Raw Panel
Raw Panel
"Raw Panel"
Raw Panel mode essentially is to let the server be a software application written to support the UniSketch TCP Client protocol and thus use a SKAARHOJ panel to simply send triggers such as keypresses, pulses and analog values over to the server which in turn maps them to actions in its domain. This has also historically been referred to as “dumb panel” since the panel does not know anything about the application it’s being used in.
Our controllers are so clever that they can both integrate third party protocols like we have done with our various Device Cores - but they can also act the opposite way around so they are essentially “dumb panels” that just send keystrokes, fader positions, encoder pulses and so forth to another device/system and in return takes values for key backlight color and display content (text or graphics). This mode is exceedingly popular with our various technology partners as it puts the power in their hands to design the interaction with the panel however they want.
For instructions about the API we refer to the UniSketch TCP Manual which we store on Git. Here you can also find some Python 3 scripts that will help you to get started quickly implementing support for SKAARHOJ panels in your software application.
Topology and Server Mode have been added recently (Oct. 2019) and allows the panels to act as a multi client TCP server instead of a TCP client. You can also query the topology of the panel which will return SVG and JSON code to you. We have an Electron GUI reference application available on github and a python script that shows how to render the final SVG file from the data given by the panel. Make sure to watch the video "Raw Panel GUI" as well. Panel discovery (mDNS) is coming up shortly.