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ELM LED Mapper
Users Manual
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Table of contents
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Enttec ELM LED Mapper Users Manual

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Effortless LED Mapping
Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec ELM User Manual rev 1.30
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
Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec ELM User Manual rev 1.30

Key Features

ELM is all about displaying your video content on LED fixtures of any shapes, in the most convenient way.
Vector-based editor 1024 DMX universes Art-Net, sACN, KiNet Scheduled playlists Remote control via
DMX, OSC and HTTP
HD video + audio
playback

Computer Requirements

Spout + NDI
integrations for live video inputs
DVI outputs for
projectors and TVs
Video loop library
included
Extreme reliability for
permanent installations
RGB, RGBW, RGBA,
RGBAW and white fixtures
16-bit color support
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
Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec ELM User Manual rev 1.30
CPU Speed x Cores
Full HD Videos
HD Videos
640x360 Videos
2 GHz x 2 2 4
10
3 GHz x 2 3 6
15
4 GHz x 2 4 9
20
2 GHz x 4 4 9
20
3 GHz x 4 6 13
30
4 GHz x 4 8 18
> 40
3 GHz x 8
10
22
> 40
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.
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.
Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec ELM User Manual rev 1.30

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/
Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec ELM User Manual rev 1.30

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.
Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec ELM User Manual rev 1.30

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:
Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec ELM User Manual rev 1.30

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.
Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec ELM User Manual rev 1.30
New stage (alt-N)
Creates your first stage and start the mapping process.
Load project (ctrl-O)
Loads an existing project.
Media (alt-M)
Goes to the media library.
Schedules (alt-H)
Goes to the schedules.
Live (alt-L)
Goes to the live panel.
Settings (alt-I)
Goes to the settings panel.

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.
Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec ELM User Manual rev 1.30
Name
The name of your new stage. Usually refers to its physical location.
Width, Height
The desired size in pixels for the mapping surface used to display media. This can be changed later without affecting the mapping.
Full HD, HD buttons
Presets for common media sizes. Full HD is 1920x1080 and HD is 1280x720.

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.
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!
Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec ELM User Manual rev 1.30

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.
Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec ELM User Manual rev 1.30
∙ Stage
Manual control mode, stage deactivated.
Stage
Manual control mode, stage activated.
R Stage
Remote control mode, stage deactivated.
R Stage
Remote control mode, stage activated.
S Stage
Schedule control mode, stage deactivated.
S Stage
Schedule control mode, stage activated.
T Stage
The testing mode is active.
Overwrite
Completely replaces the left stages. The right stage is fully opaque.
Multiply
Multiplies each pixel of the right stage with the corresponding pixel for the left stage. The right stage becomes a video mask.
Screen
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.
Overlay
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.
Darken
Takes the smallest color component for each pixel.
Lighten
Takes the largest color component for each pixel.
Difference
Subtracts the left stage from the right stage or the other way round, to always get a positive value.
Add
Adds pixel values of one stage with the other.
Subtract
Subtracts pixel values of the right stage to the left stage.
Black key
Shows the pixels of the left stage only where the pixels of the right stage are black. In other words, black pixels are transparent.
Intensity
The stage’s intensity determines its opacity level.

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 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.
Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec ELM User Manual rev 1.30

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.
Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec ELM User Manual rev 1.30
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

