DMX Core

DMX Core 100

Control a DMX Core 100 from Bitfocus Companion using the Integration API. Populate button dropdowns from the device catalog, execute cues/presets/levels, and show live state on Stream Deck buttons over a WebSocket — without registering an OSC Client on the device.

API reference: Integration API.

Setup

1. On the DMX Core Web UI go to Device → System and turn on Enable Integration API.
2. Click Issue Integration API Key (or User Management → API Keys). Copy the key when it is shown — it is only displayed once.
3. In Companion, add a connection and choose DMX Core: DMX Core 100.
4. Set DMX Core IP / hostname and the HTTP(S) port (hardware often 80 / 443; desktop software 8000 / 8001 — same as the Web UI).
5. Paste the Integration API key.
6. Enable Use HTTPS only if you reach the device over TLS; tick Allow insecure TLS for self-signed certificates.
7. Save. Companion calls Integration /info (identity + health), loads /catalog and /state, and opens /events for live updates. Health fields from /info are refreshed about every 30s.

Keep the device on a trusted network and treat API keys like passwords. When the Integration API is disabled, paths under /api/integration return 404.

macOS “EHOSTUNREACH” / no route to host

If Companion logs connect EHOSTUNREACH to a LAN IP but a browser or curl from the same Mac works, macOS is blocking Companion’s Local Network access (common on Sequoia / Tahoe).

1. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network.
2. Ensure Companion is enabled.
3. If it already looks enabled, toggle it off, quit Companion, toggle on, then reopen Companion.
4. Retry the connection.

This is an OS permission issue, not a wrong API key or port.

Presets

After the connection is online, open the Presets tab. Buttons are built from the live catalog:

• Playback — Scenes (cues) and Timelines as separate groups (plus Sounds when present)
• Looks & buttons → Control — switch toggles (including Blackout / Mute when present), then Stop Playback; other system buttons under Buttons
• Levels → Rotary — Master Dimmer and Audio Volume encoders (±5%); Master dimmer also has 0/50/100% shortcuts
• Device → Status — Now Playing and Refresh Playback objects

Scene presets call activate with Loop / Fade left at the device default. Re-drag presets after the catalog changes if you add cues on the device.

The Now Playing preset shows the live status line (green while playing) or Stopped when idle. Variable text on buttons uses your connection label, e.g. $(dmxcore:now_playing).

Actions

Action	Integration API
Activate scene	execute → activate on a scene entity (optional loop / fadeInMs / fadeOutMs for cues and sounds)
System actions	execute → activate on a system button (Stop, Clear Ambient, …). Blackout / Mute / Output mute are switches
Switch entity	turnOn / turnOff / toggle on a switch entity (presets, ambient, mute, blackout, …)
Set level	setLevel with level 0–1 (Companion UI is 0–100%)
Bump level	Reads current state, then setLevel (prefer WebSocket for encoders; local level updates immediately so rapid rotary ticks accumulate)
Set choice	setChoice on a select entity (Choice list is the union of every select’s catalog choices; type a custom value if needed)
Refresh catalog	HTTP GET /catalog + GET /state + /info health snapshot

Loop / fades: On activate for cue.* or sound.*, optional loop (0 = forever, 1 = once, N = N times), fadeInMs, and fadeOutMs are applied. Leave them at -1 in Companion to use Settings → Playback defaults (same as a touchscreen tap). Timelines ignore these fields; sending them on other kinds returns 400.

Levels in Companion are 0–100% and are sent to the device as 0.0–1.0.

Variables

Always available: product, device_name, serial, software_version, protocol_version, connected, now_playing (shows Stopped when idle), master_percent / audio_volume_percent (include %, e.g. 50%), master_level, entity_count.

From Integration /info (polled every 30s and on Refresh catalog): show_name, hostname, app_version, cpu_temp_c, board_temp_c, sys_cpu_percent, app_cpu_percent, memory/storage fields, network_speed_mbit, audio_available, app_uptime_h, sys_uptime_h, recorder, player_name, player_code. Temps / network speed may be empty on desktop builds.

device_name prefers a nickname from /info when present. On buttons use $(connection-label:now_playing) (for example $(dmxcore:now_playing) or $(dmxcore:show_name)).

Catalog entities also create variables such as level_system_masterdimmer, switch_system_mute, and sensor_system_nowplaying. Missing switch state is blank (unknown), not off.

Feedbacks

Use these to light buttons when the connection is up, something is playing, a specific scene matches the now-playing status line (whole-token name/code, so INTRO does not match INTRO2), a switch is on/off (off only when the device reported off), a level crosses a threshold, a select entity matches a choice (case-insensitive), or a sensor text contains a string.