Support Forum

Hi!

I'm new to this whole thing and I have a question about the software. If I am using a ENTTEC Pro interface, and I have three dimmer packs, can I just plug the DMX from the packs and into the interface? Will it then recognize it, or would I have to add the Par Can fixtures?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Wes

Hello ppcswes,

Welcome to the forum!

Freestyler (FS) or the Enttec Pro will not automatically recognize any fixtures that is down the dmx line. You have to find the fixture in the FS library or possibly create it using Fixture creator (which comes with FS) and add the fixture file to your location. There is info in the FS wiki to help with setting this up.

ppcswes wrote:Hi!

I'm new to this whole thing and I have a question about the software. If I am using a ENTTEC Pro interface, and I have three dimmer packs, can I just plug the DMX from the packs and into the interface? Will it then recognize it, or would I have to add the Par Can fixtures?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Wes

I think you are talkin about RDM:

http://www.thedmxwiki.com/definitions/rdm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RDM_%28lighting%29

neither the enttec usb dmx pro or freestyler can do that, and your dimmer packs have to support RDM as well. DMX (without RDM) is one way street. you have to set the addresses on your dimmer packs, and set the same addresses in freestyler (like shannon said), before freestyler can communicate with the dimmer packs

Okay, thanks for the help! I understand how to add the fixtures, but how do you set the address in FS to make it the same as the dimmer pack?

ppcswes wrote:.................. how do you set the address in FS to make it the same as the dimmer pack?

In Freestyler goto: SETUP > ADD FIXTURES > START ADDRESS > enter address of dimmer pack > SET

In addition to set the address in freestyler, you of course have to set the addresses in the dimmer pack as well.

Usually a dimmer pack also has the possibility to set the start address. If your dimmer pack has 4 channels, and you set start address to 5, thann channels 5, 6, 7 and 8 will be used.

In dimmer bars you often can set the address for every channel. This makes it possible to have 2 bars for example, one starting with channel 1 at the right, the other one witch channel 1 at the left side. So you got 1-2-3-4 and 4-3-2-1 wich will mirror.

Read the manual of your dimmer pack/bar to find out how you can set (start)addresses.

I would also suggest patching in FreeStyler the lighting fixtures that you have attached to each channel of your dimmer packs.
So patch Par Cans if you are using them. Makes it easier to know what you are controlling.

There is a bit in the FreeStyler Wiki which goes through the process of adding/removing fixtures and uses Par Cans for the tutorial and shows how to set a manual address for fixtures.
Also on the FreeStyler Wiki is a bit about the Fixture Creator that shows you how to create Par Cans, Dimmers and Switches which might be useful to you as well as explains reasons for doing different things even though they are essential the same.

Thanks everyone very very much! This was very helpful and will be using this information a lot! Thanks again!

Wes