Enttec Elm User Manual

2017-04-20

User Manual: Enttec Elm-User-Manual ELM-user-manual 20215233 10 2016 uploads wp-content

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Effortless LED Mapping

Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec

Contents
Key Features ...................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Computer Requirements .............................................................................................................................................. 3
Licenses ............................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Software Updates ............................................................................................................................................................ 5
Definitions .......................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Getting Started With LED Strips ................................................................................................................................ 7
Quick Overview ................................................................................................................................................................ 8
ELM Tour ............................................................................................................................................................................ 9
Home Screen ................................................................................................................................................................ 9
New Stage Dialog .................................................................................................................................................... 10
Stages........................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Status Indicator.................................................................................................................................................... 12
Stage Merging and Layering .......................................................................................................................... 12
Stage Syncing ....................................................................................................................................................... 13
Edit Zone ................................................................................................................................................................ 14
Strips Tab ............................................................................................................................................................... 15
Stage Tab ............................................................................................................................................................... 21
Testing Tab ............................................................................................................................................................ 23
Media Library ............................................................................................................................................................ 25
Schedules .................................................................................................................................................................... 27
Live Mode ................................................................................................................................................................... 29
Settings ........................................................................................................................................................................ 31
Project ..................................................................................................................................................................... 31
Art-Net .................................................................................................................................................................... 31
sACN ........................................................................................................................................................................ 32
KiNet ........................................................................................................................................................................ 32
Time ......................................................................................................................................................................... 32
License..................................................................................................................................................................... 33
Remote Control ................................................................................................................................................... 33
Troubleshooting ........................................................................................................................................................... 38
EULA .................................................................................................................................................................................. 41

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Key Features
ELM is all about displaying your video content on LED fixtures of any shapes, in the most
convenient way.
 Vector-based editor

 Spout + NDI

 1024 DMX universes

integrations for live

 Art-Net, sACN, KiNet

video inputs

 Scheduled playlists

 DVI outputs for

 Remote control via
DMX, OSC and HTTP

projectors and TVs
 Video loop library

 HD video + audio

 Extreme reliability for
permanent installations
 RGB, RGBW, RGBA,
RGBAW and white
fixtures
 16-bit color support

included

playback

Computer Requirements
ELM is compatible with Windows 7 and up, including Windows 8 and 10. 32-bit and 64-bit
versions are provided to suit your OS.
The .Net 4.6 framework is required and you’ll be prompted to install it if needed.
Minimum
-

Windows 7+, 2 GHz Intel i5, 2 GB RAM

ATI Radeon HD 5000 series or better, or NVIDIA GeForce 210 or better.

Recommended
-

Windows 8 or 10, 2.4 GHz Intel i7, 8 GB RAM

NVidia GTX 780 with 2GB memory or better

SSD drive

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The computer requirements depend on your media type. For example, playing multiple HD
videos requires a good computer. A rule of thumb is you can play one full HD video @ 30fps for
each 2 GHz CPU core. So if you have an Intel i7 4 GHz (4 cores), you should be able to play 8 full
HD videos. Increasing the playback speed to 2x means the fps also increases two times and the
number of videos you can play simultaneously is roughly divided by two.
The next table shows the approximate number of videos you can play simultaneously at 30 fps
depending on your CPU.
CPU Speed x Cores
2 GHz x 2
3 GHz x 2
4 GHz x 2
2 GHz x 4
3 GHz x 4
4 GHz x 4
3 GHz x 8

Full HD Videos
2
3
4
4
6
8
10

HD Videos
4
6
9
9
13
18
22

640x360 Videos
10
15
20
20
30
> 40
> 40

For live video performances, when you want to change the playback speed and go up to 10x,
the recommended video resolution is 640x360.
For the DMX output, a 1 Gigabit network should be able to handle 1024 universes. For more
universes, a supplementary network card and a second Ethernet network are recommended.

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Licenses
The ELM’s licensing system has been built with reliability and simplicity in mind. Basically, once a
computer has been activated, it will be able to run ELM until it dies. No internet connection
required, so you can be completely off the grid without worrying about the license.
Each license is registered to one individual or company and covers the activation of the software
on a certain number of computers, so long as ELM is running on one computer at a time. For
example, you can activate a show and a backup computers but only one computer can run ELM
at a time.
The license is a simple file that you import once. No hardware dongles are needed, eliminating a
whole range of tricky problems: broken dongle, lost dongle, dongle suddenly not detected in
the middle of the show, etc.
The license is linked to your computer’s CPU and motherboard. You can upgrade any other
components and reinstall the OS without invalidating your license.
A license isn’t transferrable, meaning once your computer stops working, you can only activate
ELM on another computer if you still have activations left. Use this online form to activate a
computer: https://www.enttec.com/elm_license.

Software Updates
You always have access to the latest and greatest version, free of charge.
To get the updates, go in the Settings/About menu and press the check for updates button.
Alternatively, you can go on the Enttec’s website and download the latest version.
https://www.enttec.com/us/products/controls/lighting-controller/elm-enttec-led-mapper/

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Definitions
Art-Net: Protocol to transmit DMX over a standard Ethernet network. Designed by and
Copyright Artistic Licence Holdings Ltd.
DMX: One of the most common protocols used to control lighting fixtures. The full name is
DMX512, which stands for Digital Multiplex.
DMX universe: Represents 512 DMX channels. Enough for 170 RGB LEDs (1 LED takes 3
channels, one for red, one for green and one for blue).
FPS: Frames per second. It refers to an output rate for video or DMX.
KiNet: Protocol to transmit DMX over a standard Ethernet network. Designed by Color Kinetics
and acquired by Philips.
LED strip/string: Lighting fixture that may contain many LED elements and have a certain
physical length. Some LED strips are flexible and can be bent to create curves and all kind of
shapes. ELM handles all lighting fixtures as if they were strips, giving you a lot of positioning
flexibility.
Mapping: Mechanism used to associate a pixel from a media source to a specific lighting fixture
element.
Media: Any type of visual content, including videos and pictures.
Network Device Interface (NDI): Protocol to stream live videos over the network. Developed
by NewTek - http://NDI.NewTek.com.
Open Sound Control (OSC): OSC is a network protocol allowing multimedia apps to
communicate. ELM can be remotely controlled via OSC.
RGB, RGBW, RGBA, RGBWA: Various color components: red, green, blue, white and amber.
sACN: Protocol to transmit DMX over a standard Ethernet network - like Art-Net. More
specifically, the E1.31 subset is used for DMX control. Developed by ESTA.
Spout: Real-time video sharing framework for Windows. Similar to Syphon on Mac.
http://spout.zeal.co/
Stage: A mapping surface defining the position of the media placeholder and the position of
lighting fixtures.

