---
title: "Cue Stacks & Execute Grid - Programmer Manual - DMXDesktop"
lang: en
source: /knowledgebase/programmer-manual/cue-stacks-and-execute
---

Programmer Manual Cue Stacks & Execute Grid

Programmer Manual

# Cue Stacks & Execute Grid

Build automated sequences with cue stacks and set up instant-trigger buttons in the execute grid for live performance.

## 16. Cue Stacks - Automated Sequences

A **cue stack** is an ordered list of cues that plays through automatically or with manual control. Cue stacks are the backbone of automated lighting - from simple color chases to full theatrical cue-to-cue sequences.

### Two Modes: Chase vs. Stack

| Feature | Chase Mode | Stack Mode |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Auto-advance | Yes - loops continuously | Optional (via follow time) |
| Manual control | Go/Stop override available | Go/Back/Halt for step control |
| Direction | Forward, Backward, Bounce, Random | Always forward |
| Timing | Global BPM or step time | Per-step fade in/out/follow |
| Looping | Loops forever until stopped | Stops at the last step (or loops with follow times) |
| Best for | Color chases, ambient effects, repetitive sequences | Theater cues, song sections, show segments |

### Creating a Cue Stack

There are three ways to create a cue stack:

#### Method 1: Record from Active Cues

1. Activate one or more cues by pulling their faders up
2. Press R (Record) - DMXDesktop detects you have active cues and automatically routes to the **Cue Stacks** tab
3. Click an empty cue stack slot
4. The active cues become the first step(s) of the new stack

#### Method 2: Use the Merge Wizard

1. Click **Merge** → select **Merge Wizard**
2. Check the cues you want as steps (in order)
3. Set the target to **New Cue Stack**
4. Enter a name and click Merge
5. Each checked cue becomes a step in the new stack

(See Section 18 for full Merge Wizard details.)

#### Method 3: Edit an Existing Stack

1. Double-click any cue stack label in the fader panel
2. The Cue Stack Editor opens - add, remove, or reorder steps

### The Cue Stack Editor

Double-click a cue stack label to open the full editor modal.

#### General Settings

| Setting | Description |
| --- | --- |
| Name | The stack's display name |
| Mode | Chase or Stack (radio buttons) - changes available options |

#### Chase Mode Settings

| Setting | Range | What It Controls |
| --- | --- | --- |
| BPM | 1–400 | Steps per minute (how fast the chase runs) |
| Crossfade | 0–30,000ms | Transition time between steps |
| Direction | Forward / Backward / Bounce / Random | Step order |
| Beat Sync | On / Off | Lock step timing to incoming BPM |
| Beat Division | 8/1 through 1/8 | Steps per beat (when Beat Sync is on) |

**Beat Sync** locks the chase timing to your music's beat - from audio detection, Ableton Link, or manual tap. Beat divisions work the same as color effect speed:

| Division | Steps Per Beat |
| --- | --- |
| 8/1 | 1 step every 8 beats |
| 4/1 | 1 step every 4 beats |
| 2/1 | 1 step every 2 beats |
| 1/1 | 1 step per beat |
| 1/2 | 2 steps per beat |
| 1/4 | 4 steps per beat |
| 1/8 | 8 steps per beat |

#### Stack Mode Settings - Per-Step Timing

In stack mode, each step can have its own timing:

| Setting | Per-Step | What It Controls |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Fade In | Yes | Time (ms) to transition INTO this step |
| Fade Out | Yes | Time (ms) to transition OUT when leaving |
| Follow Time | Yes | Delay (ms) before auto-advancing to the next step (blank = wait for Go) |

**How follow time works:** If Follow Time is blank, the stack waits at that step until you press Go. If you enter a value (e.g., 3000), the stack waits 3 seconds then automatically advances. This lets you build sequences that are partially manual, partially automatic.

#### Release Time

| Setting | Range | What It Does |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Release Time | 0–30,000ms | How long the stack takes to fade out when stopped |

When you stop a cue stack (fader to 0), the **release time** determines how quickly it fades away:

- **0ms** - Instant blackout when stopped
- **2000ms** - 2-second graceful fade-out

#### Step Management

| Action | How |
| --- | --- |
| Reorder steps | Drag using the grip handle (≡ icon) on the left |
| Rename a step | Edit the name field inline |
| Delete a step | Click the trash icon (with confirmation) |
| Copy timing to all | Click the "copy" icon above a timing column to apply one step's value to all steps |
| Clear timing column | Click the "clear" icon to zero out all values in that column |

### Playing Cue Stacks

#### Starting a Stack

- **Drag the cue stack fader up** - the stack starts playing at that intensity
- **Or click Go** (if a stack is selected) - starts at full intensity

#### Playback Controls

When you select a cue stack (click its label), playback controls appear:

| Button | What It Does |
| --- | --- |
| Go (►) | Advance to the next step. If the stack isn't running, starts it at full. |
| Back (◄) | Go to the previous step |
| Halt (‖) | Pause at the current step (toggle - press again to resume) |
| Stop (■) | Stop the stack entirely (fader goes to 0) |

#### Step Display

Each cue stack shows a scrollable list of steps with the **current step highlighted**. This lets you see where you are in the sequence at a glance.