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.
Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec ELM User Manual rev 1.30
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, ctrl­minus, ctrl-0)
Use the zoom control at the top. Zoom out when you want 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. Put your mouse over to see the LED number and its DMX address.
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 (ctrl­delete)
To delete the selected strips, use the ctrl-delete shortcut or 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.
Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec ELM User Manual rev 1.30
Number of strips
The number of LED strips/fixtures you want to patch.
Patching direction
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.
LEDs per strip
The number of LEDs per strip.
Type
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.
Shape
Select a predefined shape to position your strips on the stage. For arrays, use lines. The loop creates circles.
Group – primary, secondary
Use these two groups to help you quickly find your strips
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.
Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec ELM User Manual rev 1.30
later.
DMX protocol
Select the output method for DMX. For example, Art-Net or sACN E1.31.
Start universe
The universe of the first strip to be patched.
Start address
The address of the first strip to be patched.
Break universe after
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.
Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec ELM User Manual rev 1.30
Number of duplicates
The number of times you want to copy the selected strips.
Group – primary, secondary
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.
Universe offset
The offset used to calculate the first DMX universe of the newly created strips.
Address offset
The offset used to calculate the first DMX address of the newly created strips.
X offset
The horizontal position offset applied to the newly created strips.
Y offset
The vertical position offset applied to the newly created strips.
Rotate offset
The rotation in degrees applied to the newly created strips.
Rotate center, offset X, offset Y
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.
Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec ELM User Manual rev 1.30
LEDs per strip
The number of LEDs per strip.
Type
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.
Shape
Select a predefined shape to position your strips on the stage. For arrays, you want to use lines.
Group – primary, secondary
Use these two groups to help you quickly find your strips later.
DMX protocol
Select the output method for DMX. For example, Art-Net or sACN E1.31.
Start universe
The universe of the first strip to be patched.
Edit Strips Dialog
Shortcut key: alt-E
Edit the selected strips and allow changing the patch.
Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec ELM User Manual rev 1.30
Start address
The address of the first strip to be patched.
Break universe after
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.
Apply changes to other stages
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.
Re-Patch (alt-P)
Forces redoing the patch to make sure all selected strips are patched one after another.
Delete (alt-L)
Deletes the selected strips.
X
The position of the left boundary of the rectangle. A value of 0 means the far left of the stage.
Y
The position of the top boundary of the rectangle. A value of 0 means the top of the stage.
Width
The horizontal length.
Height
The vertical length.
Linked option
When checked, the initial aspect ratio is preserved when changing the width or height.
Offset/Resize Strips Dialog
Shortcut key: alt-O + enter
Precisely change the bounding rectangle of the selected strips.
Right-click in a numeric box and move the mouse left/right to quickly change the value.
Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec ELM User Manual rev 1.30
Name
The name of the stage. You can change it by typing a new name.
Size
The mapping size of the stage. Change it with the resize button.
Merge mode
Determines how to merge when multiple stages target the same LEDs. See Stage Merging and Layering.
Default media
When first loading a stage, you can specify media to be played.
Preview opacity
Determines the visibility of the preview. You can disable the preview by setting the opacity to 0.
Design image
To help you position the LED strips like in the real world, you can display an image in the background of the stage.
(Design image) opacity
Determines the visibility of the design.
Grid (ctrl-G)
Configure the snap to grid feature.
Monitor (alt-O)
Opens a monitor window to help you see the final result of the mapping.
Duplicate (alt-D)
Copies the stage and optionally resizes it.
Resize
Changes the size of the mapping surface. The position of your LED strips will not be affected.
Delete
Deletes the stage. Cannot be undone.

Stage Tab

Shortcut key: alt-g
Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec ELM User Manual rev 1.30
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!
Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec ELM User Manual rev 1.30
On/Off switch
Activates the testing mode.
Color
Changes the color of the testing rectangle. It is handy to test the color component order of your strips (RGB, BGR, etc.).
Width, Height
Changes the size of the testing rectangle.
Test selected strips only
If checked, only the selected strips in the Strips Tab will be under test. The other strips will all be off.
Locate LEDs
Locates each LED in the real world by going through a list. Alternatively, you can put the mouse over a LED in the editor. The LED number and its DMX address are displayed which is handy to count the LEDs and troubleshoot addresses.
Conflicts
Analyzes all patched LEDs of the current stage and looks for overlapping DMX addresses. In some situations you may want to have duplicated LEDs on the stage but if this isn’t the case, you should adjust the DMX addresses.

