SuperStage DMX System — User Manual Overview
Version: SuperStage 26Q2
Target Users: Stage lighting designers, lighting programmers, virtual production technicians
Last Updated: 2026-04-14
1. What is SuperStage
SuperStage is a professional stage visualization plugin running in Unreal Engine 5. Its core mission is to enable lighting designers to control virtual fixtures in real-time using actual DMX signals within a virtual 3D scene, achieving lighting effect previews that are fully consistent with real performances.
In simple terms: When you push a fader on the MA console, the virtual light in UE responds accordingly.
Core Capabilities at a Glance
| Capability | Description |
|---|---|
| DMX Real-time Input | Art-Net (UDP 6454) / sACN E1.31 (UDP 5568), millisecond-level response |
| DMX Real-time Output | Reverse output of Art-Net / sACN to real fixtures during Sequencer playback |
| Full Range of Fixtures | Moving lights / Wash lights / Matrix lights / Profile lights / LED strips / Lasers / Effects machines / Lift matrices / Stage machinery / Cameras / Projectors / NDI screens |
| Professional Color System | RGB / RGBW / HSV / ColorWheel / CMY / CTO / CoolWarm / ColorMix (arbitrary channel color mixing) |
| Gobo & Prism | Up to 3 Gobo wheels + 3 Prism wheels, static/infinite rotation |
| Cutting System | 4-blade 8-channel Shaper with superimposed rotation |
| Matrix Control | Pixel-level independent color/brightness/strobe, supports matrices of any scale |
| Sequencer Integration | Record DMX → Sequencer tracks, playback/export supported |
| MA Console Export | One-click generation of fixture configuration files importable into MA2/MA3 |
| Multi-Platform Protocols | Art-Net / sACN input/output + Pangolin Beyond (Laser) + NDI (Video) |
2. What is DMX (Quick Primer)
DMX512 is the standard control protocol for the stage lighting industry. You need to understand the following core concepts:
| Concept | Description |
|---|---|
| Universe | A single DMX line containing 512 channels. Can be understood as “one signal cable” |
| Channel | A single control value in each Universe, range 0-255 (8-bit). Each channel controls one function of a fixture (e.g., brightness, color, position) |
| Address | The starting channel number of a fixture within a Universe (1-512). Similar to a “house number” |
| Fixture | A single light. One fixture typically occupies multiple consecutive channels (e.g., a moving light may occupy 30 channels) |
| Fixture ID | The unique identifier of a fixture, used to correspond with the MA console |
| Art-Net | A protocol for transmitting DMX signals over Ethernet. SuperStage uses this protocol by default, port 6454 |
| sACN (E1.31) | ANSI E1.31 standard streaming DMX protocol, using multicast/unicast UDP port 5568 |
DMX Channel Precision
| Precision | Bytes | Value Range | Use Case | SuperStage Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8-bit (Coarse) | 1 channel | 0 - 255 | Basic control (Color, Gobo, etc.) | ✅ GetAttributeRaw8ByIndex |
| 16-bit (Fine) | 2 channels | 0 - 65,535 | Fine control (Pan/Tilt and other functions requiring smooth movement) | ✅ GetAttributeRaw16ByIndex |
| 24-bit (Ultra) | 3 channels | 0 - 16,777,215 | Ultra-fine control (rarely used) | ✅ GetAttributeRaw24ByIndex |
3. Complete Class Inheritance System
All SuperStage Actor classes form a clear inheritance tree. Understanding this tree is fundamental to using this system correctly.
