HowTo DMX Advanced

see also node08.workshop.DMX

this page created by kalle. it is under heavy construction. all conventions made here are only suggestions and can of course be discussed. i'm looking forward to your contributions!

you may download lots of modules at kalle.Modules.DMX

Modules for intelligent DMXequipment

For working with intelligent lighting equipment it is useful to have some special modules.

  • driver-nodes for DMXinterfaces
    naming proposal:|DMX (Devicesmanufacturer**)**
    --- | ---
    example:|DMX (DevicesDMX4all**)**
  • DMXfixtures

These Modules combine all Parameters of a MovingLight to a spread which can be sent directly to DMXinterfaces or to DMXsimulations.
naming proposal:|DMX (Devicesmanufacturer**)**
--- | ---
example:|DMX (DevicesDMX4all**)**

  • DMXsimulation

These modules should simulate a MovingLight in a 3D-rendering environment. These Modules should have a spreadable transform input for placing them in the 3Denvironment These Modules should have a spread input which can be fed directly from the corresponding DMXfixture-module. naming proposal:|DMX (Devicesmanufacturer**)** --- | --- example:|DMX (DevicesDMX4all**)**

  • DMXspreads

These modules should generate useful spreads e.g. for chasing etc.
naming proposal:|DMX (Devicesmanufacturer**)**
--- | ---
example:|DMX (DevicesDMX4all**)**

  • PanTilt
    These modules should generate special which are especially useful for controling the head-(or mirror) movement of several MovingLights
    naming proposal:|DMX (Devicesmanufacturer**)**
    --- | ---
    example:|DMX (DevicesDMX4all**)**
  • GenericDMX

Everything else for generic DMX usage
naming proposal:|DMX (Devicesmanufacturer**)**
--- | ---
example:|DMX (DevicesDMX4all**)**

The advantage is that all "DMX"-Modules appear near by near in the 'categorized nodelist'.

You have several Categories (DMXfixture, DMXsimulation and DMX for generic Helpers) to choose from.

variable/fix

DMXfixtures Modules

should combine all functions of a DMX Fixture to a spread that can be directly sent to a DMXinterface.

Let's have a look at a typical module for a moving light:
the Pocketscan from GLP is a very cheap movinglight (less than 300 Euro !) controlled via DMX.
It uses 7 DMXchannels and has as a special gimmick a laser pointer inside.

With that Resample/Swapdim/count of devicesthing inside the pocketscan module seen above you may control parameters for all units simultaneous by simply changing a value or you may benefit from vvvv's technology called Spreads.
Put a Spread with a whatever slicecount onto any of the Inputpins of that pocketscan module - that Resample (Spreads) node in Repeat Mode prevents any collapsing.

A simple Cons (Spreads) combines that spreads together and feeds one of vvvv's various DMXnodes.

Note that there are other movinglights with a little more features. The Vari-Lite VL3000 Spot e.g. uses 28 DMXchannels and costs a little less than 10.000 Euros.
See that module below?
29 Inlets and 140 nodes inside... naming proposal:|DMX (Devicesmanufacturer**)** --- | ---
example:|DMX (DevicesDMX4all**)**

DMXsimulation Modules

DMX Fixture Simulation Modules should have a DMXspread Input and a Layer Output

Pan/Tilt Movement Modules

DMX General Purpose Modules

16bit split 16bit join AsValue (DMX)
AsDMX (Value)
StartAdress (DMX Boolean)