SuperStage DMX Activity Monitor — User Manual
1. Overview
The DMX Activity Monitor is a tool for viewing SuperStage's internal DMX buffers. It displays Universe channel levels using grayscale blocks and numeric values. It supports monitoring a single Universe or showing all Universes that contain non-zero channel values, helping you confirm whether SuperStage is receiving DMX data.
2. Access
The DMX Activity Monitor is embedded in the bottom area of the DMX Config Panel.
Access: Editor bottom status bar → Click the SuperDMX button; after opening the DMX Config Panel, the activity monitor is visible at the bottom of the panel.
3. Interface Description
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ☑ All Universes Universe [1 ↕] [Clear] │
│ ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── │
│ Universe 1..512 │
│ │
│ U 1 │ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ... │
│ │ ██ ▓▓ ▒▒ ░░ · · · · ... │
│ │255 128 64 32 0 0 0 0 ... │
│ │
│ U 2 │ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ... │
│ │ · · ██ · · · · · ... │
│ │ 0 0 200 0 0 0 0 0 ... │
│ │
│ (Horizontal + Vertical scrolling) │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
4. Feature Description
4.1 Monitor Mode
| Control | Description |
|---|---|
| All Universes checkbox | Checked: Auto-display all Universes with signals; Unchecked: Show only the specified Universe |
| Universe input field | Select the Universe number to monitor (range 1-512), supports drag adjustment |
4.2 Channel Display
Each Universe is displayed as a row, containing:
- Left label:
U {Number} - Channel columns: Each channel is 28 pixels wide, showing from top to bottom:
- Channel address (1–512)
- Grayscale block (20 pixels high): Brightness = channel value / 255; higher values appear brighter; height is fixed and does not represent value
- Numeric value (0–255)
The DMX Config Panel shows 512 channels by default. The source keeps a channel-count argument, but the current panel does not expose a separate user input for it.
4.3 Signal Filtering
- All Universes mode: Retrieves all known Universes from the DMX subsystem, only displaying Universes with non-zero signals
- Single Universe mode: Only queries the specified Universe's buffer
When no DMX data is available, the prompt text appears: "No DMX data yet. Check Input Enable and source."
4.4 Clear Button
Click the "Clear" button to clear the DMX buffer:
- All Universes mode: Clears buffers for all Universes
- Single Universe mode: Only clears the currently selected Universe
5. Usage Scenarios
Scenario 1: Verify Console Signal Reception
- Configure input in the DMX Config Panel
- Open the DMX Activity Monitor
- Check All Universes or select the corresponding Universe
- Move a fader on the console
- Observe whether the grayscale bars and values for the corresponding channels change
Scenario 2: Check Fixture Patch Correctness
- Select the Universe where the fixture is located
- Observe the channels starting from the fixture's start address
- Compare whether the channel count matches the channel span defined in the fixture library
Scenario 3: Troubleshoot DMX Signal Issues
- If a fixture is not responding, first check in the monitor whether the corresponding channels have data
- If the monitor has no data → Check the network connection and DMX input settings
- If the monitor has data but the fixture doesn't respond → Check the fixture's patch settings
6. Notes
- The activity monitor refreshes data about every 100ms
- The UI is only rebuilt when the Universe set changes (to avoid frequent redraws)
- The monitor is read-only; DMX values cannot be modified through this panel (except Clear)
- The current widget does not perform a subscription-permission check; whether data appears depends on DMX input settings, protocol, network, and sender
- Universe numbers range from 1-512
- Supports both horizontal and vertical scrolling to accommodate viewing large numbers of channels