Problem configuring dimmer in DMXIS

dnathan

Active Member
I’m installing (8) eight-way generic dimmers into DMXIS. But the first one I installed controls all eight lights. I can change colors just fine, but I want to be able to control the lights individually for chases, etc. What am I missing?
 
I’m installing (8) eight-way generic dimmers into DMXIS. But the first one I installed controls all eight lights. I can change colors just fine, but I want to be able to control the lights individually for chases, etc. What am I missing?
@dnathan A few questions and comments:
Am I understanding you correctly? You have a quantity of dimmer packs with each pack housing eight dimmers. Am I correct thus far??
What DMX address did you set on the first pack??? And the second pack???? And the third pack?????
If you have a quantity of dimmer packs each containing 8 dimmers, typically you'd address the first pack as 001; the second pack as 009; the third pack as 017. Got the idea?????? If you address them all as 001, control channel one on your board will control the first channel of all packs simultaneously. If you address pack one as 001, pack 2 as 009, pack 3 as 017, pack 4 as 025, pack 5 as 33, pack 6 as 41, pack 7 as 49 and pack 8 as 57 the first 64 control channels of your board will control each of your 64 dimmers individually. I think I've understood you correctly; post back if I've misunderstood your query.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
 
Thank you Ron.

Here are the lights: https://www.lixada.com/p-l0581us.html
They are Lixada DMX-512 RGBW LED Stage PAR Lights. They take 8 channels. By default DMXIS uses 1:1 patching, but after connecting the first light, all eight lights (daisy-chained) lit up. DMXIS does have a patching section, but I don't see how it would help. Thoughts?
@dnathan Did you adress the lights? I haven't looked at your link yet; if all your lights are addressed at channel one then they'll all operate simultaneously. If your lights require 8 addresses, and if you want to be able to control them individually, you'll need to give each of your lights a unique starting address, and without any overlapping channels thus: Lamp 1 address 001. Lamp 2 address 9. Lamp 3 address 17. Lamp 4 address 25. Lamp 5 address 33. Lamp 6 address 41. Lamp 7 address 49. Lamp 8 address 57. With your controller patched 1 to 1 your first lamp will be channels 1-8. Your second lamp channels 9-16. Your third lamp channels 17-24. Your fourth lamp channels 25-32. Your fifth lamp channels 33-40. Your sixth lamp channels 41-48. Your seventh lamp channels 49-56. Your eighth lamp channels 57-64.
Is this making sense or am I still misunderstanding your query?
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
 
@dnathan Did you adress the lights? I haven't looked at your link yet; if all your lights are addressed at channel one then they'll all operate simultaneously. If your lights require 8 addresses, and if you want to be able to control them individually, you'll need to give each of your lights a unique starting address, and without any overlapping channels thus: Lamp 1 address 001. Lamp 2 address 9. Lamp 3 address 17. Lamp 4 address 25. Lamp 5 address 33. Lamp 6 address 41. Lamp 7 address 49. Lamp 8 address 57. With your controller patched 1 to 1 your first lamp will be channels 1-8. Your second lamp channels 9-16. Your third lamp channels 17-24. Your fourth lamp channels 25-32. Your fifth lamp channels 33-40. Your sixth lamp channels 41-48. Your seventh lamp channels 49-56. Your eighth lamp channels 57-64.
Is this making sense or am I still misunderstanding your query?
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
@dnathan Are you winning yet? @Amiers Am I missing something??
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
 
I am so grateful for your help Ron! The way it brought in the first lamp is:
Ch1/100
Ch2/0
Ch3/0
Ch4/0
Ch5/96
Ch6/0
Ch7/0
Ch8/100

I'm not sure why it brought it in that way, but I'll change them to your recommendation:
Ch1/001
Ch2/9
Ch3/17
Ch4/25
Ch5/33
Ch6/41
Ch7/49
Ch8/57

Question though, do I use those same addresses with Channels 9-64?
 
Makes sense to me. The link doesn’t have the manual so I can’t see if you can switch between control modes.

