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With this article, we would like to provide you with a rough guide or checklist, so that you can quickly add a few devices to a new project through a structured approach and, at the end, be able to call up and display simple lighting moods. We will list the most important keywords in each context, so that you can easily access the relevant information whenever needed.
Setting Up Devices and DMX Interfaces
We start with a completely empty project and use the following steps to ensure that the devices connected to your DMX interface can be controlled by DMXControl 3 – that is, what is set in DMXControl 3 reaches the devices.
Adding Devices
- In the new, empty project, we first create a new Stage View to have access to all Devices and Device Groups when later preparing a lighting mood.
- In the Stage View, new devices can be added via the entry Add device in the context menu, as long as nothing is selected in the Stage View. Alternatively, you can do this in the Project Explorer in the corresponding branch.
- The "Add Device" window shows all DDFs delivered with the installation of DMXControl 3. Additional DDFs, especially those provided by the community, can be found in the DDF Library, whose search dialog can be accessed directly via the button [DDFLib] next to the search field.
- Once you have found the desired device, set the number and the starting address of the first device. You can also have a new device group created or add additional devices to an existing device group. This will make your work much easier later.
- Once all devices are added to the project, you can close the "Add Device" window.
- In the Stage View, arrange all the devices in such a way that they roughly represent your setup, making it easier for you to find a specific group of devices when you want to integrate them into another lighting mood.
Setting Lighting Mood
- To prepare a lighting mood, ideally, you always select a device group in the Stage View. The Device Control will then be filled with all the functions the device provides. At the same time, the buttons in the Control Panels become active, depending on the available functions. Through these panels, you can now set a simple, static lighting mood. But be careful: nothing is saved at this point. If DMXControl 3 is closed, this lighting mood will be lost. This is merely the preparatory step to save the lighting mood later.
- If you want to reset everything to zero, click the button [Clear programmer] in the left sidebar.
Setting Up DMX Interfaces
- To ensure that what you have prepared in the Stage View appears on the devices, especially after the initial installation of DMXControl 3, a DMX interface needs to be added and, if necessary, configured. To do this, switch to the DMX-Interfaces window.
- By clicking the button [Add interface], you will access the list of DMX interfaces supported by DMXControl 3. Please note our classification into "intelligent" DMX interfaces, which, for example, register directly with your PC via a serial number, and DMX interfaces that need to be set up manually.
You can read the exact definition under DMX-Interfaces in the section Distinction of DMX Interfaces. - Once you have found your DMX interface in the list, a configuration dialog will open in the second step, where further settings may be required depending on the DMX interface. In the article DMX-Interfaces you will find two examples in the section Advanced Interface Settings.
- After confirming the advanced interface settings, your DMX interface should appear in the overview. Here, check if the box in the column Interface enabled (Interface enabled) and in the column DMX Output active (DMX out active) are checked. To be sure, you can refresh the list by clicking the [Refresh] button. Additionally, the starting address of the DMX universe being sent to the DMX interface should match the DMX universe to which you have addressed your lights in the project.
- If all settings are correct, the connected devices should now behave exactly as you set them in DMXControl 3.
Saving and Recalling Lighting Moods
After devices are created in the project and behave as expected, we now come to saving lighting moods in the project so that they can be called up and played back at any time.
Saving Lighting Moods Fundamentally
To be able to save a lighting mood, you first need to create one. As mentioned before, this is done using the Stage View and Device Control along with the corresponding Control Panels.
- You select each device or, better yet, each device group, one by one, and set the desired brightness, color, etc. In the article Device Groups you will find an explanation in the section Advantages of Using Device Groups why you should prefer working with device groups in DMXControl 3.
- A further step involves automatically calculated fades or changes in a device's function. In DMXControl 3, this is called Fanning. Here, you can quickly generate a continuous change of several colors, etc., using specific operators. From this point onward, you should definitely work with Device Groups to take full advantage of DMXControl 3.
