EXTERNAL CONTROL

WATCHOUT 7 can be controlled by a wide range of external devices and systems - lighting consoles, show controllers, tracking systems, MIDI devices, timecode generators, and custom software. All external input flows through the variable system, which maps incoming protocol messages to numeric parameters that drive timeline playback, cue properties, and expression-based automation. This chapter covers every supported control protocol and integration method.

Foundations

How external control reaches the WATCHOUT engine.

  • External Control Overview - the architecture of external control: protocols, bridge services, the Director API, and how incoming messages become variable updates
  • Variables and Inputs - the variable system that maps all external input to numeric parameters, including input specs, clamping, defaults, and reserved names

Primary Protocols

The most commonly used control integrations.

  • HTTP REST API - the comprehensive REST API for programmatic control from show controllers, web interfaces, and custom applications
  • OSC Protocol - Open Sound Control integration for message-based control from media servers, show controllers, and creative tools
  • ArtNet Input - receiving ArtNet DMX data over the network and mapping channel values to show variables

Specialized Protocols

Bridge services and protocol adapters for specific control scenarios.

  • MIDI Bridge - a standalone service that receives MIDI messages and forwards them as variable updates to the Director
  • LTC Bridge - decoding Linear Time Code from an audio input to synchronize timeline playback with an external timecode source
  • PosiStageNet - receiving real-time 3D position data from tracking systems for spatial automation
  • MIDI Show Control - industry-standard MSC commands for transport control from show control systems
  • WATCHOUT 6 Protocol - backward-compatible TCP control interface for systems still using WATCHOUT 6 command syntax