This page describes the rundown as a file. It explains how to save and open a list, and what a .playout file contains.
Saving
Click Save on the right of the toolbar. The program saves lists in DocumentsUltimate PlayoutLists as a .playout file. Open starts in the same folder, so in daily use you do not need to browse to another folder.
You do not need to save a value that you typed, because a value that you change in the list is in the rundown immediately. Saving writes the rundown to disk.
What a .playout file contains
A .playout file contains the rundown and references to your media, but not the media itself:
| In the file | Not in the file |
|---|---|
| Every cue, with its title and number | The video and audio files |
| In and out points, volume, transition, follow action | Your settings and outputs |
| Groups, parts, the archive folder | Your scenes |
| Music beds and the cues they cover | |
| Links between playouts |
A list is therefore small, only a few kilobytes, and it depends completely on the media being in the location that the list refers to. This works in one building, but not between two buildings. For that, use a bundle.
Opening
Click Open and select a file. It replaces the list of the current playout.
If a cue refers to a file that has been moved, the program tells you when the list opens. The message shows how many cues are affected, and each affected line gets a warning mark and the full path. So open the list well in advance, to give yourself time to correct the problem. See missing files.
Continuing with the last list
Settings → General → Reload last list on startup opens the list that you used last. This is useful on a computer that runs one recurring show, because you switch the computer on and the rundown is there.
On a computer that is used for something different each day, switch this setting off and open the list yourself.
Working with several lists
You can make a rundown for each service, event or week. Lists are normal files, so you can copy and rename them, keep them in folders by date, and put them on a network share. Two habits are useful here.
Give the files names that sort well. A name such as 2026-08-23 morning.playout is sorted by date on every computer, but a name such as Morning service final v2.playout is not.
Start with last week’s list. Open it, replace what has changed, and save it with a new name. If you build a new list every week, it is easy to forget an item.
What a list does not contain
Scenes belong to the computer. A cue that refers to a scene finds the scene by its name, so if the scene does not exist on the computer, the cue has nothing to show.
If you move a complete show, check that its scenes exist on the other computer, or use a bundle. A bundle includes the scenes that the cues use, and a scene that already exists on the other computer is not changed.