Stellar, the new ARRI intelligent app for professional lighting control works seamlessly with the SkyLink, SkyPanel, and L-Series hardware, and includes automatic features to make workflows faster and easier.

Stellar is not the first app centered on ARRI products available for smartphone users. I’ve pointed, previously, one, Magic ARRI Viewfinder, from Roman Medvid, and there is another one that those familiar with ARRI products may also know: Photometrics, which allows users to quickly reference the photometric characteristics of all ARRI light fixtures. Stellar is the next step.

With Stellar, light control is reimagined. The app automatically manages complex DMX settings through control interfaces with, says ARRI, a stunning graphic design. While there are other apps that allow DMX lighting control from a phone or tablet, Stellar is the perfect app to quickly and easily control ARRI lights while on set, without having to worry about the mechanics of it all. Whether a large film with many scenes and setups or a small project with just a few fixtures, Stellar is built to work in all scenarios. Coded intelligence and advanced communication make connecting ARRI SkyPanel and L-Series fixtures to the app simple and straightforward. After using Stellar, it will be difficult to go back to controlling lights in any other way.

Introduced at IBC 2018, the new app from Arnold & Richter Cine Technik (ARRI) is not free, and if you do not use ARRI lighting, you don’t need it. But if you use products from ARRI, Stellar is what the company calls the “final link” in a complete ecosystem of advanced lighting control products. The SkyPanel features Art-Net, sACN, DMX, and RDM implementations for a wide range of control options. Combined with SkyLink, a large rig of SkyPanels can be controlled wirelessly with little effort. The new app brings all these pieces together with intuitive controls that work seamlessly with the SkyLink, SkyPanel, and L-Series hardware. Creating a complex lighting network has never been simpler or easier to manage.

The interface of the new app is what makes it shine! While many lighting control devices rely on outdated and generic user interfaces,  Stellar has been imagined from the beginning to have beautiful graphic interfaces that are tailored to the different ways of selecting color. Exploring colors in a native and intuitive design for a particular color mode will make you never want to go back to faders. Complex color modes like x, y coordinates become more accessible and open up this powerful tool for everyone. With a long list of feature additions already planned, Stellar will grow into a fully featured lighting control platform. Stellar is the “go-to” application for controlling ARRI fixtures as it seamlessly integrates functionality with great design making the task of adjusting lights effortless.

There are seven different ways to select color and lighting effects with the SkyPanel. With the app, it is possible to instantly switch between control modes so that a color can be chosen with an interface best suited for that mode. There is no need to worry about DMX footprints or addresses as Stellar’s backend takes care of this. Simply pick the color mode desired and adjust the output accordingly. No compromises necessary with Stellar, says ARRI.

Stellar’s auto layout feature makes DMX patching a thing of the past. The app will automatically set the DMX start addresses for all fixtures and continue to manage the network in order to avoid any overlapping devices. And because today’s networks are a complicated mix of nodes, splitters, gateways, and much more,  Stellar will navigate the DMX network for you. With the automatic discovery of fixtures, Stellar will search your DMX/RDM network and find every ARRI fixture connected to it. Simply assign the found devices to a project and start lighting. Whether it’s 10 fixtures,100 fixtures, or more, Stellar can handle it.

Stellar takes full advantage of the DMX and RDM technology present in the L-Series and SkyPanel, making it possible to take control of all aspects of lighting, while hiding the complexity in the background. The app also allows users to import a lighting plot image, save and share favorite colors and effects, storing lighting looks or even set gels and sources on all L-Series fixtures, something that was not possible until now. With Stellar, available for Android and iOS, there is more time to focus on the creative aspects of lighting. Stellar is a paid app. The monthly subscription is $9.99, with the yearly subscription costing $99.99.