---
title: "The Programmer & Floorplan - Programmer Manual - DMXDesktop"
lang: en
source: /knowledgebase/programmer-manual/the-programmer-and-floorplan
---

Programmer Manual The Programmer & Floorplan

Programmer Manual

# The Programmer & Floorplan

A hands-on guide to building lighting looks - from understanding the workspace to selecting your first fixtures.

## What Is the Programmer?

The **Programmer** is your central workspace in DMXDesktop. Think of it as an artist's canvas - this is where you select fixtures, dial in colors, set positions, add effects, and then save everything as reusable cues that you can play back during a live show.

### What You Can Do Here

- **Build lighting looks** by adjusting intensity, color, position, and beam properties on any combination of fixtures
- **Record cues** that capture those looks so you can recall them instantly
- **Build cue stacks** that step through multiple looks automatically (chases, theater sequences, song sections)
- **Create execute functions** for one-touch triggering of any look
- **Control everything live** using on-screen faders, keyboard shortcuts, or MIDI hardware
- **Run effects** - automated color cycling, movement patterns, and more - synced to the beat of your music

### The Programmer Layout

The Programmer window has three main areas:

Cue FadersClearTimelineSettings

LAYOUT

RecordDeleteMerge

Top Toolbar - Left: Navigation | Center: View | Right: Actions

IntensityPositionsColorsBeams

Attribute Tabs - enabled/disabled based on fixture capabilities

Main Content Area

Floorplan, Attribute Panel, or Faders

1. **Top Toolbar** - Split into three columns: - *Left:* Navigation buttons (Cue Faders, Clear, Timeline, Settings) - *Center:* The LAYOUT button to return to the floorplan - *Right:* Action buttons that change based on what you're doing (Record, Delete, Merge, etc.)
2. **Attribute Tabs** - Four tabs for the four types of fixture control. Tabs are automatically enabled or disabled based on your selected fixtures' capabilities.
3. **Main Content Area** - Shows either the floorplan (default), an attribute control panel, or the fader playback interface.

### Navigation Quick Reference

| Button | What It Does |
| --- | --- |
| LAYOUT | Returns to the floorplan home view |
| Cue Faders | Opens the fader panel for cue playback |
| Clear | Resets all programmer values and deselects fixtures |
| Cue Timeline | Opens the timeline editor for arranging cues in sequence |
| Settings | Opens programmer settings (merge behavior, etc.) |

Important

The Programmer is locked (a lock overlay appears) when **DJ Mode** or an **Effect Cue** is active. Disable those features first to regain access.

## The Floorplan - Your Stage View

The floorplan is a bird's-eye view of your stage. Every patched fixture appears as a **dot** that updates in real time to show its current color and intensity - so you always know what your lights are doing at a glance.

### What You See

Each fixture dot displays:

- **A colored circle** matching the fixture's current RGB output
- **An intensity percentage** showing the dimmer level
- **Pixel segments** around the edge (for multi-pixel fixtures) showing individual pixel colors

### Moving Fixtures Around

By default, the layout is **locked** to prevent accidental moves. Here's how to rearrange it:

1. Click the **Lock** button (padlock icon) - the padlock opens, indicating the layout is now editable
2. **Drag** any fixture dot to its new position
3. Click **Save** (disk icon) to store the new layout
4. Click **Lock** again to re-lock

Tip

Click **Undo** (or press Ctrl+Z) to step back through up to 50 layout changes per session.

### Aligning Fixtures

When you select two or more fixtures, an alignment toolbar appears with four options:

| Tool | What It Does |
| --- | --- |
| Align Horizontally | Lines up selected fixtures to the same Y position |
| Align Vertically | Lines up selected fixtures to the same X position |
| Distribute Horizontally | Spaces them evenly along the X axis |
| Distribute Vertically | Spaces them evenly along the Y axis |

**Example:** You have 8 LED pars scattered randomly on the floorplan. Select all 8, click **Align Horizontally**, then click **Distribute Horizontally** - they line up in a neat, evenly spaced row.

### Multiple Floorplans

You can organize fixtures across multiple floorplan tabs - useful for multi-room setups or separating truss fixtures from floor fixtures. Drag a fixture dot over a different floorplan tab to move it there.

### Ghost Fixtures

If a fixture has been configured with **channel group mappings** (splitting a multi-head fixture like a GigBar into separately controllable sections), additional "ghost" fixture dots appear on the floorplan. These look slightly different from regular fixtures and can be positioned independently.

## Selecting Fixtures

Before you can program anything, you need to tell DMXDesktop *which* fixtures you want to work with.

### How to Select

| Method | What It Does |
| --- | --- |
| Click a fixture dot | Selects that fixture (deselects all others) |
| Ctrl +Click | Toggles one fixture without affecting the rest |
| Drag a rectangle | Selects all fixtures inside the rectangle |
| Ctrl+A | Selects every fixture |
| Ctrl+D | Deselects everything |
| Click a group button | Selects or deselects the entire fixture group |

### Groups

Fixture group buttons appear above the floorplan. Groups are defined in the Stages tab when you set up your show. Clicking a group button is the fastest way to select a set of related fixtures - for example, all front wash fixtures, all moving heads, or all floor uplighters.

### Identifying a Fixture

Can't tell which fixture dot corresponds to which physical light in the room? Click the **Identify** button (lightbulb icon) in the toolbar. DMXDesktop will run a sequential flash across your selected fixtures from left to right, making it easy to identify each one's position.

### Selection Persistence

Your selection is saved between sessions. When you close and reopen the Programmer, your previous selection is restored automatically.