Trying to create a program to run wireless

[Archer Distribution]

Right now I'm in the planning stage. I feel like my setup should be fairly simple. All I'm trying to achieve is to have 4 zones/lights to run on a pre-programmed schedule. The total program time is about 5 minutes to match up to a promotional video I've made. I'm setting up a trade show booth and I want different areas of the booth to light up in sequence with my video. I can just start both at the same time. They don't have to communicate with one another. Lightjams seems like it would do everything I could want and more. I'm going through the tutorials, but have yet to make a purchase because I don't know enough about any of this to make an informed decision on what would be the most simple, cost effective solution for what I'm trying to do. This group seems super knowledgable, and the custom builds I've seen are really impressive. I'll keep pouring over the newbie information, and any direction you guys/gals could give would be really helpful. 

Thanks!

Andrew

[Archer Distribution]

So it seems like this could be accomplished through the x slider for your source. If you can get your source to move around at different intervals in order to activate different effects and time its movement then it seems I could easily achieve my original goal. Ok, got that part, I think. Now I just need a way to have the program speak to the lights. I'd prefer wireless pairing(bluetooth capability?), but I'm not sure if that's an option. 

[Mathieu]

Hi Andrew,

How will you play the videos? Lightjams doesn't output to tv screens so you need to use another software for this part. For example, you may use a software like Watchout or Usine Hollyhock to play the videos and trigger Lightjams based on sequences you create on a timeline. You can remotely control Lightjams via DMX (art-net and sACN), OSC and MIDI.

For the wireless part, you can use wireless dmx devices like W-DMX (https://wirelessdmx.com/) or send DMX over a standard WIFI network by using artnet nodes and a WIFI mesh like a Velop from Linksys.

[Andrew Mayer]

Hi Mathieu,

 

Thanks for the reply. The video and lights are a completely separate thing. I just mentioned that for context. Basically, I’ll have a promotional video playing on a television with it’s own sound. Then I want to run a light program to the fixtures that just aligns with the video(so if the video mentions a certain product at 2:00, then I want the fixture for the product to light up at 2:00). For my purposes now I can just start the video then the start the light sequence manually and not have them communicate with one another. I only need 4 fixtures, but I’m not really familiar with the different types and the necessary hardware.

 

 

 

From: ligh...@googlegroups.com <ligh...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Mathieu
Sent: Thursday, March 5, 2020 2:56 PM
To: Lightjams <ligh...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [Lightjams] Re: Trying to create a program to run wireless

 

Hi Andrew,

 

How will you play the videos? Lightjams doesn't output to tv screens so you need to use another software for this part. For example, you may use a software like Watchout or Usine Hollyhock to play the videos and trigger Lightjams based on sequences you create on a timeline.

 

For the wireless part, you can use wireless dmx devices like W-DMX (https://wirelessdmx.com/) or send DMX over a standard WIFI network by using artnet nodes and a WIFI mesh like a Velop from Linksys.

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[Archer Distribution]

Hi Mathieu,

 

Thanks for the reply. The video and lights are a completely separate thing. I just mentioned that for context. Basically, I’ll have a promotional video playing on a television with it’s own sound. Then I want to run a light program to the fixtures that just aligns with the video(so if the video mentions a certain product at 2:00, then I want the fixture for the product to light up at 2:00). For my purposes now I can just start the video then the start the light sequence manually and not have them communicate with one another. I only need 4 fixtures, but I’m not really familiar with the different types and the necessary hardware. 

[Mathieu]

>> The video and lights are a completely separate thing.

The lights and videos will probably get out of sync after some time. Usually, as the video restarts, it may take 1-2 seconds (which is often variable) and then after a few loops, you'll notice everything is out of sync. 

To avoid that, one of the software needs to say to the other when the sequence starts. Lightjams can send OSC, MIDI and DMX to the video software to trigger a restart or it could be the other way around. 

Then in Lightjams, you can trigger scenes/looks/cues based on the elapsed time (using the timer function and moving a source to activate cues like a sequencer).

As for the lights, look for DMX compatible lights. See https://www.lightjams.com/dmx101.html.

[Mathieu]

For a small project, you may be better with a software able to play video on tvs and control lights at the same time. I have another software that can do that - https://www.enttec.com/product/controls/addressable-led-pixel-control/pixel-mapping-software/

In this case, you'd create another video for the lights, which would then be mapped on your lights. So if at 2:00 up to 2:30 you want all lights red, you generate a video with all red pixels from 2:00 to 2:30. If you don't have many cues, you could also use the scheduler to change the colors instead of generating a video. You need to get DMX lights able to be controlled via a 3 channels RGB mode (no supplementary control channels to keep things simple).

[Archer Distribution]

So, with my configuration: 

Lightjam can send DMX directly to compatible lights? Do I need some type of other artnet device or can I just run an ethernet cable to an ethernet switch directly to the lights?  I got a quote from a guy and he said I needed a decoder, an led driver, and a dmx controller among other things. 

[Mathieu]

You should consider lights like the Chauvet slimpar 64 if you want rgb color mixing https://www.chauvetdj.com/products/slimpar-64/

The setup would look like:

Lightjams -> dmx over the nerwork (artnet) -> wifi/mesh wifi -> ethernet cable -> artnet node -> dmx cable -> dmx fixtures like the Chauvet slim par.