Interactive Light-Setup

[scrow]

Hi everybody!

 

Basicly I want to set up a interactive Light-System, which can be controlled by people interacting with a Software-Application.

 

The Steps are:

 

1. Java Application, which will be controlled by People

2. DMX Controller (e.g. http://www.dmxcontrol.de/joomla/?lang=en )

3. USB Cable

4. USB-DMX Adapter (e.g. http://www.enttec.com/index.php?main_menu=...;name=dmxusbpro )

5. XLR Connector (e.g http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XLR_connector )

6. Strong RGB Lights (which are recommended?)

 

Am I missing something? or is that it?

Has someone experience with that kind of setup (from No. 2 - 6)?

Mostly I am interested in a clear list of all the elements (soft- and hardware) which are necessary for such a setup.

 

At the end I want to have something, where with a java-application the color and intensity of some very strong Lights is controlled.

 

Thanks a lot!

[Guest lightnix]

Hello, scrow - welcome to the Blue Room :D

 

2. DMX Controller...

For this kind of application, you might find the range of architectural controllers by Pharos quite interesting - they can be triggered in all sorts of ways.

 

The people behind them are basically the team who developed the Wholehog desks, i.e. people who know what they're doing.

 

You can download their programming software for free from the website.

 

Hope that helps.

 

 

e2a... PM sent about the RGB lights ;)

[mac.calder]

Your "Steps" are odd...

 

Either you use PC control or a DMX controller. Not both (unless you want to merge the streams). Your signal flow will probably be something like this:

 

PC (with Java Application) -> Enttec USB->DMX adaptor->RGB Fixtures

 

Now, yes, there will be a USB cable between the PC and the DMX adaptor, and there will be DMX cable (which will most likely use 5 pin XLR connectors - however some bright LED's will use RJ-45 jacks)

 

Or, it can be something like this:

 

External Triggers -> DMX Controller -> RGB Fixtures

 

External triggers can be a computer, MIDI interface etc

 

Now for the down and dirty:

 

If you use PC with Enttec interface, Enttec have libraries for most operating systems, so you will just need to write a java application using those libraries and bob's your uncle.

 

If you are using a DMX controller, many have MIDI in/outs as well as RS-232 and maybe ethernet connections. These are all standard protocols, so you can easily write applications that will trigger the controller using one of thost standards, and if at a later date you want to add more hardware elements - like integrating it to a house lighting system, adding a fader board or the like, then it is easy to adapt.

 

Now, as to the question of A or B - A is only as reliable as your computer. The computer goes down, then DMX is no longer sent, and on some lights that will mean they will turn off after a certain period of time. B is more reliable - as the computer basically just says "Play this look" etc. A is much cheaper than B in general though.

[peternewman]

If it helps I've written a Java library, that wraps one of the existing DLLs from Enttec, so you can control the Open DMX USB from within Java, going down this route, you could be sending DMX in three or four lines of code! It needs a bit of tidying up still really, but if you might be interested, let me know and I'll try and sort it out.

[dbuckley]

What does your Java app do, exactly, and what interface elements does it have, as it is possible that any of the myriad existing PC control systems could do what you need off-the-shelf. And why Java??

[scrow]

hi,

 

thanks for all the input.

 

@mac.calder

Since I want to send realtime changes to the lights I guess I will go with your version A.

If I understood right, that would be PC (with Java Application) -> Enttec USB->DMX adaptor->RGB Fixtures

 

I found some Information about using VVVV http://vvvv.org/tiki-index.php or MAX/MSP http://www.cycling74.com/ with DMX which also might work pretty well for my purposes.

 

That would change the setup to MAX / VVVV -> Enttec USB ->DMX adaptor->RGB Fixtures

 

Right?

 

@ peternewman

 

sounds interessting, where can I get these libraries, is there a documentation or examples?

 

best!

[peternewman]

The Enttec DLL was just one of the ones on their website, to integrate with LightFactory I believe. I'll tidy mine up a bit more and stick it on some of my webspace, there's Javadoc available and a very simple example, but its very simple to use anyway. I'm also trying to work on a multi universe version and hopefully DMX In too, mainly adapting/wrapping peoples existing DLLs. When do you need it by, give me a shout if I've not done anything in a few weeks.

 

One thing that needs noting, my library is for the Open dongle, not the Pro one!

[mac.calder]

Just make sure that your software will work with the Enttec USB->DMX unit - if you are developing an application, your best bet is to work with the already existing .dll files - or you need a library written for the device within the application... I have never used the two you linked to, so I cannot tell if it will work or not.

 

Enttec units are probably the most popular to develop for though, so if those applications were to support a USB->DMX device (and if the company does not produce their own) then chances are they will support the Enttec units.

[peternewman]

I'm sure I've seen plugins for both VVVV and MaxMSP to support one of the Enttec dongles, although I can't remember if they both support the Open, or Pro, or one of each.

[scrow]

Yeah, Max works with this software http://www.nullmedium.de/dev/dmxusbpro/

 

Since I never setup up such a thing, I got another question.

If now I have Software -> Enttex USB Pro -> RGB Fixture what if I want to have 10 instead of one Light? is there something like a swith? XLR Switch maybe? I couldn't find on google, so I an asking whats the name / product for this?

 

Thanks a million guys, that has been very helpful!

[mac.calder]

DMX is daisy chained. So you go into fixture number 1, then take a DMX cable and go from the DMX-out on 1 into the DMX-in on fixture number 2.

 

If you are doing a large, complex install with say 50 different fixtures, then you may want to use a DMX splitter.

 

If you look at the Wiki and read up on DMX, there is quite a bit of info there.

[scrow]

Thanks, I read this and now I am much clearer about DMX.

So I guess, since I am using 5 Ligth Fixtures with 6 channels each, makes it 1-6, 7-12, 13-18,19-24,25-30.

Which will use 30 out of the 512 channels DMX does, right?

The first Fixture will be conntectet to the Mac via a Enttect DMX USB Pro, then each following Fixture will be daisy chained with a 5 pin DMX cable. At the last one, there will be a DMX termintor.

 

Thats it?

[dbuckley]

Perhaps I should point out that several popular PC lighting control systems have APIs or programming interfaces or TCP/IP sockets which allow you to operate them directly, meaning you dont need to write code to make lights work.

 

BluLite X1, and PCStage come to mind, and I'm sure there are others.

 

I'd like to say Chamsys MagicQ, but Chamsys have really wound me up in this respect in that they disable a number of really useful features if you don't have the MagicQ PC wing, and the TCP/IP control interface is one of those features that you lose.

[benash]

Thats it?

 

Pretty much covers it.

 

If you want multiple lights with the same output, just set their DMX start addresses to be the same and you'll get the same output.

[scrow]

thanks david and benash.

 

@ David

What exactly do you mean with »you dont need to write code to make lights work«?

The setup I wanna do, should response to some graphics from a Java-Application. Which means, if a blue object is displayed in the application. it sends out the fitting RGB value which will then be sent over Max / MSP (dmxpatch) and Enttect DMX USB Pro to the lights, which then light blue.

I suppose the lights work normaly when I tell them to light blue and dimm to a certain value? or am I wrong?

sorry, never did that before :D