Outputs
Studio computes your show as DMX: 512 values per universe, many times a second. To reach real lights, each universe goes through the gateway, a small program that turns Studio's output into a lighting protocol on your network, such as Art-Net. An Art-Net node (or a light that speaks Art-Net) turns that into DMX on a cable.
Studio runs
The gateway is part of the desktop app: it starts and stops with it. Connect Studio to it at 127.0.0.1, port 4515 (the defaults).
Getting output going takes three steps: run the gateway, connect Studio to it, then send each universe through that connection.
1. Run the Gateway
| Studio runs | The gateway |
|---|---|
| Desktop app | Is built in: it starts and stops with the app. Nothing to do |
| In the browser | Must run on the same computer. Get it from the WSC releases (wsc-server-… for your system) and start it; leave it running while you work |
The gateway listens for Studio on port 4515. Your computer and the Art-Net node must be on the same network, with the node's address reachable (Art-Net nodes often use 2.x.x.x or 10.x.x.x addresses: set your computer's network address to match, as the node's manual says).
2. Connect Studio to the Gateway
Open Preferences → Outputs (Ctrl+Shift+O). The Input/Outputs popup lists your connections.
- Press Add New Connection. A connection named New Connection 1 appears, set for a gateway on this computer.
- Check its settings (the defaults fit the desktop app and a gateway on the same computer).
- Press Connect. Its state in the list goes from Disconnected to Connecting… to Connected; the log under the settings shows what happens.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Label | The connection's name, as the universes list it |
| Type / Protocol | WSC (Web Show Control): how Studio talks to the gateway |
| IP, Port | Where the gateway runs: 127.0.0.1 (this computer) and 4515 |
Press Disconnect to close the connection, Delete to remove it.
3. Send a Universe
Open the universe in the patch bay. In its Universe settings, pick the connection as its Output: the Stream widget appears next to it, where you say how the gateway sends this universe.
- Protocol: ARTNET for an Art-Net node (see what's verified below).
- Host: the Art-Net node's IP address, and Port:
6454, the Art-Net port (filled in when you pick the protocol). - Press Start streaming. The universe goes out continuously, every frame, whether the show is playing or paused. Stop streaming stops it.
Studio's universe 0 goes out as Art-Net universe 0, universe 1 as 1, and so on: set each node to the universe it should listen to.
| Setting | Shown for | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Protocol | Always | How the gateway sends the universe |
| Interface | Protocols with several | The gateway's way out: network (UDP, TCP), serial, USB, WebSocket |
| Host, Port | Network interfaces | The receiving device's address |
| Serial port, Baud | Serial | The port's number on the gateway's computer and its speed |
| Vendor ID, Product ID | USB | The USB interface's identifiers |
| URL | WebSocket | The receiver's address (ws://host:port/path) |
| Priority | sACN | The stream's sACN priority (default 100): the receiver follows the highest |
| TTL | UDP | How many network hops packets may cross (0: the gateway's default) |
| NIC | UDP, TCP | Which of the gateway computer's network cards sends them (0: the default) |
Check That It Works
- Patch a fixture at the address its display shows (minus 1: Studio counts from 0, see Patching), in the universe you're streaming.
- In the universe view, push its dimmer fader up (and open its shutter if it has one).
- The light should follow. If it doesn't, see Troubleshooting.
On a computer without lights, an Art-Net monitor (a free app that shows the Art-Net packets on your network) shows the values Studio sends.
What's Verified
Checked with the gateway bundled with Studio, sending to an Art-Net receiver on the same computer: connecting, streaming Art-Net, and the values following faders, scenes and effects.
| Protocol | Status |
|---|---|
| ARTNET over UDP | Works |
| SACN | The current gateway answers "Unsupported protocol": not available yet |
| OSC over UDP | The gateway has an OSC sender; not verified with Studio yet |
| DMX512 (USB or serial interfaces), KINET, MODBUS, RAW | Not verified yet |
Note: In this release, connections and universe streams aren't saved with the show: after opening a show or reloading Studio, connect again and set each universe's Output and Stream again. The Config button next to Output does nothing yet; use Preferences → Outputs. See Known limitations.