01 - DMX Network Configuration
Module: SuperDMX configuration panel
Target Users: Lighting programmers, technical staff
Prerequisites: 00 - DMX System Overview Last Updated: 2026-04-14
1. Opening the DMX Configuration Panel
Click the SuperDMX button in the editor status bar at the bottom to open the DMX configuration panel. The panel docks into the editor and you can adjust its position at any time.
The configuration panel is divided into two main areas:
- Upper section — Input/Output configuration controls (single-row layout)
- Lower section — DMX Activity Monitor (shows the currently cached channel values)
2. Network Topology Overview
┌──────────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────────┐
│ MA Console (MA3 onPC)│ │ Real Fixtures / │
│ IP: 192.168.0.100 │ │ Art-Net Nodes / │
│ │ │ DMX Decoders │
└──────────┬───────────┘ └──────────▲───────────┘
│ Art-Net (UDP 6454) │ Art-Net (UDP 6454)
│ or sACN (UDP 5568) │ or sACN (UDP 5568)
│ Sending DMX data │ Receiving DMX data
▼ │
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Ethernet Switch (Gigabit Recommended) │
└──────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌────────────────────────┐
│ UE Editor (SuperStage) │
│ IP: 192.168.0.50 │
│ │
│ ┌─ Input ───────────┐│
│ │ Receive console ││
│ │ DMX signals ││
│ └───────────────────┘│
│ ┌─ Output ──────────┐│
│ │ Send DMX to ││
│ │ fixtures ││
│ └───────────────────┘│
└────────────────────────┘
Key Requirement: The console, UE editor, and fixtures/nodes must be able to communicate on the Ethernet network. Wired Ethernet is recommended; WiFi, routed subnets, switch multicast settings, firewall rules, and multi-adapter routing can all affect reception.
3. Panel Layout Details
The upper section of the configuration panel is a compact row of controls, divided from left to right into the Input area and Output area, separated by a vertical line:
┌─ Input Area ─────────────────────────────────┬─── Output Area ───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Input │ [Protocol▼] │ [LocalIP▼] │ ☑ Enable │ Start Universe [0] │ │ Output │ [Protocol▼] │ [LocalIP▼] │ ☑ Enable │ Start Universe [0] │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────┴──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
4. Input Configuration (Receiving External DMX Signals)
"Input" is used for receiving DMX signals from external consoles (e.g., MA2, MA3, grandMA3 onPC).
4.1 Protocol Selection
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Dropdown Options | Art-Net / sACN (E1.31) |
| Default Value | Art-Net |
The current version supports two DMX over Ethernet protocols:
| Protocol | Port | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Art-Net | UDP 6454 | Common DMX over Ethernet protocol. |
| sACN (E1.31) | UDP 5568 | E1.31 protocol; SuperStage has unicast / multicast send and receive paths. |
Selection Advice: The protocol must match the console or sender. sACN multicast still depends on correct adapter, switch, and system routing configuration; it is not network-configuration-free.
4.2 Local IP Address
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Dropdown Options | All available NIC IP addresses on the current computer |
| Default Value | Empty (means listen on all NICs, i.e., 0.0.0.0) |
How to select the correct IP:
- If your computer has only one NIC → leave blank or select the only IP
- If your computer has multiple NICs (e.g., one connected to console, one to internet) → must select the NIC IP on the same subnet as the console
- Selecting the wrong NIC IP will result in not receiving DMX signals
Example:
- Console IP:
192.168.0.100 - Your computer NIC 1:
192.168.0.50(same subnet as console ✅) - Your computer NIC 2:
10.0.0.5(different subnet ❌) - → Should select
192.168.0.50
4.3 Enable Switch
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Type | Checkbox |
| Default Value | Checked (Enabled) |
- Checked → SuperStage begins listening on network ports, receiving DMX packets (Art-Net UDP 6454 or sACN UDP 5568)
- Unchecked → Stops receiving, saves network resources
Tip: If you temporarily don't need to receive external DMX signals (e.g., only using Sequencer playback), you can uncheck this to reduce unnecessary network overhead.
4.4 Start Universe
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Type | Integer input box (supports drag adjustment) |
| Range | Art-Net: 0 - 32,767; sACN: 1 - 63,999 |
| Default Value | 0 |
This is an offset used to map network universe numbers to SuperStage's internal universe numbers.
Mapping Formula:
SuperStage Internal Universe = Network Universe - Start Universe + 1
Common Settings:
| Scenario | Start Universe | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Default (MA2/MA3 standard) | 0 | Network Universe 0 → SuperStage Universe 1 |
| MA2/MA3 (Universe starts from 1) | 1 | Network Universe 1 → SuperStage Universe 1 |
| Skip first 10 Universes | 10 | Network Universe 10 → SuperStage Universe 1 |
In most cases, keep the default value of 0. Only adjust when your console's Universe numbering doesn't align with SuperStage.
How to determine if adjustment is needed:
- On the console, set Universe 1, Channel 1 to 255
- In SuperStage Activity Monitor, check Universe 1, Channel 1
- If it shows 255 → alignment correct, no adjustment needed
- If it shows 0 → need to adjust Start Universe value
5. Output Configuration (Sending DMX Signals to External Devices)
"Output" is used to send DMX data from SuperStage (typically from Sequencer playback) to external devices (e.g., real fixtures, Art-Net nodes).
