Lightkey User Guide

LIGHTKEY
Professional DMX lighting control.

Mac style.
User Guide
lightkeyapp.com
Contents
Chapter 1 Welcome to the World of Lightkey.........................................................12
Chapter 2 Intro to DMX ..........................................................................................14

Connect Your Fixtures ...................................................................................................14
DMX Interfaces ..............................................................................................................17
Fixture Addresses ..........................................................................................................18
Chapter 3 Lightkey Licenses ..................................................................................19

Buy a License .................................................................................................................19
Activate Your License ....................................................................................................19
Renew Your License ......................................................................................................20
Move a License Between Computers ............................................................................21
Chapter 4 Set Up Your Lights .................................................................................23

Step 1: Create a Project .................................................................................................23
Step 2: Choose an Output Method .................................................................................24
Step 3: Patch Your Fixtures ...........................................................................................25
Find Fixture Profiles .............................................................................................25
Add Your Fixtures..................................................................................................26
Step 4: Build the Preview ..............................................................................................28
Locate Fixtures .....................................................................................................28
Size and Rotate Fixture Icons ...............................................................................29
Add Shapes, Images, and Text ..............................................................................30
Step 5: Group Fixtures ...................................................................................................31
Step 6: Set Beam Directions..........................................................................................31
Step 7: Set Beam Colors ................................................................................................33
You’re Done ....................................................................................................................33
Lightkey User Guide 2

Chapter 5 Projects .................................................................................................34
Create a Project .............................................................................................................35
Open or Close a Project .................................................................................................35
Change Projects in the Finder .......................................................................................36
Search a Project ............................................................................................................36
Undo Changes ................................................................................................................37
Chapter 6 The Lightkey Window ............................................................................39

Toolbar ...........................................................................................................................40
Customize the Lightkey Window ...................................................................................41
Full Screen View ............................................................................................................42
Dual Windows ................................................................................................................43
Adaptive Background Color ...........................................................................................43
Lock Lightkey .................................................................................................................44
Keyboard Shortcuts and Gestures ................................................................................45
Chapter 7 Preview .................................................................................................46

Edit the Preview .............................................................................................................46
Edit Objects ....................................................................................................................47
Select Objects .......................................................................................................47
Move Objects .........................................................................................................48
Align Objects .........................................................................................................48
Space Objects Evenly ............................................................................................49
Resize and Rotate Objects ....................................................................................49
Edit Fixtures ...................................................................................................................50
Size and Rotate Fixture Icons ...............................................................................50
Position Fixture Names ........................................................................................51
Set Beam Directions .............................................................................................52
Set Beam Colors ...................................................................................................54
Group Fixtures ......................................................................................................54
Locate Fixtures .....................................................................................................55
Disable Fixtures or Hide Light Beams .................................................................55
Add or Remove Fixtures .......................................................................................56
Edit Shapes, Images, and Text ......................................................................................56
Add a Shape, Image, or Text .................................................................................56
Copy and Paste Shapes, Images, and Text ...........................................................57
Duplicate Shapes, Images, and Text ....................................................................58
Delete Shapes, Images, and Text .........................................................................58

Flip Shapes and Images ........................................................................................58
Order Shapes, Images, and Text...........................................................................58
Change the Style of Shapes and Images ..............................................................59
Adjust Shape Features ..........................................................................................59
Change Text Formatting .......................................................................................60
Chapter 8 Fixture Properties .................................................................................61

Select Fixtures ...............................................................................................................62
Select All Fixtures .................................................................................................62
Select Fixtures by Location...................................................................................62
Select Fixtures by Type .........................................................................................63
Select Fixtures by Name .......................................................................................63
Select Fixtures Through External Control ...........................................................64
Select Light Beams........................................................................................................64
Fixture Properties..........................................................................................................66
Select a Fixture Property ......................................................................................67
Define a Fixture Property .....................................................................................69
Effects ...................................................................................................................70
Dimmer ..........................................................................................................................70
Master Dimmer .....................................................................................................71
Color...............................................................................................................................72
Color Wheel ...................................................................................................................75
Gobo Wheel ....................................................................................................................77
Gobo Cycle .............................................................................................................77
Gobo States ...........................................................................................................78
Shutter/Strobe ...............................................................................................................79
Position ..........................................................................................................................81
Movement Speed ...........................................................................................................85
Focus ..............................................................................................................................86
Zoom ..............................................................................................................................88
Iris ..................................................................................................................................89
Prism..............................................................................................................................91
Frost ...............................................................................................................................92
Fog .................................................................................................................................93
Custom Fixture Properties ............................................................................................94
Slider .....................................................................................................................95
List of Options .......................................................................................................95
Reorder or Hide Custom Properties.....................................................................96
Lamp ..............................................................................................................................97

Command .......................................................................................................................98
Default Values ................................................................................................................98
Copy and Paste Fixture Properties ...............................................................................99
View Overridden Fixture Properties ............................................................................100
Clear Fixture Properties ..............................................................................................101
Undo Changes ..............................................................................................................102
Fanning ........................................................................................................................102
Chapter 9 Presets and Sequences .......................................................................107

Create a Preset ............................................................................................................108
View Preset Contents...................................................................................................109
Activate Presets ...........................................................................................................110
Edit a Preset.................................................................................................................110
Presets and Overridden Properties.............................................................................111
Create a Preset Group .................................................................................................112
Create a Sequence .......................................................................................................113
View Sequence Contents .............................................................................................114
Run Sequences ............................................................................................................114
Sequence Order ...........................................................................................................115
Sequence Timing .........................................................................................................116
Manual Timing ....................................................................................................116
Beat-Controlled Timing ......................................................................................118
Create Fixture Movements With Sequences ...............................................................120
Organize Presets and Sequences................................................................................122
Filter Items in the Preset Palette ................................................................................123
Reorder Sequence Steps .............................................................................................124
Chapter 10 Effects ...............................................................................................125

Pattern Effects .............................................................................................................126
Curve Effects ................................................................................................................126
Movement Effects ........................................................................................................126
Add an Effect ................................................................................................................127
Edit an Effect ................................................................................................................128
Edit the Effect Timing ..................................................................................................129
Edit the Fixture Order ..................................................................................................129
Edit Pattern Effects......................................................................................................131
Chase ...................................................................................................................132
Fill........................................................................................................................133

Rain .....................................................................................................................134
Sparkle ................................................................................................................134
Fire ......................................................................................................................135
Jellyfish ...............................................................................................................135
Edit Curve Effects ........................................................................................................136
Edit Movement Effects .................................................................................................138
Edit Points ...........................................................................................................140
Transform Paths .................................................................................................142
Path Types ...........................................................................................................143
Copy and Paste Effects ................................................................................................144
Delete an Effect ...........................................................................................................144
Overlay Effects .............................................................................................................145
Save an Effect Template ..............................................................................................146
Chapter 11 Live Control .......................................................................................147