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Getting Started With LED Strips
ELM can control any DMX-enabled lighting fixtures – not only LED strips. This is made possible
because ELM outputs industry standard protocols like Art-Net, sACN and KiNet. This means that
ELM can control traditional DMX dimmers and any RGB, RGBW, RGBA and RGBAW lighting
fixtures.
Controlling LED strips is a little bit different than traditional DMX fixtures. The main difference is
that you need to use LED controllers to drive your strips. They replace the Art-Net nodes you
use for traditional DMX fixtures. The LED controller receives DMX via Art-Net/sACN and converts
to the special protocol the LEDs understand. Enttec offers the Pixelator which takes 48 DMX
universes and controls up to 8160 RGB LEDs.

The next step is to get LED strips and DMX fixtures. Since there are many LED protocols out
there, you need to make sure your LED controller fits with your LEDs. Common protocols for
RGB LEDs are WS2811 and WS2812/B. For more information about getting compatible LEDs,
contact your Enttec representative. Here’s the Enttec Pixelator that can be used to control the
Phero and Enttec LED tapes:

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Quick Overview
ELM allows dividing your installation into multiple zones and layers called stages. You control
the media content independently for each stage. Stages can overlap and they are merged
(blended) to generate the final result. A common scenario is to create a stage spanning the
whole installation to map media across the board. To enable precise control over specific zones,
you create smaller stages inside the big stage. Then you activate these zones whenever you
want. For example, in the installation below, we can play a video on the overall stage - which
acts as the background layer - and when there’s a special event, we activate the logo zone and
make it flash.

To represent your LED strips and DMX fixtures inside a stage, ELM has a powerful vector-based
editor. This way, you can easily draw many types of shapes, including matrices, loops and curves.
ELM computes the position of each LED based on your drawing.

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ELM Tour
Let’s go over the main screens and controls of ELM.

Home Screen
Welcome! Start a new project or load an existing one. To see the keyboard shortcut keys, press
the alt key.

New stage (alt-N)
Load project (ctrl-O)
Media (alt-M)
Schedules (alt-H)
Live (alt-L)
Settings (alt-I)

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Creates your first stage and start the mapping process.
Loads an existing project.
Goes to the media library.
Goes to the schedules.
Goes to the live panel.
Goes to the settings panel.

Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec

New Stage Dialog
A rule of thumb is to create a stage with dimensions respecting the aspect ratio of your media.
Then you’ll position your LED strips on it to create the mapping. For example, you can create a
full HD stage - which has a rectangular aspect ratio - to fit your media sources, and then map a
20x20 square LED array on it.
You can easily change the dimensions later, so don’t worry. The minimum recommended size is
320x180. Smaller than this size, you’ll need to constantly work at a very high zoom level, which
isn’t very convenient. So it’s better to use a higher size and let ELM scale your media.

Name
Width, Height

Full HD, HD buttons

The name of your new stage. Usually refers to its physical
location.
The desired size in pixels for the mapping surface used to
display media. This can be changed later without affecting
the mapping.
Presets for common media sizes. Full HD is 1920x1080 and
HD is 1280x720.

To help you position the strips like they are in the real world, use a
picture of your installation as the stage’s background (see Stage Tab).
No pictures handy? Use your phone’s camera to get one!

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Stages
Shortcut key: alt-S

You can create as many stages as you want. Generally, you’ll want an overall stage
corresponding to the whole installation and multiple individual stages to target specific parts.
The overall stage allows you to map content across the board. Then the other stages allow you
to override specific parts of your installation whenever you want. You can select the current
stage by clicking its name at the top.
Drag and drop stages in the list to reorder (only enabled when you are in the stages tab). This
changes the merging order (see Stage Merging and Layering).

Different effects may demand different mapping layouts. One goal of
the mapping is to ease the content creation. So don’t hesitate creating
multiple stages with the same LED strips but positioned in different
ways.

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Status Indicator
At the left of the stage’s name, a small indicator tells you the current control mode and its
status. The activated status means a media is selected and the stage’s intensity (see Live Mode)
is greater than 0%.

∙ Stage

Manual control mode, stage deactivated.

Stage
Stage
R Stage
S Stage
S Stage
T Stage

Manual control mode, stage activated.
Remote control mode, stage deactivated.
Remote control mode, stage activated.
Schedule control mode, stage deactivated.
Schedule control mode, stage activated.
The testing mode is active.

