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.

Uses

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

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

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

Port

The UDP port for Art-Net communication (typically 6454).

This should match the configuration of any connected Art-Net device.

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

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).

Mode

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

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