Live View Pages ...........................................................................................................147
Control Panels .............................................................................................................149
Edit a Control Panel ............................................................................................150
Create a Button ...................................................................................................150
Create a Text Label .............................................................................................151
Select Objects .....................................................................................................152
Move Objects .......................................................................................................152
Attach Buttons ....................................................................................................153
Resize Objects .....................................................................................................153
Rename a Button ................................................................................................154
Duplicate Objects ................................................................................................154
Copy and Paste Objects.......................................................................................154
Delete Objects .....................................................................................................155
Frames ................................................................................................................155
Change Text Formatting .....................................................................................157
Cuelists ........................................................................................................................158
Create a Cue ........................................................................................................158
Create a Cue Group .............................................................................................159
Cuelist Timing .....................................................................................................160
Manual Crossfading ............................................................................................162
Select Cues for Playback ....................................................................................162
Organize Cues .....................................................................................................162
Copy and Paste Cues ..........................................................................................164

Filter Items in a Cuelist ...............................................................................................165
Edit Cue Contents and Options ....................................................................................165
Edit Cue Contents ...............................................................................................166
View Cue Contents ..............................................................................................167
Edit Ad Hoc Properties ........................................................................................167
Edit Cue Timing Options......................................................................................169
Edit Button Appearance and Behavior ...............................................................170
Edit Modifiers ......................................................................................................171
Live Control With Control Panels ................................................................................174
Control Buttons ...................................................................................................175
Step Through Buttons in a Frame ......................................................................176
Change Modifiers ................................................................................................176
Live Control With Cuelists ...........................................................................................177
Control Playback .................................................................................................177
Manual Crossfading ............................................................................................178
Activate Arbitrary Cues .......................................................................................178
Change Modifiers ................................................................................................179
Blind Mode ...................................................................................................................179
Freeze Output ..............................................................................................................180
Startup State ................................................................................................................181
Output Order of Precedence ........................................................................................182
Chapter 12 Beat Control ......................................................................................183

Beat-Controlled Sequences ........................................................................................184
Beat-Controlled Effects ...............................................................................................184
Set the Beat Grid ..........................................................................................................184
By Tapping ...........................................................................................................185
As an Exact Value ................................................................................................185
Through MIDI Beat Clock ....................................................................................186
Through Ableton Link .........................................................................................187
Examples .....................................................................................................................188
Ableton Live .........................................................................................................188
Logic Pro .............................................................................................................189
Traktor.................................................................................................................190
Waveclock ...........................................................................................................190
Chapter 13 Manage DMX Fixtures ........................................................................192

Find Fixture Profiles ....................................................................................................194
Filter the Fixture Library .............................................................................................194

Add DMX Fixtures ........................................................................................................195
Edit DMX Fixtures ........................................................................................................196
View and Edit Patching Information ...................................................................196
Change a Fixture’s DMX Address or Universe ...................................................197
Duplicate Fixtures ...............................................................................................198
Edit a Fixture Profile ...........................................................................................199
Reassign Fixture Profiles ...................................................................................199
Disable Fixtures ..................................................................................................200
Delete Fixtures ....................................................................................................200
Print the Patched Fixtures...........................................................................................201
Work With Fixture Profiles ..........................................................................................201
Edit a Fixture Profile ...........................................................................................201
Import a Fixture Profile ......................................................................................202
Create a Fixture Profile ......................................................................................202
Duplicate a Fixture Profile ..................................................................................202
Delete a Fixture Profile .......................................................................................203
Chapter 14 DMX Output and Input ........................................................................204

DMX Output Settings ....................................................................................................204
Serial USB Interfaces..........................................................................................205
Open DMX Interfaces ..........................................................................................205
Eurolite USB-DMX512-PRO MK2 ........................................................................206
Other USB Interfaces ..........................................................................................206
Art-Net ................................................................................................................206
sACN (E1.31)........................................................................................................209
ESP Net ...............................................................................................................211
Connect to an External OLA Server ....................................................................211
Configure Universes ....................................................................................................212
Configure Universes on a Network Node ...........................................................215
If Your USB–DMX Interface Does Not Appear ....................................................215
Monitor DMX Output ....................................................................................................216
Chapter 15 Smart Lights ......................................................................................217

Smart Lights vs. DMX ..................................................................................................218
Manage Hue Bridges ...................................................................................................219
Add a Hue Bridge ................................................................................................219
Relink Lightkey to a Hue Bridge .........................................................................220
Delete a Hue Bridge ............................................................................................220
Manage Smart Lights ..................................................................................................221

View and Edit Fixture Information ......................................................................221
Add a Hue Fixture................................................................................................222
Replace a Hue Fixture.........................................................................................222
Move a Fixture Between Hue Bridges ................................................................223
Disable a Fixture .................................................................................................223
Delete a Fixture ...................................................................................................224
Chapter 16 External Control ................................................................................225

Quickly Assign Triggers ...............................................................................................226
The External Control Window ......................................................................................228
Configurations .....................................................................................................229
MIDI Inputs ..........................................................................................................230
Bindings ..............................................................................................................231
Triggers ...............................................................................................................234
Actions .................................................................................................................237
MIDI Shift Button .................................................................................................239
Live Triggers ................................................................................................................240
How Live Triggers Work......................................................................................243
Disable Live Triggers ..........................................................................................244
Live Triggers Troubleshooting............................................................................244
Trigger Actions From ProPresenter ...........................................................................244
Send MIDI to Other Applications .................................................................................247
MIDI Routing ................................................................................................................248
Open Sound Control (OSC) ...........................................................................................248
Connect to Lightkey ............................................................................................249
OSC Addresses ....................................................................................................249
Live View ..............................................................................................................251
Preset Palette .....................................................................................................254
Output Control .....................................................................................................255
Beat Control ........................................................................................................256
Fixture Properties ...............................................................................................256
macOS Shortcuts .........................................................................................................261
Multi-Touch Gestures ..................................................................................................263
Appendix 1 Shortcuts and Gestures .....................................................................265

General.........................................................................................................................265
Application & Windows .......................................................................................265
Projects ...............................................................................................................266
Editing .................................................................................................................266