3.1 Inheritance Tree Overview
AActor (UE5 Engine Base Class)
│
└── ASuperBaseActor ·················· Root class for all SuperStage Actors
│ ├ SceneBase (root component)
│ ├ FAssetMetaData (UUID/Manufacturer/Group metadata)
│ └ Direction preview arrows (ForwardArrow / UpArrow)
│
├── ASuperDmxActorBase ·········· DMX fixture base class (adds DMX reading capability)
│ │ ├ FSuperDMXFixture (Universe / StartAddress / FixtureID)
│ │ ├ USuperFixtureLibrary* (fixture library reference)
│ │ ├ GetChannelValue / GetAttributeRaw8/16/24ByIndex
│ │ ├ GetMatrixAttributeRaw / Raw16 (batch matrix read)
│ │ ├ GetSuperDmxAttributeValue (normalized read 0~1)
│ │ ├ SuperDMXTick (blueprint per-frame event)
│ │ ├ ForceRefreshDMX (editor force refresh)
│ │ └ AddressLabel (address code text display)
│ │
│ ├── ASuperLightBase ······· Moving light base class (adds Pan/Tilt control layer)
│ │ │ ├ SceneRocker → SceneHard (arm → head rotation axes)
│ │ │ ├ Pan/Tilt range control (default ±270°/±135°)
│ │ │ ├ Infinite rotation (PanRot/TiltRot continuous rotation mode)
│ │ │ ├ PTSpeed speed control
│ │ │ ├ Matrix Pan/Tilt (YMatrixPan/YMatrixTilt)
│ │ │ ├ Z-axis lift (SetLiftZ, LiftRange default 500cm)
│ │ │ └ Lamp angle (LampAngle manual fixed mode)
│ │ │
│ │ ├── ASuperStageLight · Full-featured moving light (complete fixture implementation) → Document 15
│ │ │ ├ Beam: Dimmer/Strobe/Zoom/Focus/Frost/Iris
│ │ │ ├ Color: RGB/RGBW/HSV/ColorWheel/CMY/CTO/CoolWarm/ColorMix
│ │ │ ├ Gobo: Up to 3 Gobo wheels + rotation
│ │ │ ├ Prism: Up to 3 Prism wheels + rotation
│ │ │ ├ Cutting: 4-blade Shaper (A1/B1~A4/B4) + rotation
│ │ │ ├ Effects: Effect LUT system (10 built-in effects)
│ │ │ ├ Matrix: SuperMatrixComponent (pixel-level RGB/White/Strobe)
│ │ │ └ Spot fill light: SuperSpotComponent (real SpotLight fill)
│ │ │
│ │ ├── ASuperStageVFXActor Stage VFX → Document 14
│ │ │ ├ UNiagaraComponent (particle emitter)
│ │ │ ├ DMX → SpawnCount / Color
│ │ │ └ Inherits Pan/Tilt (controllable emission direction)
│ │ │
│ │ └── ASuperLiftMatrix ·· Lift matrix light array → Document 12
│ │ ├ 5-layer lift components + 4 steel cables
│ │ ├ 10 SuperEffectComponents
│ │ ├ DMX lift + matrix effect/color control
│ │ └ Inherits Pan/Tilt
│ │
│ ├── ASuperDMXCamera ········ DMX Camera → Document 05
│ │ ├ UCineCameraComponent (cine camera)
│ │ ├ USceneCaptureComponent2D (render to RT)
│ │ ├ 6-axis motion: PosX/Y/Z + RotX/Y/Z
│ │ └ Lens parameters: FOV / Aperture / FocusDistance
│ │
│ ├── ASuperLiftingMachinery · Lifting machinery (6-axis) → Document 10
│ │ ├ 3-axis translation + 3-axis rotation
│ │ ├ Absolute mode / Infinite rotation mode
│ │ └ BootRefresh initialize ranges
│ │
│ ├── ASuperRailMachinery ···· Rail machinery (7-axis) → Document 10
│ │ ├ USplineComponent (spline rail path)
│ │ ├ RailMountPoint + OffsetComponent
│ │ ├ Rail position + 3-axis offset + 3-axis rotation
│ │ └ Closed loop / Orientation lock
│ │
