PoleFX Docs

PoleFX Documentation

Set up and control your poles

Everything you need to get a pole on the network, drive it from the control player, and dial in patterns and text. Start with your pole type, then head into Control.

Your first five minutes

A new pole goes from boxed to playing in five steps. Nothing here needs the internet: the Player makes its own network and the web app runs on the Player.

These five steps are the wired poles

Permanent, portable, and wired aerial poles all take a cable from a PoleFX Player. A wireless aerial pole has neither: it carries its own battery and its own player, so it has no Player to connect and no cable to run. Start at Aerial Pole instead.

  1. Mount the pole

    Follow the guide for your pole type below. This is the only step that takes tools, and on a permanent or aerial pole it is the step that needs a qualified installer or rigger.

    You should see The pole mounted and spinning freely in its bearings.

  2. Connect power and data

    Run a network cable from the Player to the pole, plug in the pole's own power supply, then the Player's.

    You should see A short purple flash on the pole when it gets power. Where it appears depends on the build, so your pole's page below says which end to watch.

    Careful The pole has its own power supply. It does not take power from the Player.

  3. Wait about a minute

    The Player boots, then starts driving the pole.

    You should see A still pattern first, then a moving one once the Player is up.

  4. Join pfx_default

    On your phone or laptop, open Wi-Fi settings and join the Player's own network. The password is polefx123.

    You should see Your device joins and reports no internet, which is correct.

  5. Open polefx.local

    Type it into a browser. If the name does not resolve, use 10.10.10.10. Then pick a pattern.

    You should see The Patterns page, and the pole changing as you click.

Pole configurations

Pick the mount that matches your install. Each has its own wiring, power, and calibration notes.

Permanent LED pole

Permanent Pole

Rigidly mounted bearings on the top and bottom.

View details →
Portable LED pole

Portable Pole

No top support, mounted in a portable stage.

View details →
Aerial LED pole

Aerial Pole

Suspended from an overhead rigging point.

View details →

Which one fits your space?

PermanentFloor to ceiling
Mounting
Bearings fixed to the floor and the ceiling.
Needs
A solid ceiling point above a solid floor point.
Moves?
No. It stays where you install it.
PortableFree standing
Mounting
Mounts in an X-Stage Lite stage. No top support.
Needs
Floor space for the stage, and nothing overhead.
Moves?
Yes. It packs down and travels.
AerialHung from above
Mounting
Suspended from a rigging point on rated hardware.
Needs
A rated overhead point, and clear floor beneath.
Moves?
Yes, wherever there is a point to rig it.

Control

What the Player does

Every control method feeds the Player, and the Player drives the poles. The one exception is pixel streaming, which goes straight to a pole.

The PoleFX Player

A media server that streams pattern content to the poles and exposes the web UI, DMX, and OSD control interfaces. This little box does the work. Open it in a browser to run the show.

Explore Control →
PoleFX Player

Where should I start?

Start here What are you trying to do right now?
  1. If The pole is not up yet
    Go to Your pole's page: Permanent, Portable, or Aerial.
  2. If The pole is up but nothing lights
    Go to Network, to check the Player, the cable, and the addresses.
  3. If You cannot open the web app
    Go to Web App Overview, which has the recovery checklist.
  4. If It works and you want to run a show
    Go to Patterns, then Text and Scenes.
  5. If You have no phone or laptop with you
    Go to On-Screen Display, and use the five buttons on the Player.
  6. If You want to run it from a lighting desk
    Go to DMX.
  7. If You want to send your own video or pixels
    Go to Pixel Streaming.