Art-Net DMX Controller in Rust 🎭

A simple and efficient Art-Net DMX512 controller implementation in Rust for controlling lighting fixtures over Ethernet.

🎯 About

This project provides a lightweight Rust implementation for controlling Art-Net nodes. Art-Net is an Ethernet protocol for transmitting DMX512 lighting control data, commonly used in stage lighting, architectural lighting, and entertainment applications.

✨ Features

• 🚀 Simple and intuitive API
• 📦 Minimal dependencies
• 🎨 Control up to 512 DMX channels per universe
• 🌐 Support for multiple Art-Net universes
• ⚡ High-performance UDP communication
• 🔧 Easy integration into existing projects
• 📝 Well-documented code examples

📦 Prerequisites

• Rust 1.70.0 or higher (Install Rust)
• An Art-Net compatible node or software (e.g., QLC+, Enttec ODE, DMXKing)
• Basic network connectivity

🔧 Installation

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/ThePhoenixPixel/artnet-rust.git
cd artnet-rust

2. Build the Project

cargo build

3. Run the Example

cargo run --example examples

🚀 Usage

Basic Setup

use artnet::controller::ArtNetController;
use artnet::package::ArtNetDmxPacket;
use bx::network::address::Address;
use std::time::Duration;
use std::thread;

fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
    // Configure your Art-Net node IP address
    let address = Address::new(&"192.168.178.125".to_string(), &6454);
    
    // Create controller instance
    let mut controller = ArtNetController::new(address.clone())?;
    
    // Create a DMX packet for Universe 0
    let mut packet = ArtNetDmxPacket::new(0);
    
    // Set channel values (1-512, values 0-255)
    packet.set_channel(1, 255);
    packet.set_channel(2, 128);
    packet.set_channel(3, 0);
    packet.set_channel(4, 0);
    
    // Send the packet
    controller.send_dmx(packet)?;
    
    Ok(())
}

📚 Examples

Example 1: Set Individual Channels

Control individual DMX channels with specific values:

let mut packet = ArtNetDmxPacket::new(0); // Universe 0
packet.set_channel(1, 255); // Channel 1: 100%
packet.set_channel(2, 255); // Channel 2: 100%
packet.set_channel(3, 255); // Channel 3: 100%
packet.set_channel(4, 255); // Channel 4: 100%
controller.send_dmx(packet)?;
println!("✓ Channels 1-4 set to 255 (100%)");

Example 2: Set Multiple Channels at Once

Use arrays for efficient multi-channel control:

let mut packet = ArtNetDmxPacket::new(0);
packet.set_channels(1, &[255, 0, 0, 255]); // Channels 1-4
controller.send_dmx(packet)?;
println!("✓ Channels 1,4: 255 (100%) | Channels 2,3: 0 (0%)");

Example 3: Smooth Fade Effect

Create dynamic lighting effects with gradual transitions:

println!("Starting fade effect...");
for brightness in (0..=255).step_by(5) {
    let mut packet = ArtNetDmxPacket::new(0);
    packet.set_channel(1, 0);
    packet.set_channel(2, 0);
    packet.set_channel(3, brightness);
    controller.send_dmx(packet)?;
    thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(20));
}
println!("✓ Fade complete");

Example 4: RGB LED Control

Control RGB fixtures with ease:

// Red
let mut packet = ArtNetDmxPacket::new(0);
packet.set_channels(1, &[255, 0, 0]);
controller.send_dmx(packet)?;
thread::sleep(Duration::from_secs(1));

// Green
packet.set_channels(1, &[0, 255, 0]);
controller.send_dmx(packet)?;
thread::sleep(Duration::from_secs(1));

// Blue
packet.set_channels(1, &[0, 0, 255]);
controller.send_dmx(packet)?;

Example 5: Blackout (Turn Off All Lights)

let packet = ArtNetDmxPacket::new(0);
// All channels default to 0
controller.send_dmx(packet)?;
println!("✓ All lights off");

⚙️ Configuration

Configuring the IP Address

Update the IP address in your code:

// Replace with your Art-Net node's IP address
let address = Address::new(&"192.168.178.125".to_string(), &6454);

Note: Art-Net typically uses UDP port 6454

Setting the Universe

Art-Net supports multiple universes (0-32767), each with 512 channels:

let packet = ArtNetDmxPacket::new(0);  // Universe 0
let packet = ArtNetDmxPacket::new(1);  // Universe 1

🎛️ DMX Channel Reference

DMX512 provides 512 channels per universe with values ranging from 0-255:

• 0 = Off / Minimum
• 127 = 50%
• 255 = On / Maximum

Common Fixture Types

RGB Light (3 channels)

Channel 1: Red (0-255)
Channel 2: Green (0-255)
Channel 3: Blue (0-255)

RGBW Light (4 channels)

Channel 1: Red
Channel 2: Green
Channel 3: Blue
Channel 4: White

RGBWA Light (5 channels)

Channel 1: Red
Channel 2: Green
Channel 3: Blue
Channel 4: White
Channel 5: Amber

Simple Dimmer (1 channel)

Channel 1: Brightness (0-255)

Tip: Always consult your fixture's manual for the exact DMX channel mapping!

🔍 Troubleshooting

Connection Issues

Problem: Cannot connect to Art-Net node

Solutions:

• ✅ Verify the IP address is correct
• ✅ Check both devices are on the same network/subnet
• ✅ Disable firewall or allow UDP port 6454
• ✅ Try broadcast address 255.255.255.255 for discovery
• ✅ Ensure the Art-Net node is powered on and connected

No Response from Fixtures

Problem: Lights don't respond to commands

Solutions:

• ✅ Verify DMX addresses on your fixtures
• ✅ Check universe number matches your node configuration
• ✅ Confirm channel mapping in fixture manual
• ✅ Test with Art-Net viewer software (e.g., QLC+)
• ✅ Check network traffic with Wireshark

Performance Issues

Problem: Choppy or laggy light updates

Solutions:

• ✅ Limit DMX update rate to ~44 Hz (max for DMX512)
• ✅ Add appropriate delays between updates
• ✅ Reduce packet sending frequency
• ✅ Check network bandwidth and latency

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
5. Open a Pull Request

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Art-Net™ is a trademark of Artistic Licence Holdings Ltd.
• Thanks to the Rust community for excellent tools and libraries

💡 Use Cases

• 🎭 Stage Lighting: Control theater and concert lighting
• 🏛️ Architectural Lighting: Building and monument illumination
• 🎉 Event Production: DJ setups, weddings, corporate events
• 🏠 Home Automation: Smart home lighting integration
• 🎨 Art Installations: Interactive light art
• 🎮 Entertainment: Theme parks, escape rooms

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Made with ❤️ and Rust

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