth in the exported video:
None keeps the image as a still, flat plane with no added motion. Use it when the source already contains the presentation you want, though in general this is not recommended as it reduces the spatial effect of the display.
Float keeps the image flat but moves it gently across the canvas. Vertical range and Horizontal range set the travel distance as a percentage of the canvas; the speed controls set how quickly each motion repeats. This is the default and is a good fit for logos, cutout artwork, and images that should face the viewer throughout the export.
Extrude & rotate turns the visible image shape into a shallow 3D mesh and rotates it to reveal real thickness. This is ideal for things like logos. Extrusion amount controls the depth, Mesh density controls the silhouette detail, and Orbits per Export controls the number of complete rotations. Use a transparent image or chroma key the background first when you want the subject silhouette extruded; otherwise the full rectangular image is extruded.
Mask & depth uses local AI processing to estimate the subject, background, and depth of a JPG, PNG, or WebP photo. It creates a dimensional view with parallax. Choose Background On to keep the original background, Off to remove it, or Partial for a semi-transparent background.
Use Export Duration to set the length of the MP4 generated from a still image.
Float
Extrude & rotate
Mask & depth
The first time you select Mask & depth, HLD Author asks permission to download about 400 MB of AI models. Choose Proceed and keep the tab open while the models download and process the image. The models are cached in your browser for later use; after processing, Clear cache removes them if you need to recover the storage space.
3D Media settings
Transform scales, positions, and rotates the model on all three axes.
Lighting adjusts environmental (HDRI), ambient, and directional lighting so materials remain readable on the display.
Shadow controls the model's grounding shadow.
Animation chooses an embedded animation clip when one is available in an FBX, GLTF, or GLB file.
Export Camera controls the motion added to the exported video. Choose Orbit for complete 360-degree rotations or Sway to rock the view back and forth through a fixed angle. Set the number of orbits or sway angle, then set the export duration.
Export for your playback destination
Select the item you want to export.
Click Export.
Choose the destination tab: Demo Media Player, BrightSign, or General.
Choose the output target.
Click Export.
Wait for the progress bar to finish.
Save the MP4 if your browser asks where to put the file.
Demo Media Player
Use this tab for playback on the included Demo Media Player or musubi target. Available outputs are:
musubi 7": portrait H.264
HLD 16": rotated 1080p HEVC
HLD 27": rotated 4K HEVC
HLD 86": rotated 4K HEVC
HLD Author names these exports with target-specific suffixes, such as source_hld_27.mp4 or source_hld_musubi-7.mp4.
BrightSign
Use this tab when you are preparing a file for a BrightSign presentation. The output is a standard portrait 4K H.264 MP4 with no HLD rotation. HLD Author names BrightSign exports like source_brightsign.mp4.
General
Use this tab when you need a standard portrait video for other playback workflows. The output is a standard portrait 4K H.264 MP4 with no HLD rotation.
Deploy the exported file
Demo Media Player
Copy the exported MP4 to the USB thumb drive connected to the Demo Media Player.
Insert the drive into one of the player USB-A ports.
Wait for playback to begin automatically.
Videos loop in alphanumeric filename order. For more detail, see Using the Demo Media Player.
BrightSign
Add the BrightSign export to Zone 1 of your brightAuthor connected presentation and publish to the player storage or SD card. In brightAuthor, use the HLD presentation settings from BrightSign digital signage player, including 4K output, 60 fps, and Portrait - Bottom Left orientation.
General playback
Use the General export anywhere you need a standard portrait H.264 MP4. This output is not rotated for the HLD Demo Media Player.
Troubleshooting
An HLD output is disabled
HLD 16", HLD 27", and HLD 86" Demo Media Player outputs require HEVC encoding support. Open HLD Author in Chrome 130 or newer and try again.
The video looks sideways outside the Demo Media Player
That usually means you exported for an HLD Demo Media Player target. Use BrightSign or General if you need a normal portrait H.264 file.
The alcove reference appears while editing
The alcove overlay is a framing reference only. Use Hide Alcove if you want to inspect the media by itself.
Adapted hologram-box content has visible color bands
Adjust Sample depth so HLD Author samples a cleaner strip along the source edges. You can also change the source scale or position to keep bright subjects and hard transitions away from the sampled edges.
Extrude & rotate turns the whole image into a block
The source still has an opaque rectangular background. Use a PNG or WebP with transparency, or enable Chroma Key to isolate the subject before choosing Extrude & rotate.
Mask & depth takes time on first use
The first use downloads and caches about 400 MB of local AI models before processing begins. Keep HLD Author open until the model progress and image processing finish. Use Clear cache afterward only if you need to remove the downloaded models.
A 3D model imports without textures
OBJ material libraries and textures are not imported yet. For textured 3D assets, use GLB or GLTF when possible.
Export fails or the browser reports unsupported encoding
Try Chrome 130 or newer. If HEVC is unavailable on your system, export to BrightSign, General, or musubi 7", which use H.264.
Known issues
Exports from Nvidia machines, when combined with content exported from Mac, Intel, and AMD machines, can play back with a black frame between content from different systems. For best results, export all content from the same computer.
Support
If you have any feature requests or issues and need support, please contact us at support@lookingglassfactory.com or join our Discord.
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