View .....................................................................................................................266
Project Setup Assistant ...............................................................................................267
Preview Editing ............................................................................................................267
General ................................................................................................................267
Selection ..............................................................................................................267
Move ....................................................................................................................268
Fixtures ...............................................................................................................268
Shapes, Text & Images .......................................................................................268
Preview.........................................................................................................................269
Selection ..............................................................................................................269
Fixtures ...............................................................................................................270
Position................................................................................................................271
Focus ...................................................................................................................272
Zoom....................................................................................................................272
Iris .......................................................................................................................273
Design View ..................................................................................................................273
General ................................................................................................................273
Dimmer ...............................................................................................................274
Color ....................................................................................................................274
Gobo ....................................................................................................................275
Shutter/Strobe ....................................................................................................275
Prism ...................................................................................................................276
Frost ....................................................................................................................276
Movement Speed .................................................................................................276
Fog .......................................................................................................................277
Custom Properties ..............................................................................................277
Preset Palette ..............................................................................................................277
Selection ..............................................................................................................277
Editing .................................................................................................................277
Control Panels .............................................................................................................278
General ................................................................................................................278
Edit Mode.............................................................................................................279
Cuelists ........................................................................................................................280
General ................................................................................................................280
Editing .................................................................................................................280
Playback ..............................................................................................................281
Effects ..........................................................................................................................282
General ................................................................................................................282
Curve Effects .......................................................................................................282

Movement Paths .................................................................................................282
Fixture Manager ..........................................................................................................283
General ................................................................................................................283
Fixture Library ....................................................................................................284
Channel Grid .......................................................................................................284
Fixture Info Window ............................................................................................284
Fixture Editor ...............................................................................................................285
Navigation ...........................................................................................................285
Numeric Fields....................................................................................................285
Multiple Settings .................................................................................................285
Custom Capabilities ............................................................................................286
Beams .................................................................................................................286
User Guide Viewer .......................................................................................................286
Appendix 2 Generic Fixture Profiles ....................................................................287

Chapter 1
Welcome to the
World of Lightkey
Lightkey is a modern professional lighting
controller for live events, nightclubs, churches,
and any other kind of venue. Engineered for your
Mac, it makes use of the latest technologies and
comes with the familiar look and feel you love.
Thank you for choosing Lightkey! Whether you’re a seasoned LJ or a rookie to the
world of lighting, Lightkey is a powerful and flexible, yet easy-to-use controller for
DMX-based lighting and smart lights, containing all the tools you need to build
sophisticated, professional light shows. It was built from the ground up as a modern
Mac app with native support for M1 and Intel Macs, leveraging the latest technologies
to deliver maximum performance. But beyond that, we hope that Lightkey enhances
your creative process and you have lots of fun creating stunning light shows.
This User Guide intends to be a comprehensive reference for Lightkey. It covers

everything you need to know to use the software, no matter what you want to achieve.
If you’re a beginner looking to get started, you can also find a series of video tutorials
on the Lightkey website.
Lightkey is built on open standards and works with a wide range of USB–DMX
interfaces from various manufacturers, in addition to the Art-Net, sACN, or ESP Net
network protocols. This is made possible by the Open Lighting Architecture, an open-
source framework developed by the Open Lighting Project.

Starting with version 4 smart lights can complement a DMX installation, controlled
alongside your DMX lights through the same user interface.
Setting up a lighting installation with Lightkey is quick and easy. It comes with a
library of several thousand high-quality fixture profiles, and an interactive assistant
guides you through the entire setup process.
When setup is complete, Lightkey makes it easy and fun to build spectacular light
shows. You can create presets, sequence, and cues, add effects using the powerful
effects engine, and synchronize your light show to music.
Lightkey’s elegant, Mac-style user interfaces unites all relevant controls in a single,
well-arranged window. The white-on-dark controls have been specially designed for
low-light environments and provide large clickable areas which work great with
touch screens.
Lightkey includes a sophisticated system of keyboard shortcuts and gestures to

control virtually every application feature. Once you have mastered these shortcuts,
you can work faster than ever before. Beyond that a powerful, fully configurable
external control system enables integration with hardware controllers and other
software.
But that’s not all. We’re constantly extending and improving Lightkey—as you can
see in the release notes—and push out updates regularly. If you want to share your
ideas or feedback, please get in touch: We love to hear from you.

Chapter 2
Intro to DMX
DMX512 or simply DMX (Digital Multiplex) is a
communication protocol for controlling lighting
fixtures and other stage equipment. This chapter
gives a brief introduction to the DMX standard.
Developed in the 1980s, DMX enables a controller—in this case, Lightkey—to control
various kinds of fixtures. DMX allows for up to 512 control channels per data line or
universe. Each channel can adopt any value in the range 0 to 255. This was originally
designed for dimmers, where zero means 0% intensity and 255 means 100%
intensity. While this is still the case with dimmers, DMX channels now control many
other aspects of modern fixtures, such as pan, tilt, or color.
Connect Your Fixtures

DMX is a unidirectional protocol—the signal travels from the controller to the first
fixture and all the way to the last. The fixtures form a “daisy chain” where the “out”
port of each fixture is connected to the “in” port of the next fixture with a DMX cable.
You can connect the fixtures in any order, but try to keep cable lengths to a minimum
for optimal data transmission. A DMX terminator is plugged into the “out” port of the
last fixture in the chain, preventing the signal from “bouncing back” through the
signal line.

DMX uses XLR cables with five (XLR-5) or three (XLR-3) pins. You can mix both types
using a suitable adapter. Do not use microphone cables and other general purpose,
two-core cables for audio or signaling use. They are not suitable to carry digital
signals and can—even though they may seem to work at first—cause random errors
later on.
DMX interface
out in out in out in
USB, Ethernet, XLR cable DMX terminator

or Wi-Fi connection
Each daisy chain of fixtures forms a DMX universe which operates up to 512
channels. For many installations a single universes is sufficient, but Lightkey can
control up to eight universes.
If you need to split up a universe into separate DMX chains you can use a DMX
splitter. Most splitters also amplify the signal, which can improve signal quality if you
have very long cable runs.
DMX interface
in out
in out
DMX splitter in out

If a fixture doesn’t have XLR ports for DMX you can connect it through a dimmer or
dimmer pack. This applies to traditional PAR cans or house lights, for example. For
non-dimmable lights you can use a switch or switch pack.
Power cables
Dimmer pack
out in out in out (4 channels)
You can connect digital LED strips through a DMX-compatible decoder. Most
decoders control multiple LED strips at once.
LED decoder
out in out in out (8 outputs)
Some more advanced fixtures have RJ45 (Ethernet) ports and can receive data
directly from the computer or through an Ethernet router or switch using network
protocols like Art-Net or Streaming ACN (sACN or ANSI E1.31). Most of these fixtures
also have an RJ45 out port so they can be daisy-chained.

