Forum

Enttec DMXUSB

vvvv beta general
#1

My first Post at this forum, I am Westbam and I come from Holland, vvvv has totaly blown me away, when I saw all that potential.

I have sooo many questions, but since I am still learning VVVV I shall wait till I understand it a lot better. Because I am shure some off my questions will be figured out in the proces off learning.

I wanne use VVVV for DMX output (LED lights are comming intoo town :) )

I already saw that Catweasel (the same person that told me about VVVV) told you about the Enttec DMX USB Dongle, and since it is cheap AND open source, I bought one. Works great with some open source light tables.

To bad there are no drivers (yet?) for VVVV, but than I read this:

Proprietary drivers (typically based on USB) need a specially written node (written by the vvvv developers; beg them)

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, I BEG YOU, I WILL TAKE A VVVV TATTOO ON MY ARM IF IT IS REQUIRED!!!

For the time beeeing I have to figure out Artnet, since one off my tools can recieve Artnet. I can’t find anything anything helpfull so far, so anything will do.

But can some one please help me out and make such a driver??

Thnx again, and greatings from the Netherlands.

#2

the Enttec DMX USB is still lying here on my table. it didnt get lost but it seems that i need a repeated kind of begging. sorry sorry. the vvvv tattoo sounds quite a good thing - please select one of the screenshots of the days.
i am confident the enntec will make it into the next release, but this release still might be some time away. to say the least.

the DMX page shows a couple of other options. Artnet should be straightforward -tell us your results, or feel free to ask some more questions. what devices are you using? The USBDMX2 interface is the one we´re using all the time - a simple sturdy box always doing what you want it to do, and not so expensive.

anyway vvvv and dmx make an excellent combination - so bear with us…

#3

Wow, quick reply, I like that!!

Actualy, I haven’t found ‘the’ way to make VVVV do any artnet outputs, but still looking!! (any kicks in the right direction would be nice).

I hope I can chat with Catweasel prety soon about the subject, he is my mentor/hero.

For the time beeeing, spending 50 euro’s on a different dongle isn’t that bad.

I am working on making my own ‘Philips ambilight’ idea.
http://www.flattv.philips.com/images/Learn/1_5_2_ambilight.jpg

#4

Anonymous = me ;)

Oke, the Node named: DMX (Network Artnet Sender) doesn’t work, nor show’s up.

Must I download/install it seperate, and if yes, where should I do that?

#5

Have to say the artnet node worked straight off for me, didnt even change my IP address first! A good test is to add a Artnet recieve in your patch to check what your sending, if that works you may need to set your ip to an artnet supported one, 2.0.0.1 or 10.0.0.1 I think!
Whwere can I buy a USBDMX2 from? Have found a shop that works yet, the UK site is for sale!!
Cat

#6

OMG IT WORKS!!!

I am running this 5-DMX channel EUROLITE LED T-36 RGB pinspot, Catweasel helped me to build a patch that calculates the avarage screen color, and now my lamp makes that color for me :)

this is the Lamp I am Using.
http://www.eurolite.de/eur_artdetail.php?artnr=51913582&lang=E

I used Arknet and an Arknet reciever, connected to my Entec DMX USB Dongle.

I still need a lot off tweaking, want it to take portions off the screen, for more lamps, and I need to slow down the output, cozz the flickering makes my head each. Also want to use the input from an video-input device (if possible).

Big thnx to all and the VVV crew.

I have visions off some LONG nights ahead off me, hehe…

#7

A damper node will smooth it, videoIN node takes live input and works very well!
Getslice slice will let you choose which bits of the screen you sample, use with I(spreads) to select a range of slices.
Which artnet reciever are you using, is it Hippys? i’ve yet to try that out!
Show us some pictures when you get a chance!

Cat

#8

Yep, it is Hippy’s, it is called SoftNode 1.2.0, it reads the artnet and sends it to my Enttec USB/DMX Dongle. Now I only made it working on a different computer in the network, Tthe one running vvvv is sending artnet and another one is recieving it, and is controlling the lights).

I am so happy it works, I haven’t found out how to use it on one system.

Get it here.

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~rowanmac/opendmx.html

Already tried the damper, not what I am looking for, I just want it to hold a value for let’s say 0.1 sec, so I get only 10 DMX value’s every second.

Thnx for the slicing bit, have to check that out.

Also, I am looking for a way/driver that can input video from a programm that is running on the same system, for example, it can capture images that are beeing produced on a second monitor. (dual screen).

Hope some one found a way to do that, otherwise I just have to use 2 PC’s for that, but I hope there is a cheaper solution.

Thnx a again for the help, pictures will be posted as soon as I have my slicing ready, will hang some color-washes (movingheads) next to a beamer screen.

#9

have you tried the ScreenShot node yet? to get a texture from part of the desktop.

