Guides · Projectors, screens and TVs
Can You Project Shot Data on the Floor or Use Picture-in-Picture on a Golf Screen?
Published
A PC-based simulator can project a separate data view onto the mat using an extra projector and OBS Studio. Carl's Place describes capturing the simulator's data window, cropping it and sending the scene to the floor projector; its example uses Trackman ([checked 2026-10-22](https://www.carlofet.com/blog/golf-simulator-floor-projection)).
The store says the floor projector and monitor should share aspect ratio and resolution. Confirm that your software has a suitable window to capture and that the projector can be mounted for the mat before buying it.
Picture-in-picture on the main screen is separate. Carl's Place demonstrates a floating browser-video window over E6 CONNECT. A current Google extension provides that kind of floating video, but test it with your streaming service and simulator; a swing-camera inset is a different input.
Floor projection: what it shows and needs
Carl's Place describes a mat display that shows data points, such as carry and total distance, along with club-at-impact replays (Carl's Place, checked 2026-10-22).
The method in the store's post works like this:
- The simulator software runs on a PC; the method assumes one.
- A second projector is aimed at the mat. It is in addition to the one lighting the impact screen.
- In OBS Studio, you window-capture the simulator's data window and crop it down to the figures you want on the floor.
- You send that OBS scene full-screen to the floor projector.
| Item | Floor projection, per Carl's Place (checked 2026-10-22) |
|---|---|
| Simulator setup | Simulator already running off a PC |
| Hardware added | One extra projector |
| Software added | OBS Studio, described by the store as free |
| What appears on the mat | Cropped data such as carry and total distance; club-at-impact replays |
| Stated constraint | Projector and monitor share the same aspect ratio and resolution |
| Software in the example | Trackman |
| Price of adding it | Get a quote, including the extra projector |
Source for every row: Carl's Place floor projection post.
Price the extra projector, mount and cabling before comparing this approach with another display.
Picture-in-picture: what it shows and needs
For a video window over the simulator image, ask the software maker which picture-in-picture or external-video options it supports and what additional software is required. Confirm that the video stays visible when the simulator is active and that the PC can run both acceptably.
In its picture-in-picture example, Carl's Place starts browser video, opens it in a floating window, then opens E6 CONNECT and moves the inset away from the playing area. Its named extension was a third-party example, not a requirement of E6.
Google's Picture-in-Picture Extension supports floating video above other applications and lists Alt + P as its Windows shortcut (both pages checked November 2, 2026). Try the video source and simulator together before a session. This is a desktop overlay, not evidence that the simulator accepts a camera feed internally.
A live swing-camera feed needs its own check. Ask whether your simulator can display an external video source inside the main view and whether that arrangement adds delay. The swing camera guide covers choosing and placing the camera.
Limits
The floor projection post says the projector and the monitor should share the same aspect ratio and resolution (Carl's Place, checked 2026-10-22). Ceiling height, room light, the mat surface and your own setup are left for you to check.
The example runs on Trackman software. If you use a different program, confirm it has a data window you can capture on its own before buying a projector for the floor.
For any projected image on a mat, also consider these planning points; they are our suggestions rather than Carl's Place's:
- Room light falling on the mat can wash out the numbers.
- A textured or patterned mat surface can make small figures hard to read.
- A golfer standing between the projector and the mat can cast a shadow over the data.
- The second projector has to be mounted where no swing, ball or ricochet can reach it.
If the chosen picture-in-picture method uses the simulator PC, try both together and check that play stays smooth before relying on it for a session.
Is it worth adding
Floor projection is a reasonable project if your simulator already runs on a PC, you're comfortable setting up OBS Studio, and you want distances on the mat itself. If you already have a spare projector, the store's method adds no software cost, since it calls OBS Studio free. If you'd be buying the projector, price it before deciding; the projector choice guide covers what to compare. For a reference point, Omaha Sports & Games lists the AWOL Valerion Pro 4K RGB Triple Laser Projector - 2500 Lumens, Gold at $1,699 and the Valerion VisionMaster Pro2 4K RGB Triple Laser Projector - 3000 Lumens at $2,099 to $2,499 (October 23, 2026). Ask the store whether either can be mounted to aim down at the mat from your ceiling height, and match its aspect ratio and resolution to your monitor as the Carl's Place method requires.
If your simulator runs on a tablet or phone app rather than a PC, the method Carl's Place describes doesn't apply as written.
Confirm a picture-in-picture method with the software maker before trying it. If the goal is your own swing on screen, confirm swing-camera input support separately. To see where any of this fits in a full budget, start with What a golf simulator room costs.