Stage Merging and Layering
When multiple stages contain the same LED strips, a merge occurs starting from the leftmost
stage to the rightmost. This allows creating complex visuals by layering multiple stages on top
of each other. A stage must be activated (a media is selected and the stage’s intensity is greater
than 0) otherwise it is considered to be transparent and will not be part of the merge.
There are 11 merge modes accessible via the Stage Tab.
Overwrite
Multiply
Screen

Overlay

Darken
Lighten
Difference
Add
Subtract
Black key
Intensity

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Completely replaces the left stages. The right stage is fully opaque.
Multiplies each pixel of the right stage with the corresponding pixel for the
left stage. The right stage becomes a video mask.
The values of the pixels in the two stages are inverted, multiplied, and then
inverted again. This yields the opposite effect to Multiply. The result is a
brighter picture.
Combines Multiply and Screen modes. The parts of the right stage where
left stage is light become lighter, the parts where the left stage is dark
become darker.
Takes the smallest color component for each pixel.
Takes the largest color component for each pixel.
Subtracts the left stage from the right stage or the other way round, to
always get a positive value.
Adds pixel values of one stage with the other.
Subtracts pixel values of the right stage to the left stage.
Shows the pixels of the left stage only where the pixels of the right stage
are black. In other words, black pixels are transparent.
The stage’s intensity determines its opacity level.

Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec

Stage Syncing
All stages using the same media slot are considered to be synced. You can still change the
individual stage output parameters like the intensity and the color filter, but the media content
is the same on all synced stages. When applicable to the media type, the media playback speed
is determined by the maximum speed of all stages using this media.

To play the same video file on multiple stages but at different speeds,
load the video file in multiple media slots. Then use a different media
slot for each stage.

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Edit Zone
You can position your strips as they are in the real world or based on the effect you want to
create with your media.
A strip has start (green) and end (red) control points indicating the direction of the patch.
Multiple intermediate control points can be used to create various shapes. You can bundle
multiple strips together to simplify the handling of complex shapes.
You can position parts of your strips outside the stage. In this case, the LEDs outside the stage
will not be mapped. This is a common scenario when using the same strips in multiple stages
and you want to target specific parts in each stage.

Select strips/Deselect all (ctrl-d)

Click a strip to select. Hold the ctrl key to add to the
selection. Hold shift to use a selection rectangle and select
all strips inside the rectangle. Press ctrl-a to select all strips
and ctrl-d to deselect.
Move a control point
Click on a control point and drag it. Hold shift while
dragging to align with the previous point.
Move selected strips
Right-click on a strip and drag it. Selected strips will follow.
Add a control point
Right-click on the stage (only one strip needs to be
selected) or on a control point to use the context menu.
Delete a control point
Right-click on a control point and select the delete option.
Bundle/Unbundle strips (ctrl-b, Select multiple strips and right-click on one of them in the
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ctrl-shift-b)

Strip List. Then select the bundle menu item to create one
element with all selected strips. You can unbundle the
strips to edit or see the details.
Move around the stage
Click on the stage background and drag.
Zoom in/out (ctrl-plus, ctrlUse the zoom control at the top. Zoom out when you want
minus, ctrl-0)
to offset the selected strips quickly. Ctrl-0 resets the zoom.
Show individual LED positions
When zoomed enough, the LEDs of the selected strips
should be visible. They are the blue dots.
Copy/paste strips (ctrl-c ,ctrl-v)
Copy and paste the selected strips. You can paste the
strips in a different stage.
Delete selected strips (ctrl- To delete the selected strips, use the ctrl-delete shortcut or
delete)
open the Edit Strips Dialog and press the Delete button.
Undo (ctrl-z), Redo (ctrl-y)
You can always use Undo and Redo while editing.

Strips Tab
Shortcut key: alt-P
Strip List

The strips for the current stage are shown in this list. Select one or multiple strips in the list to
also select them in the edit zone. Right-click in the list for more options. You can click the
column headers to sort. Type text in the filter box to filter based on the group names.
Use the primary and secondary groups wisely in order to use the filter
box and quickly select the strips you want.

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Add Strips Dialog (Quick Patching)
Shortcut key: alt-A
Quickly patch your strips and lighting fixtures to create arrays and any shapes you can imagine.
Multiple LED types (or color types) are supported, including RGB, RGBW, RGBA, RGBAW/RGBWA
and white (dimmers). For lighting fixtures supporting high precision colors, 16 bit color depth
can be used via the RGB16, RGBA16, RGBW16 and White16 types. RGBWmax activates all
channels (RGB+white) when white is needed for maximum brightness.

Number of strips
Patching direction

LEDs per strip
Type

Shape
Group – primary, secondary
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The number of LED strips/fixtures you want to patch.
When creating an array with multiple strips, ELM has
multiple ways of assigning the DMX addresses. For
example, you can patch from left to right, top to bottom or
in a snake-like fashion.
The number of LEDs per strip.
Also named pixel type. Corresponds to the color
component order (RGB, BGR, GRB, etc.) and the capability
(white only, RGBW, etc.). Many LED strips have the color
components in a different order than red, green and blue.
Usually, LED controllers have the option to reorder the
color components but ELM can handle this for you.
Select a predefined shape to position your strips on the
stage. For arrays, use lines. The loop creates circles.
Use these two groups to help you quickly find your strips
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DMX protocol
Start universe
Start address
Break universe after

later.
Select the output method for DMX. For example, Art-Net
or sACN E1.31.
The universe of the first strip to be patched.
The address of the first strip to be patched.
Automatically start patching in the next universe when
reaching this limit (number of strips of LEDs). Set to 0 to
break only when the universe is full.

You’ve got the patching direction wrong? No problem. You can easily
flip your strips horizontally and vertically later. For snake mode, rightclick in the strip list and use the select odd/even option.
Duplicate Strips Dialog
Shortcut key: alt-D
Copy the selected strips and create new strips by applying certain transformations.

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Number of duplicates
Group – primary, secondary

Universe offset
Address offset
X offset
Y offset
Rotate offset
Rotate center, offset X, offset Y

The number of times you want to copy the selected strips.
Use these two groups to help you quickly find your strips
later. When creating multiple duplicates, the primary
group will automatically be appended with a counter.
The offset used to calculate the first DMX universe of the
newly created strips.
The offset used to calculate the first DMX address of the
newly created strips.
The horizontal position offset applied to the newly created
strips.
The vertical position offset applied to the newly created
strips.
The rotation in degrees applied to the newly created strips.
The position where the rotation will occur and how to
offset the rotation center (for example, to leave a hole in
the middle of the rotated strips).

