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Connecting Dragonframe to Flair

BOTH

Flair has supported Dragonframe integration since Flair v5. The procedure is virtually identical across Flair 6, Flair Classic, and Flair 7. When connected, Dragonframe controls the robot directly — the animator steps the rig frame-by-frame as frames are shot or deleted. The Flair operator retains safety oversight at all times.

Safety responsibility

When Flair is under Dragonframe control, the Flair operator must pay special attention at all times, monitor system state for dropouts or errors, and remains wholly responsible for the safe use of the motion control system.

Step 1 — Edit flair.ini

Add the following three lines to your flair.ini file:

*Api:           TCP
*ApiPort:       53025
*ApiAutoAccept: True

Step 2 — Network setup

Two-PC setup (traditional)

The traditional setup uses separate PCs for Flair and Dragonframe.

Windows (INtime-based Flair PC):

On a Windows Flair PC, the main network port is controlled by INtime and is not visible to Windows. You therefore need a second network adapter to connect to the Dragonframe PC:

  • Add a standard PCI network card adapter, or
  • Use a USB-to-ethernet adapter (widely available, any standard model works)

Make a note of the IP address of this second adapter. You can find it in the API Setup Dialog, or via Windows Ethernet Adapter > Options > Status. Cable this second adapter directly to the Dragonframe PC.

Linux Flair:

Linux does not use INtime, so you can connect the Dragonframe PC or laptop directly to the MRMC control network (192.168.1.xxx) — no second adapter needed.

Single-PC setup

Dragonframe can be installed on the same PC as Flair. In this case, use 127.0.0.1 (localhost) as the IP address in Dragonframe instead of a network IP. All other steps are identical.

Step 3 — Disable firewalls

Make sure both the Flair PC and Dragonframe PC have their firewalls disabled, or have port 53025 unblocked. The Flair PC firewall should already be disabled as standard.

Step 4 — Programme the move in Flair first

Programme the move in Flair before connecting Dragonframe. Set the rig at the start of the move. This prevents problems with frame alignment later.

Ensure Flair and Dragonframe use the same start frame number. Dragonframe normally starts at frame 1 — confirm Flair also starts at frame 1 (not 0). The move length must also match, or the rig will not reach the correct frame positions.

Step 5 — Enable Auto Run Short Gotos

In Flair: Set Ups > Miscellaneous Set Ups — enable Auto Run Short Gotos. This ensures Flair performs small gotos automatically as Dragonframe steps through frames.

Step 6 — Configure Dragonframe

  1. Open a Scene in Dragonframe.
  2. Go to Scene > Connections.
  3. Click Add, then select Flair interface from the dropdown.
  4. Enter the IP address of the second network adapter on the Flair PC (or 127.0.0.1 for single-PC), followed by the port — for example: 192.168.1.101:53025
  5. Check Connection required for shooting.
  6. Click Connect — the button should turn green and confirm the connection.

Step 7 — Start Dragonframe control in Flair

In Flair: go to Run > Run Job, then select Run from Dragon. Flair will display "Under Dragon Control".

In Dragonframe, a small infinity symbol will appear — it toggles between grey (disabled) and blue (enabled). When blue, it is enabled and ready to shoot.

Link the moco to the camera in Dragonframe as normal. The animator now has direct control of the rig.

During the session

  • The rig will step forward and backward through the move as the animator takes and deletes frames.
  • The Flair operator should monitor for backlash when the animator cuts back through previously shot frames.
  • Monitor for axis trips or faults at all times.
  • Periodically verify that frame counts in Flair and Dragonframe are aligned.
  • Flair may display "Rig in Position", "Under Dragon Control", or "Flair Motion Control" — in all cases the rig is still under Dragonframe control until explicitly released.

To release Dragonframe control:

  • Press Stop on Flair, or
  • Click the blue infinity symbol in Dragonframe to disable, or
  • Unplug the connecting ethernet cable (most certain)

Windows 11 — network profile fix via PowerShell

Windows 11 network profile blocks connectivity

Windows 11 may classify a new direct ethernet connection as "Public", blocking traffic even when firewalls are disabled. The connection must be set to "Private" for Dragonframe and Flair to see each other under Network in Explorer. If the two devices cannot see each other in Windows Explorer > Network, this is the likely cause.

The GUI setting for network profile type is sometimes not accessible for manually-configured ethernet connections in Windows 11. Use PowerShell run as Administrator:

# List all network connection profiles to find the adapter name or InterfaceIndex
Get-NetConnectionProfile

# Set the profile to Private (replace with your actual InterfaceIndex or Name)
Set-NetConnectionProfile -InterfaceIndex 5 -NetworkCategory Private
# or by name:
Set-NetConnectionProfile -Name "Ethernet 2" -NetworkCategory Private

Full instructions and a video walkthrough are referenced in the forum post.

Windows may reset to Public on restart

Windows can reset the network profile to Public at every restart. However, the Dragonframe-to-Flair connection may continue working after a reset — test before assuming it has broken.

Source: Connecting Dragonframe to Flair — updated — talk.mrmoco.com