Beginners Tutorial To Use Art-Net With Dof

[Westworld]

I tried to do my first steps with DOF, using an Art-Net device. After some frustration "nothing works", I finally understood (or think so) how to setup correctly.

 

Here some comments, maybe it will help other beginners...

 

First install DOF following the instructions on:

http://directoutput.github.io/DirectOutput/installation.html

 

As of today, you must start with the old version, then update to the 2nd release.

Don't try (my first error) to directly use R2, it will fail (some files are missing).

 

Using Windows7-10 take care to unblock the DLL's, as explained in the installation side.

Follow till "Cabinet Configuration".

Here I failed, I did not understood how to setup correctly.

 

The missing information was that it is mandatory to have a LedWizEquivalent block.

 

Following my cabinet.xml file, you could use that as starting example.

 

It is setup to have an Art-Net controller on 192.168.0.200.

Change that address to your network. So far it is my "real" network, in a later phase I will have a separated network (directly connecting the Art-Net controller with the ethernet socket of the cabinet, which itself uses Wifi to talk with the main network). This will be done to reduce traffic in my main network. For testing sharing network is easier.

 

For first test it defines two lamps, nothing else. Lamp1 and Lamp2.

On my Teensy I have connected two LED's, just for testing.

Both are assigned to Universe 0.

 

 

 

<?xml version="1.0"?>

<Cabinet xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">

  <Name>Kiss</Name>

   <OutputControllers>

    <ArtNet>

<Name>net0</Name>

<Universe>0</Universe>

<BroadcastAddress>192.168.0.200</BroadcastAddress>

</ArtNet>

  </OutputControllers>

  

  <AutoConfigEnabled>true</AutoConfigEnabled>

  <Colors>

    <Color>

      <Name>Black</Name>

      <HexColor>#000000</HexColor>

    </Color>

    <Color>

      <Name>Red</Name>

      <HexColor>#FF0000</HexColor>

    </Color>

    <Color>

      <Name>Green</Name>

      <HexColor>#0000FF</HexColor>

    </Color>

    <Color>

      <Name>Blue</Name>

      <HexColor>#00FF00</HexColor>

    </Color>

    <Color>

      <Name>White</Name>

      <HexColor>#FFFFFF</HexColor>

    </Color>

    <Color>

      <Name>Yellow</Name>

      <HexColor>#FF00FF</HexColor>

    </Color>

    <Color>

      <Name>Orange</Name>

      <HexColor>#FF0080</HexColor>

    </Color>

    <Color>

      <Name>Cyan</Name>

      <HexColor>#00FFFF</HexColor>

    </Color>

    <Color>

      <Name>Purple</Name>

      <HexColor>#40FF00</HexColor>

    </Color>

    <Color>

      <Name>Violet</Name>

      <HexColor>#80FF00</HexColor>

    </Color>

    <Color>

      <Name>Magenta</Name>

      <HexColor>#FFFF00</HexColor>

    </Color>

  </Colors>

  <Curves />



<Toys>

<Lamp>

   <Name>lamp1</Name>

   <OutputName>net0.001</OutputName>

   <FadingCurveName>Linear</FadingCurveName>

</Lamp> 



<Lamp>

   <Name>lamp2</Name>

   <OutputName>net0.002</OutputName>

   <FadingCurveName>Linear</FadingCurveName>

</Lamp>  



   <LedWizEquivalent>

      <Name>LedWizEquivalent 100</Name>

      <Outputs>

        <LedWizEquivalentOutput>

          <OutputName>net0\net0.001</OutputName>

          <LedWizEquivalentOutputNumber>1</LedWizEquivalentOutputNumber>

        </LedWizEquivalentOutput>

      <LedWizEquivalentOutput>

          <OutputName>net0\net0.002</OutputName>

          <LedWizEquivalentOutputNumber>2</LedWizEquivalentOutputNumber>

        </LedWizEquivalentOutput>

</Outputs>

      <LedWizNumber>100</LedWizNumber>

    </LedWizEquivalent>



</Toys> 

</Cabinet>

 

Then using the (great page, thanks a lot) DOF config tool to create a "directoutputconfig100.ini" file.

On the web site, define your configuration to have an Artnet controller and two buttons.

I have used Start and Launch for testing.

 

Then use the save config and export config buttons to create the files.

The file will look like:

 

[Config DOF]



aar,L33 Blink fu500 fd550,W14 Blink fu500 fd550

aavenger,ON,0

abracadabra,ON,0

...

bttf,L57,L58

 

I have used Back to the Future for testing, bttf is the ROM name.

 

Move the files created by the config tool, and the cabinet.xml into your config folder.

In case you have doubts how to setup GlobalConfig_B2SServer.xml, here my content:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<!--Global configuration for the DirectOutput framework.-->

<!--Saved by DirectOutput Version 0.8.5307.1702: 2015-09-11 21-37-21-->

<GlobalConfig>

  <LedControlMinimumEffectDurationMs>60</LedControlMinimumEffectDurationMs>

  <LedControlMinimumRGBEffectDurationMs>120</LedControlMinimumRGBEffectDurationMs>

  <IniFilesPath />

  <CabinetConfigFilePattern>C:\Games\DirectOutput\config\cabinet.xml</CabinetConfigFilePattern>

  <TableConfigFilePatterns></TableConfigFilePatterns>

  <EnableLogging>true</EnableLogging>

  <ClearLogOnSessionStart>false</ClearLogOnSessionStart>

  <LogFilePattern>C:\Games\DirectOutput\config\DirectOutput.log</LogFilePattern>

</GlobalConfig>

 

Now launching Virtual Pinball, starting Back To the Future.

If not done, select backglass, press s, click plugins and make sure DOF is correctly recognized and set. If not correct it and restart.

 

Now - you should see the two LED's blinking while the table is in attract mode.

Insert coin, press start - and the two LED's will be off.

 

Hope it helps to start using DOF and avoid too much frustration :-)