Zones, Scenes & RAPIX Properties
RAPIX extends DALI-2 with an application layer used for building automation. Features such as zones, scenes, operating properties, and flags are configured in RAPIX Integrator and stored in zone controllers.
Zone controllers exchange zone and scene information over Ethernet, so the system maintains a consistent model of the project across multiple DALI lines and controllers.
For field-protocol wiring (BACnet, Modbus, MQTT, and the RAPIX JSON API), see Integration & protocols.
RAPIX zones
A RAPIX zone is an area of lighting that is controlled or monitored by the RAPIX system. A zone can range from a single device or room through corridors or floors of a building, up to an entire building or site.
A zone can contain any combination of zone members:
- DALI units (control gear)
- DALI groups
- DALI lines (DALI broadcast)
- Other zones
Zones are used across the RAPIX system — including switches and sensors, schedules, logic, floor plans, and third-party interfaces (RAPIX API, Modbus, BACnet, MQTT).
RAPIX scenes and DALI scenes
A lighting scene is a lighting effect created by dimming a set of light fittings to pre-determined levels. Setting a scene fades fittings from their current level to the scene level over the scene fade time.
DALI scenes — each DALI control gear device stores levels for 16 DALI scenes (numbered 0–15). DALI scenes are set using DALI “GO TO SCENE” commands. They do not span DALI lines.
RAPIX scenes — a list of addresses (including zones), each with a lighting level (or DALI scene) and a fade time. RAPIX scenes can span DALI lines; there is no fixed limit on the number of scenes or devices in a scene. Fade times can run from instant up to 24 hours, with different fade times within one scene. Scene status (set or not set) can be shown on RAPIX device indicators.
A RAPIX scene can be set from a button, sensor event, schedule, power-up, logic, or an external system (Modbus, BACnet, MQTT, RAPIX API). In RAPIX, DALI scenes are typically used inside RAPIX scenes for greater flexibility.
Flags and operating properties
RAPIX provides eXtended intelligence (Xi) features for building automation that exist only within the RAPIX ecosystem and are ignored by DALI-compliant non-RAPIX devices. This includes RAPIX Properties:
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Flags represent a binary system state. A site can have up to 65,280 flags arranged in up to 254 flag groups. Each flag is set or clear. Flags are generally used to enable or disable a system function (for example RAPIX sensor enable or wall switch disable per area).
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Operating properties represent non-binary states of the lighting control system. A site can have up to 65,534 operating properties. Each has a value from 0–255, with named values (for example a “Building Occupancy” property with values such as Work Hours, After-Hours, Cleaning, Emergency). Operating properties are used to modify system behaviour — timer durations, lighting levels, sensor behaviour, wall switch behaviour, and schedules.
Both can be set from RAPIX devices (e.g. switches), schedules, logic, or externally via API and other integrations.
Flags and operating properties are created in RAPIX Integrator.
RAPIX Properties (APN-RAPIX-012)
Schedules
A RAPIX schedule is an action performed on a pre-defined day at a pre-defined time. Typical uses include turning lighting on or off at set times, setting colour by time of day, or changing sensor or button behaviour by time of day. Schedules can be disabled temporarily when required.
Schedules are stored in the zone controllers and support the full range of day, time, and action options — including multiple events per schedule, sunrise/sunset offsets, calendars, and actions on zones, scenes, operating properties, and flags.
RAPIX Schedules (APN-RAPIX-014)
Tags
A tag identifies an item as belonging to a group. Tags can be applied to DALI units, zones, scenes, flags, operating properties, schedules, and interfaces (RAPIX API, Modbus, MQTT, BACnet).
For third-party interfaces, a tag on a zone, scene, flag, operating property, or schedule can indicate that the item is allowed to be accessed via that interface.