DMX-Workshop for Lighting Network Management

The latest release of DMX-Workshop -- a powerful, free software package for managing Art-Net networks -- is now available for download from the Artistic Licence website (see link below).

Developed by Artistic Licence -- the company that invented Art-Net -- DMX-Workshop is an incredibly useful network management, analysis, configuration, and diagnostics tool. The latest version has some great new features, and is optimized for Windows 10 (although it remains compatible with Windows XP, 7 and 8).

Based on customer feedback, the company has added automated configuration the first time DMX-Workshop is run. This application will detect whether the user is running on an account with a high enough privilege level and warn if not (DMX-Workshop needs administrator privileges). It also automatically opens routes through the firewall for ICMP and UDP messages. Additionally it will search all available network interfaces and propose defaults based on the IP address.

For Art-Net product developers, the current release contains the latest OEM code registrations (up to May 2017).

Improvements and upgrades:
* Ping radar function expanded and improved. This feature broadcasts ICMP messages to all network interfaces and then analyses the results to locate any Art-Net nodes. The function is invaluable when trying to locate a node that is off network or has an unknown IP address.
* Transmit preset function improved with short cut buttons that allow a quick "rig check" function.
* Node configuration dialogue expanded to allow remote configuration of a gateway's merge, data source, output style and RDM enable settings.
* Node display now details the integrity index number, which is a serial number used when registering a node for use with the RDM Integrity application.

The latest, award-winning version of Art-Net (Art-Net 4) is fully supported. Data packet analyzers for both Art-Net and RDM over Art-Net along with the ability to transmit sACN and KiNet data are included.

DMX-Workshop includes numerous DALI features, including DALI transmission via a USB adapter, Art-Osc to DALI translation, and DALI wire sniffing.

The free applications Art-Route and Bandwidth-Tester are also installed with DMX-Workshop.

Art-Route is used to route and convert broadcast data to unicast data. It is particularly useful when directing specific universes over links such as Wi-Fi and VPN. Bandwidth-tester is a handy stress tester for the network and gateways.

The utility application Nic-List is also included. As the name suggests, it provides a list of all the network interface cards (NICs) attached to the computer along with their settings.

This release includes DMX-Workshop v7.18, Art-Net driver v4.5, Nic-List v5.4, Bandwidth-Tester v5.19, and Art-Route v5.4.

DMX-Workshop does not have a user guide. However chapter 5 of the book Light Bytes -- Inside Art-Net and sACN provides an in-depth description of the product.

The company says Light Bytes -- Inside Art-Net and sACN is a "must-have for anyone seeking to increase their knowledge of Ethernet lighting control protocols."

The book -- a practical reference on the Art-Net and sACN lighting protocols -- was launched in preview edition at the 2016 PLASA London show. Already enjoying strong sales, the book has been recently updated to cover the latest version of sACN (E1.31-2016), and includes a foreword by Iain Ruxton, design associate at Speirs + Major.

The book's author, Wayne Howell is CEO of Artistic Licence and the inventor of Art-Net.