Network router or switch
in out in
Cat 5 (Ethernet) cable

in
Some network-enabled fixtures can also route the Art-Net or sACN input to their
XLR out port, so you can connect more fixtures with DMX cables. The exact
capabilities depend on the fixture; please consult the fixture documentation for
details.
DMX Interfaces
The device which connects the DMX network to your computer is called a DMX
interface. There are two kinds of interfaces:
• USB–DMX interfaces: Lightkey works with USB interfaces from various

manufacturers. You can find a list on the Lightkey website.
USB interfaces with a built-in microprocessor buffer the DMX data received
from the computer. If they don’t receive new data they continue to send the last
state. Some low-end devices do not have a microprocessor: If the computer is
busy and fails to send new data fast enough, the interface sends out zero
values, which can cause the lights to flicker.
• Network interfaces: Lightkey works with any interface that supports the Art-
Net, sACN (ANSI E1.31), or ESP Net protocols. You can use an Ethernet network
or Wi-Fi to connect the interface to the computer.
Network protocols can carry a large number of DMX universes, and Ethernet
cabling or Wi-Fi are useful for covering long distances. If you want to output
more than two universes you need to use a network interface. Lightkey can
output up to four universes through Art-Net. Use sACN to output more
universes.

Fixture Addresses
Each fixture occupies a fixed range of channels within its universe. It’s important that
these ranges do not overlap. However, it is possible to map multiple identical fixtures
to the same range of channels: In this case, they will always behave identically.
The first channel that a fixture occupies it called its address. You can choose any
address between 1 and 512, as long as the last occupied channel does not exceed
512. For example, if a fixture uses six channels then 507 is the highest possible
address (fixture occupies channels 507 through 512). Also, keep in mind that fixtures
must not overlap when you assign addresses.
Fixture address Fixture address
076 077 078 079 080 081 082 083 084 085 086 087 088
Fixture 1 Fixture 2
4 channels 5 channels
Some fixtures have a DIP switch (Dual In-line Package) for setting the address as a
binary number. Other fixtures have an on-device menu. See the documentation that
came with your fixture.
How many channels does a fixture occupy? Some fixtures use a fixed number of
channels, others have multiple modes (or “personalities”) with different capabilities
and a different number of channels. They are described in the fixture’s manual.
Before you begin assigning fixture addresses you should therefore consider which
mode suits your needs best, and then determine how many channels each fixture
requires. The combined number of channels determines how many universes you
need.

Chapter 3
Lightkey Licenses
Without a license output from Lightkey is limited
to 24 DMX channels and five Hue lights. A license
enables up to 4096 channels and 100 Hue lights.
To use one of the paid Lightkey editions you need to purchase a license and activate
it on your Mac. Activation binds the license to a particular computer, but you can still
move it to a different computer at any time.
Buy a License
You can buy licenses from the Lightkey Online Store. Licenses are always valid for
one year.
Go to the Online Store
Do one of the following:
‣ Open Lightkey and choose Lightkey > Buy License.
‣ Go to lightkeyapp.com/en/buy.
Activate Your License

When the purchase has been completed you receive an email with your license key.
You use this key to activate the license on your computer.

For the standard activation process, the computer on which you want to activate a
license must be connected to the Internet. There is an alternative way you can use if
the computer has no Internet connection.
Activate your license
1 Copy the license key to the Clipboard.
2 Open Lightkey and choose Lightkey > Manage License…
3 Click Activate License…
4 Paste the license key into the text field and then click Activate.
Activate your license on a computer with no Internet connection
1 Copy the license key to the Clipboard.
2 Open Lightkey and choose Lightkey > Manage License…
3 Click “No Internet connection?”.
4 Paste the license key into the text field and then click Save File…
5 Choose a destination—for example, the Desktop—and then click Save.
Lightkey creates an Activation Request file in the selected location.
6 Click Done.
7 Email the Activation Request file to activate@lightkeyapp.com.
You will shortly receive a reply email with an Activation Response file. We try to
process activation requests as soon as possible, but can do so only within
normal business hours (we are based in Europe).
8 Double-click the Activation Response file.
Lightkey will show a dialog which tells you that it has been successfully
activated.
9 Click Done.
Renew Your License

A few days before your license expires, Lightkey will show a reminder dialog each
time you start the application. In the dialog, you can click Buy License… to go directly
to the Lightkey Online Store.

Renew your license
1 Go to the Lightkey Online Store and select an edition.
2 During the purchase process you are asked for the starting date of your license.
Enter the date when your old license expires. (To find the expiration date, open
Lightkey and choose Lightkey > Manage License…)
3 Complete the purchase process. At the end you will receive an email with a new
license key.
4 On the day when your old license expires, choose Lightkey > Manage License…
and then activate the new license:
‣ Click Deactivate License to deactivate the old license.
‣ Click Activate License… and paste the new license key.
This does not affect your data or settings.
Move a License Between Computers

A license can only be active on one computer at a time, but you can move it between
computers as often as you like. This requires that you deactivate the license on the
computer where it is currently activated.
For the standard deactivation process, the computer must be connected to the
Internet. There is an alternative way which works similar to the activation process
with no Internet connection (see “Activate Your License” above).
Move a license to another computer
1 Open Lightkey on the computer where your license is currently activated and
choose Lightkey > Manage License…
2 Click Deactivate License, then click Done.
3 Activate the license on the new computer, as described in “Activate Your

License”.
❖ Note: After deactivation, the first computer still “remembers” the license key
and suggests it again when you activate a license. This makes it easy to
repeatedly move a license between computers.

If you no longer have access to the computer with the active license, please contact
our support team.
Moving the license does not move your projects, which are stored locally on the
computer. To move a project, use the Finder to copy the project file to the other
computer.

Chapter 4
Set Up Your Lights
Before you can create light shows, you need to
tell Lightkey about your lighting installation.
An interactive assistant guides you through
configuring DMX output, patching your fixtures,
and creating the virtual Preview.
This chapter is about setting up DMX fixtures. Philips Hue smart lights are discussed
in chapter 15, “Smart Lights”.
Step 1: Create a Project

When you first start Lightkey, the Project Browser appears. It shows a preview of the
three recently used projects (probably none if you’re just getting started) and the
built-in demo projects.
Create a new project
1 In the Project Browser, click New Project.
2 Enter a name and choose a location for the project file, then click Save.
For more information about projects, see chapter 5, “Projects”.

Step 2: Choose an Output Method
Next, you need to tell Lightkey how you will output DMX. The following options are
available:
• Offline Mode: Disables DMX output. Use this if you want to test Lightkey with no
fixtures connected.
• USB: This option shows a list of all connected USB–DMX interfaces that are
compatible with Lightkey. If your interface is missing, click Find Devices. If this
doesn’t help, refer to “If Your USB–DMX Interface Does Not Appear” in chapter
14, “DMX Output and Input”.
• Art-Net: Art-Net is a communication protocol for distributing DMX data over a

local network. Select the network interface which your Art-Net interface is
connected to (for example, your computer’s Ethernet port) and then select your
Art-Net interface from the list. If your interface is missing, click Find Devices.
See “DMX Output Settings” in chapter 14, “DMX Output and Input”, for more
information.
• sACN: Streaming ACN (sACN or ANSI E1.31) is a communication protocol for

distributing DMX data over a local network. Select the network interface which
your sACN interface is connected to (for example, your computer’s Ethernet
port). Lightkey sends its output to all sACN nodes on this network, so you don’t
need to select your sACN interface. See “DMX Output Settings” in chapter 14,
“DMX Output and Input”, for more information.
• ESP Net: ESP (Enttec Show Protocol) is a DMX-over-Ethernet communication

protocol developed by Enttec. Select the network interface which your ESP Net
interface is connected to (for example, your computer’s Ethernet port). See
“DMX Output Settings” in chapter 14, “DMX Output and Input”, for more
information.
Choose an output method
‣ Select one of the output methods as described above, then click Next.
Lightkey creates a single DMX universe with the selected output method. If you wish
to use multiple universes you can add them later, as described in “Configure
Universes” in chapter 14, “DMX Output and Input”. If you with to add smart lights see
chapter 15, “Smart Lights”.

