---
title: UDP Input
slug: legacy-docs/udp-input
docTags: 
createdAt: 2025-03-11T06:56:07.599Z
---

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This page / section pertains to **BrightAuthor Classic**, our legacy app. **BrightSign Author **is our latest app for managing content and players.

Development of BrightAuthor Classic has largely ceased and the app will eventually be deprecated and replaced with BrightSign Author.
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::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/511c8QBH-VHiwWnyzIwUb/w45t-s27IphGJpPzGV2Fe_udp-icon.png" size="20" width="117" height="101" position="center" showCaption="false"}

The UDP Input event specifies the action that occurs when the BrightSign player receives a UDP (User Datagram Protocol) message from another device on the local network. Source devices can include, but are not limited to, tablets running the [BrightSign App](docId\:J_wo5BOarrm0wD0hPWXYN), other BrightSign players, and PCs/Macs.

- **Specify UDP Input**: Enter the UDP message string that will trigger the event. You can also use the  wildcard to match some or all of the UDP message string (i.e. entering "" in this field will match all UDP messages, while entering "mycommand\_" will match any UDP message that begins with "mycommand\_").
- **Label**: Specify a label for the UDP command button in the BrightSign App. By default, the command label will be the same as the UDP message string.
- **Show in BrightSign App**: Check this box to have the command button corresponding to the UDP Input event appear in the BrightSign App.

# Modify User Variables

You can use a UDP Input event to modify the values of User Variables. To enable these options, click the **Advanced** tab:

- **Assign input to variable?**: Check this box to assign the content of the UDP message to a User Variable.
  - **Input specifies variable**: The UDP message string will dynamically specify which User Variable to modify. The UDP message string must be sent in the form of \<variable name> : \<variable value>.
  - **Specify fixed variable**: The UDP string will modify a fixed User Variable. Use the dropdown list to choose which User Variable the UDP input will modify. The UDP string must be sent in the form of \<variable value>.

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You can use the **Input specifies variable** option to modify more than one User Variable with a single event. Use the following UDP string:  \<variable name> : \<variable value> !! \<variable name> : \<variable value>
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- **Assign wildcard to variable?**: Check this box to specify the value of a User Variable using the  wildcard. Select the User Variable to modify using the dropdown menu to the right. The **Specify UDP Input** field must contain the  wildcard, either by itself or with additional text (e.g. "message\_").

:::hint{type="warning"}
It is possible to check both **Assign input to variable** and **Input specifies variable** boxes for more complex functionality. For example, you can use **Specify fixed variable** to assign the entire UDP string to one variable, while at the same time using **Assign wildcard to variable** to assign a subset of that string to another variable.
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