│ └── ASuperLightStripEffect · LED strip effects → Document 13
│ ├ GPU material effects (10 built-in effects)
│ ├ 9-channel DMX control
│ └ Multi-target StaticMesh batch application
│
├── ASuperLaserActor ·············· Laser (texture projection mode) → Document 11
│ └ RenderTarget texture projection
│
├── ASuperLaserProActor ··········· Laser (point data precise mode) → Document 11
│ └ Laser point coordinates → line rendering + collision detection
│
├── ASuperMediaBase ··············· Media playback base class (NDI / Static Texture dual mode)
│ │ ├ SourceMode (NDI / StaticTexture)
│ │ └ OnActiveTextureChanged (texture update callback)
│ │
│ ├── ASuperProjector ········· Projector → Document 05(stageassets)
│ │ └ Video/Image projection (SpotLight real illumination)
│ │
│ └── ASuperScreen ··········· Screen (formerly SuperNDIScreen)
│ └ NDI / Static texture → Material + Keystone correction
│
├── ASuperScaffold ················ Scaffolding (parametric generation)
├── ASuperCurvedScaffold ·········· Curved scaffolding (spline-driven)
├── ASuperTruss ··················· Truss/gantry (parametric generation)
├── ASuperCircularTruss ·········· Circular truss (polar coordinate segments)
├── ASuperCurvedTruss ············ Curved truss (spline-driven)
├── ASuperTrussGrid ·············· Truss grid (double-layer horizontal grid)
├── ASuperTrussTower ············· Truss tower (vertical column)
├── ASuperStageFloor ············· Stage floor (parametric platform)
├── ASuperDrape ··················· Drape (procedural fold generation)
└── ASuperCrowd ··················· Procedural crowd (Poisson sampling)
3.2 Responsibility of Each Level
| Level | Class Name | Responsibility | Added Capabilities |
|---|---|---|---|
| L0 | AActor |
UE5 engine base class | Tick, Transform, Component system |
| L1 | ASuperBaseActor |
SuperStage root class | SceneBase root component, asset metadata (UUID/Manufacturer/Group), direction preview arrows |
| L2 | ASuperDmxActorBase |
DMX data reading layer | DMX Fixture address (Universe/Address/FixtureID), fixture library reference, channel value reading (8/16/24-bit), batch matrix reading, normalized reading, blueprint event SuperDMXTick, address label display |
| L3 | ASuperLightBase |
Pan/Tilt control layer | SceneRocker→SceneHard rotation axes, Pan/Tilt range mapping, infinite rotation mode, PTSpeed speed control, matrix Pan/Tilt, Z-axis lift, lamp angle fixation |
| L4 | ASuperStageLight |
Full-featured fixture implementation | Full implementation of Beam/Color/Gobo/Prism/Cutting/Effects/Matrix/Spot fill light |
Design Principle: Each layer only adds the functionality it is responsible for, without overstepping boundaries. For example,
ASuperDmxActorBaseonly handles DMX data reading and has no knowledge of Pan/Tilt;ASuperLightBaseonly handles Pan/Tilt rotation and has no knowledge of color/gobo. This layered design allows you to derive new Actor types at any level.