When you’re in the design phase of the lighting installation, keep in
mind the duplicate options. They allow creating complex shapes by
copying simple elements. This is a real time saver.

To make sure certain strips always stay together, use the bundle feature.
You can create complex shapes by combining multiple simple elements.
See the bundle/unbundle options in the Edit Zone.

To copy strips to another stage, select your strips and use the copy (ctrlc) and paste (ctrl-v) keyboard shortcuts. You can also right-click in the
Strip List to see all options.

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Edit Strips Dialog
Shortcut key: alt-E
Edit the selected strips and allow changing the patch.

LEDs per strip
Type

Shape
Group – primary, secondary
DMX protocol
Start universe
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The number of LEDs per strip.
Also named pixel type. This corresponds to the color
component order (RGB, BGR, GRB, etc.) and the capability
(white only, RGBW, etc.). Many LED strips have the color
components in a different order than red, green and blue.
Usually, LED controllers have the option to reorder the
components but ELM can handle this for you.
Select a predefined shape to position your strips on the
stage. For arrays, you want to use lines.
Use these two groups to help you quickly find your strips
later.
Select the output method for DMX. For example, Art-Net
or sACN E1.31.
The universe of the first strip to be patched.
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Start address
Break universe after

Apply changes to other stages

Re-Patch (alt-P)
Delete (alt-L)

The address of the first strip to be patched.
Automatically start patching in the next universe when
reaching this limit (number of strips or LEDs). Set to 0 to
break only when the universe is full.
Executes your changes on the matching strips in other
stages. It is handy when you have copied the same strips in
multiple stages in order to keep them in sync.
Forces redoing the patch to make sure all selected strips
are patched one after another.
Deletes the selected strips.

Offset/Resize Strips Dialog
Shortcut key: alt-O + enter
Precisely change the bounding rectangle of the selected strips.

X
Y
Width
Height
Linked option

The position of the left boundary of the rectangle. A value
of 0 means the far left of the stage.
The position of the top boundary of the rectangle. A value
of 0 means the top of the stage.
The horizontal length.
The vertical length.
When checked, the initial aspect ratio is preserved when
changing the width or height.

Right-click in a numeric box and move the mouse left/right to quickly
change the value.

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Stage Tab
Shortcut key: alt-g

Name
Size
Merge mode
Default media
Preview opacity
Design image
(Design image) opacity
Grid (ctrl-G)
Monitor (alt-O)
Duplicate (alt-D)
Resize
Delete

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The name of the stage. You can change it by typing a new name.
The mapping size of the stage. Change it with the resize button.
Determines how to merge when multiple stages target the same
LEDs. See Stage Merging and Layering.
When first loading a stage, you can specify media to be played.
Determines the visibility of the preview. You can disable the
preview by setting the opacity to 0.
To help you position the LED strips like in the real world, you can
display an image in the background of the stage.
Determines the visibility of the design.
Configure the snap to grid feature.
Opens a monitor window to help you see the final result of the
mapping.
Copies the stage and optionally resizes it.
Changes the size of the mapping surface. The position of your
LED strips will not be affected.
Deletes the stage. Cannot be undone.

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Here’s the monitor window. You can see the result of the stage only or after all stages have been
merged. When you don’t have access to the real fixtures, this is an indispensable tool while
creating effects. Alternatively, you can use any 3rd party visualizer supporting Art-Net or sACN.

When you are editing and zoomed in very closely, if a media is playing
in the preview, your computer may have a hard time. To help it, disable
the preview by setting the preview opacity to 0%.

Try reducing the stage’s size and see if the output is still good. Also
reduce your videos and other media size accordingly to potentially save
a lot of CPU. High resolution media is not always a good thing!

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Testing Tab
Shortcut key: alt-T
Quickly test the mapping by generating a rectangle that you can move over the strips.

On/Off switch
Color

Width, Height
Test selected strips only

Activates the testing mode.
Changes the color of the testing rectangle. It is handy to
test the color component order of your strips (RGB, BGR,
etc.).
Changes the size of the testing rectangle.
If checked, only the selected strips in the Strips Tab will be
under test. The other strips will all be off.

Reduce the width and height of the testing rectangle and drag the
rectangle around the stage. This way, you can see if the patch order is
right. For example, if dragging the rectangle from left to right makes
the LEDs go on from right to left, then you know you need to flip them
horizontally. To do so, go in the Strips Tab and click the Flip X button.

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Quickly test the red, green and blue component order of your LEDs by
generating a pure red, pure green and pure blue test. For each test, note
the color of your LEDs. If you’re not getting a RGB order, edit your LED
strips and select the LED type corresponding to the order you’ve
observed (BGR, GRB, GBR…).

While the testing mode is active, the DMX is constantly being outputted
at the full output rate, even when there’s no change. This is handy while
you’re configuring your LED controllers and want to see if it’s working.
This is also a good way to test whether your network supports the load.

Use the “test selected strips only” option, go in the Strips Tab and
change the selection in the strip list. This is similar to traditional
lighting consoles locate function.

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Media Library
Shortcut key: alt-M
You can manage your media and see what’s active. Up to 99 media items can be loaded.

Batch add (alt-A)
Insert At, Remove At
Clear all
Play audio
Transcode
Playback position indicator
Monitor
Delete button

Loads multiple video and picture files at once.
Inserts or removes a slot and offsets other media
accordingly.
Resets the library.
For videos, plays the audio track if available.
For videos, converts to a MPEG4 format that should play
on all computers. Also adjust contrast and brightness.
For videos, shows the position and allows seeking, which is
handy for long videos to test specific parts.
Opens a window showing the images coming from a
media source
Clears a media slot and allows selecting another media.

