This page describes the keys that you can assign yourself. They differ from the keyboard shortcuts in part 1 in one way. The shortcuts work only when the cue list has the focus, but hotkeys work whenever the program is running, even when another window has the focus. The only exception is when this setting was changed in the engine.
Where to set them
Go to Settings → Outputs. The hotkeys are at the bottom of the section of each playout, under Shortcuts. Click a field and press the key. Backspace removes the key, and Esc cancels.
The five actions
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| GO (take) | Puts the armed cue on air. |
| STOP (to black) | Stops the playout. |
| Arm next cue | Moves the green marker down. |
| Arm previous cue | Moves the green marker up. |
| Cut to black | Goes to black immediately. |
A set for each playout
Each playout has its own five hotkeys. A key that you assign under a playout controls that playout, whichever playout is active on screen. This is the difference from the keyboard shortcuts in part 1, which always apply to the active playout.
If you work with two playouts, assign both sets. One hand then always controls playout 1 and the other hand playout 2, so you cannot start a cue on the wrong playout because you clicked the wrong panel earlier.
Practical advice
Choose keys that nothing else uses. The keys F13–F24 are ideal if your keyboard has them, because Windows does not use them.
Do not use the space bar or Enter. These keys already work in the cue list, so if you also assign them as hotkeys, their effect depends on which window has the focus.
Write the keys down and keep the list at the desk, because the operator of the show is not always the person who assigned the keys.