- Once you have completed your new lighting mood, go to the Project Explorer and navigate to the Cuelists branch. There, create a new Cuelist. Open it afterward.
- In the Cuelist Editor window, click the button [Add] to add a new Cue.
- The Programmer Filter will appear. Here, all devices and device groups for which you have set something will be listed. If you are sure that everything is correctly set, you can confirm the window directly. Otherwise, you can filter by selecting or deselecting values for functions or entire devices/groups, for example, excluding them from being saved in the new cue. When you click [OK], the cue will appear in the cuelist.
- You can now set the fade time and delay time.
- To add more cues to the Cuelist, you can either modify the existing lighting mood or create a completely new one after clearing the Programmer using the button [Clear programmer]. Keep in mind: If you modify a lighting mood after the first save, DMXControl 3 will propose saving only the changed function values by default. You need to be mindful of this if you save the cue in a new cuelist.
Working with Dynamic Lighting Effects
Static lighting moods can become boring over time. DMXControl 3 naturally offers the possibility to apply dynamic effects, such as movements for moving heads or chase lights, to the dimmer, color, and nearly all other device functions. This is all done with the help of the window Effects and Filters. The included effects are divided into various categories based on which effects or filters can be applied to which device functions. 
You can find a detailed explanation of the subdivision in the article Effects and Filters.
- If you want to apply one of the effects, simply drag it, for example, via Drag & Drop to the desired device function. Other ways to apply effects are also described in the article on Effects and Filters.
- Every newly inserted effect is applied with a default configuration. To adjust it to your needs, you will need to experiment to find out which values for the various parameters of the effect look best. Please note that all numerical parameters also allow the use of Fanning.
- To better understand what the various parameters of an effect do, you can open the Effect Visualizer. Once you select the effect in the Device Control, you will see the current preview. More information can be found in the article about the Effect Visualizer.
- Adding dynamic effects to a Cuelist works the same way as with static lighting moods. DMXControl 3 does not differentiate here. Accordingly, you can mix static and dynamic elements of a lighting mood in a cue, if it is useful for your project's basic concept. Specifically, this means that you can save both a movement and static values for the dimmer, such as in the form of a Fanning, in just one cue.
Calling Cuelists During the Show
In DMXControl 3, there are several ways to call a Cuelist (Cuelist) during a show. Which method you choose is entirely up to you. In principle, both methods can also be used simultaneously, so there is no need to make a fundamental decision.
Initially, it is more a question of effort in relation to the created cuelists, meaning how you want to fundamentally design your project and thus your show, or how it has already been designed. If you need some additional tips for designing your project, you can read them in the article Show Setup.
The following scenarios are available for calling cuelists in DMXControl 3, where the values listed here do not represent a clear boundary and all scenarios can ultimately be used simultaneously:
- If you only have a very small number of cuelists and no complex sequences in your project, you can execute them directly from the Cuelist Editor. You can also access all functions such as going back to the previous cue or jumping to a specific cue. A possible scenario could be a theater performance, where the sequence mostly follows a single predefined flow. No cuelists are run in parallel, or they run mostly in the background.
- If you need several cuelists running in parallel and need to quickly switch between them or temporarily execute different cuelists, it is recommended to use the Executors.
- If the number of concurrently executed cuelists is so large that you cannot call them via one or more Executor Pages, DMXControl 3 offers the so-called Softdesk. Within a Softdesk, you can design a customized surface with various control elements such as buttons or faders using the Softdesk Designer. However, after designing the surface, you must link the control elements to the required actions, such as starting and stopping a cuelist. This is only possible through the Input Assignment. A possible application scenario could be a project where the show is controlled via a touchscreen, such as club or disco shows of any size. Solo entertainers or DJs, who have a touchscreen available for direct access to specific cuelists, could also use this. Another application scenario includes fixed installations, where it is possible that only the actions stored on the Softdesk are executed when the Softdesk is in full-screen mode. Other DMXControl 3 functions would then only be accessible in a second step.
