This page explains how to keep a long list readable. A group is a container: one line that represents a block of cues. You can collapse, move and export that block as a whole.
Three levels
The structure is part → group → subgroup → cue. A group can contain cues, and it can also contain one more group, called a subgroup, which contains cues in turn. The structure cannot go deeper than that. The top level is a part, which the next page describes.
Use a subgroup for one item that has its own steps inside a larger block. An example is the stills of one notice inside a Notices group: the notice is then one line that you can collapse, with its stills below it.
The lines in a group are indented, and bars on the left show where a block starts and ends. When you drag a block, the program takes its contents into account. A group that contains a subgroup needs one level below it, so you cannot place it as deep as a group without a subgroup.
Collapsing
Click the heading to close a group, and click it again to open the group. The header shows the number of items in the group.
A collapsed group still shows what is happening inside it. If a cue in the group is on air, the header shows this, so you do not need to open the group to see where you are.
The program can also open groups for you. Under Settings → General, the setting auto-open groups while playing opens a group automatically when the playout enters it, one or two levels deep. In a long list, this keeps the current block in view.
Creating a group
Click Group in the toolbar to add an empty group at the end of the list. You can then drag lines into the group, or drop files directly onto it.
Usually the quickest way is to drop a folder from File Explorer onto the list, because the program then creates a group with the contents of the folder.
Splitting
Right-click a line in a group and choose Split above this cue or Split below this cue. The group is split in two at that point, and both halves keep their other settings.
Use this when the two halves of a block need different treatment, for example when one half runs automatically and you step through the other half by hand.
Ungrouping
Right-click the header and choose Ungroup, keep the contents. The header disappears, and the lines stay in place, one level higher.
The icon
Right-click a group header and choose Group icon. The options are folder (the default), presentation, scene, still, media and hold. In a list with many groups, the icons help you to find the correct group quickly.
Giving a group to someone else
A group can also be saved as a file. Right-click the header and choose one of these options:
- Export group creates a
.playoutgroupfile. The file contains the structure and the settings, and it refers to the media in its current location. - Export group as bundle creates a
.playoutbundlefile. The file contains the same information, and also every media file.
Use the first option in a building where everyone has access to the same server, and the second option when the group goes to another location. To load a group, use the arrow beside Group → Load group, or drag the file onto the list. Part 9 describes this in more detail.