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Site Preparation

Before you arrive on site to install IMMERSE, verify these. Most of them sound obvious. They're listed because each one has, at some point, blown up an install that should have taken half a day.

Network

Subnet

  • All IMMERSE devices (Runtime, Nodes, DMX fixtures) will be on one subnet, no router between them
  • Subnet has at least N+10 free IPs where N is your node count
  • You know the subnet's gateway (only matters for internet access; not strictly required during shows)
  • You have admin access to the switch — managed switch required for IGMP snooping

Switch

  • IGMP snooping is enabled on the show network's switch
  • Why: sACN is multicast; without IGMP snooping, every packet floods every port and your network falls over with 50+ fixtures
  • How: every managed switch supports this; check vendor docs
  • Switch has enough ports: 1 (Runtime) + N (Nodes) + M (lighting fixtures or fixture controllers) + 2-3 spare
  • Switch supports gigabit per port (100 Mbit is enough but 1G is the modern default)
  • PoE switch if you're powering Nodes over PoE (saves running power supplies)

Wi-Fi

  • Operator tablets/phones can reach the show network's Wi-Fi
  • Either: tablets are on the show network directly
  • Or: there's an access point bridged to the show network
  • No guest Wi-Fi on the same broadcast domain as IMMERSE — there's no auth in v0.1.0; anyone on the network can fire cues

IP plan

  • You have a written list of which IP each device will get
  • Runtime PC: typically .10
  • Pis: typically .11 through .10+N
  • DMX fixtures: typically .100+
  • Either DHCP reservations or static IPs (don't mix; pick one)
  • You've documented hostnames if using mDNS/Bonjour (e.g. audio-1.local, gpio-3.local)

Power

  • Surge protection / UPS for at least Runtime PC and the network switch
  • Runtime crashing mid-show because someone bumped a power strip is the worst feeling
  • Each Node has a stable, sufficient power supply (5V 3A USB-C, the supplied power adapter)
  • Cheap supplies cause undervoltage warnings, file system corruption, weird crashes
  • Power-cycling a Node shouldn't require crawling under the stage. Centralize power in the rack if possible.

Cabling

  • Cat6 cable from switch to each Node location, labeled at both ends
  • HDMI from each video Node to its display, labeled
  • Audio cable from each audio Node to amp/speaker, labeled
  • GPIO wiring from each GPIO Node to its controlled hardware, labeled and fused if controlling AC
  • DMX/sACN cabling per the lighting designer's plan (probably already handled separately)

Physical layout

  • Runtime PC location identified — must be in a rack or behind glass; can't be where audience can touch
  • Rack space for the switch
  • Each Node mounting location identified, ventilated (Nodes run hot under load), accessible (you'll need to swap a replacement Node eventually)
  • Operator station located — where will the person pressing GO sit/stand?
  • Tech-side display optional — sometimes a small monitor on the rack showing Runtime's status window is useful

Software / files

  • You have the .ishow file the designer produced
  • You have all the audio files referenced in the .ishow — designer should provide a folder
  • You have all the video files referenced in the .ishow — same
  • Filenames in your media folders exactly match what the .ishow references (case-sensitive!)
  • You have IMMERSE Studio v0.1.0+ installed on a laptop in case last-minute edits are needed
  • You have IMMERSE Runtime v0.1.0 on a USB stick or downloadable
  • You have IMMERSE Node v0.1.0 source ready for the Nodes
  • You have the standalone validator script (tools/ishow-validator.js) for last-minute file checks

Documentation onsite

The venue may not have internet. Bring offline copies of:

  • This documentation tree (the immerse-docs/ folder)
  • IMMERSE Node README + smoke test
  • IMMERSE Runtime README
  • The .ishow schema reference
  • The show designer's contact info on paper

People / coordination

  • You have a phone number for the show designer in case the .ishow has issues you can't fix
  • You have a phone number for IMMERSE support (support@immersecontrol.com for non-urgent; if there's a critical-show contact, document it)
  • You know who's pressing GO during the show — they get the operator one-pager
  • You know who's responsible if a Node dies during the show

Final pre-arrival check

The day before you go on site:

  • Test the entire pipeline at your office: Studio → save .ishow → Runtime loads it → all node types respond → fire a cue → verify hardware moves
  • Build any installer or prep work you need to bring
  • Confirm power and network with the venue contact
  • Get an arrival time and load-in instructions

If you can't test the pipeline at your office, expect surprises onsite. Budget at least 4 extra hours.