Step 3: Patch Your Fixtures
In the next step you will tell Lightkey about your fixtures. For each type of fixture you
need a fixture profile, a file which contains a description of the fixture’s capabilities
and the way they are controlled. For each of your fixtures you need to tell Lightkey
which DMX universe it’s connected to and which DMX address it responds to.
On the left of the window is the fixture library which contains all built-in, imported,
and user-created fixture profiles. Lightkey comes with thousands of fixture profiles
from many different manufacturers, and it can import many freely available profiles
in the formats SSL2, FXT, and PFF. The first column lists the manufacturers, the
second column shows the profiles for the selected manufacturer. The library also
contains a number of generic profiles which don’t relate to a specific fixture model.
On the right is a grid representing the 512 DMX channels in a universe. Your license
determines how many channels are available for output. New projects contain a
single universe, but you can add more universes later.
Find Fixture Profiles

For simple fixtures you can often use one of the profiles in the Generic category of
the built-in library. You can find an overview of the generic profiles at the end of this
User Guide.
If your lights are connected through a dimmer pack, patch the generic profiles PAR
Wash or PAR Spot (depending on the type of light) several times to consecutive
channels—once for each light. (For a switch pack, use the generic Switch profile.)
The address of the first fixture must match the address of your dimmer/switch pack.
This way each light appears as a separate fixture in the Preview and you don’t need a
fixture profile for the dimmer or switch pack.
For more complex lights, you need a profile specific to the fixture.
Find a profile for a specific fixture
1 Browse the built-in fixture library for a matching profile. Use the search field at
the top to search by manufacturer or model name. Profile names generally
match the name on the cover page of the fixture manual. Double-click a profile
to see more information.
2 Check our online fixture library. It’s frequently updated and contains a large
number of high-quality profiles in Lightkey’s native format.

3 We can create a profile for you if you send us the fixture’s DMX chart (usually
part of the manual and/or available as a PDF on the manufacturer’s website).
Please use this online form to request a profile.
4 Create a profile using Lightkey’s built-in fixture editor or import a profile in the
formats SSL2 (Sunlite) or PFF/FXT (DMX FreeStyler). There are thousands of
free profiles available on the Internet. Note that imported profiles may need a
bit of editing in the fixture editor before they work correctly with Lightkey.
Click at the top of the fixture library and then choose New Profile to create a
new profile, or Import Profile… to import a profile.
Add Your Fixtures

Once you have profiles for your fixtures, you can add them to the channel grid. This is
called patching.
Add your fixtures
1 Drag a fixture profile from the library to the channel grid. The first occupied
channel should match the fixture’s DMX address. Fixtures must not overlap.
The fixture will appear in the channel grid with a dashed outline. Below it you
see a window with additional options.
2 If the fixture has different operation modes (or “personalities”), select a mode
from the menu below the fixture name. Be sure to select the same mode as on
the fixture, or Lightkey will not be able to control the fixture! If no menu is
shown then the fixture has no modes.

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3
4
5
3 Assign a short name to the fixture. Short names appear in Lightkey’s Preview;
they can be up to four characters long and usually include one or two letters
and a number.
Lightkey proposes a short name based on the fixture type, but you should
choose a naming scheme that’s suitable for your lighting installation. For
example, if you have a row of PAR cans on the floor and one at the ceiling, you
can name them F1, F2, F3, … and C1, C2, C3, …
If you add multiple fixtures at once, Lightkey will automatically increment the
number for each fixture. For example, if you add four moving heads and enter
“MH6”, their names will be “MH6”, “MH7”, “MH8”, and “MH9”.
4 You can correct the fixture’s DMX address in the Address field. (You can
increase/decrease the address by pressing the Up/Down Arrow keys while the
insertion point is in the field.)
5 If the Count value is greater than one, Lightkey displays multiple instances of
the fixture in the Preview which always share the same fixture properties. This
is useful when you patch several identical fixtures to the same DMX address.
6 To patch multiple fixtures of the same type with consecutive DMX addresses,
enter their number here. (You can increase/decrease the number by pressing
the Up/Down Arrow keys while the insertion point is in the field.)
7 Click Patch (or press Return).
8 Repeat the steps until all fixtures have been added. If you don’t have profiles for
some fixtures, you can come back and add them later.
9 Click Next.
You can change the fixture patching information later. See chapter 13, “Manage DMX
Fixtures”, for more information.

Step 4: Build the Preview
Now you begin to build the Preview, a 2D representation of your lighting installation.
The next screen shows a number of icons, each representing a fixture. Drag the icons
around so they match the physical locations of your fixtures. You can also add shapes
and images.
PAR Moving head, scanner Light bulb
Array of PARs Array of moving heads Laser, fog machine, generic
Strobe Blinder Panel
LED bar LED matrix
LED strip (open) LED strip (closed)
Depending on the venue and the location of the lighting computer you can use a top
view (e.g. a floor plan) or a front view (e.g. of your stage).
Locate Fixtures
If you’re not sure which fixture a particular icon belongs to, you can use Highlight
Mode. When Highlight Mode is enabled, the selected fixture(s) will light up. This
works for both DMX fixtures and smart lights.

Enable Highlight Mode
‣ Click in the toolbar or choose Layout > Highlight Mode (or press Command-
Shift-H).
Size and Rotate Fixture Icons

Change the length and rotation of the icons to reflect the size and placement of the
actual fixture. This works for LED fixtures as well as PAR and moving head arrays.
You can “bend” LED strips to any shape and choose between two icon sizes for LED
fixtures.
Select multiple fixtures to resize or rotate them at once, provided they are of the
same type.
Resize or rotate a fixture icon
‣ Click the fixture icon to select it, then drag one of the blue selection handles
around it.
Rotate an LED matrix
1 Click the fixture icon to select it.
2 Hold down the Command key and drag one of the blue selection handles around
it.
Edit the shape of an LED strip
1 Select one or more LED strips.
2 Click Edit Shape in the Inspector or press Return.
3 Drag the yellow handles to change the shape.
To add a handle, move the pointer in between two yellow handles, then click the
white handle that appears in between them.
To remove a handle, click the handle to select it, then choose Edit > Delete or
press the Delete key.
4 To end editing the shape, press Return or click in the empty area outside the
LED strip.