Testing Tab

Shortcut key: alt-T
Quickly test the mapping by generating a rectangle that you can move over the strips.
Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec ELM User Manual rev 1.30
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.
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.
Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec ELM User Manual rev 1.30
Batch add (alt-A)
Loads multiple video and picture files at once.
Insert At, Remove At
Inserts or removes a slot and offsets other media accordingly.
Clear all
Resets the library.
Consolidate
Copies all files in the same directory to make it easy to move your project file to another computer.
Play audio
For videos, plays the audio track if available.
Transcode
For videos, converts to a MPEG4 format that should play on all computers. Also adjust contrast and brightness.
Playback position indicator
For videos, shows the position and allows seeking, which is handy for long videos to test specific parts.
Monitor
Opens a window showing the images coming from a media source
Delete button
Clears a media slot and allows selecting another media.

Media Library

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

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.
Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec ELM User Manual rev 1.30

Picture Files

Use images like bmp, jpeg, gif (animated or not) and png.

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 help you quickly test your installation with pixel-perfect videos.

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. Use the consolidate feature to copy all files in a directory next to your project. Then copy everything to your other computer.
Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec ELM User Manual rev 1.30
Add playlist (alt-P)
Creates a playlist for the current stage.
Rename playlist
Right-click on a playlist to see the menu or double-click on its name.
Copy/Paste playlist
Right-click on a playlist to see the menu.
Stop during daylight
Stops this stage’s schedule during daylight hours. Based on the sunset and sunrise times.
Scheduler On/Off
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.
Sunrise, Sunset times
Computed based on your location. See Time.
Add media (alt-A)
Adds one or multiple media to the playlist.
Delete
Removes the selected items from the playlist.
Start time
The time of the day to start the playlist.
Relative to
Determines how to interpret the start time.

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.
Select a playlist to see its settings. Double click to play. The playlist settings are:
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Duration
The duration of the playlist (end time).
Loop
Repeats the playlist indefinitely (loop).
Start and end dates
The date range (inclusive) when the playlist is active.
Active days
The days of the week when the playlist is active.
Transitions
The type and duration of transition effects, from the classic crossfade to complex effects rotating and scaling the media. If color filters are used, a nice transition will also occur between the colors.
Intensity level
The luminosity level (dimmer). Set to 0 to deactivate the stage.
Speed
The playback speed. Does nothing for live video streams.
Status
The playing status, indicating the playing time and number of repetitions done.
Media
The associated media. Click to change it.
Duration
For some types of media like video, displays the total play time.
Max play count
The maximum number of times to play this media before playing the next one.
Max play time
The maximum number of seconds to play this media before playing the next one.
Color filter
The RGB color filter to apply to the media. White means no filter.
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:
If “infinite time” is displayed for the status of an item that means this item will play indefinitely or until the playlist ends (if the playlist duration is specified). Specify a max play time if this isn’t
what you want.
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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A and B sides
Shows the loaded media. Click a media to select it.
A-B Fader
Smoothly changes the current media between the A and B sides, using the selected transition effect.
Execute
Automatically creates a transition from A to B or B to A depending on the most active side.
Transition effect and duration
Selects one of the 40+ transition effects and its duration in seconds.
Intensity
The luminosity level (dimmer). Set to 0 to deactivate the stage.
Color wheel
Filters the color output. It works like a color gel, where if

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.
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you select the red color, only red pixels will be visible at the output.
Speed
The playback speed. Used for certain media types only, including video files, built-in effects and texts. Does nothing for live video streams.
DVI
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.
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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New project
Closes the current project and start a new one.
Load (ctrl-o)
Opens an existing project.
Save as
Saves the project under a new name.
Save (ctrl-s)
Saves the project.
DMX Universes
The number of DMX universes used by your project. This is the number used to calculate your license limit (if any).
Stages
The number of stages in your project.
Strips
The number of strips in all stages.
Mapped LEDs
The number of LEDs inside the mapping zones in all stages.
Output rate (fps)
The number of times per second DMX packets are sent. Default is 30, max 60.
Lock stages
Prevents accidentally editing the stages by requesting a password to unlock (last 4 characters of the hardware ID).
Run at startup
Automatically runs ELM when Windows starts and loads the last opened project file.
Adapter
Selects a network adapter for the output.
Universe display
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.
Scan nodes
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.
Optimize frames
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.
ArtSync
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.