I would add that you should put them all in auto and if that doesn’t work then all in DMX512 and force it to use dmx as control.

Of course the fixtures have to be different addresses like Ron said in order to have individual control.

Also I don’t work tomorrow if you need a new set of eyes and aren’t ridiculously far away from the airport I wouldn’t mind giving you a hand. Sunday’s are pretty boring for me.
 
My goodness, I've worked with you guys! Small world. Thank you for the offer. I'm filming in Seattle right now, so it'd be a long drive. :)

I don't know how to change it to DMX512, or force it to DMX, but Sunday I'll have the chance to hook them up again and try the new addresses, so I pry won't need to go that direction.

Is it this box I'll need to update: https://technodocbox.com/docs-images/74/69937162/images/33-0.jpg

I don't have the manual, so it will be a stab in the dark. I found out that the addresses that I listed above weren't addresses at all, but the varying 0-100 value for each channel.
 
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My goodness, I've worked with you guys! Small world. Thank you for the offer. I'm filming in Seattle right now, so it'd be a long drive. :)

I don't know how to change it to DMX512, or force it to DMX, but Sunday I'll have the chance to hook them up again and try the new addresses, so I pry won't need to go that direction.

Lol I mean you can fly me out to Seattle for the day. I won’t even charge you to set up the 8 lights.
 
I am so grateful for your help Ron! The way it brought in the first lamp is:
Ch1/100
Ch2/0
Ch3/0
Ch4/0
Ch5/96
Ch6/0
Ch7/0
Ch8/100

I'm not sure why it brought it in that way, but I'll change them to your recommendation:
Ch1/001 Correct.
Ch2/9 Lamp 2 NOT channel 2.
Ch3/17 Lamp 3 NOT channel 3.
Ch4/25
Ch5/33
Ch6/41
Ch7/49
Ch8/57

Question though, do I use those same addresses with Channels 9-64?
@dnathan We appear to be separated by a common language. What you've just posted IS NOT what I typed.
Lamp 1 should be addressed to begin its 8 channels at 001.
Lamp 2 should be addressed to begin its 8 channels at 009.
Lamp 3 should be addressed to begin its 8 channels at 017.
Lamp 4 should be addressed to begin its 8 channels at 025.
Lamp 5 should be addressed to begin its 8 channels at 033.
Lamp 6 should be addressed to begin its 8 channels at 041.
Lamp 7 should be addressed to begin its 8 channels at 049.
Lamp 8 should be addressed to begin its 8 channels at 057.
Got it??
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
 
So I should write that into the channel patching text box? I tried like this:
1 : 001
2 : 002
3 : 003
4 : 004
5 : 005
6 : 006
7 : 007
8 : 008
9 : 009
10 : 010
11 : 011
12 : 012
13 : 013
14 : 014
15 : 015
16 : 016
17 : 017
18 : 018
19 : 019
20 : 020
21 : 021
22 : 022
23 : 023
24 : 024
25 : 025
26 : 026
27 : 027
28 : 028
29 : 029
30 : 030
31 : 031
32 : 032
33 : 033
34 : 034
35 : 035
36 : 036
37 : 037
38 : 038
39 : 039
40 : 040
41 : 041
42 : 042
43 : 043
44 : 044
45 : 045
46 : 046
47 : 047
48 : 048
49 : 049
50 : 050
51 : 051
52 : 052
53 : 053
54 : 054
55 : 055
56 : 056
57 : 057
58 : 058
59 : 059

I got: Error on line 1 [1: 001] Invalid characters found (Valid patches include '200:340' and '3/9:35')
 
So I should write that into the channel patching text box? I tried like this:
1 : 001
2 : 002
3 : 003
4 : 004
5 : 005
6 : 006
7 : 007
8 : 008
9 : 009
10 : 010
11 : 011
12 : 012
13 : 013
14 : 014
15 : 015
16 : 016
17 : 017
18 : 018
19 : 019
20 : 020
21 : 021
22 : 022
23 : 023
24 : 024
25 : 025
26 : 026
27 : 027
28 : 028
29 : 029
30 : 030
31 : 031
32 : 032
33 : 033
34 : 034
35 : 035
36 : 036
37 : 037
38 : 038
39 : 039
40 : 040
41 : 041
42 : 042
43 : 043
44 : 044
45 : 045
46 : 046
47 : 047
48 : 048
49 : 049
50 : 050
51 : 051
52 : 052
53 : 053
54 : 054
55 : 055
56 : 056
57 : 057
58 : 058
59 : 059

