dmx input from magicq
dmx input from magicq
I want to use lx beams as a visualizer for a show i am programming in Magicq. How do I input my dmx data into an the model space. Do I need to input the dmx into lx console first and then into lx beams? If so how do I set up lx console to accept input thru an Enttec dmx usb pro?
The short answer is that you need to use LXConsole to listen to the DMX in order to control beams in LXBeams.
The first step is to set up the connection between LXConsole and LXBeams. You do this by using LXConsole's File->External->Run Script on Live Update command. The script selected in the preferences should be "send channels levels to LXBeams". When "Run Script on Live Update" is active and this script is selected, changes in the live window are sent to LXBeams.
The second part is to have LXConsole listen to external DMX. One way to do this is to use a DMX-USB Pro. This requires setting the DMX-In preference to DMX-USB Pro. If you want to continuously listen to DMX, the "Monitor" option should be selected. The incoming DMX can be interpreted as either dimmers using LXConsole's patch or as channels.
To import DMX, use the File->Import->DMX command.
There's one catch to using the DMX-USB Pro to listen to DMX and that is that it needs to be set to "Receive" mode. You do this using the button in LXConsole's Preferences' DMX Info tab. The DMX-USB Pro will stay in receive mode until it gets an output message of some sort. Then it will go back to "output" mode until it is set to "receive" again.
If you are running MagicQ in software on the Mac using X11, it is possible to have it connect to LXConsole using ArtNet. To do this you need to set the ethernet address to 2.x.x.x and, unfortunately, you need to have an ethernet cable going to a live network plugged in. (There's no way on OS X to connect to an inactive network adapter to communicate between applications.) The process to have LXConsole listen to ArtNet is similar to that for the USB-DMX Pro except that the network connection needs a manual address that matches the Art-Net (either 2.x.x.x or 10.x.x.x).
The first step is to set up the connection between LXConsole and LXBeams. You do this by using LXConsole's File->External->Run Script on Live Update command. The script selected in the preferences should be "send channels levels to LXBeams". When "Run Script on Live Update" is active and this script is selected, changes in the live window are sent to LXBeams.
The second part is to have LXConsole listen to external DMX. One way to do this is to use a DMX-USB Pro. This requires setting the DMX-In preference to DMX-USB Pro. If you want to continuously listen to DMX, the "Monitor" option should be selected. The incoming DMX can be interpreted as either dimmers using LXConsole's patch or as channels.
To import DMX, use the File->Import->DMX command.
There's one catch to using the DMX-USB Pro to listen to DMX and that is that it needs to be set to "Receive" mode. You do this using the button in LXConsole's Preferences' DMX Info tab. The DMX-USB Pro will stay in receive mode until it gets an output message of some sort. Then it will go back to "output" mode until it is set to "receive" again.
If you are running MagicQ in software on the Mac using X11, it is possible to have it connect to LXConsole using ArtNet. To do this you need to set the ethernet address to 2.x.x.x and, unfortunately, you need to have an ethernet cable going to a live network plugged in. (There's no way on OS X to connect to an inactive network adapter to communicate between applications.) The process to have LXConsole listen to ArtNet is similar to that for the USB-DMX Pro except that the network connection needs a manual address that matches the Art-Net (either 2.x.x.x or 10.x.x.x).