Kineme Art-Net tools with Enttec Open DMX Ethernet

HarveyB's picture

I'm having problems getting the Art-DMX sending patch working within quartz. When blackout is on, the DMX par can doesn't black out, it just flashes (but not in a consistant "Strobe" flash).

Also, I can't seem to control the RGB levels on channels 1,2,3. Here is a screenshot.

I've got the Art-net NMU application working, as far as I can control the RGB on channels 1,2,3 using the tester.

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HarveyB's picture
Re: Kineme Art-Net tools with Enttec Open DMX Ethernet

If I can get it to just blackout properly using the QC patch, that would be great to start with.

smokris's picture
Re: Kineme Art-Net tools with Enttec Open DMX Ethernet

Hmm. I've experienced flickering when:

  • using ArtDmx on a physical network that has other traffic (file transfers, etc) — it's better to use a network dedicated just to ArtDmx
  • using ArtDmx over wireless ethernet — wired ethernet is less lossy/error-prone
  • using damaged cables between the ENTTEC box and the lights

I can't think of anything else to check at the moment.

Also, be sure to carefully work through our documentation and troubleshooting guide.

douglasheriot's picture
Re: Kineme Art-Net tools with Enttec Open DMX Ethernet

Do the DMX PAR cans have an instruction manual that explains how the different DMX channels work?

(If they’re cheap Chinese ones, if you’re lucky enough to get a manual, it’s often incorrect!)

Since you said you haven’t worked with DMX for a while, it’s worth checking the standard things: • Make sure everything is daisy chained, and there’s no y-split cables anywhere. If you’ve got more than 10-20 fixtures or so, you should use a splitter to avoid excessively long chains (use a proper DMX splitter/opto-isolator if needed) • Make sure there’s a terminator at the end of each chain • Make sure the fixtures are addressed correctly (if you want them all to do the same thing and be easy, set them all to #1) • Make sure you’re using proper DMX cable, and not just mic cables

My Mac app, DMX Assistant, is designed to help with troubleshooting these kinds of issues. It gives you another easy way to send Art-Net without Quartz Composer, and to keep an eye on what QC’s actually doing, just to make sure you’re not going crazy. http://douglasheriot.com/dmxassistant/ If you send me an email I can send you a demo version to try out.