Sockpuppets

Sockpuppet fully implements DMX & OSC controls into Designer. This feature enables the user to fully control all layers and their parameters from a lighting desk or OSC application. As a result, the operator is no longer restricted to timeline based sequencing, but can now program their project using the lighting desk’s cue stack, or a combination of both; by having certain layers controlled from the lighting desk and others controlled from the Timeline. In short, Sockpuppet works by treating all of the layer types as fixture personalities.

Compatibility

Sockpuppet is fully compatible with any lighting desk capable of outputting Art-Net or sACN, as well as any OSC platform capable of sending OSC control strings.

Additionally, for added usability XML personalities can be exported from Designer and imported into any XML compatible console.

Known Limitations

Frame accurate sync across multiple machines cannot be guaranteed. This is because sockpuppet playback responds locally to control packets received on each machine, rather than the director receiving the control data and distributing it synchronously across the machines in the session. This is to guarantee as low latency response as possible.

In setups where a single screen is stitched from outputs across multiple servers, sockpuppet cannot guarantee synchronous playback across the whole surface.

Network setup - console

First ensure the lighting desk and server are networked together and able to ping each other. You will need to assign the IP address and Subnet mask on both the lighting desk’s Art-Net port and the server’s Art-Net port. These will normally be addressed as shown below:

• server - DMX port - 2.0.0.x - 255.0.0.0
• lighting desk - Art-Net port - 2.0.0.x - 255.0.0.0

Note

Please note: Each device needs a unique IP address within the same IP range and subnet

Network setup - OSC

First ensure the OSC app and server are networked together and able to ping each other. You will need to assign the IP address and Subnet mask (ensuring they are both set to the same IP and Subnet range) on the system hosting the OSC application and the server’s network port that is receiving the OSC data.

• Set OSC application send IP
• Set OSC application receive IP
• Set the OSC application outgoing port
• Set the OSC application incoming port
• Set Designer OSC device send IP
• Set Designer OSC device receive IP
• Set the OSC Designer outgoing port
• Set the OSC Designer incoming port

Confirm the connection

To check the two devices can communicate with each other, a command line called ping should be used.

Note

Please note: If using sockpuppet on a Director/Actor system, you will need to give each machine its own Art-Net or OSC connection as each machine needs to receive the data from the control source.

Setup

Once network connectivity has been confirmed between the server and the lighting desk, the next step is to create a DMX or OSC device in Designer.

Further Reading

• DMX setup
• OSC devices