3.3 “Which Class Should I Use?” — Selection Decision Table
| What You Want to Do | Choose Base Class | Typical Scenario |
|---|---|---|
| Need full moving light functionality (Color/Gobo/Prism/Cutting/Effects/Matrix) | Use ASuperStageLight directly | Martin MAC Viper, Robe MegaPointe, ClayPaky Sharpy |
| Only need DMX control + Pan/Tilt rotation | Inherit ASuperLightBase | Simple follow spot, rotating desk lamp |
| Only need DMX data reading (no rotation) | Inherit ASuperDmxActorBase | LED bar screen, DMX relay, custom devices |
| No DMX needed, only SuperStage basic features | Inherit ASuperBaseActor | Stage props, trusses, drapes |
| Laser visualization | ASuperLaserActor / ASuperLaserProActor | Pangolin Beyond integration |
| Niagara particle effects | ASuperStageVFXActor | Smoke machine, flame, CO2, snow |
| Virtual camera | ASuperDMXCamera | Studio/LED virtual production |
| Stage lift/rotation | ASuperLiftingMachinery | Lift platform, rotating stage |
| Rail movement | ASuperRailMachinery | Rail car, moving boom |
| LED strip effects | ASuperLightStripEffect | Light strips, contour lights |
| Lift matrix light array | ASuperLiftMatrix | LED lift balls/tubes |
4. Full Actor Feature Comparison Matrix
The following matrix lists the feature support for all DMX-controlled Actors, helping you quickly compare and select:
| Feature | StageLight | LightBase | VFXActor | LiftMatrix | DMXCamera | LiftMach | RailMach | StripEffect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMX Data Reading | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Fixture Library | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Pan/Tilt Rotation | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | — | — | — | — |
| Infinite Rotation | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | — | ✅ | ✅ | — |
| Z-Axis Lift | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | — | — | — | — |
| Dimmer | ✅ | — | — | ✅ | — | — | — | ✅ |
| Strobe | ✅ | — | — | — | — | — | — | ✅ |
| RGB Color | ✅ | — | ✅ | ✅ | — | — | — | ✅ |
| RGBW Color | ✅ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| HSV Color | ✅ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ColorWheel | ✅ (1~3 wheels) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| CMY Color Mixing | ✅ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| CTO Color Temperature | ✅ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cool/Warm Light Mixing | ✅ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Dynamic Multi-Channel ColorMix | ✅ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Zoom | ✅ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Focus | ✅ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Frost | ✅ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Iris | ✅ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Gobo Wheel | ✅ (1~3 wheels) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Prism | ✅ (1~3 wheels) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cutting (Shaper) | ✅ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Effect LUT | ✅ | — | — | ✅ | — | — | — | ✅ |
| Matrix | ✅ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Spot Fill Light (SpotLight) | ✅ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3-Axis Translation | — | — | — | — | ✅ | ✅ | ✅(offset) | — |
| 3-Axis Rotation | — | — | — | — | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | — |
| Rail Movement (Spline) | — | — | — | — | — | — | ✅ | — |
| FOV / Aperture / Focus | — | — | — | — | ✅ | — | — | — |
| Render to RenderTarget | — | — | — | — | ✅ | — | — | — |
| Niagara Particles | — | — | ✅ | — | — | — | — | — |
| GPU Material Effects | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ✅ |
| Multi-Target Batch Application | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ✅ |
5. Overall System Architecture
SuperStage’s DMX system consists of the following parts working together:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ External Device Layer │
│ MA2/MA3 Console │ grandMA3 onPC │ Other Consoles │ Pangolin Beyond │
