DMX/Art-Net Input

DMX input allows lighting consoles to control FXCanvas color palettes by sending Art-Net data. This enables a console-first workflow where lighting designers can use their familiar tools—grandMA3, Eos, ChamSys, or any Art-Net compatible console—to drive FXCanvas visuals.

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Why Use Art-Net Input?

Art-Net input brings FXCanvas into your existing lighting workflow:

• Console Integration — Control FXCanvas colors directly from cues, macros, or live adjustments on your lighting console
• Unified Control — Manage both traditional lighting fixtures and FXCanvas visuals from a single interface
• Show Integration — Program FXCanvas colors alongside your lighting looks for perfectly synchronized shows
• Designer Familiarity — Use the console you already know rather than learning a new interface

When Art-Net input is enabled, FXCanvas acts as a "virtual fixture" that your console can patch and control just like any other lighting instrument.

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Quick Start

Get up and running with Art-Net input in four steps:

1. Open DMX Settings

Navigate to Edit → Settings, then select the DMX tab.

2. Configure Connection

Enable DMX Input and configure your network settings:

Setting	Description
Enable DMX Input	Master toggle to start receiving Art-Net data
Protocol	Currently Art-Net only (sACN coming soon)
Universe	Match the universe your console sends to (default: 0)
Start Address	First DMX channel for FXCanvas (default: 1)

tip

Art-Net Settings (Network Adapter, Net, Subnet) only appear when DMX Input is enabled.

3. Download GDTF Profile

In the GDTF Profile section:

1. Set your desired Color Count using the slider (1-20 colors)
2. Optionally enable Color Count Control under Control Channels
3. Review the DMX Footprint display showing your channel layout
4. Click Download GDTF to save the fixture file

4. Patch in Your Console

1. Import the GDTF file into your lighting console
2. Patch "FXCanvas Palette" at the universe and address you configured
3. Set the Color Mode in FXCanvas to Art-Net (Color Panel → Art-Net button)

You're now ready to control FXCanvas colors from your lighting console!

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Console Patching Guide

After downloading the GDTF profile, import it into your lighting console:

grandMA3

1. Open Setup → Patch → Fixture Types
2. Click Import and select the .gdtf file
3. Go to Patch and add the fixture
4. Set Universe and Address to match FXCanvas settings
5. Enable Art-Net output to FXCanvas's IP address on the configured universe

ETC Eos Family

1. Navigate to Browser → Import Fixture
2. Select the .gdtf file
3. In Patch, add the fixture at your desired address
4. Configure Network → Output Protocols → sACN/Art-Net to send to FXCanvas

ChamSys MagicQ

1. Go to Setup → View GDTF
2. Click Import GDTF and select the file
3. In Patch, choose the FXCanvas fixture from your library
4. Assign to the appropriate universe and address
5. Configure Art-Net output nodes in Setup → Network

note

These instructions are general guidance. Consult your console's documentation for detailed steps.

General Tips

• Ensure your console and FXCanvas are on the same network
• The console must be configured to output Art-Net (sACN not yet supported)
• Verify the universe number matches exactly between console and FXCanvas
• FXCanvas listens on the standard Art-Net port (6454)

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Configuration Options

The DMX Settings tab is organized into sections:

Section	Description
Enable DMX Input	Master toggle and basic settings (Protocol, Universe, Start Address)
DMX Service Status	Connection state and received color preview
Art-Net Settings	Network adapter and advanced addressing (appears when enabled)
GDTF Profile	Fixture profile configuration and export

Protocol

Currently supports Art-Net. sACN (E1.31) support is planned for a future release.

Universe

The Art-Net universe to listen on.

Property	Value
Range	0-32767
Default	0

This should match the universe your lighting console sends Art-Net data on.

Start Address

The first DMX channel within the universe where FXCanvas data begins.

Property	Value
Range	1-512
Default	1

If you're sharing a universe with other fixtures, set this to an unused address range.

Network Adapter

Select which network interface to receive Art-Net data on.

Option	Description
All Interfaces	Listens on all network adapters (default)
Specific adapter	Shows IP address and adapter name

Use a specific adapter when your computer has multiple network connections and you want to receive Art-Net only on one of them.

Net and Subnet

Advanced addressing for large Art-Net systems.

Setting	Range	Default
Net	0-127	0
Subnet	0-15	0

Most systems use Net 0, Subnet 0. Only change these if your console uses extended Art-Net addressing.

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GDTF Profile Configuration

The GDTF Profile section defines how your lighting console sees FXCanvas as a fixture.

Color Count

Use the slider to set how many palette colors the fixture profile contains.

