PixNet Artist

Free pixel mapping software for Windows and Mac

Draw your LEDs.
Make them move.

PixNet Artist maps your LED strips, nodes, matrices and rings, adds effects and plays them live over Art-Net or sACN. It's built for PixNet controllers and works with any Art-Net or sACN pixel controller.

Download free Read the guide Windows 10 / 11 · macOS 11 or later · works offline
PixNet Artist Studio screen with a matrix, two strips, a ring and an arc of nodes mapped to one controller output

Features

Everything from the first pixel to the live show

Lay out the installation as it really is, wire it the way it's built, and hand it over with a screen that only shows scenes.

Strips, nodes, matrices and rings

Draw strips with bends, place nodes freely, and drop in matrices and rings. Drag, resize and reshape them on the map.

RGB and RGBW, any colour order

18 colour orders including white first or white last. Set them per area or for the whole show, with automatic white for RGBW.

Proper output limits

Each PixNet output takes up to 1024 RGB or 768 RGBW pixels across 6 universes, with pixels running across universe boundaries.

Drag-to-connect wiring

Drag from a controller output to an area, then chain to the next. Colour tags like C1 · Output 1 show what's connected where, and the wires stay on the map.

Layered effects

Stack effects with blend modes and opacity, and keep each one to the area you choose. Lock an effect to an object and they move together.

Reacts to music

Use a microphone, a line-in from the mixer, or a music file. Effects pulse with the bass and beats, and scenes can change on the beat.

PIN-locked scenes screen

Lock the software to a simple scenes screen for staff or clients. A 6-digit PIN keeps the setup safe.

Art-Net, sACN and DDP built in

Output goes straight to your controllers over the network, and Find controllers lists the Art-Net nodes for you. No extra bridge software is needed, and no internet connection either.

Wiring

Wire it the way it's built

  1. Add your controllers and set how many outputs each one has.
  2. Drag from an output to the first area it feeds, then chain to the next.
  3. Watch the load on every output, so you never go over the limit.
Connections panel showing controller C1 output 1 chained through five areas with 546 LEDs at 54 percent of the line

Scenes

Hand over a screen anyone can use

  1. Save scenes with their own fade times.
  2. Tap a scene to play it, or press its key.
  3. Lock with a PIN, so only the scenes screen shows.
Scenes screen with a live preview of the Fire scene and a row of scene tiles

Show control

Trigger scenes from anything

  1. Keys and MIDI: click Learn and press a key, pad or button.
  2. Lighting desk: 3 Art-Net channels pick the scene, speed and dimmer.
  3. Network: an HTTP API for Crestron, Companion and Stream Deck, plus a phone remote.
  4. Timecode: Art-Net Timecode, MIDI Timecode or LTC fire a cue list, with the animation and video locked to the timecode.

How to set up triggers →

Scene triggers window with keyboard keys and MIDI notes learned for each scene

Getting started

From install to light in four steps

Install

Download and run the installer. On Windows it adds PixNet Artist to the Start menu and the desktop. On a Mac, drag it into Applications.

Draw the map

In Studio, add strips, nodes, matrices and rings, and set each one's pixel count and colour order.

Connect

Open Connections, add your controller and its IP address, then drag outputs to areas.

Add effects and play

Add effect layers, save scenes, and play them from the Scenes screen.

Read the full guide with pictures →

Download

PixNet Artist for Windows and Mac

Free · version 1.0.0

Download for Windows Download for Mac Windows portable version

PixNet Artist runs on a Windows PC or a Mac. Open this page on your computer to download it.

  • Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit
  • macOS 11 Big Sur or later, on Apple silicon (M1 and newer) or Intel Macs
  • Any modern PC, Mac or laptop. A wired network connection to your controllers is best.
  • On Windows, updates install automatically when a new version is out. On a Mac, download the new version from this page.
  • The portable version runs from a USB stick without installing, but it doesn't update itself.
First launch on Windows: Windows may show "Windows protected your PC". Click More info then Run anyway. If Windows Firewall asks, allow access on Private networks so PixNet Artist can reach your controllers.
First launch on a Mac: Open the downloaded file and drag PixNet Artist into Applications. The first time you open it, macOS may say it can't check the app. Click Done, then go to System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll down and click Open Anyway. When asked, allow Local Network access so PixNet Artist can reach your controllers, and Microphone if you want effects to react to music.
Need controllers? PixNet Artist is made by PixNet Control. See our pixel controllers and LED products at pixnetcontrol.com.

FAQ

Questions

Is it really free?

Yes. PixNet Artist is free to download and use for up to 6 universes, which is one full PixNet controller output (1024 RGB or 768 RGBW pixels). For bigger shows, add universe packs of 6. Every PixNet Artist Player comes with 24 universes. You can always design and preview any size of show for free.

Does it run on a Mac?

Yes. There's a Mac version for macOS 11 Big Sur or later, and it runs natively on both Apple silicon and Intel Macs. It has the same features as the Windows version. To update, download the latest version from this page and drag it into Applications again.

Does it work with controllers that aren't PixNet?

Yes. Any controller that takes Art-Net, sACN (E1.31) or DDP works, including WLED, ESPixelStick and Falcon. Use Find controllers to list the Art-Net controllers on your network, or add one in Connections as "Other". Then set its universes per output, its pixel limit and whether it takes 170 whole pixels per universe.

How many pixels can one output take?

On a PixNet controller, up to 1024 RGB or 768 RGBW pixels per output, across 6 universes. For other makes you set their own limits. PixNet Artist shows each output's load and warns you before you go over.

Does it need the internet?

No. Once it's installed, everything works offline. It only goes online to check for updates when it can.

Can staff run the lights without changing the setup?

Yes. Lock it to the Scenes screen with a 6-digit PIN. Staff can then pick scenes, change brightness and black out, but nothing else. Keys, MIDI, the desk, the API and timecode keep working while it's locked.

Can a lighting desk or MIDI controller run the scenes?

Yes. A desk sends 3 Art-Net channels: scene, speed and dimmer, the same layout as the PixNet Artist Player's DMX In. A MIDI controller's pads, keys and buttons can each fire a scene, or next, previous and blackout. Click Learn and press the button.

Can it follow timecode?

Yes: Art-Net Timecode, MIDI Timecode (MTC), or LTC from an audio input. Set a cue list of times and scenes. With the animation lock on, effects and video stay exactly in step, even when the timecode jumps or rewinds.

Can a control system or Stream Deck trigger scenes?

Yes. Turn on the HTTP API and send simple web requests such as /api/scene/3, /api/next or /api/blackout. That works with Crestron, Bitfocus Companion and most other control systems. Open the same address on a phone for a simple scene remote.

Which colour orders does it support?

All six RGB orders, each with no white, white first or white last. That's 18 in total, set per area or for the whole show.