└───────┬──────────────────┬──────────────────────────┬───────────────────┘
│ Art-Net / sACN │ Art-Net / sACN │ Beyond Laser Data
│ UDP 6454 / 5568 │ UDP 6454 / 5568 │ (TCP/Shared Memory)
▼ ▼ ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ SuperDMX Engine Subsystem │
│ │
│ ┌──────────┐ ┌───────────────────┐ ┌───────────────────┐ │
│ │ UDP Rx │───▶│ Art-Net / sACN │───▶│ Universe Buffer │ │
│ │ (Input) │ │ Protocol Parsing │ │ (512ch × N Univs) │ │
│ └──────────┘ └───────────────────┘ └─────────┬─────────┘ │
│ │ │
│ ┌──────────┐ ┌───────────────────┐ │ GetDMXValue() │
│ │ UDP Tx │◀───│ Art-Net / sACN │◀──────────────┘ SendDMXBuffer() │
│ │ (Output) │ │ Frame Packaging │ (Sequencer Playback / SuperConsolePro)
│ └──────────┘ └───────────────────┘ │
└────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│ Per-frame Tick → Read DMX channel values
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Virtual Fixture Actor Layer │
│ │
│ ┌─────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐ │
│ │ Moving Light │ │ DMX Camera │ │ Stage Machinery │ │
│ │ SuperStageLight │ │ SuperDMXCamera │ │ LiftingMach │ │
│ │ ─────────────── │ │ ─────────────── │ │ RailMachinery │ │
│ │ Beam/Color/Gobo │ │ 6-axis Move/Rot │ │ 6/7-axis Motion │ │
│ │ Prism/Cut/Effect │ │ FOV/Apt/Focus │ │ Abs/Infinite Mode│ │
│ │ Matrix/Spot Fill │ │ Render to RT │ │ Spline Rail │ │
│ └─────────────────┘ └─────────────────┘ └─────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ ┌─────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐ │
│ │ LED Strip Effect │ │ Stage VFX │ │ Lift Matrix │ │
│ │ LightStripEffect│ │ StageVFXActor │ │ LiftMatrix │ │
│ │ ─────────────── │ │ ─────────────── │ │ ─────────────── │ │
│ │ 10 GPU Matl FX │ │ Niagara Particles│ │ 5-Layer+Cables │ │
│ │ 9ch DMX Control │ │ SpawnCount+RGB │ │ Matrix FX/Color │ │
│ │ Multi-Target │ │ Pan/Tilt Inherit│ │ Pan/Tilt Inherit│ │
│ └─────────────────┘ └─────────────────┘ └─────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ ┌─────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐ │
│ │ Laser (Tex Proj) │ │ Laser (Point) │ │
│ │ SuperLaserActor │ │ LaserProActor │ │
│ │ ─────────────── │ │ ─────────────── │ │
│ │ RenderTarget │ │ Line+Collision │ │
│ │ Beyond Integration│ │ Beyond Integration│ │
│ └─────────────────┘ └─────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ Each fixture defines its channel table via "Fixture Library" │
│ Specifies Universe + Start Address + FixtureID via "DMX Patch" │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Toolchain │
│ │
│ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ │
│ │Patch Tool │ │ Monitor │ │DMX Record │ │MA Export │ │DMX Config│ │
│ │Batch Addr │ │Live Ch Val│ │Sequencer │ │MA2/MA3 │ │Art-Net │ │
│ │Assignment │ │Viewing │ │Playback │ │Fixture Cfg│ │Net Setup │ │
│ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Core Data Flow (How signals travel from console to fixtures)
① Console sends DMX signal
↓ Art-Net UDP packets (port 6454) or sACN UDP packets (port 5568)
② SuperDMX subsystem receives → Parses Art-Net / sACN protocol → Extracts Universe number + 512 channel values
↓ Stores in Universe buffers (thread-safe, readable by game thread at any time)
③ Fixture Actor Tick
↓ Reads channel values from buffer according to its Universe + StartAddress
④ Fixture Library channel mapping
↓ FSuperDMXModuleInstance → FSuperDMXAttributeDef → Coarse/Fine/Ultra
⑤ Parameter application
↓ DMX values → Pan angle / Color / Brightness / Gobo / Position etc.
⑥ Unreal Engine real-time rendering
Module Dependencies
┌──────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐
│ SuperDMX │ │ SuperStage │
│ (Runtime Module)│◀────│ (Runtime Module)│
│ ─────────────── │ │ ─────────────── │
│ USuperDMXSubsystem │ │ All Fixture Actors │
│ Art-Net Tx/Rx │ │ Fixture Library Assets│
│ Universe Buffers│ │ Lighting Components│
└──────────────────┘ └──────────────────┘
▲
┌───────┴──────────┐
│ SuperConsolePro │
│ (Editor Module) │
│ ─────────────── │
│ Virtual Console UI│
│ Phaser / Cue │
└──────────────────┘
