Kernel DMXC3

From English DMXC-Wiki
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DMXControl 3.3.0
Stand: 04.03.2025		 Kernel DMXC3
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The Kernel of DMXControl 3 is the part of the software responsible for the actual calculation of all effects and handles communication with the connected interfaces.


Figure 1:Kernel of DMXControl 3 after startup.
Figure 1: Kernel of DMXControl 3 after startup.

Overview

The Kernel is responsible for the actual calculation of all effects and communicates with the connected interfaces.

Typically, the kernel operates invisibly in the background for the user when the user interface and the kernel are started together, as is mostly common when using DMXControl 3 on a single PC. However, if desired, the kernel can be displayed using the command « Help »⇒ « Show Kernel ». When the user interface is closed, the kernel is also shut down.

Important Hint The kernel must not be terminated at any point while a show is running. If the kernel is ended prematurely, no DMX values will be output anymore, and all changes made to the project up to that point will be lost.

Key Features

Even though the kernel window offers the option to close it via the exit button, using this button is generally discouraged. The kernel goes through various processes when shutting down, such as terminating active Cuelists, disabling the DMX output, and ending communication with the DMX interfaces.

Important Hint To properly shut down and terminate the kernel, enter the command shutdown as a command.

Controls

The Kernel is designed as a console window and therefore does not feature graphical controls. Control of the kernel is thus exclusively managed via command-line parameters.

Command-Line Parameters

The kernel can be queried for more detailed information about its status using the following command-line commands, allowing users to learn more about the kernel's state. Simple tests are also possible. There is no German translation or German command-line parameters available here.

Figure 2:Command-line parameters of the kernel.
Figure 2: Command-line parameters of the kernel.
Command Description Example
Group 1: Main Menu
shutdown or Ctrl + C Terminates the kernel.
status Displays status information.
menu Access to the control menu.
clear Clears the console.
notification {message} Sends a notification {message} to all clients. notification Please save the project!
notify {sessionNames} {message} Sends a notification {message} to selected clients {sessionNames}. notify LIGHT-PC1 Please save the project!
mixerdump Saves the current mixer information to a log file.
width {character count} Sets the console width (number of characters).
load "{file path}" Loads a project.
save "{file path}" Saves the current project. save "C:\Users\Public\Documents\My Project.zip"
dmxout {DMX channel, value}+ Sets DMX output values.
dmxin {DMX channel, value}+ Sets DMX input values.
help Opens the help menu (also accessible via ?).
Group 2: Menu
1 Menu for controlling DMX channels.
2 Menu for controlling RDM functions.
3 Information about DMX output.
4 Information about load management (Electricity).
5 Information about input assignment.
6 General monitoring information.
7 Information about available plugins in DMXControl 3.
8 Information about the Property Value Mixer.
9 Information about current connections (Sessions).
10
11 Information about active managers and services.


Important Hint If an entered path contains spaces, quotation marks are mandatory.

Usage

Network Communication

For the separate operation of the User Interface and the Kernel on different PCs to function, the following requirements must be met:

  • All components of the DMXC3 network must be able to reach the PC running the kernel. This can be checked using a ping, especially when setting up a more complex configuration.
  • To enable communication between components in the DMX3 network, the ports listed below[1] must be opened in the firewall. Typically, the firewall prompts for this upon the first start and automatically adds them.
Port TCP UDP Description
17474 Unofficial DMXControl 3 Network Discovery
17475 Unofficial DMXControl 3 Network Broker

DMXC3 Icon V-Collection redo.png Further information on working with DMXControl 3 across multiple PCs is described in the article Network Concept.

Startup Parameters

Startup parameters are typically passed to a shortcut to launch an application. To pass a startup parameter to the kernel, create a new shortcut to the application and adjust the target field in the properties. By default, this field only contains the full path to the application, such as:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\DMXControl Projects\DMXControl 3.3.0\Kernel\Lumos.exe"

It is important that the entire path is enclosed in quotation marks. The permitted startup parameters are appended sequentially after the path to the application, with each keyword preceded by two dashes. For example, to load a specific project directly upon starting the kernel, the full entry would look like this:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\DMXControl Projects\DMXControl 3.3.0\Kernel\Lumos.exe" --load "{PROJECT-ID}#{VERSION}""

Following the keyword --load, the internal project ID is provided in quotation marks. Optionally, this can be supplemented with the project version, prefixed with a #. Specifying the project name is not possible.

DMXC3 Icon V-Collection redo.png Additional notes on setting up an automatic start of DMXControl 3 with the direct loading of a specific project are provided in the article on System Configuration.

Important Hint The project "{PROJECT-ID"} is currently only located in the kernel's configuration directory, where projects are centrally stored and managed.

Multiple startup parameters are allowed per shortcut, as listed in the table below.

Parameter Description Example
--hidden The kernel runs hidden in the background and is not visible in the taskbar.
--nonetwork Network functionality remains disabled, so the « Connection » entry in the main window’s menu bar will not appear in the GUI later. The nonetwork mode can be used when the kernel and GUI operate on the same PC.
--load By specifying a project ID and optionally a version number, the kernel will load a specific project directly upon startup. --load "{PROJECT-ID}#{VERSION}"

Configuration Directory

After the kernel is started for the first time, a directory is created in Windows Explorer where various settings are stored. By default, this directory is located at "C:\Users\{USERNAME}\AppData\Roaming\DMXControl Projects e.V\DMXControl\Kernel\Config", where "{USERNAME}" should be replaced with the name of the current PC user. Alternatively, the directory can be accessed via "%AppData%\Roaming\DMXControl Projects e.V.\Kernel\Config".

File Description Example Optional
ApplicationConfig.xml Contains the general program settings of DMXControl 3. No No
DMXInterfaceConfig.xml Stores the settings of the integrated DMX interfaces. No No
GoboCorrelations_GPU.csv Saves the result of the gobo correlation. No No
KernelPluginConfig.xml Stores the status of plugins. No No
SavedAttachables.xml This file stores all effects from the Saved Effects tab. No No
Statistics.xml This file records the runtime of the last 100 sessions and the total sum of output DMX values. No No

Links and References

Further Information

  1. ↑ List of standardized network ports (English): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_TCP_and_UDP_port_numbers
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