Video Files (with or without audio)
Most video formats are supported when the appropriate DirectShow video codecs are installed.
By default, ELM can play these files: .mov, .avi, .wmv, .mpeg, .mp4, .mp2, .mkv, .webm, .ogv and
.ogg. There’s no video size and resolution limits. The audio track is played back on the default
sound device. If not needed, you can remove the audio by using the transcode button.
The recommended video format is MPEG4 in an avi file. For smaller files at the expense of a
higher CPU usage, you can use H264 in an avi file.
Picture Files
Use static images like bmp, jpeg, gif and png.
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Capture Devices
Use live videos captured with a video card input or a connected camera like a webcam. Any
DirectX/DirectShow compatible hardware and software are supported.
Effects
The built-in effects library will help you quickly test your installation with pixel-perfect videos.
The strobe effect is of particular interest since it’s synced with the output, giving you a real
strobe which is very hard to achieve with a video source.
Texts
Generate scrolling text with various fonts.
Spout (v. 2.006)
Use live videos generated by the most common video frameworks and VJ software.
This includes Resolume, Ableton Live, Processing, Max/Msp, TouchDesigner, Cinder,
OpenFramework, VVVV, Isadora, After Effects, Mapio, Unity3D and more. The Spout
integration gives you total control over the content and is the way to go when you
want interactive visuals.
Network Device Interface (NDI v. 2.1)
Receive live video streams via the network, as commonly used in professional live
show productions. Easily connect ELM to a multitude of NDI compatible hardware
and software, including capture cards, IP cameras and video over the cloud. NDI has
been developed by NewTek - http://NDI.NewTek.com.
MJPEG Streams
It’s the most basic way to receive video streams via the network. If your IP camera doesn’t
support the more complete NDI protocol, it should at least support MJPEG streaming.
To quickly test your installation without having the final videos, just use
the built-in effects. You can create your schedules and test everything
right away. Then when you’ll get your videos, replace the built-in
effects.

Media file paths are saved relatively to your project file. To make it easy
to move your project to another computer, save it in a directory next to
your media. Then copy everything to your other computer.

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Schedules
Shortcut key: alt-H
Each stage has its own schedule. A schedule can contain as many playlists as you need and you
trigger them with an activation time, date range and day of week.

Add playlist (alt-P)
Copy/Paste playlist
Stop during daylight
Scheduler On/Off

Sunrise, Sunset times

Creates a playlist for the current stage.
Right-click on a playlist to see the menu.
Stops this stage’s schedule during daylight hours. Based on
the sunset and sunrise times.
Temporarily stops all schedules. It is handy to take over
and manually select what’s playing on each stage in the
live mode. This option isn’t saved to the project file.
Computed based on your location. See Time.

Select a playlist to see its settings. Double click to play. The playlist settings are:
Add media (alt-A)
Delete
Start time
Duration
Loop
Start and end dates
Active days
Transitions

ELM User Manual rev 1.28

Adds one or multiple media to the playlist.
Removes the selected items from the playlist.
The time of the day to start the playlist.
The duration of the playlist (end time).
Repeats the playlist indefinitely (loop).
The date range (inclusive) when the playlist is active.
The days of the week when the playlist is active.
The type and duration of transition effects, from the classic
crossfade to complex effects rotating and scaling the
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Intensity level
Speed

media. If color filters are used, a nice transition will also
occur between the colors.
The luminosity level (dimmer). Set to 0 to deactivate the
stage.
The playback speed. Does nothing for live video streams.

Drag and drop media items in the list to reorder. Select one or multiple items and right-click to
see the menu, allowing copying and pasting items across playlists. The settings for each media
item are:
Status
Media
Duration
Play count
Play time
Color filter

The playing status, indicating the playing time and number
of repetitions done.
The associated media. Click to change it.
For some types of media like video, displays the total play
time.
The maximum number of times to play this media before
playing the next one. Set to 0 to indicate no limit.
The maximum number of seconds to play this media
before playing the next one. Set to 0 to indicate no limit.
The RGB color filter to apply to the media. White means no
filter.

Turn off the scheduler to temporarily take control of what’s playing on
your stage using the live mode.

Select multiple media items to change them all at once when modifying
the play count, play time and color filter.

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Live Mode
Shortcut key: alt-L
The main goal of the live mode is to let you see what’s playing on each stage and monitor the
status. For example, if a playlist is running, you’ll see what’s happening in real-time, including
the transitions. If nothing is controlling the stage, you’ll be able to manually select what’s
playing.

A and B sides
A-B Fader
Execute
Transition effect and duration
Intensity
Color wheel
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Shows the loaded media. Click a media to select it.
Smoothly changes the current media between the A and B
sides, using the selected transition effect.
Automatically creates a transition from A to B or B to A
depending on the most active side.
Selects one of the 40+ transition effects and its duration in
seconds.
The luminosity level (dimmer). Set to 0 to deactivate the
stage.
Filters the color output. It works like a color gel, where if
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you select the red color, only red pixels will be visible at
the output.
The playback speed. Used for certain media types only,
including video files, built-in effects and texts. Does
nothing for live video streams.
Opens a window to output the video to a projector or TV.
Double-click on the window to maximize. The position of
the window is saved in the project file.

Speed

DVI

You can use ELM to output video to a projector or TV without controlling
LEDs. Simply create a stage and don’t put any LEDs on it. Then in the
live mode, click the DVI button.

Using black and white media allows you to use the color filter and get
exactly the RGB color you want as output.

Use the live mode as a monitor to help you see what’s going on while
remotely controlling ELM with another lighting console. You can also
open multiple DVI outputs (one per stage) and use them as monitors.