6. Module Navigation
The SuperStage DMX system includes the following functional modules, each with independent detailed documentation:
Core Fixture Modules
| Document | Module | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 03 - DMX Fixture Base | ASuperDmxActorBase |
Common foundation for all DMX fixtures: Universe, Address, FixtureID, fixture library reference, DMX channel reading (8/16/24-bit), batch matrix reading, address label display |
| 04 - Moving Light Base Class | ASuperLightBase |
Pan/Tilt control layer: horizontal/vertical rotation, infinite rotation, speed control, matrix heads, Z-axis lift, lamp angle |
| 15 - Full-Featured Moving Light | ASuperStageLight |
Complete fixture implementation: Beam (Dimmer/Strobe/Zoom/Focus/Frost/Iris), Color system (RGB/RGBW/HSV/ColorWheel/CMY/CTO/CoolWarm/ColorMix), Gobo (3x), Prism (3x), Cutting (Shaper 4-blade), Effects (Effect LUT 10 types), Matrix (pixel-level control), Spot fill light |
Specialized Fixture Modules
| Document | Module | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 05 - DMX Camera | ASuperDMXCamera |
6-axis translation/rotation + FOV/Aperture/Focus + Render to RenderTarget |
| 10 - Stage Machinery | ASuperLiftingMachinery / ASuperRailMachinery |
Lift platform/rotating stage (6-axis), rail car (7-axis, spline path) |
| 11 - Laser System | ASuperLaserActor / ASuperLaserProActor |
Pangolin Beyond integration: texture projection mode / point data precise line mode |
| 12 - Lift Matrix | ASuperLiftMatrix |
5-layer lift components + 4 steel cables, matrix effect/color control |
| 13 - LED Strip Effect | ASuperLightStripEffect |
10 GPU material effects, 9-channel DMX control, multi-target batch application |
| 14 - Stage VFX | ASuperStageVFXActor |
DMX-controlled Niagara particle systems: smoke/flame/snow/CO2/fireworks |
System Configuration & Tools
| Document | Module | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 01 - DMX Network Configuration | DMX Configuration Panel | Art-Net / sACN protocol settings, IP address, port, input/output toggle, Universe start offset |
| 02 - Fixture Library | Fixture Library | Create and edit fixture channel definition tables (attribute name→channel offset→precision→sub-attributes) |
| 06 - DMX Activity Monitor | Activity Monitor | Real-time viewing of current values for each channel in each Universe |
| 07 - Patch Tools | Patch Tool & Preview | Batch DMX address assignment, preview and edit patch info for all fixtures |
| 08 - DMX Recording & Playback | Sequencer & Take Recorder | Record external DMX input as Sequencer animation, support playback output |
| 09 - MA Console Export | Export to MA / CSV | Export virtual fixture configurations as MA2/MA3 importable fixture configuration files |
7. Quick Start (5-Minute Setup)
Step 1: Open the DMX Configuration Panel
Click the DMX button in the SuperStage toolbar at the top of the UE editor to open the DMX configuration panel.
Step 2: Configure Network
- Protocol: Select Art-Net (default) or sACN (E1.31)
- Input: Check “Enable”, Art-Net port 6454 / sACN port 5568
- Local IP: Select the NIC IP on the same subnet as the console (leave blank if only one NIC)
- Click “Apply”
Step 3: Place Fixtures
Drag fixture blueprints from the Content Browser into the scene. Each fixture inherits from ASuperDmxActorBase and comes with built-in DMX control capability.
Step 4: Assign DMX Address (Patch)
Select the fixture and set the following in the Details panel:
- Universe: The DMX universe the fixture belongs to (must match the console, range 1-256)
- Start Address: Starting address (must match the fixture’s address in the console, range 1-512)
- Fixture ID: Fixture number (matching the console, used for MA export)
Tip: For multiple fixtures, use the “Patch Tool” for batch address assignment. See 07 - Patch Tools.
Step 5: Confirm Signal
Open DMX Activity Monitor and send signals from the console. If configured correctly, you’ll see channel values changing in real-time. Virtual fixtures in the scene will also respond synchronously.
