A fixture profile tells LuDioMix how to control a light. Create the model's profile first, then add physical lights to the stage. Start with the basic channels and configure special functions only when your device needs them.

Guide version: development version dated 2 October 2026. This guide covers the shared Fixture Editor in normal and developer views. Some fields may be missing from older installation packages.

1. What you need before starting

  • The manufacturer, exact model and DMX channel table from the fixture manual.
  • The active channel mode, such as 8CH or 25CH.
  • The LuDioMix project in which to save the profile.

The channel mode must match. The same channel numbers can mean different functions in a device's 8CH and 16CH modes. Set the matching mode in the fixture's own menu too.

A profile is not an individual light. Four identical fixtures can share one profile. Set their individual names, DMX start addresses and locations separately in Stage Fixtures.

2. Create the profile and enter basic details

  1. Open Stage Setup → Fixture Editor → Fixture Profiles.
  2. Check the selected Project.
  3. Click New fixture.
  4. Enter a Profile name, preferably including manufacturer, model and channel mode. Optionally fill in Manufacturer and Model.
  5. Set DMX channel count to the total channel count of the selected mode, including channels you do not intend to use automatically.
  6. Select the appropriate Fixture type.

Fixture type

  • Wash: a broad wash of light.
  • Beam: a narrow beam.
  • Spot: a focused light suitable for patterns.
  • Hybrid: a combined fixture. Selecting this does not supply missing channel definitions.
  • Lightbar: a bar with independently controlled sections.
  • Smoke machine: a smoke device configured for manual operation.

Enimmäiskirkkaus (maximum brightness) describes the fixture's relative output at full power: strong, medium or modest. It is not wattage or a DMX channel number. Choose an estimate relative to your other lights.

3. Reading the DMX table

Channel is the device-relative channel number. Value is the value sent to that channel, from 0 to 255. Feature describes what happens in that value range.

Profile channel numbers and stage start addresses are different. With a start address of 101, profile channel 1 uses address 101 and channel 11 uses address 111. Enter 1 and 11 in the profile itself.

One channel can contain several functions. Shutter, strobe and pulse may use separate ranges on the same channel. Do not map the entire 0–255 range to brightness in that case.

4. Channel functions: basic channels

Enter Channel, DMX min and DMX max for each needed function using the manual. Leave missing functions at channel 0. Here, 0 means the function is not assigned; it is different from sending DMX value 0 to an assigned channel.

  • Dimmer: the fixture's master dimmer, if present.
  • Strobe: the dedicated strobe function range.
  • Red, Green, Blue, White, Amber, UV: separate colour channels.
  • Color wheel: the mechanical colour-wheel channel. Define individual colour values in Color Calibration.
  • Pan and Tilt: horizontal and vertical movement.
  • Pan fine and Tilt fine: fine-position channels. The current automatic show holds them at zero; true 16-bit movement is not yet implemented.
  • Movement speed: the movement-speed channel, if present.
  • Zoom: beam-width control, if available. This is not Focus. The current show uses the midpoint of the configured Zoom range, not music-driven zoom changes.
  • Smoke output and Fan: smoke-device functions. These do not enable automatic music-triggered smoke.

DMX min and DMX max define the numeric limits of the intended function. The application does not read your fixture manual to determine whether a range accidentally includes reset or internal programs.

Example: a simple five-channel RGBW light

This is a fictional teaching example. Use it only if the real device's channel table matches it.

  • DMX channel count: 5.
  • Dimmer: Channel 1, DMX min 0, DMX max 255.
  • Red: Channel 2, range 0–255.
  • Green: Channel 3, range 0–255.
  • Blue: Channel 4, range 0–255.
  • White: Channel 5, range 0–255.

If the device has no master dimmer, leave Dimmer unassigned and configure its actual colour channels. Do not invent a channel for a missing function.

5. A dark light: shutter and default values

Some fixtures need a shutter-opening value even when dimmer and colour channels are active. Use Channel defaults and Add channel default for this.

In a user-provided example, channel 11 is 0–31 shutter closed, 32–63 shutter open, and 64–95 strobe slow to fast. The model has not been confirmed and this device example has not been physically tested.

  1. Click Add channel default.
  2. Enter Channel 11 and Default DMX value 48, within the open-shutter range.
  3. Set Strobe to Channel 11, DMX min 64, DMX max 95.
  4. Configure the separate dimmer and colour channels from the rest of the device's table.

Expected behaviour: the shutter is open during normal lighting. Strobe uses its own range, then the normal show frame returns to the default value. A default does not force a show light to remain on during STOP or BLACKOUT.

You can also use a default for a fixed Focus value, for example. Always follow the actual device's manual. These numbers are not universal settings.

6. Moving-head speed direction

Configure the Movement speed channel and range, then select Movement speed direction according to the manual:

  • Higher DMX value = faster movement: higher numbers increase speed.
  • Higher DMX value = slower movement: higher numbers reduce speed.

Do not reverse DMX min and DMX max to achieve this. Speed direction does not change Pan/Tilt directions; check those later when calibrating the physical light.

7. Gobo ranges: patterns and rotation

A gobo shapes the beam into a pattern. Selecting a pattern and rotating that selected pattern are different functions.

Pattern selection

  • Spot: the open round beam range. Define this when using gobo ranges.
  • Pattern: the pattern-selection range.
  • Pattern shake: the pattern-shake range, if present.

