Cue Control

Go!

The Go button is used to start the next cue, although you will usually use the keyboard equivalent which by default is the Space Bar. Alternatively you can right-click the mouse to start the next cue. To disable or change keyboard activation see Shortcuts. The "next cue" is the "next manual-start cue" because auto-start cues do not need to started by the Go button. The label of the cue to be started is displayed in the button caption.

Pause All
Resume All

This can be regarded as an alternative to Stop All (described below). The difference is that whereas Stop All stops and resets running cues, Pause All will just pause all running cues and countdowns, and Resume All may then be used to resume those cues and countdowns. A single button is used, initially labeled Pause All. If the button is clicked the label is changed to Resume All. Note that in either mode the button can be keyboard-activated by Ctrl/U.

Stop All

This is the panic button, although you will usually use the keyboard equivalent which by default is the Esc (Escape) key. Stop All causes all currently running cues to be stopped immediately (not faded out), and if any cue is currently counting down to a start that count down is stopped. The cue list is then repositioned at the start of the first cue that was stopped by Stop All. The usual situation where you would use this is where you accidentally start a cue before time. If you then hit Esc the cue will stop immediately and the cue list will be reset ready for you to play the cue at the right time!

See also Fade All below.

Fade All

Fade All provides a less abrupt stopping of audio but otherwise acts the same as Stop All. The default keyboard equivalent is Shift + Esc. The Fade All time is set in General Options and the default is 1 second.

Navigate

Navigate can be used to navigate around the cue list. The button has a drop-down menu which contains Go To Top (go to the top of the cue list), Go Back (go back to the previous manual-start cue), Go To Next (go to the next manual-start cue), Go To End (go to the end of the cue list), and Find. Note that instead of using the Navigate button you can just click in the cue list on the cue you want to go to. The Find menu item will open the Find Cue window - alternative, just press Ctrl/F.

If you have an SCS Professional Plus or higher license then there will also be a menu item Select Hotkey Bank. See Hotkey Banks for details.

There will also be a menu item Reset 'Step' Hotkeys. See the information about Hotkey (Step) under Cue Properties.

Standby

The Standby button is only displayed if at least one cue in your current cue file has a 'Set Standby' property. When that cue has completed it is reset to 'Ready' and the Standby button is enabled and the cue number is shown in the button caption. That cue may then be replayed by clicking on the Standby button, regardless of how much further thru the cue list you have progressed. See Standby Cues for details.

Select Time Profile

The Select Time Profile button is only displayed if at least one cue in your current cue file is time-based, ie it is set up to be started at a nominated time of day. For time-based cues you may have different Time Profiles, such as 'Evening' and 'Matinee'. One of these Time Profiles will be set as the default Time Profile, ie the one initially selected when the cue file is opened. However, using the Select Time Profile button you can switch to a different Time Profile. See Time-Based Cues for details.

File

Load

The Load button opens the Load Production window which provides a number of ways in which you can open an existing production or create a new production.

Templates

The Templates button opens the Templates window which enables you to create, use and maintain SCS templates.

Save

The Save button shows a drop-down menu enabling you to Save current changes or Save As a new cue file. If a Template is currently being displayed for editing in the main window, then the Save As option is disabled.

Print

The Print button opens the SCS Print dialog to enable you to print a hard copy of your cue list, or to prepare a list suitable for copying and pasting into Excel or some other program. See Printing the Cue List for details.

Options

The Options button opens a window in which you define preferences and settings applicable to any production run or edited on this machine by this Windows user. See Options for details. Note that Options and Editing can be locked, which is useful when you have finalized your cue file and want to prevent operators making changes.

Editing

Editor

Click the Editor button to open the SCS Editor Window. This is for setting up or changing cue details, production details, importing or exporting cues, etc. You can switch back to the Main Window any time you wish - you do not have to close the Editor to do this. Note that Options and Editing can be locked, which is useful when you have finalized your cue file and want to prevent operators making changes.

VST Plugins

The VST Plugins button opens a window in which you can select 3rd party VST Effects Plugins you have installed on your computer, and assign those plugins to audio output devices. See VST Plugins for details. VST Plugins can also be used in Audio File Cues.

Device Map

The Device Map button enables you to easily change to a different device map. On selecting a different device map, the Editor will be opened with the new device map selected, and you will be asked to 'Apply Device Changes' or 'Undo Device Changes'.

