---
title: "Merge Wizard, Settings & Inspector - Programmer Manual - DMXDesktop"
lang: en
source: /de/knowledgebase/programmer-manual/merge-wizard-settings-inspector
---

Programmierhandbuch Merge Wizard, Einstellungen & Inspektor

Programmierhandbuch

# Merge Wizard, Einstellungen & Inspektor

Erweiterte Werkzeuge für komplexe Zusammenführungsoperationen, Attributprioritätseinstellungen und Echtzeit-DMX-Überwachung.

## 18. The Merge Wizard - Advanced Workflows

The Merge Wizard is a modal dialog for complex merge operations - combining multiple cues, building stacks from existing cues, and more.

### Opening the Merge Wizard

1. Click the **Merge** button in the toolbar
2. Click **Merge Wizard** in the sub-toolbar that appears

### The Wizard Layout

The wizard has two main sections:

Merge Wizard

Sources (merge from)

 Programmer State Cue 1 - "Blue Wash" (4 fixtures) Cue 2 - "Amber Spot" (2 fixtures) Cue 3 - "Gobo Look" (3 fixtures)

Target (merge into)

 Existing Cue: Cue 5 - "Full Look" New Cue Existing Cue Stack New Cue Stack

CancelMerge

### Step 1: Choose Sources

Select what to merge **from** (check one or more):

- **Programmer State** - Your current programmed values (auto-checked if the programmer has data; disabled if empty)
- **Individual Cues** - Check any combination of existing cues. Each shows its name and fixture count.

You must select at least one source.

### Step 2: Choose Target

Select where to merge **into** (pick one):

| Target | What Happens |
| --- | --- |
| Existing Cue | Merges all sources into the selected cue. Existing fixture data in the cue is preserved; source data overlays on top. |
| New Cue | Creates a fresh cue from the merged result. Enter a name (auto-numbered if blank). |
| Existing Cue Stack | Adds source cues as steps. Choose an action: Append, Insert at position, or Replace step. |
| New Cue Stack | Creates a new stack with source cues as steps. Enter a name. |

### Stack Actions (when targeting a cue stack)

| Action | What Happens |
| --- | --- |
| Append | Adds new steps at the end of the stack |
| Insert at position | Inserts at a specific step number (e.g., insert after step 3) |
| Replace step | Replaces an existing step with the merged result |

### Merge Priority Order

When multiple sources have values for the same fixture and channel:

1. Sources are merged in the order they appear (top to bottom)
2. Later sources override earlier ones for the same channel
3. **Programmer state is always applied last** - giving it the highest priority

**Example:** Cue 1 sets fixture A to Red. Cue 2 sets fixture A to Blue. Programmer sets fixture A's intensity to 80%.

Result: Fixture A = Blue at 80% (Cue 2 overrides Cue 1's color, programmer overrides both on intensity).

### Walkthrough: Building a Stack from Existing Cues

You have 6 cues and want to combine them into a "Song 1" stack:

1. Click **Merge** → **Merge Wizard**
2. Check Cues 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 in order
3. Set target to **New Cue Stack**, name it "Song 1"
4. Click **Merge**
5. A new stack appears with 6 steps, one per cue
6. Double-click the stack label to open the editor and fine-tune timing

### Walkthrough: Combining Two Cues Into One

You have "Front Wash" (Cue 1) and "Back Light" (Cue 2) and want to combine them into a single "Full Stage" cue:

1. Click **Merge** → **Merge Wizard**
2. Check both Cue 1 and Cue 2
3. Set target to **New Cue**, name it "Full Stage"
4. Click **Merge**
5. The new cue contains fixtures from both cues

## 19. Programmer Settings

Click the **Settings** button (gear icon) in the toolbar to access programmer-specific settings.

### Attribute Group LTP

**What is LTP?** LTP stands for **Latest Takes Priority** - the standard rule in DMX lighting that says "the most recent command wins." When two cues try to control the same channel, the one activated last takes priority.

DMXDesktop gives you a choice of **how** LTP applies:

| Setting | Behavior | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Per-Channel LTP (OFF) | Each channel is independent. Two cues can share control of the same fixture. | Cue 1 sets Red=255. Cue 2 sets Blue=255. Result: Purple (both values active). |
| Per-Attribute Group LTP (ON, default) | The latest cue owns the entire attribute group. | Cue 2 sets Blue=255. Result: Blue only - Cue 2 takes over the entire color group, clearing Red and Green. |

**The attribute groups are:**

| Group | Channels Included |
| --- | --- |
| Intensity | Dimmer, master intensity |
| Color | Red, Green, Blue, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, White, Amber, UV, color wheel |
| Position | Pan, Tilt |
| Beam | Gobo, prism, shutter, strobe, iris, zoom, focus, frost |

### When to Use Which

- **Per-Channel LTP** - Good for **layering partial looks**. You can have one cue control red and another control blue, and they'll blend. More flexible but can create unexpected mixes.
- **Per-Attribute Group LTP** - Good for **clean scene changes**. Each cue fully owns its attribute groups, preventing leftover values from previous cues. More predictable.

## 20. The Inspector - Debugging & Monitoring

The Inspector is a diagnostic tool that shows you exactly what's happening in the programmer, inside your cues, and on the live DMX output.

### Opening the Inspector

Click the **Inspector** button (table icon) in the toolbar.

### Inspector Tabs

#### Programmer Tab

Shows the current state of every channel in the programmer:

- **Fixture count** and **selected count** at the top
- A grid showing each fixture's values, organized by attribute type
- **Record as Cue** button for quick recording
- **Clear All** button to reset the programmer

#### Cue Contents Tab

Inspect what's stored inside any cue:

1. Select a cue from the dropdown
2. View all stored channel values in the grid
3. For cue stacks, click individual **step buttons** to view each step's data
4. Click **Restore to Programmer** to load the cue for editing

#### Live Output Tab

Real-time monitoring of the actual DMX output being sent to your fixtures:

- Updates continuously as channels change
- Shows what's really going out the wire
- Useful for verifying that your cues, stacks, and effects are producing the expected output

### Column Filters

Toggle which attribute types to display:

| Filter | Shows |
| --- | --- |
| Intensity | Dimmer values with percentages |
| Color | RGB/CMY color swatches with hex codes |
| Position | Pan (P:) and Tilt (T:) values |
| Beam | Gobo, prism, zoom, iris, focus, shutter, strobe |
| Effects | Active color and position effects |

### Display Modes

| Mode | Best For |
| --- | --- |
| Compact | Quick overview - abbreviated info |
| Detail | Full channel names and individual values |