DMX 8000 Processor as Artnet node

Because the other artnet device is not a hog. Ok fine, here's my example:

Hog controlling moving and conventional rig using 6 universes.
Part of this rig is a pixelmad setup using an axon as the video source.
Pixelmad spits out artnet. I need the universes that pixelmad is spitting out in 2 locations. One of them is in dimmerworld where my 8k is.

Signalflow Ascii art:

[code]
[LED walls] Pixelmad>-Artnet->-
^ ^ |
5-pin Video |
^ ^ |
[hog]>-net->[8k]>-5-pin->[conventionals, movers, axons] |
^ |
| |
^ |
[net switch]-----------------------------------------------
\/
|
>[other artnet output]>5-pin>[Led Walls]
[/code]

There's 10 minutes i'll never get back.:aargh4:

I guess bottom line, I would like the 8k to be able to spit out an art net universe (From another source) over 5-pin. It is a feature I would find useful. YMMV.:cool:

OK....so your video walls do not "speak" ArtNet natively then?

I'm curious as to what type of LED wall you are using that only has 5-pin DMX.....sounds like a serious design flaw to me?!?

Custom set pieces made with various Color kinetics fixtures.

Just remember that Brad says it is already logged, so my original request is answered.....

My Hog and DP8k are currently installed in a permanent venue, the Hog at FOH and the DP hidden in a rack in a completely seperate room. The link between them is a CAT6 run in the wall. This, of course, works well for the shows I design and program, and most of the tours also.

The problem comes with the few shows that bring their own console. With my Hog network, the actual DMX generating device is located remotely, so all of the DMX distribution is also remote. So to accept a touring console, I have to run a 7 universe snake from FOH to the remote room. It would seem ideal to me that during these shows with touring consoles, I could fully replace my Hognet link between FOH and the DP8k with an artnet link between the DP8k and the touring console outputting Artnet natively. I would still be using my exisiting in-wall cabeling, normal dmx distribution, and DP8k as the central hub of the network.

I agree it would be foolish to buy a DMX 8000 Processor to act only as an 8-port artnet node. Just as it would be foolish to buy a DP2k to only be a 4-port arnet node. The added functionality sinply makes the processor that much more flexible and robust.

Seriously, though, what happened to the beer tap? Brad, is that logged? A retrofit maybe?

-RB

RB, I totally agree. I am also tagging onto your post to add a request of my own. In my solution its not a seperate mode, the 8k is still running 'normally', but you can turn some of the hard outputs into artnet outputs. I am also not going to buy an 8k just for this purpose. If we already own the hardware, its silly to not take advantage of it.

Just to clarify, though, my request is still Artnet input, not output.

The DP8k should already be doing Artnet output along with the "normal" DMX output. It has two RJ-45 jacks on the back, one for Hognet (input, from console) and one for Artnet (output, to devices). You can use the 8 dmx outputs and artnet concurrently right now!

-RB

That is my request too. I want the 8k to be able to take art net in from a non hog source and send it out one of the 5 pin connectors on the front. I just want to be able to do it one port at a time instead of all or none like the 2k does now.

I believe the ArtNet mode that is logged will put the DP-8K into an "all-or-none" mode similar to the DP-2K......not sure how hard it would be to add in functionality like this....or that it makes sense to do so.

I do think that this would over-complicate a system and make it very difficult to troubleshoot signal flow problems. For your above example I think you would be much better off using a box such as this one:

www.enttec.com/index.php?main_menu=Products&pn=70305&show=description&name=ode

And bypass the DP-8K entirely for your video signal.

I fail to see how simply changing the direction that artnet flows through the hardware complicates signal flow that much. It is no more complicated planning for this use of the 8k than it is to plan for the 8k to transmit artnet from a system tech's point of view. If there is some hardware hurdle that makes this approach impractical then I accept that. If you do not like my idea, I accept that. I, however, like my idea and think it would help the Hog platform grow and be more useful to everyone.

I would like for Brad to weigh in and let me know if this has been brought up and killed already.

To be honest, we have not discussed this feature set at all, other than my logging it. There are many other requests that present a much higher value to more customers way ahead of converting the DP8000 to an Art-Net node.

All the discussion and suggestions in this thread are linked to the feature suggestion log so they will not be lost when we do make decisions about this feature.

We appeciate the opinions and suggestions of all users, because everyone works with our equipment in unique ways and we want to please as many as we can.

thanks for your understanding,

Thanks Brad.

Thanks Brad.

What about pixel mapping? I have a fancy media server that allows you to pixel map video to a dmx matrix and transmit those values over artnet. The fixtures are Jarag-5 units in a 4x4 square giving me a 20x20 matrix. So that leaves me with dmx information on a cat 5 cable that I would like to transmit to my dmx 5-pin controlled jarag-5's. I am already controlling the media server via artnet with the hog, I need to get the pixelmap information from the media server back into the hog to give the lights that dmx info. Basically I want to patch the information on artnet subnet 1 universe 1 to dmx output 1 on the DP8K (or full boar, right?), but from what I understand from the information in this post, the DP8K does not do full duplex artnet. Am I missing something here or is pixelmapping not possible without additional hardware? This should be high on the priority list of updates.
-p-