BlenderDMX Addon 2.2.2 Released
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- Add progressive MVR loading to MVR-xchange
- Fix import in MVR-xchange
Full Changelog: https://github.com/open-stage/blender-dmx/compare/v2.2.1…v2.2.2
BlenderDMX Addon
An addon for Blender to design and render DMX lighting
Entertainment and architectural DMX lighting visualization and rendering tool designed to offer a free and easy solution for Lighting Designers.
Complete scene can be imported and exported as MVR (My Virtual Rig), with all fixtures, trusses, 3D scene objects, textures, addressing, fixture IDs, unit numbers and more. Import and export can be done via Blender menu, Drag-and-Drop or via MVR XChange protocol.
Device definition is based on GDTF (General Device Type File) Specification, utilizing and fully integrating the Fixture library on GDTF Share, with support for static and moving devices, LED bars, lasers, cameras, trusses and more. Any GDTF can be imported, using 3D objects, 2D symbols, Textures, Physical Real World definitions and more.
BlenderDMX Addon is built on strong foundation of Blender, which runs equally well on Linux, Windows, and macOS computers.
Motivation
As lighting designers, we have always wanted a free, libre, and open-source DMX visualizer capable of ray tracing, with capabilities for real-time programming of dynamics, as well as the ability to produce photorealistic output.
BlenderDMX Addon offers both possibilities: Eevee real time renderer offers the dynamics, while Cycles offers stunning photorealistic results.
The combination of tools like Blender, Python, and GDTF provides a transparent and accessible platform, allowing designers to deeply comprehend how each component works and make improvements or modifications as required.
Advanced Networking
- External DMX signal from sACN or Art-Net can be used for controlling, and it can be recorded as keyframes into Blender or the signal can be used for a special #bdmx driver in Blender to control other Blender objects/properties.
- OpenSoundControl can send fixture selection to external DMX consoles.
- PosiStageNet can receive position information from different trackers connected to a PSN server, it's followers can be moving lights or any other Blender objects.
- GDTF Share and format integration provides source of fixture data.
- MVR-xchange protocol offers seamless MVR workflow.
Open Source
The source code is completely open source under the GPLv3 license and openly available on GitHub. Feel free to inspect, share, and contribute!
By leveraging open-source technologies, designers can fully learn and understand every detail of the system, empowering them to make informed decisions and tailor the solution to their specific needs.
BlenderDMX Addon is using General Device Type Format (GDTF) and My Virtual Rig (MVR) - open-source file formats that let you share anything with anyone.
The Project
BlenderDMX Addon allows using lighting fixture's definitions from GDTF and also loading of complete scenes from MVR. Fixture's manipulation can be done internally in Blender or externally via DMX like ArtNet or sACN. External DMX or internal Programmer state can be recorded into Blender's timeline via Keyframes recording. BlenderDMX Addon also offers dedicated DMX driver for Blender to control any Blender property via external DMX signal.
Beautiful Renders
Blender can achieve very eye pleasing photorealistic renders thanks to it's raytracing rendering method called Cycles. The Cycles renderer as well as the OpenImageDenoise can run on GPU on supported hardware. Image by 21 Production. See more examples in the Gallery.
How to Get Started
Our Getting Started Guide walks you through the steps of downloading BlenderDMX Addon.
Detailed usage documentation is available in the User Guide. Also head over to our Documentation & FAQ page for more information.
Recent Blog Posts
Posted on in Releases
BlenderDMX Addon 2.2.1 Released
Posted on in Releases
Progressive MVR Import
Importing MVR files - especially large ones - can take some time. This update adds real-time progress feedback and allows the import to be cancelled at any moment by pressing Escape. Because the import process runs in multiple stages, cancelling early may leave some objects unfinished or not yet in their final positions.
GNU General Public License
BlenderDMX Addon is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
BlenderDMX Addon is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.
You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program. If not, see https://www.gnu.org/licenses/.