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Settings
Shortcut key: alt-I
Project
This is the overall panel, displaying the most important info about your project status.
New project
Load (ctrl-o)
Save as
Save (ctrl-s)
DMX Universes
Stages
Strips
Mapped LEDs
Output rate (fps)
Lock stages
Run at startup

Closes the current project and start a new one.
Opens an existing project.
Saves the project under a new name.
Saves the project.
The number of DMX universes used by your project. This is
the number used to calculate your license limit (if any).
The number of stages in your project.
The number of strips in all stages.
The number of LEDs inside the mapping zones in all
stages.
The number of times per second DMX packets are sent.
Default is 30, max 60.
Prevents accidentally editing the stages by requesting a
password to unlock (last 4 characters of the hardware ID).
Automatically runs ELM when Windows starts and loads
the last opened project file.

Art-Net
Settings for the Art-Net universes.
Adapter
Universe display

Scan nodes

Optimize frames

ArtSync

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Selects a network adapter for the output.
By default, universes are in the hexadecimal format, where
the first digit is the Net (0 or 1) followed by the Sub-Net
(0-F) and then the universe (0-F). In decimal mode, the
universes are displayed from 0 to 511.
Opens a window and shows the detected Art-Net nodes
(devices). Click the configure unicast button to activate ArtNet unicast and send the universes to the subscribed
nodes.
When activated, universes are sent only when there’s a
change and only the channels that have changed are sent,
which may considerably reduce the network load. Older or
low-powered nodes may not support it.
When activated, sends a ArtSync packet after all universes
have been sent. This makes sure all outputs to the lights
are in sync and prevents tearing problems.
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Universe IP addresses

For each universe, enter an IP address to enable unicast
and send the DMX packet to a specific node. Type
broadcast to send the universe to all connected nodes in
the network. Unicast is preferred when using more than 64
Art-Net universes or a WiFi network.

sACN
Settings for the sACN universes.
Adapter
First universe
Universe IP addresses

Selects a network adapter for the output and the input if
using remote control with sACN.
Since sACN supports thousands of universes, set the first
universe to use.
For each universe, enter an IP address to enable unicast
and send the DMX packet to a specific node. Type
multicast to send the universe to all subscribed nodes in
the network. Unicast is preferred when using more than 64
sACN universes with a network switch not IGMP v2 ready
or a WiFi network.

KiNet
Settings for the Philips Color Kinetics devices (power supplies). The protocol version is KiNet v2
(PORTOUT). You can configure up to 512 devices.
Adapter
Device IP addresses
Port

Selects a network adapter for the output.
Enter the IP address of your device.
Enter the destination port for each device (1-16).

Time
Settings for accurate sunrise and sunset times, automatically updated throughout the year
based on your location.
Your position
Offsets (minutes)

Test helpers

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Your latitude and longitude position on Earth. You can also
select a preset in the list.
Offsets the sunrise and sunset times. For example, if you
want to start the installation 2 hours before sunset, you
enter (-120) in the sunset box.
Temporarily modifies the current time and date to help
you test your schedule. These values aren’t saved in the
project file.

Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec

License
Manage your licenses.
Backup
Import
Hardware ID

Saves your license file in case you need to reinstall your
OS.
Imports a license file.
Your unique computer’s ID, used to generate the licenses.

Remote Control
DMX – Art-Net, sAcn and Enttec USB Pro
Settings for remotely controlling ELM with a lighting console.
Input mode
Network adapter
Universe
Address
Fixture mode
DMX value mode

Selects how you want to remote control ELM. The current
options are Art-Net, sACN and a Enttec USB Pro interface.
For Art-Net only, you can select a different network
adapter for output and input.
Selects the DMX input universe.
Selects the DMX address for the first stage.
Selects the level of control you want (Basic or Extended).
Percent: makes it easy for consoles working in percent.
Raw: makes it easy for consoles working in the 0-255 DMX
range.

The DMX sheet showing what can be controlled and by which channel is integrated in ELM. It is
dynamically generated based on the current remote settings and your stages. This way, you
can’t lose it!
When no DMX data is received for more than 5 seconds, the remote control mode will
automatically be deactivated. This is a failsafe feature in case the remote console has a problem.
When this happens, the schedule resumes right away. If there are no schedules, then the current
media will continue to play.

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Basic Fixture Mode (8 channels per stage)

Channel
1

Name
Values
Remote control 0: Remote control
mode
deactivated
1-254: Reserved,
don’t use
255: Remote control
activated
Media index
0: No function
1-99: Media index

Intensity level

0: Stage deactivated
1-255: Level

4
5
6
7

Red filter
Green filter
Blue filter
Playback speed

0-255
0-255
0-255
0: Paused
1-255: Speed up to
10x. 25 = 1x

Transition
duration

0: No transition
1-255: Duration up
to 20 seconds. 12 =
1s.

ELM User Manual rev 1.28

Note
Remote control activated only when
receiving 255. 0 disables the remote control
mode and the stage goes back to being
controlled via the schedule (if any) or
manually.
The media to play. If needed, a transition
(crossfade) is automatically executed
between the current media and the new
one. This effectively controls the A and B
sides in the live panel for you.
The output level (dimmer). When at 0%, the
stage is considered to be deactivated and
doesn’t override stages with a lower
precedence anymore - it becomes
transparent. To keep the stage activated
and force a black output, use the color
filters at 0%.
Filters the color output.
Filters the color output.
Filters the color output.
For some type of media like videos, effects
and texts, the speed controls how fast the
playback goes. For live streams, the speed
has no effect.
When transitioning between media, this
controls the duration of the crossfade.

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Extended Fixture Mode (15 channels per stage)

Channel
1

Name
Values
Remote control 0: Remote control
mode
deactivated
1-254: Reserved,
don’t use
255: Remote control
activated
Intensity level
0: Stage deactivated
(MSB/coarse)
1-65535: Level

4
5
6
7

Intensity level
(LSB/fine)
Red filter
Green filter
Blue filter
Media A speed

Media B speed

0: Paused
1-255: Speed up to
10x. 25 = 1x

Media A index

Media B index

Media mixing
position
(MSB/coarse)

0: Empty
1-99: Media index
0: Empty
1-99: Media index
0-65535
0: media A fully
active
65535: media B fully
active

Media mixing
position
(LSB/fine)

ELM User Manual rev 1.28

0-255
0-255
0-255
0: Paused
1-255: Speed up to
10x. 25 = 1x

Note
Remote control activated only when
receiving 255. 0 disables the remote control
mode and the stage goes back to being
controlled via the schedule (if any) or
manually.
The output level (dimmer). When at 0%, the
stage is considered to be deactivated and
doesn’t override stages with a lower
precedence anymore - it becomes
transparent. To keep the stage activated
and force a black output, use the color
filters at 0%.