Typical Workflow
Design Phase Programming Phase Performance Phase
─────────── ─────────── ───────────
1. Build virtual stage 2. Connect MA console 5. Real-time light preview
├ Place fixture blueprints ├ Configure Art-Net 6. Adjust lighting programming
├ Set fixture positions ├ Assign DMX addresses 7. Record DMX → Sequencer
└ Configure fixture library └ Confirm signal 8. Export to MA console
3. Batch address assignment
4. Export fixture config to MA
8. System Requirements & Network Topology
Hardware Requirements
| Item | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel i5 / AMD Ryzen 5 | Intel i7 / AMD Ryzen 7 or above |
| GPU | NVIDIA GTX 1660 / AMD RX 5600 | NVIDIA RTX 3070 / AMD RX 6800 or above |
| RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB or above |
| Network | 100 Mbps Ethernet | Gigabit Ethernet (required for multi-Universe scenarios) |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 5.7 | Unreal Engine 5.8 |
Recommended Network Topology
┌──────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐
│ MA2/MA3 Console │ │ UE5 + SuperStage │
│ IP: 2.x.x.x │◀──── Gigabit Switch ──▶│ IP: 2.x.x.x │
│ Art-Net/sACN Output│ │ │ Art-Net/sACN Input│
└──────────────────┘ │ └──────────────────┘
│
┌────────┴────────┐
│ Art-Net Node │ (Optional: connect real fixtures)
│ IP: 2.x.x.x │
└─────────────────┘
Port Reference
| Port | Protocol | Direction | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6454 | Art-Net | Input/Output | DMX signal transmit/receive (UDP) |
| 5568 | sACN (E1.31) | Input/Output | DMX signal transmit/receive (UDP multicast/unicast) |
Universe Number Alignment
SuperStage provides a “Start Universe” offset setting for aligning with different consoles’ numbering conventions:
| Console | Console Universe 1 | SuperStage Start Universe Set To | SuperStage Internal Universe |
|---|---|---|---|
| MA2/MA3 | Universe 1 | 0 (default) | 1 |
| MA2/MA3 | Universe 1 | 1 | 1 |
Default setting (Start Universe = 0) is already compatible with common MA2/MA3 configurations; no changes needed in most cases.
9. Performance Guide
Fixture Count & Performance
| Scenario Scale | Fixture Count | Universe Count | Expected FPS (RTX 3070) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small show | < 50 fixtures | 1-4 | 60+ FPS |
| Medium show | 50-200 fixtures | 4-16 | 45-60 FPS |
| Large show | 200-500 fixtures | 16-64 | 30-45 FPS |
| Extra large | 500+ fixtures | 64+ | Depends on optimization |
Performance Optimization Suggestions
| Optimization | Method | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Reduce beam rendering | Lower BeamQuality (default 75, can go to 50) |
GPU load ↓ 20-30% |
| Disable shadows | FLightLightSpotDefaultValue.bLightShadow = false |
GPU load ↓ 15-25% |
| Reduce volumetric fog | VolumetricScattering = 0 |
GPU load ↓ 10-15% |
| Reduce light distance | Lower MaxLightDistance (default 2345cm) |
GPU load ↓ |
| Spot fill light on demand | Only enable SpotLight when real light interaction is needed | Significantly reduces lighting computation |
| Matrix light optimization | Reduce matrix scale or lower update frequency | CPU load ↓ |
10. FAQ
Q1: Virtual fixtures don’t respond to console signals?
Troubleshooting steps (check in order):
- Check DMX input toggle — DMX Configuration Panel → Input → Confirm “Enable” is checked
- Check network connectivity — Confirm UE host and console are on the same subnet (ping test)
- Check ports — Confirm UDP 6454 (Art-Net) or 5568 (sACN) ports are not blocked by firewall
- Check Activity Monitor — Open DMX Activity Monitor, confirm signals are being received
- Check Universe alignment — Confirm fixture’s Universe number matches the console (note Start Universe offset setting)
- Check address match — Confirm fixture’s StartAddress matches the fixture’s address in the console
- Check fixture library — Confirm fixture is associated with a fixture library, and attribute names in the library match those called in blueprints
- Check blueprint logic — Confirm correct control functions are called in the blueprint’s SuperDMXTick event
Q2: Address conflicts between multiple fixtures?
Use the “Patch Tool” to automatically calculate non-conflicting address assignments. See 07 - Patch Tools.
Q3: How to output UE light effects to real fixtures?
