DMX and Art-Net Operators in TouchDesigner
There are three operators that we can use to control either DMX Hardware via USB (here TD is built around the ENTTEC products) or Art-Net/sACN over Ethernet.
As USB DMX controllers cost money and are limited to one universe, we won’t spend much time with them. They are great if you want to control a fairly small set of lights and plug into an existing lighting infrastructure, however the same is true for Art-Net Nodes, like the DIN Ethergate, which are not that much more expensive, but more flexible and feature a much safer connection to the computer than a flimsy USB cable. Of course there are many other manufaturers.
DMX IN CHOP
The DMX Out CHOP sends channels to DMX, Art-Net, sACN, KiNET, or FTDI devices.
A note here: When they ask for “Local Adress” in that context, they do not mean your specific IP, but the network adapter you are using, if there are several available (e.g. Ethernet Adapter vs WiFI)
https://docs.derivative.ca/DMX_In_CHOP
DMX OUT CHOP
The DMX Out CHOP sends channels to DMX, Art-Net, sACN, KiNET, or FTDI devices.
https://docs.derivative.ca/DMX_Out_CHOP
ARTNET DAT
The Art-Net DAT polls and lists all devices on the network. This can be used to automate the setup of larger installations, avoid errors and detect when a device fails and switch to a backup device.
However, so far it doesn’t detect any Art-Net devices inside TouchDesigner, so it can not be demonstrated without the actual hardware and isn’t very useful for this course.
https://docs.derivative.ca/Art-Net_DAT
By far the cheapest option to control lights from TouchDesigner is to use microcontrollers like teensy or arduino, however this involves a lot of DIY stuff and is fairly limited in size. There are lot’s of tutorials out there how to do it (for example this), however we are not going to look at it in this course.