NDI Routing (Controller) Application similar to DAnte Controller

[aswp]

I believe for NDI to truly mature, it needs a central application that can manage NDI signal routing and provide monitoring, similar to Dante Controller.

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I can't imagine anyone here to be unfamiliar with Dante, but if there are, Dante is an audio over ip protocol just like NDI.

Usage of NDI in production environments would be exponentially friendlier if there was such an application.

Here's a short blurb on what the Dante controller can achieve. Swap "Dante" for "NDI" and salivate.

"Dante Controller is a free software application that enables you to route audio and configure devices on a Dante network. With automatic device discovery, one-click signal routing and user-editable device and channel labels, setting up a Dante network couldn’t be easier.

Much more than just a configuration and routing matrix, Dante Controller provides essential device status information and powerful real-time network monitoring, including device-level latency and clock stability stats, multicast bandwidth usage, and customized event logging, enabling you to quickly identify and resolve any potential network issues. You can also quickly and easily backup, restore, move, and reuse Dante network configurations using Presets, and edit Dante routing configurations offline."

[kanep]

I get what you are asking for.

A few aspects are already built into NDI like automatic device discovery, one-click signal routing and user-editable channel labels.

There are NDI applications for routing.
http://www.sienna-tv.com/ndi/ndirouter.html
https://www.rascular.com/application...-applications/

[aswp]

Thank you. I will research those links.

[Victorslab]

Here is one more NDI software router.

http://www.zenvideo.co.uk/ndi.htm

[aswp]

http://www.zenvideo.co.uk/ndi.htm

Thank you, interesting software there. I am excited at the potential for NDI, where any software developer can download the SDK and create their own tools.

The ZEN NDI RTx (NDI Receiver-Transmitter) is interesting and one I am keen to try. It would allow users to conserve their inter-switch network bandwidth (not everyone has 10G links between switches) from the lan-switch where the source device is to the lan-switch where multiple destination devices are (assuming they are all connecting to the same source-stream).

The NDI Router is interesting but isn't what I had in mind. This seems to be a simple 6i/2o software NDI switcher.

Sienna and Rascular's router/application also isn't quite what I had in mind. It's a hardware based router for more advanced workflows and larger installations.

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What I had in mind is simply a tool that would ship with NDI tools, let's call it "Source Destination Router".

When you open up the app, it would automatically discover all the active-source and actively-listening-destinations available in the network and from this application, you can tell Studio Monitor on PC-A and NDI Virtual Input on PC-B to receive Stream-A from Sender PC-C. Without having to remote-access or physically go to PC-A and PC-B and manually selecting the source stream in the studio monitor and virtual input application.

[SBowie]

When you open up the app, it would automatically discover all the active-source and actively-listening-destinationsavailable in the network and from this application, you can tell Studio Monitor on PC-A and NDI Virtual Input on PC-Bto receive Stream-A from Sender PC-C. Without having to remote-access or physically go to PC-A and PC-B and manually selecting the source stream in the studio monitor and virtual input application.

Studio Monitor's web applet already provides this capability (except it also lets you control Studio Monitor instances on PC-D though Z as well) ... but VI does not.

[aswp]

If VI has remote-access capabilities like SM's web applet (have not tested but sounds promising), that would solve my immediate problem.

My solution is now to hibernate my remote PCs running VI instead of shutting them off at the end of the day, so they don't lose the connection to the source and I don't have to manually remote access and pick the source every morning on every single bootup.

Hence I am keen to have a central source/destination routing tool

[jamin9909]

Studio Monitor's web applet already provides this capability (except it also lets you control Studio Monitor instances on PC-D though Z as well) ... but VI does not.

This is a great new feature, but it is still cumbersome to have to select the monitor, then change the source. A Router setup like the Dante controller would be awesome in that it would display all sender and all receivers and it would only take one click to make the route, all on one page. Could also have the ability to save and reload routings.

[SBowie]

I had a similar thought that presets could be useful.

Just to mention it for clarity, though, the current SM webpage implementation does show all detected instances of SM, and all NDI sources are available in the source menus (primary and overlay) for each. So the main difference, setting aside the notion of presets, is that rather than simply clicking, you need to scroll and make menu selections.

[ual_marcus]

I had a similar thought that presets could be useful.

Just to mention it for clarity, though, the current SM webpage implementation does show all detected instances of SM, and all NDI sources are available in the source menus (primary and overlay) for each. So the main difference, setting aside the notion of presets, is that rather than simply clicking, you need to scroll and make menu selections.

I did a bit of digging as I wanted to be able to set what SM displays via an AV controller as a service system (touch panel in the room with a remote VM running the service from our Data centre across 15 sites).