Property	Value
Range	1-20 colors
Default	5 colors

Choosing a Color Count:

Colors	Channels*	Best For
1-3	4-10	Simple single-color or gradient effects
5	16	Default, good balance for most shows
10	31	Extended palettes with more color variety
20	61	Maximum flexibility, complex color schemes

*With Color Count Control enabled (subtract 1 if disabled)

Control Channels

This subsection contains optional channels that extend the fixture's capabilities.

Color Count Control

When enabled, adds a channel at the start of the fixture that controls how many colors are active.

Setting	Behavior
Enabled (default)	Channel 1 controls active color count
Disabled	All defined colors are always active

Control Channel Values:

Value	Behavior
0	Auto-detect: finds last non-black color
1-20	Use exactly this many colors (black counts as a color)
21-255	Treated as 20 (maximum)

When to enable

• You want to dynamically change how many palette colors are active
• Different cues use different numbers of colors
• You prefer explicit control over auto-detection

When to disable

• You always use a fixed number of colors
• You want to minimize DMX channels
• Simpler console programming preferred

DMX Footprint Display

The UI shows the channel configuration:

• DMX Footprint — Total channel count (e.g., "16 channels")
• Address Range — Start to end addresses based on your configuration
• Channel Breakdown — Hover over "(?) Channel Breakdown" to see the detailed layout

The footprint is calculated as:

Total Channels = (Color Count × 3) + (Color Count Control ? 1 : 0)

Downloading the Profile

Click Download GDTF to save a .gdtf file. The suggested filename includes your configuration:

• FXCanvas_Palette_5c.gdtf — 5 colors with control channel
• FXCanvas_Palette_10c_noctl.gdtf — 10 colors without control channel

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Channel Layout Reference

With Color Count Control Enabled

The first channel controls active color count, followed by RGB triplets:

Channel	Function	Range
1	Color Count Control	0=auto, 1-20=fixed count
2	Color 1 Red	0-255
3	Color 1 Green	0-255
4	Color 1 Blue	0-255
5	Color 2 Red	0-255
...	...	...

Example (5 colors): 16 total channels

• Ch 1: Control
• Ch 2-4: Color 1 RGB
• Ch 5-7: Color 2 RGB
• Ch 8-10: Color 3 RGB
• Ch 11-13: Color 4 RGB
• Ch 14-16: Color 5 RGB

Without Color Count Control

RGB data starts immediately at channel 1:

Channel	Function	Range
1	Color 1 Red	0-255
2	Color 1 Green	0-255
3	Color 1 Blue	0-255
4	Color 2 Red	0-255
...	...	...

Example (5 colors): 15 total channels

Auto-Detection Behavior

When the control channel is set to 0 (auto-detect), FXCanvas scans the received colors to find the active palette size:

• Scans all configured color slots
• Finds the last color that isn't "off" (R+G+B > 3)
• Uses that as the active color count
• If all colors are black, uses 1 color (minimum)

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Status Monitoring

The DMX Service Status section shows real-time information about Art-Net reception.

Status Indicator

A colored dot with text indicates the current state:

Status	Color	Meaning
Receiving	Green	Actively receiving Art-Net packets
Listening (No Data)	Yellow	Enabled but no data received yet
Not Running	Red	Protocol failed to start
Disabled	Gray	DMX input is turned off

Color Preview Swatches

When receiving data, displays the colors as small swatches:

• Up to 10 colors shown with a "+N" indicator if configured for more
• Active colors have white borders
• Inactive colors have gray borders
• Hover over any swatch to see RGB values

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Using Art-Net Colors

Color Panel Integration

The Color Panel provides direct control over Art-Net color mode:

Art-Net Mode Button

• Appears when DMX input is configured in Settings
• Click to switch from Palette mode to Art-Net mode
• Auto-enables DMX — Selecting Art-Net mode automatically enables DMX input if disabled

Status Indicator When in Art-Net mode, a status indicator shows the connection state:

• Receiving — Actively receiving Art-Net packets from your console
• Waiting... — Enabled but no data received yet
• Disabled — DMX input is turned off

Color Swatches Preview

• Displays received DMX colors as small preview swatches
• Updates in real-time as your console sends new values

Returning to Palette Mode

• Click any palette in the Palette Panel to return to Palette mode
• Or click the Palette button in the Color Panel

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Troubleshooting

No Data Received

Check your firewall:

• Windows Firewall may block Art-Net (UDP port 6454)
• Add an exception for FXCanvas or allow UDP port 6454

Verify network configuration:

• Console and FXCanvas must be on the same network/subnet
• Check that the console is actually outputting Art-Net
• Try selecting your specific network adapter instead of "All Interfaces"

Confirm universe match:

• Console universe and FXCanvas universe must be identical
• FXCanvas uses 0-indexed universes (Universe 0 = first universe)

Wrong Colors or Channel Offset

Check start address:

