Integration Guide: How to Activate Smells Through DMX

Activating smells through DMX is the professional standard for synchronizing olfactory effects with lighting, audio, and video systems in real-time. The Olorama ecosystem achieves this integration using the Olorama DMX Converter, a software designed to receive Art-Net signals from any lighting console or software and automatically translate them into UDP messages that the scent generators process natively.

Below is the detailed topology, installation, and configuration process to ensure seamless, low-latency communication.

Network Topology and System Requirements

To establish communication between the DMX controller and the scent generators, the following infrastructure is required:

• Windows PC: Acts as the bridge. It runs the Olorama DMX Converter software and, optionally, the DMX control software generating the Art-Net signal.
• Local Network (Router / Switch): The DMX source, the PC running the converter, and the scent generators must all be connected to the same network and subnet. A wired connection (LAN) or a highly stable Wi-Fi network is required to avoid latency.
• Olorama Generators: The end devices that receive instructions in UDP format from the converter.

DMX Converter Installation

1. Download the official installation package directly from olorama.com/downloads/Setup DMX Converter.zip.
2. Install the software on the Windows PC. It is recommended to run the installer with administrator privileges to allow the opening of network ports in the firewall.
3. Open the Windows command prompt (cmd), run the ipconfig command, and note your local IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.37).
4. Navigate to the installation path C:\OloramaDMXConverter\ and open the text file named fse_settings.
5. Locate the line listening_dmx_by_this_interface and modify it by entering the first three octets of your local IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.).
6. Save the changes to the file and reopen the Olorama DMX Converter.

Input and Output Configuration

The converter interface requires pairing the Art-Net input with the network output directed to the generators.

Input (Art-Net)

• Select the PC's network interface (the IP must be in the same subnet as the Art-Net source).
• Configure the DMX Universe you will be using (e.g., Universe 0).
• Enable the Art-Net listening option in the converter.

Output (UDP to Generators)

• Destination IP: Enter the direct IP of the Olorama generator, or use the subnet broadcast address to send the signal to multiple machines simultaneously (e.g., 192.168.1.255).
• UDP Port: The system uses port 5010 by default.
• Mapping: Define which DMX channels will control which parameters of the UDP message.

DMX Channel Assignment

Controlling Olorama scent machines occupies a block of four consecutive DMX channels, which define the physical behavior of the scent release:

Internal UDP Message Specification

Once the software maps the channels, it sends a UDP text string to the generators with the following structure:

OUT,03,0200,1,04000,1000

• Scent ID: 03 (Values from 1 to 10)
• Intensity: 0200 (Range from 100 to 500)
• Fan: 1 (1 = ON, 0 = OFF)
• Fan time (ms): 04000 (Recommended between 4000 and 7000 ms)
• Internal parameter: 1000 (System constant)

Workflow in Lighting Control Software (e.g., MagicQ)

To successfully activate smells through DMX from professional lighting software like MagicQ:

1. Enable Art-Net output in the software's network settings and assign the corresponding Universe.
2. Patch a generic 4-channel fixture or use channels 256 to 259 directly according to the assignment table above.
3. In the Olorama DMX Converter, verify that these channels are mapped to the correct UDP format.
4. Trigger a cue or fader in your lighting software and verify that communication with the scent generator executes correctly over the LAN or Wi-Fi network.

For advanced assistance during channel patching or opening network ports in complex installations, direct technical support is available at [email protected].