Enable “Output” in the DMX configuration panel, set the remote IP to the fixture/node’s address. During Sequencer playback, DMX signals are automatically output via Art-Net / sACN.
Q4: How many Universes does SuperStage support?
Theoretically supports 32,767 Universes (Art-Net specification limit). Actual performance depends on hardware and scene complexity; typically 256 Universes or less runs without issue.
Q5: Can DMX be received and sent simultaneously?
Yes. Input and output are independent and can be enabled simultaneously. For example: receive signals from MA console to control virtual fixtures, while outputting other Universes from Sequencer playback to real fixtures.
Q6: Light effects appear dim / beams not visible?
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Light too dim | Increase MaxLightIntensity (default 100, can go to 200-500) |
| Beam invisible | Confirm fog (ExponentialHeightFog) in scene, increase BeamFogIntensity (default 20) |
| Beam too short | Increase MaxLightDistance (default 2345cm, can go to 5000-10000cm for large scenes) |
| No shadows | Enable LightSpotDefaultValue.bLightShadow = true |
| Color inaccurate | Check Post Process Volume tone mapping settings, recommend ACES tone mapping |
Q7: How to create custom fixtures?
- Create a new Blueprint in Content Browser, parent class set to
ASuperStageLight(or other suitable base class) - Replace fixture 3D models (four mesh components: Hook/Base/Rocker/Hard)
- Create a Fixture Library defining the channel table
- Call control functions in the blueprint’s
SuperDMXTickevent - Adjust default parameters (beam range, color mode, etc.)
See the “Blueprint Integration” sections in each module’s documentation for detailed steps.
11. Glossary
| Term | Chinese | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Universe | 域 | A 512-channel DMX signal line |
| Channel | 通道 | A control value within a DMX Universe (0-255) |
| Address | 地址 | Starting channel number of a fixture within a Universe |
| Patch | 补丁 | The process of assigning Universe + Start Address to a fixture |
| Fixture Library | 灯具库 | Data asset defining fixture channel function mapping |
| Fixture ID | 灯具 ID | Unique fixture number, corresponding to the fixture number in the console |
| Coarse | 粗调 | 8-bit (1 channel) precision control, value range 0-255 |
| Fine | 精调 | 16-bit (2 channel) precision control, value range 0-65535 |
| Ultra | 超精调 | 24-bit (3 channel) precision control, value range 0-16777215 |
| Attribute | 属性 | A controllable function of a fixture (e.g., Dimmer, Pan, Tilt, Color, etc.) |
| Module Instance | 模块实例 | Functional module in the fixture library (for multi-head definitions of matrix lights), containing Patch offset and attribute list |
| Channel Set | 通道集 | Named functional ranges for specific value ranges within a channel (similar to MA2 Channel Set) |
| Sub-Attribute | 子属性 | Functional intervals within an attribute subdivided by value range (e.g., in Gobo1 attribute: 0-10=White, 11-20=Gobo1) |
| Rocker | 灯臂 | The mechanical arm of a moving light responsible for Pan (horizontal rotation) (corresponds to SceneRocker component) |
| Hard | 灯头 | The head portion of a moving light responsible for Tilt (vertical rotation) (corresponds to SceneHard component) |
| Hook | 灯钩 | The hook part of a moving light hanging on a truss (corresponds to SM_Hook component) |
| Strobe | 频闪 | Rapid on/off flashing effect of light, controlled via Strobe channel |
| Frost | 雾化 | Optical effect that softens beam edges |
| Iris | 光圈 | Mechanical aperture controlling spot size |
| ColorWheel | 色轮 | Rotating disc with multiple fixed color filters |
| Gobo Wheel | 图案轮 | Rotating disc with multiple gobo templates |
| Prism | 棱镜 | Optical element that splits a single beam into multiple beams |
| Shaper/Blade | 切割 | Blades that block beam edges to achieve rectangular/trapezoidal spots |
Next Steps: Read 01 - DMX Network Configuration to learn how to set up network connections, or jump directly to 15 - Full-Featured Moving Light to learn about the most commonly used fixture type.