• Ensure console patch address matches FXCanvas start address
• Verify no channel overlap with other fixtures

Check GDTF configuration:

• The GDTF profile in your console must match FXCanvas settings
• If you change color count or control channel, re-download and re-import the GDTF

Status Shows "Not Running"

• Verify Enable DMX Input is checked
• Try toggling DMX input off and on
• Check the Log Viewer (View → Log Viewer) for error messages

Colors Don't Match Console Programmer

Color count mismatch:

• If using control channel, ensure it's set correctly (0 for auto, or specific count)
• Without control channel, all configured colors are always active

Auto-detect picking wrong count:

• Black colors between active colors can confuse auto-detection
• Consider using a fixed count via the control channel

Multi-NIC Systems

If your computer has multiple network adapters:

• Select the specific Network Adapter where Art-Net arrives
• Using "All Interfaces" may cause issues if Art-Net arrives on an unexpected interface

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Tips and Best Practices

Console Programming

• Use fixture groups — Group FXCanvas colors for easy selection
• Create color presets — Save common color combinations as console presets
• Macro integration — Trigger color changes via console macros for complex cues

Performance Shows

• Test thoroughly — Verify Art-Net connection before the show
• Have a backup — Keep some palettes saved in case Art-Net fails
• Monitor status — Keep the Settings window accessible to check connection status

Network Setup

• Dedicated network — For critical shows, use a dedicated lighting network
• Static IPs — Avoid DHCP issues by using static IP addresses
• Network switch — Use a quality gigabit switch for reliable Art-Net delivery

Channel Efficiency

• Right-size your fixture — Use only as many colors as you need
• Share universes carefully — FXCanvas can share a universe with other fixtures if addresses don't overlap
• Plan your patch — Leave room for future expansion when choosing start addresses

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DMX Viewer

The DMX Viewer window provides real-time visualization of incoming DMX data, useful for debugging and verifying your Art-Net setup.

Opening the DMX Viewer

Go to View → DMX Viewer to open the viewer window.

Understanding the Tabs

The DMX Viewer has four tabs, each showing the same data in different ways:

Bars

Shows channel values as vertical bars—similar to traditional DMX monitors.

• Bar height represents channel value (0-255)
• Channels in your configured range are color-coded (Red, Green, Blue bars)
• Control channel shows as yellow
• Show All 512 Channels checkbox to view the entire universe
• Per Page slider adjusts visible channels
• Chevron buttons scroll through channels

Best for: Seeing overall activity and quickly spotting which channels have data.

Grid

Displays all 512 channels in a compact 32×16 grid.

• Brighter cells = higher values
• Your configured address range is highlighted with a blue border
• Hover over any cell to see channel number and value

Best for: Getting an overview of the entire universe at once.

Table

Shows detailed information in a scrollable table format.

Column	Description
Ch	Channel number (1-512)
Value	Raw DMX value (0-255) with mini progress bar
%	Value as percentage (0-100%)
Type	Red, Green, Blue, or Control for configured channels

• Show All 512 Channels checkbox to see every channel
• Configured range rows are highlighted

Best for: Precise troubleshooting and seeing exact values.

Colors

Shows the actual colors being parsed from your configured DMX range.

• Displays color swatches matching what FXCanvas effects will receive
• Shows color index and RGB values for each color
• Active vs inactive colors clearly distinguished
• Updates in real-time as DMX values change

Best for: Verifying your console is sending the right palette colors.

Status Header

The top of the viewer shows connection information:

Display	Description
Status dot	Green (Receiving), Yellow (Waiting...), Gray (Disabled)
Protocol & Universe	e.g., "Art-Net Universe 0"
Address Range	Your configured start through end channel
Timing	Time since last packet (ms or seconds)

Troubleshooting with DMX Viewer

Not Receiving Data

If the status shows "Waiting..." or no data:

1. Check DMX Input is enabled — Go to Edit → Settings → DMX tab
2. Verify universe number — Must match your console
3. Check network connection — Console and FXCanvas must be on same network
4. Check firewall — Windows Firewall may be blocking UDP port 6454

Wrong Channel Values

If values don't match what you expect:

1. Use Grid tab to see which channels have activity
2. Check start address — Your console patch should match FXCanvas
3. Verify GDTF profile — Re-download if you changed settings

Colors Not Matching Console

If the Colors tab shows different colors than your console programmer:

1. Check control channel — If enabled, channel 1 sets active color count
2. Verify color count — GDTF profile should match your console setup
3. Look for channel offset — Use Table tab to see exactly where color data starts

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Related Topics

• Palettes — Learn about FXCanvas color palettes and the Color Panel
• Sources — Visual patterns that use palette colors
• Getting Started — Overview of FXCanvas basics