The function Update Project DDFs is required whenever a DDF needs to be updated in an existing project after it has been modified or a bug has been fixed. This way, no manual changes need to be made to the project itself.
Overview
Important Features
Usage
Prerequisites for Updating
Before the function can be called in DMXControl 3, the following points must be considered so that DMXControl 3 can recognize that a newer version of an already used DDF exists:
- The modification of the existing DDF or the correction of a bug took place in the directory "UserDevices". Any changes in the program directory may be lost due to missing write permissions or when the installer is run again.
- The filename of the DDF that was modified has not changed, and it matches the filename of the DDF used in the project. You can verify this in the settings for the respective Device.
- In addition to the content change in the DDF, the version number has also been adjusted, for example, from
1.0.1
to1.0.2
for a minor change, or from1.0.3
to1.1.0
if the changes are more extensive. - The modified DDF is technically correct, meaning the XML syntax is fundamentally correct, and only functions that are listed in the DDF Documentation have been added.
![]() |
To verify that extensive changes to the DDF have been implemented correctly, it can be helpful to first load the modified version of the DDF in a new, empty project and, if necessary, cross-check it with the details in the manual using the Channel Overview. |
Updating DDF
![]() |
DDFs can only be updated in a project that is currently loaded in DMXControl 3. If the DDF is to be updated in other projects as well, these projects must also be loaded afterward, and the steps described below must be performed. |
The function Update Project DDFs can be found under « File (Datei) »⇒ « Update Project DDFs ».
This opens the associated window, which lists all DDFs that are (possibly) outdated. In addition to the name of the DDF, the window also compares the version numbers of the DDFs between the project and the file system (Filesystem). This is the reason why the version number should always be adjusted when making changes. In the "Prefer file system" column, you can selectively choose whether a DDF should be updated in the project or not. After confirming the selection, you will receive a notice that the update of the DDFs will only occur after the project is saved and reloaded. Therefore, you should:
- do exactly that to ensure the project can be loaded without errors with the updated DDFs and
- save the project promptly after loading it to ensure the new DDFs are stored in the project file.
If problems arise when loading the project with the updated DDFs, you can open an older version of the project in the Project Administration.