Settings

Shortcut key: alt-I

Project

This is the overall panel, displaying the most important info about your project status.

Art-Net

Settings for the Art-Net universes.
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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.
Adapter
Selects a network adapter for the output and the input if using remote control with sACN.
First universe
Since sACN supports thousands of universes, set the first universe to use.
Universe IP addresses
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.
Adapter
Selects a network adapter for the output.
Device IP addresses
Enter the IP address of your device.
Port
Enter the destination port for each device (1-16).
Your position
Your latitude and longitude position on Earth. You can also select a preset in the list.
Offsets (minutes)
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.
Test helpers
Temporarily modifies the current time and date to help you test your schedule. These values aren’t saved in the project file.

sACN

Settings for the sACN universes.

KiNet

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

Time

Settings for accurate sunrise and sunset times, automatically updated throughout the year based on your location.
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Backup
Saves your license file in case you need to reinstall your OS.
Import
Imports a license file.
Hardware ID
Your unique computer’s ID, used to generate the licenses.
Input mode
Selects how you want to remote control ELM. The current options are Art-Net, sACN and a Enttec USB Pro interface.
Network adapter
For Art-Net only, you can select a different network adapter for output and input.
Universe
Selects the DMX input universe.
Address
Selects the DMX address for the first stage.
Fixture mode
Selects the level of control you want (Basic or Extended).
DMX value mode
Percent: makes it easy for consoles working in percent. Raw: makes it easy for consoles working in the 0-255 DMX range.

License

Manage your licenses.

Remote Control

DMX – Art-Net, sAcn and Enttec USB Pro
Settings for remotely controlling ELM with a lighting console.
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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Channel
Name
Values
Note
1
Remote control mode
0: Remote control deactivated 1-254: Reserved, don’t use 255: Remote control activated
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.
2
Media index
0: No function 1-99: Media index
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.
3
Intensity level
0: Stage deactivated 1-255: Level
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%.
4
Red filter
0-255
Filters the color output.
5
Green filter
0-255
Filters the color output.
6
Blue filter
0-255
Filters the color output.
7
Playback speed
0: Paused 1-255: Speed up to 10x. 25 = 1x
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.
8
Transition duration
0: No transition 1-255: Duration up to 20 seconds. 12 = 1s.
When transitioning between media, this controls the duration of the crossfade.
Basic Fixture Mode (8 channels per stage)
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Channel
Name
Values
Note
1
Remote control mode
0: Remote control deactivated 1-254: Reserved, don’t use 255: Remote control activated
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.
2
Intensity level (MSB/coarse)
0: Stage deactivated 1-65535: Level
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%.
3
Intensity level (LSB/fine)
4
Red filter
0-255
Filters the color output.
5
Green filter
0-255
Filters the color output.
6
Blue filter
0-255
Filters the color output.
7
Media A speed
0: Paused 1-255: Speed up to 10x. 25 = 1x
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.
8
Media B speed
0: Paused 1-255: Speed up to 10x. 25 = 1x
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.
9
Media A index
0: Empty 1-99: Media index
The media to play on side A.
10
Media B index
0: Empty 1-99: Media index
The media to play on side B.
11
Media mixing position (MSB/coarse)
0-65535 0: media A fully active 65535: media B fully active
Controls the position of the mixing effect, from A to B.
12
Media mixing position (LSB/fine)
Extended Fixture Mode (15 channels per stage)
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13
Mixing position modifier
0: No function 1-255: Various mapping functions
Spices up the mixing position by applying a function like bounce, sigmoid and exponential. See the list of functions in ELM.
14
Mixing effect
0: no effect 1: crossfade 2: black fade 3: white fade 4-255: Various effects
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.
15
Reserved (unused)
/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}
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.
OSC
Settings for remotely controlling ELM via OSC (Open Sound Control) over the network. ELM listens for incoming OSC on all network adapters.
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Request
Parameters
Output
GET /elm/stages
list of stage names
GET /elm/stages/{stage name}/live
state of the requested stage
POST /elm/stages/{stage name}/live
intensity 0..1 media 0..99 speed 0..10 transitionFx {name}, transitionDuration 0..9999 red 0..255 green 0..255 blue 0..255
GET /elm/stages/{stage name}/scheduler
state of a scheduler
POST /elm/stages/{stage name}/scheduler
running 0 (no) or 1 (yes) RGBRemotelyControlled 0 or 1 intensityRemotelyControlled 0 or 1
starts/stops the scheduler overrides the scheduler’s RGB overrides the scheduler’s intensity
GET /elm/stages/{stage name}/scheduler/playlists
list of playlist names
GET /elm/stages/{stage name}/scheduler/playlists/{playlist name}
state of a playlist
POST /elm/stages/{stage name}/scheduler/playlists/{playlist name}
running 0 (no) or 1 (yes)
starts/stops the playlist
GET /elm/media/slots
list of filled media slot ids
GET /elm/media/slots/{id}
state of a media slot
GET /elm/media/slots/{id}/thumbnail
PNG image
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.
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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Problem
Possible causes
Solutions
No Art-Net nodes detected in the scan nodes dialog.
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.
The wrong network adapter may be selected in ELM.
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.
Open the Start Menu, right-click on 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 (working but with intermittent delays).
The network is overloaded, most of the time due to the use of broadcasting. By default with Art­Net, all universes are broadcasted (sent to all connected devices on the network). Some routers and switches may have problems under heavy load.
Enter your node IP addresses in the universe boxes to enable unicast sending. For Art-Net, click the scan nodes button and then the configure unicast button (see Art-Net). This greatly reduces the work your router/switch has to do.
Alternatively, you can lower the ELM’s
output rate (see Project).
Another way to reduce the network load is to enable the optimize frames option (see Art-Net).
The lights do nothing.
The nodes may not be properly configured or not plugged.
The strips may be configured to
Test the nodes with the configuration utility from the manufacturer. Check the IP address configuration as described above.
Check the universes and addresses of

