Automation rules
“When an event happens in the control room, Studio runs the planned actions. Automations never start or end the live.”
An automation follows the pattern WHEN (a trigger) · IF (optional conditions) · THEN (actions). Examples:
- WHEN the “Countdown” timer finishes · THEN change scene to INTRO with a transition.
- WHEN the ENDING scene goes to the output · IF the live is on · THEN show the QR code.
- WHEN the opening video ends · THEN cut to HOST.
Automations run “on this computer, in this control room. They do not change Vivastream permissions.”, in the Advanced view with an open session.
The Automations page
Automation › Automations.
- + New automation.
- All · n, Active · n, Disabled · n filters and Search.
- Columns: Active (switch), Name, Trigger, Last run (“Never run”, “… · succeeded”, “… · failed”, “… · completed with errors”, “… · not run”).
- Actions: Test and ⋮ (Edit, Duplicate, Delete). Deleting only affects the rule: “scenes, sources and macros are not changed.”.
With no rule: “No automation yet. Create one to react to a timer, a scene, a media or the live.”.
Creating an automation
The header contains the breadcrumb “Automations / Automation name”, the Active switch, Test and Save.
1. WHEN: the trigger
Click the WHEN · Choose a trigger card, then Choose a trigger in the inspector. Triggers are grouped:
| Group | Trigger | Detection |
|---|---|---|
| Timer | Timer finished | The chosen timer reaches zero. |
| Scenes | A scene goes to the output | “Detected when the scene reaches the output, after the cut or the end of the transition.” |
| Media | A media ends | The chosen video or sound reaches its end. |
| Broadcast | The live starts / The live ends | “Detected from the live status reported by Vivastream during the broadcast.” |
Then choose the target (timer, scene or media). “Each end triggers the automation once; nothing is replayed after reopening.”
2. IF: conditions (optional)
+ Add a condition:
- Output scene: “The output is …”;
- Live status: Live or Not live.
“If the state is not known when the event happens, the condition is not met.” Each condition is removed with Delete the condition.
3. THEN: actions
Add an action, or + between two actions (“Insert an action”). Actions are grouped into Scenes and elements, Media and audio and Control:
| Action | Settings |
|---|---|
| Change scene | Scene and Transition: Cut or Control room transition (“The transition type and duration are the ones set in the control room.”) |
| Put a scene in preview | Scene |
| Show an element / Hide an element | Element (“The element must be in the preview scene when the action runs.”) |
| Play a media / Pause a media / Restart a media | Media |
| Mute a track / Unmute a track | Audio track |
| Start a timer / Pause a timer / Reset a timer | Timer |
| Wait | Duration |
- An automation holds 1 to 64 actions. “Each action waits for the previous one to be confirmed.”
- Drag an action to reorder it, or use ⋮: Move up, Move down, Delete the step.
- On failure: Stop the automation or Skip the step and continue.
4. Saving
Give a name, keep Active on, then Save. Messages: “Name the automation.”, “Choose a trigger and its target.”, “Complete each condition.”, “Add at least one action.”, “Choose the target of each action.”. Leaving without saving asks “Discard changes?”.
Testing an automation
Test opens “Test Name” in Simulate without changing anything mode: “Checks the current sources, scenes and conditions.”
- The trigger is Simulated (“nothing was changed”).
- Each condition is evaluated on the current state: True, False or Unknown.
- Each action is Ready, To check or Not checked; waits are not played.
- “No action was run in the output or the preview.” Run the test again repeats the check.
During a run
- The row shows “RUNNING · 2/4”, then the result.
- In the editor, a banner shows “Running since …” and the Run of Name card details Started, Step, Duration, Succeeded, Failed, Not run.
- Stop the run: “Stopping interrupts the remaining steps; steps already run are not undone.”.
- On failure: Retry the step or Dismiss.
An automation does not trigger if another command is running (“Another command was running: this automation was not run.”): it is never queued or replayed later.
When automations are suspended
- Outside the Advanced view or without a session: “Automations only run in Advanced mode with an open session.”.
- During emergency mode: “Emergency mode is active: automations are suspended until you return to production.”.
- When the control room opens, the initial state serves as a reference: nothing triggers on load.
Limits: 128 automations per event.