Artnet support in Vixen..

[budude]

The interface must be "up" for the traffic to be routed out that interface otherwise it will go out the default (and only) interface which would be your WiFi. As long as you have an interface configured on the same subnet and up, the traffic will go that way and you don't have to worry about adding any static routes.

Another thing you'll want to watch for is the WindoZe (or much much worse Norton) firewall settings as it may block your traffic. The better setup would be a second laptop/PC connected to your first one with a crossover cable (or a switch/hub if you have one). Have the second be the receiver/simulator and first with Vixen. But of course that assumes you have a second PC laying around...

 

[LabRat]

PC's I've got... space on the desk however....

It's really a case of remote debugging at the moment, as I try and work through the proper black magic on DynamoBen's system with the real device. The DLL *is* talking to the network, and did (initially) detect a valid node.
A second instance of the DLL was brought up however, and that may have caused problems. I could put a quick flag in to prevent that from happening.. hmm. yeah.. I'll whip that out right away infact, as I've already got a boolean that shows the DLL is loaded. I'll just test to not load a second time.

The interface must be "up" for the traffic to be routed out that interface otherwise it will go out the default (and only) interface which would be your WiFi. As long as you have an interface configured on the same subnet and up, the traffic will go that way and you don't have to worry about adding any static routes.

Another thing you'll want to watch for is the WindoZe (or much much worse Norton) firewall settings as it may block your traffic. The better setup would be a second laptop/PC connected to your first one with a crossover cable (or a switch/hub if you have one). Have the second be the receiver/simulator and first with Vixen. But of course that assumes you have a second PC laying around...

 

[DynamoBen]

Here is some more testing.

Steps Part I:
Launched Vixen and opened ArtNet file
Pressed play in Vixen
While playing checked network card, which was indeed using 10.x.x.x.
Played to end of file then crashed.


Steps Part II:
Deleted previous logs
Launched Vixen and opened ArtNet file
Pressed play in Vixen
While playing checked network card, which was indeed using 10.x.x.x.
Stopped playing in vixen.
NOTE: this is the log I attached.

 

[LabRat]

Thanks... I'll have to mull that over. It showed finding the node, (on 2.x.x.x) yet still no packets were seen.

This version should prevent multiple instance(s), as well as reporting on the ArtNet DLL revision.

Edit: Bad DLL removed. (Bad DLL!! Naughty Naughty DLL!!)

 

[DynamoBen]

Thanks... I'll have to mull that over. It showed finding the node, (on 2.x.x.x) yet still no packets were seen.

This version should prevent multiple instance(s), as well as reporting on the ArtNet DLL revision.

It appears that while the ArtNet protocol isn't smart enough to prevent data being sent, the DLL you are using is. If my node has the outputs turned off or disabled the DLL (using DMX-Workshop) doesn't transmit data. So if we can sort out why you aren't seeing the node it might just start flowing data.

 

[DynamoBen]

Tried the new dll and it crashed at play.

 

[LabRat]

It appears that while the ArtNet protocol isn't smart enough to prevent data being sent, the DLL you are using is. If my node has the outputs turned off or disabled the DLL (using DMX-Workshop) doesn't transmit data. So if we can sort out why you aren't seeing the node it might just start flowing data.

Well that *last* log you made for me, showed that it *did* see the node. (according to the docs it saw the node on the 2.x.x.x network, but again that may just be a documentation error). Where you sniffing the network at the time you made that last log?

I'll look at the more advanced commands and see if there's anything more we can do to probe the network and/or report on what the driver/dll thinks is going on.

 

[LabRat]

Tried the new dll and it crashed at play.

Oops... (should have tested that one here first.. sorry.)

A.

 

[DynamoBen]

Well that *last* log you made for me, showed that it *did* see the node. (according to the docs it saw the node on the 2.x.x.x network, but again that may just be a documentation error). Where you sniffing the network at the time you made that last log?

I'll look at the more advanced commands and see if there's anything more we can do to probe the network and/or report on what the driver/dll thinks is going on.

Node and wireshark are on 10.x.x.x, tray app claims its bound to 10.x.x.x. Further when I check the tray and look at the status list I see my node. By all accounts it should work. *head scratch*

 

[LabRat]

Tried the new dll and it crashed at play.

Updated my previous posting and replaced the ZIP archive. This one properly reports the DLL version number as well.


The open tools that they supplied seem to work... hmmm... (have to mow the lawn, I'll keep "pondering").

 

[LabRat]

Just recalled that there is a "pipe" index passed to the read/write command. I had been setting it to 0 for channels 1 -512. If I set it to -1 then its "ALL channels".

So here's yet another attempt...

