Nudge — Focus Companion

Hands-on focusing for grandMA3, from the phone in your pocket.

Nudge sends OSC over Wi-Fi to your grandMA3 console or onPC so you can focus fixtures with a thumbstick — from the phone already in your pocket. Pair a DualSense (PS5) controller for physical feel, or use the on-screen pad.

Velocity sticks

Analog deflection sets the speed of change on pan / tilt / zoom / focus. Smooth, encoder-style feel.

Per-stick sensitivity

Tune each joystick's scale for fine movement or quick sweeps.

Two layouts

Focus pad (one stick + prev / highlight / next) or the full DualSense preview. Toggle instantly.

Fully remappable

Every button and axis can fire a MA3 command-line string or hardkey — edit in the Mapping tab.

Optional gamepad

DualSense over Bluetooth works natively. Physical and on-screen controls are active simultaneously.

Local-only

No accounts. No analytics. Traffic only goes to the console IP you enter.

Why the name

A "nudge" is a precise, continuous adjustment — exactly what velocity-based thumbstick input produces. Deflect the stick and Nudge sends a stream of small relative changes (Attribute "Pan" At + 1.23) to MA3. Release, and it stops. Hold, and it drifts. The harder you push, the faster the change. No encoders, no clicking through pages.

Getting started

  1. Put phone and console on the same Wi-Fi. Not just the same SSID — the same subnet. Guest networks and AP isolation will block OSC.
  2. Configure MA3 to receive OSC. Menu → Settings → Network → OSC. Add an input on port 8000 with prefix /ma, and route:
    • /cmd (string) → Command Line
    • /key/Highlt, /key/Solo, /key/Store, /key/Update (float) → their matching hardkeys (1.0 = press, 0.0 = release)
    The in-app MA3 OSC Setup screen lists the same steps with the exact field names.
  3. Open Nudge → Connection. Enter the console's IP. Tap Connect. iOS will prompt for Local Network permission on first launch — allow it.
  4. Verify. Switch to the Live tab. Tap any button; the OSC log under the pad shows what was sent.
  5. (Optional) Pair a DualSense. iPhone Settings → Bluetooth → hold PS + Create on the controller until the lightbar pulses → tap the device in the list. Nudge picks it up automatically.

Common questions

The app shows "Connected" but MA3 isn't reacting.

UDP is connectionless — "Connected" only means the socket is set up locally. If MA3 isn't responding, the message format doesn't match an OSC input rule on the console side.

Check the Mapping tab for what the app is sending, then check MA3's OSC config for a matching input pattern. Use Hexler Protokol or any OSC monitor on the same Wi-Fi to verify the packets look right.

The fixture jumps to a fixed value instead of moving smoothly.

MA3's command line needs a space between the sign and the number to treat it as a relative change: Attribute "Pan" At + 5 adds, Attribute "Pan" At +5 sets absolute. Focus emits the spaced form by default. If you've customized the template in the Mapping editor, make sure <d> stays on its own with a space.

I'm not receiving any OSC at all.

Most likely causes, in order:

  1. Local Network permission. iPhone Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network → Nudge must be on.
  2. Different subnets / guest Wi-Fi. Check that your iPhone IP and console IP share the first three octets.
  3. MA3 OSC port already in use. If you start MA3 after Protokol (or vice versa) on the same port, whichever started second silently fails to bind.
  4. Mac firewall. System Settings → Network → Firewall. Temporarily off for testing.
Does the DualSense work on iPad or Mac?

Nudge is iPhone-only for now. DualSense itself pairs with iPad and Mac natively, but the app targets iPhone because the point is fitting in your pocket.

Does it work with grandMA2?

The OSC format in the default mapping (Attribute "Pan" At + <d>) is MA3 syntax. MA2's OSC is also available — every binding is editable, so you can adapt Nudge to MA2 by rewriting the templates in the Mapping editor. Full MA2 defaults aren't bundled.

Can I use a different controller?

Anything Apple's GameController framework sees as an "extended gamepad" should work — Xbox Series X|S controllers, MFi gamepads, etc. Button labels in the app stay DualSense-themed.

Will adding data collection break my free install?

No — there's no data collection of any kind, now or planned. See the privacy policy.

Contact

Bugs, feature requests, MA3 OSC quirks, or anything else:

w.wagemans@t-minusdesign.com

Please include your iOS version, Nudge version (Connection tab), and the OSC log from the app when reporting issues.