Art-Net Driver
The Art-Net Driver enables Disguise to send and receive DMX-style control data over IP using the Art-Net protocol. Art-Net is one of the most commonly used lighting network standards and provides a flexible way to manage large numbers of DMX universes across Ethernet-connected devices.
Disguise uses the Art-Net Driver whenever DMX values need to be transmitted to lighting fixtures, media servers, or automation hardware, or when external systems need to control parameters within Designer.
Use the Art-Net Driver when your show requires:
- DMX output from Disguise to lighting fixtures, dimmers, LED controllers or automation gateways.
- DMX input from lighting desks to control layers or drive parameters in Designer.
- Integration with lighting networks where Art-Net is the primary protocol.
- Routing DMX universes over IP, reducing cabling and simplifying show distribution.
- Synchronisation between media and lighting, allowing lighting desks to control timeline elements.
- Testing or visualising DMX data coming from or going to external equipment.
Art-Net Broadcast
Section titled “Art-Net Broadcast”To send Art-Net data using broadcast, set the Remote IP of the device to the broadcast address of the network.
Example: If a device has:
- IP: 2.0.0.1
- Netmask: 255.0.0.0
Then the broadcast address is:
- 2.255.255.255
Broadcast sends data to all devices on the network segment.
Use this only when required, as it can increase network load in busy environments.
Art-Net IP Address Filtering
Section titled “Art-Net IP Address Filtering”Disguise now uses strict IP filtering for Art-Net (and sACN) to allow more precise layering of DMX data.
This means:
- Disguise only listens to the specific IP address configured in the Remote IP field.
- It no longer automatically listens to the entire subnet.
- You must specify either:
- the correct unicast address, or
- the broadcast address if using broadcast mode.
This improves reliability in multi-source DMX networks and prevents accidental data conflicts.
Driver Properties
Section titled “Driver Properties”The UDP port for Art-Net communication (typically 6454).
This should match the configuration of any connected Art-Net device.
Remote IP
Section titled “Remote IP”The IP address from which Disguise will accept Art-Net data.
- Use a specific device IP for unicast.
- Use the network broadcast address if broadcasting.
- Required due to Disguise’s strict IP filtering behaviour.
Universe Assignment
Section titled “Universe Assignment”Specifies which Art-Net universe Disguise will use for DMX input or output.
Art-Net supports up to 32,768 universes (Net / Subnet / Universe format).
Determines whether the driver is outputting DMX, receiving DMX, or disabled.
- Output — Disguise sends Art-Net
- Input — Disguise receives Art-Net
- Disabled — No DMX activity
Broadcast / Unicast Setting
Section titled “Broadcast / Unicast Setting”Defines whether Art-Net packets are transmitted:
- Broadcast — to all devices in the network segment
- Unicast — to a single destination IP
Unicast is recommended for large or complex networks.
Developer Documentation