I got: Error on line 1 [1: 001] Invalid characters found (Valid patches include '200:340' and '3/9:35')
@Amiers Your turn PLEASE! I'm going nowhere fast and getting faster.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
 
ditch any 0 in the address area. so it would be 1:1 2:2 3:3 so on not 1:001 etc.
Regards
Geoff
 
Man those are some el cheapo of lights you got there or that’s the wrong manual.

With only 2 channels of DMX.

The fixtures will need to be addressed properly 1 3 5 7 9 11 etc etc.
 

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dnathan

reading this thread, I think there may be some confusion on your part about how things work and what you need to do. Apologies if this is a bit basic.

The first thing you need to do is set up your fixture(s). You need to decide what mode you want the fixture to be in, and what DMX address it will listen to. You need to decide what DMX address you want to use for each fixture. Lets say for convenience that fixture #1 starts at address 1, fixture 2 at address 9, fixture 3 at address 17, etc.
You go to the menu mode on the light, and put it in DMX mode. Then you enter in the appropriate value ( 1, 9, 17, etc) for each fixture. It will make your life easier if you put a piece of white tape on the fixture and write the dmx address you set the fixture to.

Page 13 of the DMXIS manual talks about this pretty clearly. The point is you have to configure your fixtures AND the console for things to work.

Now when the fixture 1 sees DMX information on channel 1 thru 8 it will interpret that info and do what you have told it to do.

Next you have to tell DMXIS how to match it's channels to DMX addresses.
The manual talks about beginning on page 20. In order to do this easily you need what is known as a profile to tell DMXIS what kind of fixture it is, which is the red channel, which the blue channel, etc.

If there is no DMXIS profile for your fixture you will either need to contact them or build on yourself. I believe there is an editor that may let you build one.

If you can't find a profile, you will map patch your channels 1 to 1 - and will discover that when you manipulate channels 1 thru 8 your first light does stuff. 9 thru 16 light two does stuff. Refer to your manual on the light to figure our what channel values will do what to your light.

The manual talks about this around page 30.

Hope this helps.
 
Thank you so much. The big thing I was missing was programming the physical lights. I think I'm closer, and have individual control now, but with erratic results.

1/8:1
9/16:2
17/24:3
25/32:4
33/40:5
41/48:6
49/56:7
57/64:8

I did find and was able to download my light from the website, and I think that would be much easier. It took me awhile to find the library folder, but found it at /Library/Application Support/ENTTEC/DMXIS/DmxLibrary

I'll hook it up tomorrow and see how it works.
 
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I feel like I’m so close.

In the manual it says that the setting is D001 for DMX. So I set the lights up as:

D001 - first light

D002 - second light

D003 - third light

D004 - fourth light

D005 - fifth light

D006 - sixth light

D007 - seventh light

D008- eighth light


With those settings that I programmed into the lights, I don’t have individual control, but when I deleted the patch channels and only used the fixture library preset, I could then control the colors correctly - just not individually. So my failed patch settings are:

1/8:1

9/16:2

17/24:3

25/32:4

33/40:5

41/48:6

49/56:7

57/64:8


I’m trying to tell is 1/8:1 = Channels 1-8 are for lap 1, Channels 9/16 are for lamp 2, etc. I get errors any other way I try to do it.

I then tried adding the DOO like this:


1/8: D001

9/16: D002

17/24: D003

25/32: D004

33/40: D005

41/48: D006

49/56: D007

57/64: D008


That just gave me another error.

I think the answer is in the pdf but I don’t know what it’s trying to tell me: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81LWIx-96RL.pdf
 
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