Filters the color output.
Filters the color output.
Filters the color output.
For some type of media like videos, effects
and texts, the speed controls how fast the
playback goes. For live streams, the speed
has no effect.
For some type of media like videos, effects
and texts, the speed controls how fast the
playback goes. For live streams, the speed
has no effect.
The media to play on side A.
The media to play on side B.
Controls the position of the mixing effect,
from A to B.

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Mixing position
modifier

Mixing effect

Reserved
(unused)

0: No function
1-255: Various
mapping functions
0: no effect
1: crossfade
2: black fade
3: white fade
4-255: Various
effects

Spices up the mixing position by applying a
function like bounce, sigmoid and
exponential. See the list of functions in ELM.
Determines the effect to be applied when
mixing the A and B sides. From simple
crossfade to complex effects including
rotations, scaling and translations. See the
list of effects in ELM. When not needed,
select the ‘no effect’ to avoid wasting CPU.

OSC
Settings for remotely controlling ELM via OSC (Open Sound Control) over the network. ELM
listens for incoming OSC on all network adapters.
/elm/stages/{stage name}/
live/
intensity
0..1
rgb
0..1, 0..1, 0..1
media
0..99
speed
0..10
transitonFx
0..43
transitionDuration 0..9999 seconds
mix/
position
0..1
A/
media
0..99
speed
0..10
B/
media
0..99
speed
0..10
scheduler/
running
{0: no, 1: yes}
playlists/{playlist name}
running
{0: no, 1: yes}

ELM User Manual rev 1.28

Addresses and names are caseinsensitive.
Media index 0 is an empty slot.
RGB can be sent in 3 parts at the /r /g
and /b addresses.
Use * (wildcard character) in the stage
name to target multiple stages at
once. For example, /elm/stages/*/XYZ
targets all stages.
/elm/stages/background*/XYZ
targets all stages with a name
starting with background.

Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec

HTTP
Settings for remotely controlling ELM via HTTP, which is a protocol based on TCP/IP. This is the
most reliable way to integrate ELM with control systems like Crestron and Pharos or to create
custom web interfaces. ELM listens for incoming HTTP requests on all network adapters.
Request
GET /elm/stages
GET /elm/stages/{stage name}/live
POST /elm/stages/{stage name}/live

GET /elm/stages/{stage name}/scheduler
POST /elm/stages/{stage name}/scheduler

GET /elm/stages/{stage name}/scheduler/playlists
GET /elm/stages/{stage
name}/scheduler/playlists/{playlist name}
POST /elm/stages/{stage
name}/scheduler/playlists/{playlist name}
GET /elm/media/slots
GET /elm/media/slots/{id}
GET /elm/media/slots/{id}/thumbnail

Parameters

Output
list of stage names
state of the requested stage

intensity 0..1
media 0..99
speed 0..10
transitionFx {name},
transitionDuration 0..9999
red 0..255
green 0..255
blue 0..255
running 0 (no) or 1 (yes)
RGBRemotelyControlled 0 or 1
intensityRemotelyControlled 0 or 1

running 0 (no) or 1 (yes)

state of a scheduler
starts/stops the scheduler
overrides the scheduler’s RGB
overrides the scheduler’s intensity
list of playlist names
state of a playlist
starts/stops the playlist
list of filled media slot ids
state of a media slot
PNG image

Addresses and names are case-insensitive. Parameters can be provided in the query string or
form data. Media id 0 is an empty slot.
For example, to start the playlist “NIGHT” of the stage “FRONT”, the request is:
POST /elm/stages/FRONT/scheduler/playlists/NIGHT?running=1

The base URL to access the API is: http://YOUR-COMPUTER-NAME:port/elm. If you prefer,
you can replace the computer name by its IP address.
You can restrict the access to the API by activating the Basic Auth feature. For more details see
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_access_authentication.

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Troubleshooting
Output - Art-Net/sACN
Problem
No Art-Net
nodes detected
in the scan
nodes dialog.

Possible causes
The node IP address may be
incorrectly configured. For example,
the computer’s IP is 192.168.1.X
and the node’s IP is 192.168.0.Y.

Solutions
Change the IP address of your
computer or your node to be on the
same network, that is most of the
time, the 3 first numbers need to be
the same. The subnet masks also need
to be the same. Usually, you want to
use 255.255.255.0 as the subnet mask.

The wrong network adapter may be Open the Start Menu, right-click on
selected in ELM.
Network, and select Properties. The
Network
and
Sharing
Center
opens…click on Manage network
connections. Right-click on the
network adapter you want to assign
an IP address and click Properties.
Highlight Internet Protocol Version 4
(TCP/IPv4) then click the Properties
button
Output lag
The network is overloaded, most of Enter your node IP addresses in the
(working but
the time due to the use of universe boxes to enable unicast
with intermittent broadcasting. By default with Art- sending. For Art-Net, click the scan
delays).
Net, all universes are broadcasted nodes button and then the configure
(sent to all connected devices on unicast button (see Art-Net). This
the network). Some routers and greatly reduces the work your
switches may have problems under router/switch has to do.
heavy load.
Alternatively, you can lower the ELM’s
output rate (see Project).

The lights do
nothing.

