Tutorial : The Light Engine

Usine now provides DMX/ArtNet light engine that is totally synchronized with audio and video.

The Usine's light engine can manage Enttec Open DMX, Enttec USB pro devices, as well as all ArtNet and sACN devices connected to the Ethernet port.

But on Mac OSX you'll probably have installation troubles with DMXUSB PRO devices. It's generally caused by FTDI drivers conflicts. So in this case you can try the utility app free FTDI Driver Control 1.0.3 to disable the built-in FTDI driver.

Setup DMX with OPENDMX USB devices

Open the setup-panel-tab-light.

If your device is properly connected it should appears in the setup. [Click] on the line of the device to enable it. Then [Click] on DMX active to turn the light engine of Usine ON.

Setup ArtNet

Open the setup-panel-tab-light.

[Click] on ArtNet active to turn the light engine of Usine ON. Wait few seconds to see all connected devices on the network. If nothing happens, try to [Click] on poll ArtNet to launch manually the discover process. Don't forget to verify that your devices are on the same network than the computer.

By default the ArtNet port is 6454, it's the usual port, you normally don't have to change it.

Create a plot

See plot-panel.

When the light engine is ON Usine add a new master light-panel in the top-header-panel. By default 2 plots are available but you can change that in the setup-panel-tab-light field num of plots.

[Click] on plot 1 to display the first plot-panel. For now the plot is empty.

Open the browser-panel tab fixtures to see available fixtures in Usine. And [Drag&Drop] fixtures from the browser to the plot. See fixture-panel.

[Right-Click] on the new fixture created in the plot to see its settings. By default the fixture is set on the channel 1,2,3 for a RGB and 1,2,3,4 for a RGBW.

  • DMX values: values of the DMX channel. In Usine it's in the range [0..1], 1 means 100%.
  • DMX channel: channel number for the value in the range [1..512]. [Click] to enter a new value.
  • view extra parameters: display some extra information's and settings about the current channel.
    • master: the channel is a dimmer.
    • additional channels: the channel is duplicated to up to 8 extra DMX channels. For example, you can send DMX on channel 1,11,21,31, etc. at the same time.
    • mapping: used to adapt the DMX value to a specific range or to inverse the response curve.

Use fixtures in patches

We have created a very simple plot. Let's see now how we can use it in Usine.

Create a new empty rack [Ctrl/Cmd+T] and display the structure of the patch with a [Dbl-Click] on the control-panel. Then, [Drag&Drop] the fixture from the plot to the patch structure.

Usine has created a new module for the dropped fixture. Then you can use inlets/outlets in your patch as any module of Usine.

It now possible to connect modules like in the simple patch bellow.

As it's a RGBW light, Usine as created a color inlet we can use it directly in the patch like

Use fixtures in the Grid

You can put fixures also in the grid-panel with a simple [Drag&Drop] from the plot.

In the grid, [right-Click] on the fixture to display its settings. And for example set its color.

You can also set the fade-in and fade-out time for the fixture.

Use presets

Each fixture has its own preset-panel. To display the preset panel [Click] on the camera icon.

Then to create a new preset with the current state of the fixture, [Click] on create.

After you can rename the preset with [Alt-Click], for example to sideral-blue

Finaly, show the list of presets of the fixtures and drop it on the grid.

and define a fade time to recall the preset.

create a ramp of fixtures

It's easy to define a ramp as a set of identical fixtures. In the settings of the fixture set any number in the ramp count parameter. For example 4, to get a ramp of 4 RGB lights.

If you drop it into a patch simple inlets become arrays of values.

change the fixture type on the fly

In the settings of the fixture you have an access to the channels definition.

Then you can edit it and change on the fly any parameters, for example change the RGB fixture to RGBW

The fixture is automatically converted into a RGBW.

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