UPDATE
Posted: May 17th, 2023, 8:17 pm
As OMXplayer is no longer supported in the latest Raspbian OS, I have now only one version using the legacy Raspberry OS, which is driven by 4 DMX Channels
Simple Media Server for the Raspberry Pi4/400 driven by WiFI, controlled by Freestyler DMX using sACN E1.31. OLA has been installed (https://www.openlighting.org/ola/), and using OMXplayer under dbus control.
The Pi acts as a simple Video Media server that can store 254 HD 1920x1080 H264 mp4 Video loops located in the home/pi/Videos directory. They are named 1.mp4,2.mp4, 3.mp4 etc named sequentially. Video 0.mp4 is black.
Video 1.mp4 is selected by DMX level 1 on DMX channel 1 on Pi, thus DMX level 2 selects 2.mp2 and so on upto 254.mp4. DMX value 255 provides a park DMX level with no action. DMX level 0 loads a black mp4 loop.
Due to the nature of the DMX selection channel recalling loops in steps i.e. DMX level 1 calls loop 1, DMX level 2 calls loop2, and as it is the Pi performing the mix, which can be up to several seconds long, this transition needs to complete before a new DMX level is set. Consequently the Pi is not ideally suitable for a Lighting Desk using Faders (keypad entry to a DMX level is ok). The DMX level needs to step as a cut to next DMX selection level, and sequences must be programmed as cuts for the Pi, which is possible in Freestyler ( and also QLC+). However there is a built in level of protection on DMX select, as the selection interval drops, the mix rate on the Pi is dynamically reduced to a faster mix and then a cut, this is restored to the original value after the selection interval has returned to more than a few seconds
I have built in a layer of protection with a section of the load script which checks running OMXplayer process and closes all not required.
It can also be driven from the DMX Console in the remote OLA web interface from a PC on the same network as the Pi without any DMX software.
OLA allows selection of different input plugins to choose the received DMX input. Consequently, it is also possible to configure this to the Pi’s ethernet for Artnet input. I also use a DMX King Micro USB as a DMX input, which when used with a Wireless DMX system allows extended cable free range from the Pi.
I have tested these on both an RPI4 and RPI400, I had to change the GPU memory setting to at least 128MB. The tmp/ directory is also mounted into RAM.
This project uses OMXplayer which has sadly been depreciated from the latest Bullseye version of Raspberry OS, and the image uses the Legacy Version.
For a video of it action visit
https://youtu.be/jv7JzTwon1A
For more information or if you would like a copy of the Raspberry Pi image visit
https://www.d-lites.uk/raspberry-pi-ola ... er-project
Simple Media Server for the Raspberry Pi4/400 driven by WiFI, controlled by Freestyler DMX using sACN E1.31. OLA has been installed (https://www.openlighting.org/ola/), and using OMXplayer under dbus control.
The Pi acts as a simple Video Media server that can store 254 HD 1920x1080 H264 mp4 Video loops located in the home/pi/Videos directory. They are named 1.mp4,2.mp4, 3.mp4 etc named sequentially. Video 0.mp4 is black.
Video 1.mp4 is selected by DMX level 1 on DMX channel 1 on Pi, thus DMX level 2 selects 2.mp2 and so on upto 254.mp4. DMX value 255 provides a park DMX level with no action. DMX level 0 loads a black mp4 loop.
Due to the nature of the DMX selection channel recalling loops in steps i.e. DMX level 1 calls loop 1, DMX level 2 calls loop2, and as it is the Pi performing the mix, which can be up to several seconds long, this transition needs to complete before a new DMX level is set. Consequently the Pi is not ideally suitable for a Lighting Desk using Faders (keypad entry to a DMX level is ok). The DMX level needs to step as a cut to next DMX selection level, and sequences must be programmed as cuts for the Pi, which is possible in Freestyler ( and also QLC+). However there is a built in level of protection on DMX select, as the selection interval drops, the mix rate on the Pi is dynamically reduced to a faster mix and then a cut, this is restored to the original value after the selection interval has returned to more than a few seconds
I have built in a layer of protection with a section of the load script which checks running OMXplayer process and closes all not required.
It can also be driven from the DMX Console in the remote OLA web interface from a PC on the same network as the Pi without any DMX software.
OLA allows selection of different input plugins to choose the received DMX input. Consequently, it is also possible to configure this to the Pi’s ethernet for Artnet input. I also use a DMX King Micro USB as a DMX input, which when used with a Wireless DMX system allows extended cable free range from the Pi.
I have tested these on both an RPI4 and RPI400, I had to change the GPU memory setting to at least 128MB. The tmp/ directory is also mounted into RAM.
This project uses OMXplayer which has sadly been depreciated from the latest Bullseye version of Raspberry OS, and the image uses the Legacy Version.
For a video of it action visit
https://youtu.be/jv7JzTwon1A
For more information or if you would like a copy of the Raspberry Pi image visit
https://www.d-lites.uk/raspberry-pi-ola ... er-project