[ANSWERED] Setting up UDP connection - LCEdit and Isadora with Lanbox Channels Actor
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Re: [DMX and Isadora](/topic/3237/dmx-and-isadora)
Hello,
I've been using Isadora only for a few projects, mainly to control my multimedia streams. Aside from that I've had another computer running LC-Edit to control my lighting on the LanBox.For a next production, I would be on stage myself and would like to control both light and video from Isadora throught TouchOSC on a tablet.
Although the forum seems to point out it is quite easy to connect and control the LanBox to Isadora, I don't manage to have the software recognizing it in the Serial Port Setup.
I would like to use the Lanbox Channels Actor, which communicates over UDP.
In LC-Edit, I've set the port to the default, i.e. 4777, and the UDP-adress to 192.168.1.19, which after saving turns it into 192.168.1.19:4777.
When checking the Network Settings in System Preferences on my iMac (running Yosemite), I see my computer is connected over Ethernet to the device.
I've manually set the adress there to the same as in LC-Edit - 192.168.1.19 - which didn't seem to be necessary as just hooking up the ethernet-cable already gave me green lights for a connection.
Going back to LC-Edit though, it doesn't recognize the LanBox over the ethernet-connection.
Moving onto Isadora, I get the same result. No serial port on the ethernet interface is recognized, thought it does recognize LanBox's USB-interface.
With the Lanbox Channels Actor installed, I've set up the UDP-adress and port, being 192.168.1.19 (alternatively: 192.168.1.19:4777) and 4777. The message type is set to "write" and the bufferid to "252" (in order to give a "CA" command and bypass all LanBox settings).
None of this has helped me transferring DMX data, not over USB, nor over ethernet (which isn't recognized in the Serial Port Setup).
It has me boggled for some days now and I've been trying all kinds of combinations and ways to get into the LanBox using the native Lanbox Channels Actor from Isadora.
I'm completely new to the procedure of controlling light fixtures with this software and feel I am overlooking something simple but very fundamental in trying to do so.
Could someone explain me in detail how to set up LC-Edit (which boxes to check, what adresses and ports to fill in, in it's UDP settings) and how to establish and set up a serial port connection in Isadora in order to control just a few DMX-channels - lights and DC-motors - with the Lanbox Channels Actor?
I will be very thankful.
Kurt
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@kurious said:
explain me in detail how to set up LC-Edit
Hi Kurt,
Here is a link to a forum post that might assist.
https://community.troikatronix.com/topic/3175/basic-connection-problems-with-lanbox-over-tcp-ip/3
best wishes
Russell
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@kurious said:
I would like to use the Lanbox Channels Actor, which communicates over UDP
Actually, your post provides an opportunity to test my LanBox LCX with the current Isadora version so here goes-
I am running a test using LanBox with Isadora on MacOSX (currently 10.14.6 Mojave). Just to note that the LCEdit software that comes with the LanBox is likely to be 32bit and will no longer operate on MacOS after Mojave!
Hardwire:
MacBook Pro (2015)
LanBox LCX
Netgear wired/wireless router
Ethernet network patch cable
USB cable
DMX cable
SlimPar RGBA (to test dmx connection)Software:
MacOSX Mojave 10.14.6
LCEdit 3.5.4
Isadora 3.0.7Hardware configuration:
Starting with the LanBox LCX, I have connected a Cat5 patch cable between the LanBox tcp/ip I/O port and a network port on the Netgear router. I have also connected a USB cable between the LanBox and the MacBook Pro so that I can access the LanBox configuration through LCEdit software. The MacBook Pro is connected to the Netgear router using Wifi. I have a dmx cable between the LanBox and a RGBA parcan light instrument to test the functionality of the setup.Getting the LanBox to function over tcp/ip:
step 1, you will need to access the settings of the LanBox through the LCEdit software. Make sure everything is connected and then launch LCEdit. From the File menu/ New Project...
Configure the interface to use the USB connection for the moment so that the tcp/ip settings can be accessed in LCEdit.
You can determine that you have a successful connection by checking the Fixture interface window of LCEdit. If the little square is green the connection between the LCEdit software and the LanBox is functioning.
The tcp/ip settings are in the tools/ Global Settings... dialog.
The LanBox tcp/ip have default settings. It is here that you need to make the settings compatible with your system.
Possibly the easiest way to make the settings work is to use the Network System Preferences in MacOSX to compare the ip address numbers and make changes accordingly.
In this example the default LanBox Gateway ip address is set to '192.168.0.1', but I can see that my system router setting is '192.168.1.1' - so they do not match and I will not get a connection with these LanBox defaults - I need to change them...
In LCEdit I change the Gateway IP setting to match the router ip of my system.
In LCEdit I will also need to change the IP address setting of the LanBox to be compatible with my system.
With those two changes to the default LanBox ip settings in LCEdit we can now test the tcp/ip connection between the LCEdit software and the LanBox.
In LCEdit, Window/ Reconnect Interfaces...
Finally, in the Configure Interfaces dialog, enter the correct ip address for the LanBox in the TCP/IP tab.
If all is going well, you will be asked for the password (the default is: 777)
Check that the connection is active by looking for the little green square in the Fixture interface of LCEdit.
If the LanBox and LCEdit are not connecting, then it is unlikely that Isadora software will connect. You can reset the LanBox to its defaults and try again, by accessing Tools/ Erase LanBox... If you have data on your LanBox you can save it to an external file, Tools/ Save LanBox Data.
Step 2, The Isadora actor 'LanBox Channels' requires the same settings as indicated for the LanBox that match your system.
If you have dmx equipment around (I am using a single 4 channel RGBA parcan) then you should be able to get a response using the configured dmx channels of the 'LanBox Channels' module.
Next thing is to construct an Isadora system that will function with the dmx equipment that you have. Attached here is a simple User Actor module (Isadora 3) that allows you to change and store levels for 96 dmx channels with a 2 second envelop. It is a few years old and the envelop generators don't function like this anymore, but it will give you an idea of what you might need to do.
Step 3, When you have everything working, some of the setup is now redundant. If you want to save the setup in your LanBox save the settings using LCEdit. Once that is done LCEdit is no longer needed as the LanBox interface is directly with your Isadora patch. LCEdit can be closed and quit. The USB interface is now no longer required and the cable can be disconnected.
Best Wishes
Russell
