Scenes, sources and devices
A scene is a picture composition you put on air: a camera shot, a waiting screen, a two-camera interview, an ending screen. Each scene contains sources: cameras, microphones, video files, images, screen captures, live elements. Scenes and sources belong to each event and are saved on this Mac with its preparation.
The Scenes dock
The list shows every scene of the event. The selected scene (in blue) is the preview scene.
| Button | Action |
|---|---|
| Add (+) | Creates a scene: enter its name, then confirm. |
| Remove | Deletes the selected scene. An on-air scene cannot be deleted during a live: “Switch the Program scene before deleting this on-air scene.”. |
| Open Scene Filters | Filters applied to the whole scene (color correction, mask…). |
| Move Up / Move Down | Changes the order of scenes in the list. |
Click a scene to put it in preview, then send it to the output with Transition or Cut. See Preview, Program and transitions.
The Sources dock
The list shows the sources of the preview scene, from top (foreground) to bottom (background). On each row:
- the source type icon;
- the source name (double-click to rename);
- the eye: show or hide the source in the scene;
- the lock: lock the source position in the preview.
| Button | Action |
|---|---|
| Add (+) | Opens “Add a source to “Scene””. |
| Remove | Removes the source from the scene. |
| Properties | Opens the source settings. |
| Move Up / Move Down | Changes the stacking order. |
| Elements | Opens the Elements tab of the sidebar. See Live elements. |
In the preview, click a source to select it, then move or resize it with its handles. Right-clicking the preview offers transforms, order, lock and filters.
Adding a source
The “Add a source to “Scene”” window lists the available source types, each with a description:
| Description in Studio | Example types |
|---|---|
| “Sources already in this event” | Recently added: reuse an existing source. |
| “Webcam, USB camera or capture card” | Video capture device (camera) |
| “Microphone, interface or system audio” | macOS audio capture, Audio input capture |
| “A display or window on this computer” | macOS screen capture |
| “Local video or audio file” | Media |
| “Logo, background or image” | Image |
| “Reuse a scene in the composition” | Scene |
| “Settings supplied by the source” | Color, Slideshow, Browser, Text… |
The lower part lists the sources already in the event, with this reminder: “A reused source remains shared: its settings apply to every scene that uses it.”. Click one to add it to the scene, or choose a type to create a new source. Close exits the window.
For cameras and microphones, Studio opens the device picker.
Source settings
The properties window shows SOURCE PREVIEW and the settings specific to the source type: “Available settings come from this source. Only options it actually supports are shown.”. Click Apply to confirm.
Sources with issues
Studio flags a source that can no longer work, with its reason and a Configure source button:
| Reason | What to do |
|---|---|
| “Local file not found” | The file was moved, renamed or deleted. Configure the source and choose the file again. |
| “Device unavailable” | The camera or microphone is no longer connected, or another application is using it. |
| “Source removed” | The source no longer exists in the preparation. |
Choosing a camera or microphone
The picker opens from the Simple view (Choose / Change) or when adding a camera or microphone:
- title “Choose a camera” or “Choose a microphone”;
- “Select an input for your event. Check its picture or audio level in the studio.”;
- the list of devices: the active device is marked “Selected”, a detected but unusable one “Unavailable”;
- “A listed device does not guarantee an active signal.”;
- Settings: advanced device settings; Refresh: detects devices again; Cancel; Select.
| State | Display |
|---|---|
| Detecting | “Looking for devices…” |
| No device | “No device found. Connect a camera or microphone, then refresh.” |
| List unreadable | “Unable to read the device list. Refresh to try again.” |
| Previous device missing | “The previous input is unavailable. Choose another device or reconnect it and refresh.” |
| Choice failed | “Unable to apply this input. Check the device connection, then try again.” |
During a live, the devices of the Simple view are locked. See Simple mode.
The audio mixer
Each source that produces sound has its row:
- its name and an Active badge when it plays;
- the level in dB and the volume slider;
- the meter (green, yellow, red towards 0 dB);
- the mute button (speaker) and headphone monitoring.
At the bottom of the dock:
- n hidden: the number of hidden audio sources; click to show them again;
- the mixer layout icon (horizontal or vertical);
- Advanced Audio Properties: the “Audio settings” window;
- Options: Show hidden sources, Show inactive sources, Keep hidden sources at the bottom, Keep inactive sources at the bottom, Vertical Layout, Advanced Audio Properties.
Audio settings
The “Audio settings” window lists audio sources with Name, Status (Active), Volume (in dB or %) and Audio monitoring (enable). At the bottom:
- Monitoring output (headphones): “Choose the headphone output, then enable monitoring on the sources you need. These settings remain local to this session.”. If the output cannot be used: “This monitoring output could not be selected. Check its connection and try again.”.
- Detailed settings: shows advanced settings for each source (balance, sync offset, tracks).
- Close.
Saving the preparation
Studio automatically saves each event’s preparation on this Mac: scenes, sources, positions, audio settings, transitions, live elements, macros, rundown and schedule. The status bar shows:
| Message | Meaning |
|---|---|
| “Saving…” | A change is being written. |
| “Preparation saved” | Everything is saved. |
| “Partial save: some sources or options will not be restored.” | Part of the preparation cannot be restored at the next opening. |
| “Preparation saved · some media files could not be found.” | Files used by sources have disappeared from the disk. |
| “Unable to save” with Retry saving locally | Writing failed (full disk, inaccessible folder). |
If saving fails when you leave the event or Studio, Studio warns you: “The latest changes could not be saved. Leave this event anyway?” or “The latest changes could not be saved. Quit anyway?”, with Quit without saving.
When you reopen the event, Studio restores the preparation as you left it. Cameras and microphones are reopened if they are connected.