### Crossfade Behavior Between Steps

When transitioning between steps:

- **Intensity values** crossfade smoothly over the specified duration
- **Color values** crossfade smoothly (RGB/CMY interpolation)
- **Position values** interpolate smoothly to new pan/tilt targets
- **Effects** from the new step replace effects from the previous step (no blending)
- **Beam attributes** (gobo, prism, etc.) snap to the new step's values

### Walkthrough: Building a 4-Step Color Chase

1. **Record 4 color cues:** - Select all LED pars → set to Red → Record as Cue 1 - Set to Green → Record as Cue 2 - Set to Blue → Record as Cue 3 - Set to White → Record as Cue 4
2. **Create the stack:** - Pull up Cue 1's fader so it's active - Press R - you're routed to Cue Stacks - Click Stack slot 1
3. **Edit the stack:** - Double-click the "Stack 1" label → Editor opens - Switch mode to **Chase** - Set **BPM** to **120** (one step every half second at 120 BPM) - Set **Crossfade** to **500ms** for smooth color transitions - Set **Direction** to **Forward** - Add Cues 2, 3, and 4 as additional steps via the Merge Wizard or by repeating the record process
4. **Play it:** - Drag the Stack 1 fader up - Watch the colors cycle: Red → Green → Blue → White → Red → ...

### Walkthrough: Building a Theater Cue Sequence

1. **Record scene cues:** - Cue 10: "Preset" - warm wash at 60% before the show - Cue 11: "Opening" - bright full wash, movers center stage - Cue 12: "Monologue" - tight spot center, rest at 20% - Cue 13: "Blackout" - everything off
2. **Create the stack:** - Use the **Merge Wizard**: check Cues 10, 11, 12, 13 → target: New Cue Stack "Act 1"
3. **Edit per-step timing:** - Double-click "Act 1" → Editor opens - Switch to **Stack** mode - Cue 10 (Preset): Fade In 0ms, Follow Time blank (manual Go) - Cue 11 (Opening): Fade In 3000ms (3-second dramatic fade-in), Follow Time blank - Cue 12 (Monologue): Fade In 2000ms, Fade Out 1000ms, Follow Time blank - Cue 13 (Blackout): Fade In 0ms (instant) - Set **Release Time** to 0ms (you want the blackout to be instant)
4. **Run the show:** - Pull Stack 1 fader up - Cue 10 (Preset) plays - Press Go - 3-second fade into Cue 11 (Opening) - Press Go - 2-second transition into Cue 12 (Monologue) - Press Go - instant Cue 13 (Blackout)

## 17. The Execute Grid - Quick-Fire Functions

The execute grid is a **10×10 matrix of trigger buttons** - 100 slots for instant-access lighting looks during live performance.

### How Execute Functions Differ from Cues

| Feature | Cue Fader | Execute Function |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Activation | Drag fader up (variable intensity) | Click button (snaps to full or off) |
| Intensity control | Continuous (0–255 via fader) | Toggle only (full on or off) |
| Crossfade | 2-second animated fade when clicked | Instant snap |
| Best for | Gradual intensity control, layering | Instant look changes, scene selection |

### Assigning Functions

1. Program a lighting look in the programmer
2. Press R (Record mode)
3. Navigate to the **Functions** tab in the fader panel
4. Click an empty cell in the 10×10 grid
5. Enter a function name
6. The function is saved to that cell

### Triggering Functions

**Click** an assigned button - it activates at full intensity (255). **Click again** - it deactivates (0). No fader, no crossfade - just instant on/off.

### Linked Functions (Radio Button Behavior)

This is one of the most powerful features of the execute grid. Functions placed in **adjacent cells** (horizontally or vertically touching) are automatically **linked**:

- Activating one linked function **deactivates all others** in its group
- Only one function per linked group can be active at a time
- This creates radio-button behavior - perfect for mutually exclusive scenes

Verse

Chorus

Bridge

Wash

Strobe

 Linked group - clicking one deactivates the others

 Empty cell - breaks the link chain

 Independent functions - not linked (empty cell between)

**Use case:** Place verse, chorus, and bridge looks in adjacent cells. Clicking "Chorus" automatically deactivates "Verse" - no need to manually turn things off.

Tip

Want two functions that are NOT linked? Leave an empty cell between them.

### Repositioning Functions

Drag any function button to an empty cell to move it. The assignment updates automatically.

### Managing Functions

All standard modes work on execute grid cells:

| Mode | What Happens When You Click a Cell |
| --- | --- |
| Record | Save programmer state to that cell |
| Delete | Remove the function |
| Rename | Change the function's name |
| Merge | Merge programmer state into the function |
| Remove | Remove selected fixtures from the function |
| MIDI Bind | Assign a MIDI trigger |

### Walkthrough: Setting Up Song Section Buttons

1. Program your verse look (dim blue wash, movers at stage edges)
2. Press R → click cell (1,1) in the grid → name it "Verse"
3. Program your chorus look (bright colors, movers center)
4. Press R → click cell (1,2) → name it "Chorus"
5. Program your bridge look (purple wash, slow position effect)
6. Press R → click cell (1,3) → name it "Bridge"
7. Now during the song: click "Verse" → click "Chorus" (verse turns off automatically) → click "Bridge" (chorus turns off)