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Overview

The TextFileExporter allows you to export DMX channel data to human-readable text files. This is useful for debugging fixture configurations, analyzing channel usage, or creating documentation of your lighting state.

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Configuration

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onlyNonZeroChannels
bool
default:"false"
If true, only channels with non-zero values will be included in the exported file. This helps reduce file size and focus on active channels.

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YAML Example

exporters:
  - type: TextFileExporter
    onlyNonZeroChannels: true

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Usage

The TextFileExporter is triggered manually through the HNode user interface:
  1. Enable the exporter in your YAML configuration
  2. Run HNode and navigate to the exporter settings
  3. Click “Export channels to text file” button
  4. Choose a location and filename
  5. The file will be saved with a .chinfo extension

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File Format

The exported text file contains one channel per line in the format: 
channelIndex: channelValue

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Example Output

0.0: 255
0.1: 128
0.2: 64
1.0: 200
1.1: 150
Each line shows:
  • Channel index in universe.channel format (e.g., 0.0 = Universe 0, Channel 0)
  • Channel value as a byte (0-255)

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With onlyNonZeroChannels

When onlyNonZeroChannels is enabled, the output only includes active channels: 
0.5: 255
0.6: 200
1.10: 128
All channels with value 0 are omitted from the file.

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Technical Implementation

public class TextFileExporter : IExporter
{
    public bool onlyNonZeroChannels = false;
    
    public void CompleteFrame(ref List<byte> channelValues)
    {
        // Stores current channel data
        data = channelValues;
    }
}

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User Interface

The exporter provides two UI elements:
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Only export non-zero channels
Toggle
Enable or disable filtering of zero-value channels in the export.
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Export channels to text file
Button
Opens a save dialog and exports the current channel state to a text file.

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Use Cases

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Debugging Fixture Mapping

Export your channel data to verify that fixtures are mapped to the correct DMX addresses: 
exporters:
  - type: TextFileExporter
    onlyNonZeroChannels: true  # Only show active channels
Set specific fixtures to known values, export, and verify the output matches your expectations.

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Documentation

Create snapshots of lighting states for documentation purposes: 
exporters:
  - type: TextFileExporter
    onlyNonZeroChannels: false  # Include all channels
Capture complete channel states for different scenes or cues.

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Analysis

Analyze channel usage patterns: 
exporters:
  - type: TextFileExporter
    onlyNonZeroChannels: true  # Focus on active channels
Export during a show to see which channels are actively used.

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File Extension

The exporter uses the .chinfo (Channel Information) extension by default. This can be changed when saving through the file browser dialog.

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Integration with Other Tools

The text format is easily parseable by other tools: 
# Python example: Parse exported channel data
with open('channelinfo.chinfo', 'r') as f:
    for line in f:
        channel, value = line.strip().split(': ')
        print(f"Channel {channel} = {value}")

// JavaScript example: Parse exported channel data
const fs = require('fs');
const data = fs.readFileSync('channelinfo.chinfo', 'utf8');
data.split('\n').forEach(line => {
    const [channel, value] = line.split(': ');
    console.log(`Channel ${channel} = ${value}`);
});

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Performance Notes

  • Export is performed on-demand, not every frame
  • No performance impact during normal operation
  • Export time depends on number of channels (typically < 1 second)
  • Memory usage is minimal - only stores reference to current frame data

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Limitations

  • Export is a snapshot of the current frame only
  • Does not support real-time streaming to file
  • No automatic export functionality (must be triggered manually)
  • File format is simple text - no binary or compressed formats supported

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