It is fairly arbitrary to target and configure what Studio Monitor is doing (as long as you have not set a password, yes there are security implications, but you could also authenticate the session) - this should give a starting point for all parameters:

Accessing the source list and current configuration:

curl http://[target studio monitorIP]/v1/configuration - returns the current config of Studio Monitor and shows all parameters E.G.:

{"version":1,"NDI_source":"DESKTOP-UQM4V86 (Intel(R) HD Graphics 520 1)","NDI_overlay":"","PTZ_controller":"","audio_ou tput":"SONY TV *00 (Intel(R) Display Audio)","window":{"display_device":"","always_on_t op":false,"hide_border":false,"showcmd":1,"min_pos n_x":-1,"min_posn_y":-1,"max_posn_x":-1,"max_posn_y":-1,"normal_posn_left":413,"normal_posn_right":1853, "normal_posn_top":127,"normal_posn_bottom":873},"d ecorations":{"checkerboard":false,"picture_in_pict ure":true,"hw_accel":false,"tally":true,"low_bandw idth":false,"mute_audio":false,"audio_gain":-20,"vu_meter":true,"vu_meter_scale":false,"center_ cross":false,"safe_areas":false,"show_4_3":false," best_fit":true,"square_aspect":false,"hide_ptz_con trols":false,"show_alpha":false,"run_on_startup":f alse,"web_server":true,"show_web_url":true,"menu_p osn_x":56.0,"menu_posn_y":8.0}

curl http://[target studio monitorIP]/v1/sources - returns available NDI sources from this studio monitors perspective

{"ndi_sources":["DESKTOP-UQM4V86 (Intel(R) HD Graphics 520 1)","DESKTOP-UQM4V86 (Microsoft Camera Front)","UAL.LOCAL (NDI Signal Generator)","UAL.LOCAL (Scan Converter)"],"audio_devices":["SONY TV *00 (Intel(R) Display Audio)"],"display_devices":["Full Screen"],"controllers":[],"studio_monitors":{""}

To post a config change:

Main Window NDI source setting:

Change Source from something to 'None':
curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" -X POST -d '{"version":1,"NDI_source":""}' http://[target studio monitorIP]/v1/configuration

Change Source from something / none to a new source from the available listed at /v1/sources:
curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" -X POST -d '{"version":1,"NDI_source":"DESKTOP-UQM4V86 (Intel(R) HD Graphics 520 1)"}' http://[target studio monitorIP]/v1/configuration


Picture in Picture:

Add a new picture in picture source from the available listed at /v1/sources:
curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" -X POST -d '{"version":1,"NDI_overlay":"DESKTOP-UQM4V86 (Intel(R) HD Graphics 520 1)"}' http://[target studio monitorIP]/v1/configuration

Remove picture in picture:
curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" -X POST -d '{"version":1,"NDI_overlay":""}' http://[target studio monitorIP]/v1/configuration

Temporarily toggle PIP on / off (take over whole screen, or return to PIP corner)
curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" -X POST -d '{"version":1,"decorations":{"picture_in_picture": true}}' http://[target studio monitorIP]/v1/configuration
curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" -X POST -d '{"version":1,"decorations":{"picture_in_picture": false}}' http://[target studio monitorIP]/v1/configuration


Example configuration settings (any Studio Monitor 3.5 setting can be targeted):

Switch on / off Hardware Acceleration:
curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" -X POST -d '{"version":1,"decorations":{"hw_accel":true}}' http://[target studio monitorIP]/v1/configuration
curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" -X POST -d '{"version":1,"decorations":{"hw_accel":false}}' http://[target studio monitorIP]/v1/configuration

Switch on / off Tally:
curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" -X POST -d '{"version":1,"decorations":{"tally":true}}' http://[target studio monitorIP]/v1/configuration
curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" -X POST -d '{"version":1,"decorations":{"tally":false}}' http://[target studio monitorIP]/v1/configuration

Hide / show window border:
curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" -X POST -d '{"version":1,"window":{"hide_border":true}}' http://[target studio monitorIP]/v1/configuration
curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" -X POST -d '{"version":1,"window":{"hide_border":false}}' http://[target studio monitorIP]/v1/configuration


Secondary / Additional windows on the same IP:

The first window uses port 80 - the second 81 etc.

[zenvideo.co.uk]

The NDI Router is interesting but isn't what I had in mind. This seems to be a simple 6i/2o software NDI switcher.

It is only 6x2 at present, but a bigger, user-configured version is coming soon. Picture shows an example 12in/8out configuration.

[livepad]

Sienna's router/application also isn't quite what I had in mind. It's a hardware based router for more advanced workflows and larger installations.

In fact Sienna's NDI Router is a purely software based application which runs on macOs or Ubuntu. It provides an unlimited number of NDI Sources and Destinations and can be controlled by its own Web Interface or by professional router control systems (software and hardware) from 3rd parties which support the ProBel SWP-08 Protocol or the BMD VideoHub protocol.