Enter a channel and range for each function. Leave unused functions at channel 0. The current implementation uses one gobo-wheel channel for these ranges, without overlap. Exclude continuous wheel scrolling from the ordinary Pattern range.

Rotating the selected pattern

  • Rotation channel: the separate gobo-rotation channel. 0 disables rotation.
  • Stop rotation: the stop value from the manual; it is not necessarily 0.
  • Rotation slow: slow rotation in the selected direction.
  • Rotation fast: fast rotation in that same direction.

Choose Slow and Fast from one continuous range for a single direction. Slow may be numerically higher than Fast. Stop must not lie between them. Do not also assign the rotation channel to another function or effect.

Example from a different fixture's 25-channel table: Rotation channel 11, Stop rotation 191, Rotation slow 190, Rotation fast 128. This is not the same channel definition as channel 11 in the shutter example. The examples belong to different devices and must not be combined unchanged.

Rotation follows audio-derived intensity and rhythmic activity while a pattern gobo is active. Speed changes smoothly. Calm sections, pauses and stopped states stop rotation. An open Spot does not rotate. Check musical suitability with the actual light.

8. Lightbar: independent sections

Select Fixture type → Lightbar to configure independently controlled sections of a bar.

  1. Set Independently controlled units to the number of controllable sections, not necessarily the number of LEDs.
  2. Select each unit's Mode in Lightbar units: RGB, RGBW or White.
  3. Enter the unit's colour channels as fixture-relative channel numbers.
  4. Configure Unit dimmer if the unit has its own dimmer; otherwise leave it unused.
  5. Configure any shared master dimmer and other shared functions in Channel functions.

Do not assign unit channels again as shared functions. Add one physical bar as one stage light, even if it contains several controllable units. The show's use of its units also depends on the bar's location and role.

9. Independent emitters and Effect modes

These are advanced settings for combined effect fixtures. An ordinary RGB light usually does not need them.

Independent emitters

Click Add independent emitter to add a separately operating light source. Enter Emitter name, choose Type, and list its DMX channels separated by commas. Automatic determines whether the emitter may participate in automatic effect selection. Automatic operation is off by default for a Laser emitter.

Effect modes

Click Add custom effect and enter:

  • Channel: the channel to control.
  • Name: a clear mode name.
  • Color: the effect colour, or Any if unrestricted.
  • Speed: the mode's character, such as Static, Slow or Fast. This describes an effect mode; it is not the moving-head speed-direction setting.
  • Strength: effect intensity category.
  • Use: Continuous, Accent or Either.
  • Matching color: the show colour the effect suits, or Any.
  • DMX min and DMX max: the value range for that mode.

If one mode needs multiple channels, add a row for each channel and use exactly the same mode name and colour, speed, strength and use classifications. The channel must belong to the correct emitter. These classifications help the application select music-appropriate effects.

Current limitation: emitter definitions do not provide two fully independent Dimmer/Strobe controls for spot and wash sections within one profile.

10. Save the profile and add physical lights

  1. Click Save fixture profile and resolve any reported conflicts.
  2. Open Stage Fixtures.
  3. Select the saved Fixture profile and Quantity.
  4. Enter Universe and First DMX address to match the receiver and lights.
  5. Choose Location and First position from left.
  6. Click Add to stage. Check every added light's address, name and location.
  7. Click Save stage setup.

Address example: a 25-channel light starting at 101 uses addresses 101–125. The next independently controlled matching light can start at 126 in the same universe. Check addresses on the physical fixtures too; saving a profile does not change the device's own address.

Expected result: the profile appears in the selection list and the added physical lights appear in the stage table. Saving a profile alone never adds physical lights automatically.

11. Testing, renaming and removal

DMX Testing and other lighting tests can send actual control values when output is enabled. Start with one fixture at low brightness. Confirm on/off operation and colours before movements and effects. Moving-head limits and colour balancing are covered in Calibration.

To edit an existing profile, select it and click Load selected. Correct Profile name or settings and save. Profiles are shared within the project, so channel-definition changes can affect multiple venues.

  • Remove light from this stage removes only the physical light from the current stage. Save the stage; the profile remains.
  • Delete fixture profile deletes the profile in Fixture Editor. Deletion is blocked while any saved stage or the current edited stage uses it.
  • If a right-hand column or Remove button is out of view, use the table's horizontal scrollbar.

12. Checklist and current limitations

  • The fixture's channel mode matches the profile's DMX channel count.
  • Channel numbers are device-relative, not stage start addresses.
  • Dimmer, colours and any required shutter-opening default are configured.
  • Movement-speed direction matches the manual.
  • Physical lights are added and addresses checked.
  • The profile and stage are saved.

You do not need to fill in everything. Leave unused functions unassigned. Automatic control does not require internal device programs or automatic reset.

The current profile has one main Dimmer and Strobe function. Full independent control of two gobo wheels and true 16-bit Pan/Tilt movement are not yet available. Focus and prism are not dedicated automatic functions; fixed values can be set through channel defaults. Successfully saving a profile alone does not prove physical operation.

Next: Calibration. Check moving-head directions, limits and home positions, plus any required colour adjustments.

Verification: fields and limitations were checked against current source code. Numeric examples are fictional or interpreted from user-provided channel tables, not physically tested profiles produced in this work. Publishing this guide does not change your saved profiles.