 

[LabRat]

Sure enough the "demo" code, is using:

ArtNetReadWrite(-1);

Also looks like the "default Pipe Universe" may not be as default as I had thought.

Enjoy *THIS* one.. (though it still crashes on exit. So I'm chasing *that* right now).

 

[DynamoBen]

I see data!!!!!!! Now we are cooking with gas.

So a couple of things, it seems data won't stream until the dll has all the nodes accounted for. To accomplish this in vixen we may need to intitilize the artnet dll when vixen launches. KC and I had to do that for the OpenDMX plugin. As long as vixen was open it streamed DMX.

I haven't played with multiple files being open concurrently but I'm guessing they will clobber each other.

Finally You mentioned the pipe universe, this should be calculated based on the number of channels in use, a universe is a multiple of 512 so it shouldn't be too hard to calculate on the fly. Here again KC and I had to do this for a prototype multi-universe DMX dongle plug-in.

 

[LabRat]

I see data!!!!!!! Now we are cooking with gas.

So a couple of things, it seems data won't stream until the dll has all the nodes accounted for. To accomplish this in vixen we may need to intitilize the artnet dll when vixen launches. KC and I had to do that for the OpenDMX plugin. As long as vixen was open it streamed DMX.

Yes.. I had been thinking this too. Alternatively we create an ArtNet daemon that runs independent of Vixen, and the Vixen plugin just squirts the values/settings to the daemon.

I haven't played with multiple files being open concurrently but I'm guessing they will clobber each other.

Sorry. Not following here. Which multiple files are to be opened concurrently?

Finally You mentioned the pipe universe, this should be calculated based on the number of channels in use, a universe is a multiple of 512 so it shouldn't be too hard to calculate on the fly. Here again KC and I had to do this for a prototype multi-universe DMX dongle plug-in.

Oh absolutely. This is currently the QAD (Quick and Dirty) version that only supports the single universe. All doable.

Still trying to solve the ugly exit error. It only manifests when we call ArtNetExit after the song ends. If you stop mid-song, no error.

 

[DynamoBen]

Yes.. I had been thinking this too. Alternatively we create an ArtNet daemon that runs independent of Vixen, and the Vixen plugin just squirts the values/settings to the daemon.

A daemon would require more work on the behalf of the user, also it may conflict with DMX-Workshop.

Sorry. Not following here. Which multiple files are to be opened concurrently?

Multiple Vixen files open at the same time, playing currently.

Still trying to solve the ugly exit error. It only manifests when we call ArtNetExit after the song ends. If you stop mid-song, no error.

I remembered there was a controller close at end of sequence setting, I disabled that but didn't seem to help.

 

[LabRat]

A daemon would require more work on the behalf of the user, also it may conflict with DMX-Workshop.

Multiple Vixen files open at the same time, playing currently.

I had not idea Vixen could do that.

I remembered there was a controller close at end of sequence setting, I disabled that but didn't seem to help.

If we can get leverage the "always loaded" plugin as you described, then the "exit at end of song" point will be moot. Then only question will be can we clean up nicely upon exit of Vixen.

 

[DynamoBen]

If we can get leverage the "always loaded" plugin as you described, then the "exit at end of song" point will be moot. Then only question will be can we clean up nicely upon exit of Vixen.

Hit KC up for this one, he is more than willing to help. If he can sort out the stuff at the application level and you can sort out the stuff at the plug-in level this will be another one for the record books.

 

[LabRat]

If we can get leverage the "always loaded" plugin as you described, then the "exit at end of song" point will be moot. Then only question will be can we clean up nicely upon exit of Vixen.

We've identified the difference in the two shutdown conditions. KC gave me a custom load to test, and it no longer fails. That being said, I'm still looking to get the ArtNet dll to instantiate on startup of Vixen, and then then shutdown on exit.

Two steps forward... (none back.. (yet))

 

[LabRat]

Attached:
Vixen_ArtNet.zip = Output plugin
Vixen_ArtNet_Server.zip = AddIn plugin

Enjoy...

 

[DynamoBen]

Looking good so far. Server correctly initiates artnet plugin when Vixen launches.

Basic functionality tests

1. I tested a 16 channel file, 30sec in duration. Values correctly stream to the node which I verified with wireshark.

2. I then tested a 512 channel file, 30sec in duration. Values correctly stream to the node which I verified with wireshark.

3. Finally I tested a 1024 channel file, 30sec in duration. The first universe of data was correctly streamed to the node which I verified with wireshark. However there was no second universe, which wasn't a big surprise since you indicated this would be coming at some point in the future.

Files play completely with no crash at the end.

I didn't do any testing beyond this largely because I know its a work in progress. But so far so good.