Change the icon size of LED strips and matrixes
1 Select one or more LED fixtures.
2 Click one of the size options on the right.
Add Shapes, Images, and Text

You can add shapes (such as rectangles, ovals, lines, and trusses) as well as built-in
or custom images to create a visual representation of your venue. You can also add
text labels.
Add an object
‣ Click either Shapes or Images in the right sidebar, then drag an object to the
desired position in the Preview.
‣ Choose Layout > Insert (name of shape).
Add a custom image
‣ Choose Layout > Insert Image File…, then select an image file and click Insert.
Lightkey can handle all common image formats.
‣ To add an image from another application, copy the image to the Clipboard, go
to Lightkey, and choose Edit > Paste.
‣ Drag an image file from the Finder to the Preview area and position it where
you want it.
After adding an image, drag it to the desired location and adjust its size by dragging
one of the blue selection handles around it. Hold down the Command key as you
resize an image to distort its aspect ratio.
Add text
1 Click Shapes, then place the pointer over the T icon and drag it to the desired
location in the Preview.
2 Double-click the text to select it, then type.

3 To change the text formatting, choose Edit > Font > Show Fonts or click A in
the toolbar, then use the Font window to change the font, font size, and other
options.
4 Click outside the text or press Return to finish editing.
There are many more things you can do when you design your preview. See chapter
7, “Preview”, for details.
When you are done creating your preview, click Next.
Step 5: Group Fixtures

In the next step you can create groups of similar fixtures. Grouped fixtures can be
quickly selected at once, although it is still possible to select them individually. You
should group fixtures with the same type and in the same location—for example, a
row of blinders above the stage.
Create a fixture group
1 Select the fixtures to be grouped. You can press the mouse button over a blank
part of the Preview and drag it over the fixtures. Alternatively, hold down the
Shift key and click the fixtures one by one.
2 Do one of the following:
‣ Click in the toolbar.
‣ Control-click one of the fixtures and choose Group from the shortcut
menu.
‣ Choose Layout > Group (or press Command-Option-G).
Grouped fixtures are enclosed by a dashed frame when they are selected.
When you’re done creating fixture groups, click Next.
Step 6: Set Beam Directions
❖ Note: This step only applies if you have fixtures with virtual light beams
(PARs, moving heads, scanners, blinders, strobes, panels, or LED bars).

In this step you tell Lightkey about the positions of your moving and static lights so it
can match what you see on the screen with the actual fixture. This is called
calibration.
Calibrate the position of a moving light
1 Click Set… below the fixture icon.
2 Follow the instructions and click Next after each step, or Done after the last
step.
‣ Home: This step tells Lightkey in which direction the fixture is pointing.
The fixture moves to the center of its pan range and tilts by 90°.
Imagine you’re looking through the base of the moving light in the
direction of the pan axis. Drag the arrow until it points in the direction of
the light beam.
‣ Rotation: This step tells Lightkey in which direction the light turns. The
light performs a slow pan movement, then turns back in blackout and
repeats the movement.
The rotating arrow should follow the direction of the light beam. If
necessary, click the arrow to reverse its direction.
‣ Limits: This steps is optional. It allows you to limit the allowed ranges for
pan and tilt. This can be useful, for example, to prevent a light from
pointing directly at a wall behind it or into the DJ booth.
Drag the handles to limit the allowed ranges for pan and tilt.
‣ Perspective: This step is important to make the virtual light beams match
the fixture. The light moves to the center of its pan and tilt ranges.
Consider the Preview on the screen. Select the direction in which the light
beam is currently pointing—to the left or right, up or down, or parallel to
the viewing direction.
When calibration is complete, a checkmark appears below the fixture icon.
Calibrate the position of a static light
2 Follow the instructions, then click Done.
When you’re done, a checkmark appears below the fixture icon.

★ Tip: Select multiple fixtures of the same type to set their beam directions at
once (assuming they point in the same direction).
Once you have set the beam positions for all fixtures, click Next.
Step 7: Set Beam Colors
❖ Note: This step only applies if you have any monochrome fixtures whose color
can’t be controlled through DMX.
For fixtures with a static color, you need to tell Lightkey the color for the virtual light
beam.
Set a fixture’s beam color
2 Choose a color.
When you’re done, a checkmark appears below the fixture icon.
★ Tip: Select multiple fixtures to set their beam colors at once.
Once you have set the beam colors for all fixtures, click Next.
You’re Done
After completing these steps, Lightkey is ready to control your lights. Click Get
Started, and you will see the normal Lightkey window. For more information about
the parts of the window, refer to chapter 6, “The Lightkey Window”.
If you did not complete all steps during the setup, you can come back and change the
settings at any time:
‣ Click Edit in the toolbar or choose View > Edit Preview to edit the Preview.
‣ Click in the toolbar or choose Lightkey > Manage Fixtures… to add, remove,
or change fixtures and manage DMX output settings.

Chapter 5
Projects
The first thing you see when you open Lightkey is
the Project Browser. It shows the three recently
used projects (if any) and two demo projects.
A Lightkey project is a file which contains all the information about your fixtures and
light shows for a given lighting installation. A project contains:
• Your fixtures’ patching information

• Configuration information for your universes
• The virtual Preview
• Presets, sequences, and cues
• Effect templates and movement paths
• Control panels and cuelists
• Your external control configurations
You can create as many projects as you like, but only one can be open at a time.
Having multiple projects can be useful if you use Lightkey in different environments,
but in most cases a single project is all you need.
Because Lightkey uses the macOS Auto Save technology, projects are saved
automatically in the background.

Create a Project
1 If a project is open, choose File > Close Project. The Project Browser appears.
2 Click New Project or choose File > New Project.
3 Enter a name and choose a location for the project file, then click Save.
4 Follow the instructions of the interactive assistant to set up your project. The
setup process is explained in chapter 4, “Set Up Your Lights”.
Open or Close a Project

When you start Lightkey, it automatically opens the recently used project. Therefore,
as long as you only have a single project, you rarely need to manually open or close
projects. When you close a project, all of your changes are saved.
★ Tip: To have Lightkey reopen the last project when you start the application,
make sure that “Close windows when quitting an app” is turned off in the
General pane of System Settings (or System Preferences).
Open a project
1 If a project is already open, choose File > Close Project. The Project Browser
appears.
‣ If the desired project appears in the Project Browser, double-click it.
‣ Choose File > Open…, select a project file, and click Open.
‣ Double-click a project file in the Finder.
Close a project
‣ Choose File > Close Project (or press Command-W).
‣ Click the red close button in the upper-left corner of the Lightkey window.
2 If Lightkey asks you if you are sure, click Close. This is a precaution to prevent
you from accidentally closing the project and turning off all lights.
After closing the project, Lightkey returns to the Project Browser.