Troubleshooting

Output - Art-Net/sACN

Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec ELM User Manual rev 1.30
use the wrong universes and/or addresses.
No media is playing and ELM 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 lights flicker.
The most common cause of flickers when using LED strips is that the wrong LED type or protocol has been configured in the LED controller. For example, selecting TM1803 instead of WS2811.
Maybe some LEDs don’t have enough power. It can cause flickers at the end of the strips.
This may also be caused by using video content with little noise in it due to compression (may not be problematic when displayed on a screen but it becomes apparent on LEDs).
Some older LED fixtures may not work well when using the Art-Net optimize frames option.
Start your LED controller configuration utility and check the configured LED
type. Try different types if you’re
unsure.
Enable the testing mode (see Testing Tab) and select a low 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.
The testing mode generates a pure
color, so if this isn’t a power problem
and a full white test color doesn’t cause flickers, that means the video content is probably the problem.
Disable the optimize frames option (see Art-Net).
Problem
Possible causes
Solutions
ELM isn’t
starting and saying a dll is missing.
Probably the Visual Studio 2015 run-time component is missing.
Download and install the Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015 https://www.microsoft.com/en­ca/download/details.aspx?id=48145
Very high CPU
The computer can’t handle your
Reduce the resolution of your videos

General

Effortless LED Mapping by Enttec ELM User Manual rev 1.30
usage.
videos.
You are looking at a stage and the computer is having a hard time drawing pretty graphics.
The output rate is too high.
by using the transcode button (see Video Files). Transcoding can convert to an easier to decode format which may also save CPU.
If you’re using live video capture, try
reducing the capture resolution.
If the computer is already overloaded, try not to unnecessarily leave ELM on a graphic heavy screen. Minimize the ELM window or go in the setting/project tab. Also make sure to close all monitor windows.
Alternatively, you can lower the ELM’s
output rate (see Project).
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.
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. Alternatively, use the consolidate feature of the media library (see Media Library).
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.
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.
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EULA

This End-User License Agreement (EULA) is a legal agreement between you (either an individual or a single entity) and the mentioned author and copyright holder (Lightjams inc.) and distributor (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
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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.
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LIMITED WARRANTY
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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.
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