5.1 Protocol Selection
Same as Input configuration, supporting both Art-Net and sACN (E1.31) protocols.
5.2 Local IP Address
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Dropdown Options | All available NIC IP addresses on the current computer |
| Default Value | Empty (uses default NIC) |
Select the NIC for sending DMX packets. Should select the NIC on the same subnet as the target device.
5.3 Enable Switch
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Type | Checkbox |
| Default Value | Checked (Enabled) |
- Checked → SuperStage can send DMX data via Art-Net / sACN
- Unchecked → No DMX data sent to the network
Note: Even with Output enabled, data is only actually sent during Sequencer playback or other active DMX transmission operations. Simply enabling the switch does not generate additional network traffic.
5.4 Start Universe
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Type | Integer input box (supports drag adjustment) |
| Range | Art-Net: 0 - 32,767; sACN: 1 - 63,999 |
| Default Value | 0 |
Mapping Formula (opposite direction from Input):
Network Universe = SuperStage Internal Universe + Start Universe - 1
Examples:
| SuperStage Universe | Start Universe | Sent to Network Universe |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | 0 | 4 |
| 5 | 1 | 5 |
Tip: Input and output Start Universe should usually be set to the same value to ensure consistency.
6. Remote IP Address (Send Target)
The compact configuration panel does not expose a remote IP text field. When the protocol changes, the panel writes the default remote target for that protocol:
| Protocol | Default remote setting | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Art-Net | 255.255.255.255 | Broadcast output. |
| sACN | Empty | Output dynamically calculates 239.255.x.y multicast addresses from the universe. |
Note: Project Settings still shows lower-level fields such as RemoteIp and Port, but the DMX configuration panel rewrites the default port and remote target for the selected protocol when it saves. For normal use, treat the DMX configuration panel as the source of truth.
7. Port Settings
| Protocol | Port | Modifiable |
|---|---|---|
| Art-Net | 6454 | Fixed (Art-Net standard port) |
| sACN (E1.31) | 5568 | Fixed (ESTA standard port) |
The Art-Net protocol specifies UDP port 6454; input and output share this port. The sACN protocol specifies UDP port 5568.
8. Auto-Save Configuration
All settings in the DMX configuration panel are automatically saved to the project configuration file. You don't need to save manually.
- Save Location: Project's
EditorPerProjectUserSettingsconfiguration - Save Timing: Immediately saved and applied whenever any parameter is modified
- Load Timing: Automatically loads the last configuration when reopening the UE editor
9. Configuration Checklist
Before starting, check your configuration against the following checklist:
- Computer and console can communicate on the Ethernet network
- Local adapter, console/sender IP, switch, and routing setup match the selected protocol
- Input is enabled in the DMX configuration panel
- Local IP has the correct NIC selected (the one on the same subnet as the console)
- Start Universe is correctly set (default 0 usually works)
- Windows Firewall allows UE editor UDP 6454 (Art-Net) or 5568 (sACN) port communication
- Console or sender output protocol matches the protocol selected in SuperStage
10. Troubleshooting
Issue: Activity Monitor shows no data
Check in order:
- Physical connection: Confirm Ethernet cable is connected, NIC indicator light is on
- IP configuration: Run
ipconfigin command prompt, confirm your IP is on the same subnet as the console - Firewall: Temporarily disable Windows Firewall for testing. If it works after disabling, add UDP 6454 (Art-Net) or 5568 (sACN) firewall allow rules
- Console settings: Confirm the matching protocol output is enabled on the console or sender
- Protocol match: Confirm console output protocol matches the protocol selected in SuperStage configuration panel (Art-Net or sACN)
- Local IP selection: Try switching the local IP in the configuration panel, or leave it blank (listen on all NICs)
Issue: Receiving signals but fixtures don't move
- Check Universe: Does the fixture's Universe setting match the Universe receiving signals in the Activity Monitor
- Check Address: Does the fixture's Start Address match the address in the console
- Check Fixture Library: Is the fixture correctly associated with a Fixture Library
Issue: Signal delays
- Confirm using wired Ethernet (do not use WiFi)
- Check if other software is heavily using network bandwidth
- Confirm using Gigabit switch (especially for multi-Universe scenarios)
11. Advanced Settings (Project Settings)
In addition to the quick settings in the DMX configuration panel, you can find more detailed settings in UE editor's Project Settings > Plugins > SuperDMX:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Protocol | Network protocol (Art-Net / sACN) |
| Input > bEnabled | Input enable switch |
| Input > LocalIp | Local IP for input listening |
| Input > RemoteIp | Lower-level remote field; the compact panel writes a protocol default |
| Input > Port | Input port (Art-Net: 6454 / sACN: 5568) |
| Input > StartUniverse | Input Start Universe offset |
| Output > bEnabled | Output enable switch |
| Output > LocalIp | Local IP for output |
| Output > RemoteIp | Lower-level remote field; Art-Net defaults to broadcast, sACN can be empty and use per-universe multicast |
| Output > Port | Output port (Art-Net: 6454 / sACN: 5568) |
| Output > StartUniverse | Output Start Universe offset |
The configuration panel saves and applies these settings. RemoteIp, Port, and similar lower-level fields are written from the current protocol; manual edits in Project Settings may be overwritten the next time the DMX configuration panel saves.
Next Steps: Read 02 - Fixture Library to learn how to create and configure fixture channel definitions.