Change Projects in the Finder
You can use the Finder for other actions such as renaming, duplicating, or deleting
projects. If you want to move a project to another computer, all you need to do is copy
the project file.
Locate a project in the Finder
‣ Control-click a project in the Project Browser, then choose Show in Finder from
the shortcut menu.
Move a project to another Mac
‣ Use the Finder to copy the project file to the other computer (for example, using
AirDrop). The file contains all the necessary information to use the project on
another computer.
Note that older Lightkey versions may not be able to open projects created by
newer versions, because they contain new features which previous versions
don’t know about. If you want to move a project back and forth between
computers you should therefore use the same Lightkey version on both.
Search a Project
Lightkey lets you easily and quickly search the contents of the current project. This
includes:
• fixtures and fixture properties,
• items in the Preset Palette,
• cues and frames in control panels,
• items in cuelists.
You can also “filter” the content of the Preset Palette and a cuelist so that only items
whose name contains the search text are shown.
Find items in your project
‣ Choose Edit > Find… (or press Command-Option-F).

􀊫
A search field appears near the right end of the toolbar.
2 Make sure the placeholder text in the search field reads Search Project. If not,
click the symbol in the field and choose Entire Project from the menu.
3 Enter the text to search for in the search field. As you type a list of results
appears.
4 Click a result to select it in the project.
★ Tip: You can use the Up/Down Arrow keys to select search results, and the
Return key to select a result in the project. Press Esc to hide the search
results.
Filter items in the Preset Palette
1 Reveal the search field in the toolbar, as described above.
2 Click the symbol in the search field and choose Preset Palette from the
menu.
3 Enter the text to search for in the search field. As you type the Preset Palette is
filtered accordingly.
4 To remove the filter click in the search field.
Filter items in a cuelist
1 Reveal the search field in the toolbar, as described above.
2 Click the symbol in the search field and choose Cuelist from the menu. This
item is only available if a cuelist is selected in the Live view.
3 Enter the text to search for in the search field. As you type the cuelist is filtered
accordingly.
Undo Changes
As you work with Lightkey, you can undo most of the changes you can do to a project.
This includes changes to the Preview, presets, sequences, cues, effects, control
panels, cuelists, and even fixture properties. You can also redo actions that you have
undone.

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Undo or redo changes
‣ To undo the last action, choose Edit > Undo (or press Command-Z).
‣ To redo the last action you undid, choose Edit > Redo (or press Command-
Shift-Z).

Chapter 6
The Lightkey Window
This chapter introduces the user interface that’s
shown once you open a project. All the controls
you need are united in a single, well-arranged
window. The dark user interface has been
specially designed for low-light environments.
The toolbar provides quick

access to many features
The Preview shows the

fixtures on your stage or
dance floor
The Preset Palette is where

you manage presets and
sequences
The Shortcuts view shows

keyboard shortcuts and
gestures for the current
context
The Design view lets you change the properties of the selected fixtures.
The properties you see here depend on the selected fixtures.

Toolbar
The toolbar at the top of the Lightkey window provides quick access to frequently-
used functions. The items in the toolbar change depending on the current context.
Here’s how the toolbar looks once you open a project:
A B C D E F G H
I J K L M N
A Manage fixtures
B Show the External Control window
C Show the DMX Monitor window
D Lock or unlock Lightkey
E Show the overridden fixture properties
F Clear the overridden fixture properties
G Enter or exit blind mode
H Freeze or unfreeze output
I Show actions for the selected fixtures
J Add an effect for the selected fixtures
K Edit the Preview
L Add a preset (hold down the mouse button for more actions)
M Search the project
N Show view options

Customize the Lightkey Window
You can show or hide parts of Lightkey’s window depending on your needs: For
example, during a live show you may want to switch to the Live view and hide the
Preset Palette. You may even hide the Preview entirely to have more space for the
Live view. Or you may want to hide the Shortcuts view once you’re familiar with the
shortcuts.
Switch between the Design and Live view
‣ Click Design or Live below the Preview.
‣ Choose View > Design (or press Command-D) to show the Design view. Choose
View > Live (or press Command-L) to show the Live view.
Hide or show the Preview
‣ Click in the toolbar and choose Hide/Show Preview from the menu.
‣ Choose View > Hide/Show Preview (or press Command-Shift-R).
❖ Note: The Design view isn’t available when the Preview is hidden because
there’s no way to select fixtures.
Hide or show the Preset Palette
‣ Click in the toolbar and choose Hide/Show Preset Palette from the menu.
‣ Choose View > Hide/Show Preset Palette (or press Command-Shift-P).
Hide or show the Shortcuts area
‣ Click in the toolbar and choose Hide/Show Shortcuts from the menu.
‣ Choose View > Hide/Show Shortcuts (or press Command-Shift-S).

Resize the parts of the window
‣ Drag one of the dividers between the parts.
Full Screen View

Lightkey’s user interface is ideally suited for the macOS full screen view. By default,
the window expands to the entire screen when you open a project and shrinks back to
a window when you close a project.
In full screen view, move the pointer to the top of the screen to show the menu bar.
Zoom the Lightkey window to the full screen
‣ Click the green zoom button in the top-left corner of the window.
‣ Choose View > Enter Full Screen (or press Command-F).
Return to regular view
‣ Move the pointer to the top of the screen, then click the green zoom button in
the top-left corner.
‣ Choose View > Exit Full Screen (or press Command-F).
Change the behavior when opening and closing a project
1 Choose Lightkey > Settings…/Preferences… (or press Command-Comma) and

click General.
2 Select “Enter full screen when opening a project” to automatically expand the
window to the entire screen when you open a project and shrink it back when
you close the project.

Dual Windows
If you have a second display connected to your computer, you can place the Preview
on one display and the Live view on the other. You can also use an iPad as a second
display for the Live view using apps like Duet or Luna Display.
Show the Live view on a second display
1 Choose View > Dual Windows.
The Live view appears in a second window titled Live.
2 Drag the Live window to the second display.
3 Click in the Live window to make sure it’s selected, then choose View > Enter
Full Screen to expand the window to the full screen.
Lightkey restores the two windows on their respective screens when you quit and
reopen the application. To return the Live view to the main window, choose View >
Single Window.
Adaptive Background Color

By default, the background of Lightkey’s window adapts itself to the predominant
light color.
Change the adaptive background color
1 Choose Lightkey > Settings… (or Preferences…) and click General.
2 Select or deselect “Adaptive background color”.