Save Settings

Save Settings is enabled if you manually change the level or pan of a cue, or if you adjust the Master Fader. A drop-down menu is displayed. The first two entries refer to the Master Fader, and are:

•Reset Master Fader Setting

•Save Master Fader Setting

If you have manually change the level or pan of any cues, you will see a menu item for each one, eg:

•Save Level/Pan Q1

•Save Level/Pan Q4

Clicking one of the above menu items immediately applies that change in the cue file. This list will handle saves to the level and pan settings for up to 20 cues - after that the oldest one gets rolled off the list.

If there is at least one cue in the Save Settings list then you can save all the Level/Pan settings by clicking on:

•Save Level/Pan for all above Cues. (This can also be actioned by a keyboard shortcut. The default shortcut is Shift+F10.)

Note that if a Level Change cue has affected an Audio or Video cue, then 'Save Settings' will not be available for manual changes to that Audio or Video cue.

View

View

The View button displays the following menu items:

•Operational Mode, which displays the following items:

oDesign Mode

oRehearsal Mode

oPerformance Mode

The current Operational Mode will be identified with a check mark. To change the Operational Mode, select the required new Operational Mode. For more information on Operational Modes, see Options and Settings.

•Meters, which displays the following sub-menu:

oMeter Display, which has a sub-menu of the types of display available. The default is 'VU (Levels)'. The other formats are not currently available, but you can turn off the display completely by selecting 'None'.

oVU Meter Bar Width enables you to adjust the width of the meter bars in the VU display. Available widths are 'Narrow' (default), 'Medium' and 'Wide'.

oPeak Hold enables you to see the peak levels reached by each output. If you select 'Auto' then the peak levels are displayed for up to 1 second. If you select 'Hold' then the peak levels are displayed indefinitely, only being increased when a higher peak is reached, or by being reset by the 'Reset Peak Hold' menu item (explained next). If you select 'Off' for Peak Hold, then peak level markers are not displayed.

oReset Peak Hold will reset the peak level markers. This menu item is only enabled if you select 'Hold' for Peak Hold.

•Current Information is mainly to enable you to easily and quickly check the currently-selected Device Map, Audio Driver, Video Library, Operational Mode and some other information. The 'Aggregate Times' may be useful if you are running something like a dance show where every dance has an SCS cue and there are no lengthy gaps between cues (as there usually are in stage plays). Note that the 'Aggregate Times for Non-Completed Cues' is not necessarily the same as 'Time Remaining' as it does not take into account the progress of any such cues currently playing.

•Time of Day Clock will display a sizable window showing the time of day - see Clock Timers.

•Countdown Timer enables you to set and display a sizable window of a countdown timer - see Clock Timers.

•Clear Countdown Timer will close and clear the Countdown Timer.

•Show DMX Display Window: This opens the DMX Display Window which can be used to monitor DMX being sent by Lighting Cues.

Help

Help

The Help button displays the following menu items:

•Help Contents displays this file.

•.

•Clear 'Don't tell me this again' indicators: Sometimes a message may appear to warn you of some condition, and rather than have that message displayed each time you run SCS or run that cue file, you can select a 'Don't tell me this again' checkbox in the message. By selecting this 'clear...' menu item, any such settings are cleared, so the relevant message(s) would again be displayed if and when applicable.

•Tracing: All non-demo versions of SCS trace events and debug info in a log file, although it is possible to turn off logging (tracing) using this Tracing menu item. Log files are intended for the use of SCS Support, so if you report a problem to us then we may ask you to email us the relevant log file. The name of the log file includes a timestamp indicating when the run started. The log file is compressed on closing, and any log files more than 7 days old are deleted. SCS also applies a size limitation to prevent log files becoming excessively large, especially if SCS is run 24/7. (SCS is run 24/7 in some museums and other venues where cues are triggered by signals received from motion sensors.)

•Check for Updates: If you have an active Internet connection then you can select this menu item to check if the version of SCS you are using is the latest version. Note that this provides information only - it does not download a new version. See also 'Automatic Checks for Updates' under Options / General.

•Online Forums: If you have an active Internet connection then you can select this menu item to access the SCS Forums.

•Registration (not available in the demo version) opens the SCS Registration window. If you have upgraded your license (eg from Standard to Professional) this is where you will enter your new Authorization String. If you have the demo version of the program then to register the program you need to purchase an SCS license online at our Purchases web page, or through one of the Agents listed on that page.

•About displays version and copyright info, as well as who this version of SCS is licensed to.