Network output (Art-Net / sACN) and multiple universes

Besides a USB adapter, the program can output DMX over a computer network — using the Art-Net and sACN (E1.31) protocols. You need this in two cases: your light receiver is networked (an Art-Net node, a media server) or you have more than 512 channels of fixtures and work with multiple universes.

The easiest way — the setup wizard

If this is your first time connecting a network converter, do not configure anything by hand — run the wizard.

📍 Where: menu Settings → Network setup wizard….

The wizard walks you through the connection in three steps:

Connection check. It lists your computer’s network connections and marks the one the light will actually leave through. Warnings appear here too — for example, that an active VPN diverts the light away from the converter.
Device search. The program polls the network and shows what it found: the converter’s name, its address and how many DMX outputs it has. If nothing is found, the wizard explains what to check.
Apply. Pick the device you need and press Apply and connect — the address and universe are filled in for you.

⚠️ If the converter is «on a different network». Many converters ship with a factory address from a foreign network (for example 2.0.0.200 while your own network is 192.168.0.x). The wizard still finds such a device, but marks it: light will not reach it, and connecting as is makes no sense — the program would show «connected» while the fixtures stay dark. Instead of «Apply and connect» the wizard offers Set up automatically: it gives the converter an address on your network, finds it again and connects.

⚠️ Note: the address command is broadcast to every device on the network at once — a single one cannot be picked. If you have several converters, leave only the one you are configuring powered on. If your model cannot change its address over the network, the wizard says so honestly — then set the address with the buttons on the converter itself (an address from your network, mask 255.255.255.0).

💡 Would rather not touch the converter at all? Press Turn on broadcast and connect — the light goes out to every device on the network, so the converter receives it whatever its address is. This works with models that cannot change their address over the network too. The single price: the program can no longer check whether the converter is alive. If several converters are found, the wizard offers exactly this path — the address command cannot be aimed at one device, it reaches all of them.

💡 Tip: the converter address and the universe are remembered, so you do not have to type them again the next time you start the program. These settings live on your computer and are not stored in the project file — opening the project on another computer will not drag someone else’s address along.

To have the light come up on its own at startup, tick Connect to this device when the program starts — the checkbox sits below the address and universe fields. From then on the program finds your converter and connects at every launch, updates included.

⚠️ Note: auto-connect only fires if the converter actually answered. If it is switched off or taken away, the program stays disconnected instead of showing “connected” — deliberately, so you never hunt for a fault in the fixtures while the light goes nowhere. The program recognises your specific device even if the router gave it a new address.

⚠️ Note: on the first search Windows may ask whether to allow the program network access. Press Allow access. If you accidentally pressed Cancel, the converter will stop answering the poll — you will have to grant the permission manually in the firewall settings.

Manual setup

If the converter is already familiar and you know its address, you can skip the wizard.

📍 Where: the DMX button in the header → the expandable Art-Net / sACN subsection below the list of USB devices.

How to set up network output:

Open the DMX panel and expand Art-Net / sACN.
Choose the protocol your receiver understands:

Protocol	Settings
Art-Net	Receiver IP + Universe 1 → (base address)
sACN / E1.31	Universe 1 → (base) + priority

For Art-Net you do not have to type the address by hand: press Find devices on network and click the row you need — the address and universe are filled in for you.
Click Connect.

⚠️ Note: network interfaces in the list are always available — the entry itself says nothing about whether a receiver exists.

When you connect over Art-Net, the program asks the network whether a node answers. If it stays silent, you’ll see a hint: “the node is not responding — check the IP and the firewall (UDP 6454)”. Light is still sent: some nodes ignore that request yet work fine, so the connection is not dropped — treat the hint as “check the address and the network first”.

sACN has no such check and cannot have one: in that protocol the receiver never announces itself. Verify the result on the fixtures.

Multiple universes — how it works

The Universe 1 → field is the network address that your project’s logical universe 1 is sent to. The remaining universes go to the following addresses automatically:

Universe in the project	Network address
1	base (whatever is in the “Universe 1 →” field)
2	base + 1
3	base + 2

This way a single computer outputs any number of universes over the network — there’s no need to set up each one separately.

⚠️ Note: “Universe 1 →” is not a universe selector. You do not need to change this field to output universe 2 — it goes to the next address on its own. Typing a universe number here shifts the whole numbering and the light misses the receiver. The usual value for Art-Net is 0.

⚠️ Note: a USB adapter only outputs universe 1. Fixtures from universes 2, 3… will physically go out only over the network (Art-Net/sACN). If you’re planning a multi-universe project, plan for network output too.

💡 Tip: not sure which protocol to choose? If your receiver supports both, go with sACN: it’s simpler to set up (no IP needed, it works via multicast). Use Art-Net when the receiver only accepts it or you need addressed unicast to a specific IP.

If something else is broadcasting on the network

By protocol, an Art-Net receiver merges two sources that broadcast to the same universe: each channel goes out at the higher of the two values. In practice it looks alarming: some channels respond and others seem stuck — you set red, and the fixture stubbornly stays purple.

The second source is usually a forgotten app of the Wi-Fi receiver on a phone, a second copy of the program on a nearby computer, or someone else’s console left on the same network.

The program watches for this itself: as soon as it sees foreign frames in your universe, a warning appears with the address of the “neighbour”. Close the other program (or move it to another universe) and the light is fully yours again.

💡 Tip: if the warning appears but you can’t find the culprit, collect the report via “Help → Collect support report”: it lists every source seen, with addresses.

Fig. 13.02.1 — Art-Net and sACN settings