#10

Hi West,

glad to see more dmx freaks here.

I just want it to hold a value for let’s say 0.1 sec, so I get only 10 DMX value’s every second.

give S+H (animation) a try

tot ziens
@kalle

#11

Wow, great help here, thanks people!!

@ Joreg, I can’t find a helpfile dor screenshot, but I hope I can grab it from a different screen than my current desktop (because we are interested in the output offcours).

Will have to scatter the vvvv website for help on this subject.

@ Kalle, that S+H (animation) looks just like what I am looking for, but hehe, still keeping the same problemm, because how can I set the ‘SET’ button, so I press it 10 times every second, fully automatic offcours ;)

Thnx for the help so far!!

I am only doing this for less than a week now, and I already made something awesome!!
I can control four RGB lights for 4 sections off the screen (top, bottem, left and right).

All by DMX (artnet out) -> SoftNode 1.2.0 -> EntecUSB/DMX -> Lights!!

Wooooooooooooooooooooooot!!! Thanks and double thanks!!
(yeh, what about that vvvv tattoo hehe)

#12

"because how can I set the ‘SET’ button, so I press it 10 times every second, fully automatic offcours ;) "

Lfo-togedge- S+H set will update at what ever speed you set the LFo to…

Cat

#13

Awesome awesome awesome!!

Already discovered LFO, by the example, and indeed, with TogEdge (how ever did they cam up with that name??) it works sweeeet!!!

Thnx again Catweasel, you rule!!

How sure can I be that the ‘cycles’ of LFO is realy unlimited, and doesn’t causes my PC to chrash?

Greetings from the Netherlands, Westbam

#14

How sure can I be that the ‘cycles’ of LFO is realy unlimited, and
doesn’t causes my PC to crash?

we´re pretty sure that the lfo will not crash. anyway, as the lfo is using double precision floating point numbers it will at some point in future time not be able to increment anymore. as your cycle count approaches more than 16 decimal places
(like 10 000 000 000 000 000) your math will probably fail as with floating pointg numbers n+1 gets the same representation as n. therefore a lfo with a one second period will definitely give problems after 300 million years. faster lfos will lead to problems earlier. we suggest restarting your pc every thousand years or so… :)

#15

hey… i just found the magic words
“Virtual COM port (VCP) drivers cause the Widget to appear as an additional COM port available to the PC”
on the page you mentioned http://members.optusnet.com.au/%7Erowanmac/dmxusbpro.htm.

this basically means that it should be possible to directly control the enttec from vvvv.

as soon as you have the enttec recognized as a virtual com port, it is possible to send data to the device with the rs232 node. what to send to the interface is the next question. unfortunately most of the examples seem to be offline. does anybody here has the c example or the api specification?

#16

"we suggest restarting your pc every thousand years or so… :) "

Hehe, so I have to build in a ‘reset PC after 1000 years’ option!! thnx for the reply.

That ‘Virtual COM port’ might actualy work :)

Was already trying to find out how to ‘fake’ my network cards, but that required a LOT off tweaking with IP stuff, and I am NOT a network wizzard.

Indeed, I see problems in what Output I should send to the com-port, actualy, I have no idea… hehe, just have to spend some extra $$ for the correct dongle (any one in for a trade?? ;) )

Another thing I was working on is how to make a nice User-friendly interface, is it possible to connect VVVV with something as simple as an MS-Visual-Basic interface??

I am having fisions off making a visual basic tool with a die-hard VVVV engine inside (microsoft outside, VVVV inside, so to speak).

This is so nice off you people to help me all the way with my project…

#17

Indeed, I see problems in what Output I should send to the com-port,
actualy, I have no idea… hehe, just have to spend some extra $$ for the correct dongle

in case you´ll get that sdk document on the page (which is missing) i´ll take a look at it.

Another thing I was working on is how to make a nice User-friendly interface,
is it possible to connect VVVV with something as simple as an MS-Visual-Basic
interface??

an UDP connection to localhost should do the trick. send and receive UDP from Visual basic, send and receive UDP from vvvv.
In case you´re into Macromedia tools, use Flash to setup your gui, and use the Renderer (Flash) to set and get variables of the running flash applet directly from within vvvv

I am having fisions off making a visual basic tool with a die-hard VVVV
engine inside (microsoft outside, VVVV inside, so to speak).

funny as is, we´re already thinking about this…

#18

Hi any one got the dmx usb pro from enttec
working using the D2XX driver , will it be a node for it ?

regards

#19

Hi!

Is there some news on this topic? - I would also really appreciate if the open dmx can be used together with vvvv.

#20

pinging this thread. The Enttec open DMX box is working fine with 5 4-channel DMX LED lights. But, can’t get any of the little_cat or schwartzpeter’s app to control them. Not sure, but seems like it must be a port issue somewhere…

thanks,
cj

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