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Main Timeline Window
On this page:
The timeline window holds the cues that make up your presentation. Cues are arranged along layers, representing the back-to-front stacking order of images on stage. Increasing layer numbers move the image closer to the front.
Time Position Indicator
The current time position is indicated by a vertical line through the Timeline window. Its color indicates the “Click Jumps to Time” mode.
Setting the Current Time Position
Click the time ruler to jump to a time position. To set the time numerically, choose “Timeline Settings” on the Timeline menu. To go to the beginning of a cue, or to a tween point, click it with “Click Jumps to Time” selected on the Timeline menu.
Setting the Current Time Position
Click the time ruler to jump to a time position. To set the time numerically, choose “Timeline Settings” on the Timeline menu. To go to the beginning of a cue, or to a tween point, click it with “Click Jumps to Time” selected on the Timeline menu.
Adjusting the Time Scale
Click the magnifying glass areas of the time scale button to zoom in and out by a fixed amount. Pressing the ‘+’ and ‘–’ keys on the numeric keypad has the same effect. Drag the center of the button to change the scale gradually.
Starting and Stopping
Click the play button to start and stop playback. If the stage is online, this also controls playback on screen. Pressing the spacebar is equivalent to clicking the play button. Pressing 0 on the numeric keypad starts playback, Esc stops playback.
Using the Scroll Wheel
By default, the scroll wheel on the mouse scrolls windows vertically. The scroll wheel can be combined with the following modifier keys in the timeline window:
- Shift: Scrolls the timeline horizontally.
- Control: Moves the current time position in 0.1 second increments.
- Control+Shift: Moves the current time position in 1 second increments.
Adding Cues
To add a cue, drag media from your hard disk or the Media window to a timeline or the Stage window (see “Cues”).
Selecting the Current Layer
Click the name of a layer to make it the currently selected layer. When pasting an individual cue, it will be pasted at the current time and layer. Likewise, when adding media by dragging into the Stage window, a new cue will appear at the currently selected time and layer.
Changing Layer Height
Click the collapse triangle to minimize and restore the layer height. Shift-click to collapse/expand all layers. An expanded layer shows details about its attributes, as well as tween point indicators along the bottom of cues on that layer.
Adding and Removing Layers
Layers can be added, removed and renamed using the corresponding commands on the Timeline menu (see “Adding and Removing Layers”).
Disabling Layer Preview
To disable the layer preview in the Stage window, click the eye symbol to turn it off. Shift-click to disable/enable all layers. Disabling a layer allows you to manipulate images in the Stage window that otherwise would have been covered by other images. Disabling a layer’s preview has no effect on its playback on screen.
Locking a Layer
To lock a layer, click the padlock symbol. Cues on locked layers can’t be selected or changedm nor can you add new cues to a locked layer.
Layer Name and Attributes
Other layer attributes may also be indicated in the layer header area:
S: the layer applies only in Standby mode.
T: the layer is restricted to certain tiers only.
C: followed by a number: the layer is conditional, with the specified condition (see “Condition” below).
HINT: The layer name is shown in italics in the header area when any non-default attribute is applied. Expand the layer or open its “Layer Settings” to see what’s different. To change the name or other attributes of a layer, first select the layer then choose “Layer Settings” on the Timeline menu, or simply double-click the layer name
Lock all Cues on this Layer
This checkbox is equivalent to the padlock symbol in the layer’s header pane. Selecting it prevents cues on this layer from being changed or deleted.
Hide Layer in Stage Window
This checkbox is equivalent to the eye symbol in the layer’s header pane (see “Disabling Layer Preview”).
Perform Normal/In Standby/Both
By selecting “In Standby”, images and other media on this layer will perform only when in “Standby” mode. This allows you to keep, for example, a background image ready to be displayed at any time, thereby avoiding going to a black screen when activating the standby mode.
By selecting “Both”, cues on this layer will perform regardless of any Standby mode.
Normally, the Stage window doesn’t preview media controlled from such standby layers. You can override this using the “Preview Standby Layers” command on the Preview menu.
IMPORTANT: In order to be available to the Standby command at any time, media on standby layers consume processor and memory resources even while not in standby. Avoid using multiple standby layers at the same time or playing video or other heavy-duty content on standby layers. Generally, use only a single, large background image at a time.
Condition
Media associated with cues on a conditional layer will perform only when that condition is enabled in the Preferences dialog box (see “Enable Layer Conditions”). This can be used, for example, to keep multiple language versions of a show in the same file, allowing the correct language version to be activated by enabling its associated condition.
Normally, the Stage window previews media on enabled conditional layers only. You can override this using commands on the Preview menu.
NOTE: The name of a conditional or standby layer is shown in italics in the Timeline window.
Stage Tiers
Normally, cues appear on displays on all stage tiers. Select “Restrict Rendering” to restrict images presented by cues on this layer to a specific stage tier or set of tiers. Select the desired set of tiers in the list. See “Using Stage Tiers for Complex Display Arrangements” for more details.
NOTE: You must add tiers to the Stage window before you can assign layers to specific tiers (see “Tier”).
IMPORTANT: Restrictions applied here are in addition to any restrictions applied to the enclosing compositions and timeline. A Layer can only apply further restrictions. It can not remove any restrictions applied by enclosing compositions/timeline.