Another way to reduce the network
load is to enable the optimize frames
option (see Art-Net).
The nodes may not be properly Test the nodes with the configuration
configured or not plugged.
utility from the manufacturer.
The strips may be configured to Check the IP address configuration as
use the wrong universes and/or described above.
addresses.

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The lights
flicker.

No media is playing and ELM Check the universes and addresses of
doesn’t need to output anything.
your strips. You can use an Art-Net
sniffer like the Artnetominator or
Wireshark to see what ELM is sending.
The most common cause of flickers Start your LED controller configuration
when using LED strips is that the utility and check the configured LED
wrong LED type or protocol has type. Try different types if you’re
been configured in the LED unsure.
controller. For example, selecting
TM1803 instead of WS2811.
Maybe some LEDs don’t have Enable the testing mode (see
enough power. Can cause flickers Testing Tab) and select a low
at the end of the strips.
brightness color. This will cause the
LEDs to use less power. If the flickers
go away, then the problem is due to
not having enough power going to
the LEDs. You’ll need to inject more
power.
This may also be caused by using
video content with little noise in it The testing mode generates a pure
due to compression (may not be color, so if this isn’t a power problem
problematic when displayed on a and a full white test color doesn’t
screen but it becomes apparent on cause flickers, that means the video
LEDs).
content is probably the problem.
Some older LED fixtures may not
work well when using the Art-Net Disable the optimize frames option
optimize frames option.
(see Art-Net).

General
Problem
ELM isn’t
starting and
saying a dll is
missing.
Very high CPU
usage.

ELM User Manual rev 1.28

Possible causes
Solutions
Probably the Visual Studio 2015 Download and install the Visual C++
run-time component is missing.
Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015
https://www.microsoft.com/enca/download/details.aspx?id=48145
The computer can’t handle your Reduce the resolution of your videos
videos.
by using the transcode button (see
Video Files). Transcoding can convert
to an easier to decode format which
may also save CPU.
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If you’re using live video capture, try
reducing the capture resolution.
You are looking at a stage and the If the computer is already overloaded,
computer is having a hard time try not to unnecessarily leave ELM on
drawing pretty graphics.
a graphic heavy screen. Minimize the
ELM window or go in the
setting/project tab. Also make sure to
close all monitor windows.
The output rate is too high.
When moving
my project to
another
computer, the
media are
missing.

The ELM project file doesn’t contain
the media and the stage’s
background images.

I see a blank
screen when
using a remote
desktop app like
LogMeIn or VNC.

The ELM user interface uses
hardware
acceleration.
Some
remote desktop app doesn’t
support it or need special
configuration.

ELM User Manual rev 1.28

Alternatively, you can lower the ELM’s
output rate (see Project).
You need to move the media to the
other computer and put them at the
same place relatively to the project
file. A good practice is to create a
media folder next to your project file.
This way it’s easy to move everything
at once to another computer or to do
backups.
You may need to configure your
remote desktop app to support
hardware acceleration. Alternatively,
some apps like TeamViewer and
Windows Remote Desktop work well
with ELM.

Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec

EULA
This End-User License Agreement (EULA) is a legal agreement between you (either an individual
or a single entity) and the mentioned authors (Lightjams inc. and Enttec LLC) of this Software for
the software product identified above, which includes computer software and may include
associated media, printed materials, and “online” or electronic documentation (“SOFTWARE
PRODUCT”).
By installing, copying, or otherwise using the SOFTWARE PRODUCT, you agree to be bounded
by the terms of this EULA.
If you do not agree to the terms of this EULA, do not install or use the SOFTWARE PRODUCT.
SOFTWARE PRODUCT LICENSE
1. GRANT OF LICENSE. This EULA grants you the following rights: Installation and Use. Each
license is registered to one person and covers the use of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT on one or
multiple computers depending on the license type, so long as multiple computers are not used
at the same time. The license is locked to the computer’s CPU and motherboard.
2. DESCRIPTION OF OTHER RIGHTS AND LIMITATIONS.
Limitations exist on Reverse Engineering, Decompilation, Disassembly and changing
(adding,deleting or modifying) the resources in the compiled assembly of the SOFTWARE
PRODUCT. You may not reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the SOFTWARE PRODUCT,
except and only to the extent that such activity is expressly permitted by applicable law
notwithstanding this limitation.
Updates and Maintenance
ELM updatess are FREE of charge.

Separation of Components.
The SOFTWARE PRODUCT is licensed as a single product. Its component parts may not be
separated for use on more than one computer.
Software Transfer.
You may not rent, lease or sublicense the SOFTWARE PRODUCT on a temporary or permanent
basis.
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Termination.
Without prejudice to any other rights, the Author of this Software may terminate this EULA if
you fail to comply with the terms and conditions of this EULA. In such event, you must destroy
all copies of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT and all of its component parts.

3. COPYRIGHT.
All title and copyrights in and to the SOFTWARE PRODUCT (including but not limited to any
images, photographs, clipart, libraries, and examples incorporated into the SOFTWARE
PRODUCT), the accompanying printed materials, and any copies of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT
are owned by the Author of this Software. The SOFTWARE PRODUCT is protected by copyright
laws and international treaty provisions. Therefore, you must treat the SOFTWARE PRODUCT like
any other copyrighted material.

LIMITED WARRANTY

NO WARRANTIES.
The Author of this Software expressly disclaims any warranty for the SOFTWARE PRODUCT. The
SOFTWARE PRODUCT and any related documentation is provided “as is” without warranty of
any kind, either express or implied, including, without limitation, the implied warranties of
merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or noninfringement. The entire risk arising out
of use or performance of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT remains with you.
NO LIABILITY FOR DAMAGES.
In no event shall the author of this Software be liable for any special, consequential, incidental or
indirect damages whatsoever (including, without limitation, damages for loss of business profits,
business interruption, loss of business information, or any other pecuniary loss) arising out of
the use of or inability to use this product, even if the Author of this Software is aware of the
possibility of such damages and known defects.

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