In addition to the aforementioned methods, primarily realized through internal DMXControl 3 functions, there is also the possibility to call cuelists and other actions in DMXControl 3 via external controllers. MIDI controllers or macro boards such as the Stream Deck are among the most popular. Once you have successfully set up the specific methods of configuration, the operation of these controllers is similar to the operation via a Softdesk.
CueList Editor
The calling via the Cuelist Editor occurs through the available buttons in the menu bar, so it is essentially not a new surface. If you want to display additional cuelists, use the entry « Open in new window » in the context menu for each cuelist in the Project Explorer. In principle, you can call as many cuelists as you want — the maximum number is ultimately only limited by how much space you have available on your screen. If this is no longer sufficient, you should switch to the executor method for executing additional cuelists.
Executors
Executors in DMXControl 3, as well as in other lighting control systems, are predefined control elements, known as executor buses, which are then organized on multiple banks or pages. Therefore, these are quickly filled with cuelists or other elements, meaning you also get feedback on what DMXControl 3 is currently outputting or will output next.
To call one or more Cuelists using Executors, you follow the pattern:
- Create a (new) Executor Page in the Project Explorer.
- Assign cuelists to the executors via Drag & Drop.
- Adjust the behavior of the Executors to suit your needs.
New Executor Pages are created in the Project Explorer under the corresponding branch. You can create a new executor page via the context menu. By default, a new executor page includes eight executors. This can be changed in the project settings if necessary.
The assignment of a cuelist to an executor is done as described via Drag & Drop. Once you link a cuelist (or another element) to an executor, this will be indicated by the corresponding icon. However, note that you can only assign one element to an executor. If you need more buttons or faders for a cuelist than the ones that are automatically pre-set when adding it, link the cuelist with another executor. Ideally, you choose the adjacent executor to keep it organized.
Button and fader adjustments are made via the settings of the respective executor. You can access them either via the context menu in the Project Explorer or by right-clicking on the header area of the executor bus. All possible options for the buttons and faders are listed with their functions in the article on Cuelist (Executor).
In addition to cuelists, other elements, such as a speed master or group master, can also be linked to an executor. This can be useful for advanced live control. The configuration options for the respective executor types and what other elements can be linked to an executor are described in the overview in the article on Executors.
Softdesk
With a Softdesk, you can create a custom interface for controlling a show and executing one or more cuelists that exactly meet your requirements for your workflow. [[File:|16px]] The inserted control elements must still be linked to the desired actions in DMXControl 3 via the input assignment.
A Softdesk consists of several different control elements, which you can freely place in your Softdesk using the Softdesk Designer.
To create a new Softdesk, go to the Project Explorer in the Softdesk branch and open the context menu there. Once you've created a new Softdesk, you can open it in the « Designer » via the context menu.
In the open Softdesk Designer, add your required control elements, position them, and adjust their size as needed.
To start a cuelist with a button on the first click and stop it on the second click, the following changes need to be made in the properties:
- Change the style from "Default" to "Lumos"
- Activate the toggle function via the "Is toggle button" property
- Set the "Pass through" property to "True"
- Ideally, change the display name for the internal name in DMXControl 3
- Name the button for later display in the Softdesk
Once you've created this button and any other buttons accordingly, you need to link them in the Input Assignment so that the action "Start cuelist on first click and stop cuelist on second click" is implemented. The composition of this connection set is described in the article Cuelist (Connection Set Examples).
| 110px | link= | Wichtiger Hinweis | If you’ve created multiple buttons in the Softdesk, the linking in the input assignment must also be done for each button. However, you can clone the corresponding connection set (i.e., duplicate it) and only change the input, output, and cuelist. |
Once you’ve understood the basic procedure for creating a simple button in a Softdesk, feel free to get more creative and expand your Softdesk with other control elements like faders or signal lamps. We also introduced how to build a more comprehensive Softdesk in a video tutorial.
Links and References
Further Information