Layers & Priority

When more than one thing wants to control the same universe — two cues, a cue and the fixture engine, or the DMX Core 100 and an external console — these rules decide what wins.

Playback Layers

Every cue has a Playback Layer number (default 0):

• Cues on the same layer replace each other — starting a cue stops whatever else is playing on its layer. This is the classic one-show-at-a-time behavior.
• Cues on different layers play together — for example, a background wash loop on layer 0 while short accent cues fire on layer 1.

Set the layer on each cue’s detail page. See Cues.

Timeline sound events have a Layer field with the same behavior: a starting sound stops other sounds on its layer with a short fade, while different layers (or no layer) mix freely. Timeline cue events can override their cue’s layer per event. See Hold Milestones for the classic looping-sound use.

Merge Mode

When two sources are active on the same universe with equal priority, the global Merge Mode decides how they combine:

• Blend — channel values are added together, capped at full. A channel that both sources hold at 50 % comes out at 100 %, and a channel one source holds at full stays at full whatever the other sends
• HTP — highest takes precedence, per channel

Merge Mode is set under Lighting Setup > Protocol in the Web UI. The default is Blend.

Priorities

Priorities decide which source owns a universe when they overlap. Higher priority wins outright; equal priorities merge using the Merge Mode above.

• Cue priority — recorded cues play at 100 (the recorder writes that into the PCAP for both sACN and Art-Net). A cue’s Priority Override (1–200) replaces that, letting you pin a specific cue above or below other playback. Live routed input is different: sACN uses the priority each sender transmits, while Art-Net and DMX Serial use Input Priority.
• Fixture Control Priority — the priority used by the fixture engine (fixture control, presets, effects), set under Lighting Setup > Protocol (default 100).
• Outputs — each sACN output also has a per-output Send Priority (Output Config), which is what downstream sACN receivers use when merging the DMX Core 100 against other consoles on the network.

Letting a console take over

The classic house-of-worship setup: give the DMX Core 100’s output a low sACN send priority so the main lighting console always wins when it’s active, and the DMX Core 100’s schedule takes back over when the console goes quiet.

End of Data

When playback stops and nothing else is active, the End of Data setting (Lighting Setup > Protocol) controls what the outputs do:

Option	Behavior
Repeat last	Keep sending the last frame
Blackout	Send 0% on all channels, keep the stream alive
Stop output	Stop the stream (receivers may time out). On the 2-port DMX-512 board this stops transmitting on that port (board firmware 501 and later); other ports and inputs on the board are not affected
Blackout and stop	Send 0%, then stop the stream

If an ambient preset is configured, it takes over instead — the venue never goes unexpectedly dark. In practice the End of Data setting only applies on a rig with no fixtures defined: with fixtures, the fixture layer keeps the stream alive with its resting look.

A Blackout does not change the stream: it masks the output to 0% while whatever is playing carries on, and End of Data applies as usual when that playback ends.