Lock Lightkey
You can protect your projects and settings against changes with a password or Touch
ID (if available on your Mac). Only people who know the password can:
• edit presets, sequences, or cues,
• patch fixtures and universes,
• edit external control configurations,
• change settings in the Settings/Preferences window.
Lock Lightkey with a password
1 Click in the toolbar or choose Lightkey > Lock.
2 In the dialog that appears, enter a password in the Password field, then enter it
again in the Verify field.
3 Enter a hint to help you remember the password. The hint appears if you enter
the wrong password three consecutive times.
4 Select “Allow unlocking with Touch ID” to allow unlocking Lightkey with your
fingerprint (if Touch ID is available on your Mac).
5 Click Lock.
Note that the lock icon in the toolbar is now closed.
Unlock Lightkey
1 Click in the toolbar or choose Lightkey > Unlock…
2 Enter your password and click Unlock, or place your finger on the Touch ID
sensor.
Note that the lock icon in the toolbar is now open. Lightkey remains unlocked
until you quit the application or lock it again.
Lock Lightkey again
‣ Click in the toolbar or choose Lightkey > Lock.
Permanently remove the password protection
1 Choose Lightkey > Remove Lock.
2 Enter your password (only if Lightkey is currently locked).

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Keyboard Shortcuts and Gestures
Lightkey provides many keyboard shortcuts and Multi-Touch gestures to help you
work faster. The Shortcuts view in the lower-right shows you the most relevant
shortcuts for the current context. You can find an overview of the built-in shortcuts
and gestures in appendix 2, “Shortcuts and Gestures”.
You can also define your own keyboard shortcuts. See chapter 16, “External Control”,
for more information.

Chapter 7
Preview
The centerpiece of Lightkey’s user interface is a
2D view of your lighting installation. You can
extend it from simple fixture icons to a visual
representation of your venue, complete with
virtual light beams.
You begin creating the Preview when you first set up your project, as described in
chapter 4, “Set Up Your Lights”, but you can always come back and complement it
later. Lightkey includes a flexible graphics editor which lets you create a detailed
view of your venue quickly and effortlessly. This chapter covers all tools and
techniques for building the Preview.
The Preview is part of a project. In this chapter we assume that a project is already
open.
Edit the Preview

Before you can change the objects in the Preview, you must put the Preview into edit
mode. The remainder of this chapter assumes that the Preview is in edit mode.
Enter or exit edit mode
‣ To enter edit mode, click Edit in the toolbar. To exit edit mode, click Done.
‣ Choose View > Edit Preview (or press Command-J).

‣ Control-click a blank part of the Preview and choose Edit Preview from the
shortcut menu.
‣ Hold down the Command key and double-click a blank part of the Preview.
While the Preview is in edit mode, a grid is shown in the background which helps you
to align objects. On the right of the window is the Inspector where you can change
the properties of the selected objects.
In edit mode you can hold down the Space bar and drag to pan the Preview area.
Edit Objects
The Preview contains various types of objects: Fixture icons, shapes (such as
rectangles, ovals, lines, and trusses), text, and images. This section covers basic
editing techniques common to all objects.
Select Objects
Before you make changes to objects in the Preview you need to select them.
Select or deselect objects
‣ To select a single object, click anywhere on the object.
‣ To select additional objects, hold down the Shift key and click each object.
‣ To remove an object from the selection, hold down the Shift key and click the
selected object.
‣ To select a fixture that is part of a group, double-click the fixture.
‣ To select multiple objects at once, press the mouse button over a blank part of
the Preview and drag it over the objects. (Hold down the Option key to select
outward from the starting point.)
‣ To add or remove multiple objects to/from the selection, hold down the Shift
key, press the mouse button over a blank part of the Preview, and drag it over
the objects.
‣ To select all objects in the Preview, choose Edit > Select All (or press
Command-A).
‣ To deselect all objects in the Preview, choose Edit > Deselect All (or press
Command-Shift-A or Esc) or click a blank part of the Preview.

Move Objects
All objects in the Preview can be moved freely. You can scroll in any direction if you
need more space. When you exit edit mode, Lightkey adjusts the size of the Preview
to fit all objects in the available space.
Move objects within the Preview
‣ Press the mouse button over an object and drag it to a new location. To move
multiple objects, select the objects and then drag them to a new location.
As you drag objects, Lightkey shows smart alignment and spacing guides that
help you to precisely align objects.
‣ To disable alignment and spacing guides, hold down the Control key as you
drag.
‣ To constrain the motion to horizontal or vertical, drag the object(s) while

holding down the Shift key.
‣ To move objects in small steps, select the objects and press one of the arrow
keys. To move objects in larger steps, hold down the Shift key while pressing an
arrow key.
Align Objects
You can quickly align objects so they line up along a horizontal or vertical axis.
Vertical centers aligned
Align objects
1 Select the objects you want to align.
‣ Choose Layout > Align and then choose one of the options in the
submenu.
‣ Click in the toolbar and choose one of the options in the menu.
‣ Control-click one of the objects and choose one of the options in the Align
submenu of the shortcut menu.

􀩉
Space Objects Evenly
You can quickly position objects with even spacing on the horizontal or vertical axis.
Even horizontal spacing
Space objects evenly
1 Select the objects.
‣ Choose Layout > Distribute and then choose one of the options in the
submenu.
‣ Control-click one of the objects and choose one of the options in the
Distribute submenu of the shortcut menu.
Resize and Rotate Objects

Resizable objects show handles when they are selected. You can resize multiple
objects of the same kind at once. Some fixtures can’t be resized and have no handles.
Resize one or more objects
‣ Select one or more objects and then drag one of the blue selection handles. To
resize objects in one direction, drag a side handle instead of a corner handle.
‣ To resize objects from their center, press the Option key as you drag.
‣ To constrain a rectangle or oval to a square or circle, hold down the Shift key as
you drag.
‣ To constrain a curved truss to a circle segment, hold down the Shift key as you
drag.
‣ To constrain a line’s or straight truss’s angle to 45°, hold down the Shift key as
you drag.
‣ Some objects maintain their proportions when resized. To resize those objects
disproportionally, hold down the Command key as you drag.

􀩉
‣ To disable alignment and spacing guides, hold down the Control key while you
resize objects.
Rectangles, rounded rectangles, ovals, triangles, images, and LED matrixes can also
be rotated freely. You can rotate multiple objects at once.
Rotate an object
1 Select one or more objects.
2 Hold down the Command key and drag one of the blue selection handles around
it. Hold down Shift to constrain the angle to 45°.
Edit Fixtures
This section discusses editing actions which pertain to fixtures.
Size and Rotate Fixture Icons

LED fixtures can be represented in various ways, depending on the number of beams
and their arrangement (as defined by the fixture profile) and the shape you choose
for their icon. You can freely edit their shape and change the icon size to reflect the
physical LED strip. Here are various types of icons for LED fixtures:
You can also change the size and orientation of PAR or moving head arrays.
Change the icon size of LED strips and matrixes
2 Click one of the two size options in the Inspector.
Change between a line and a ring
2 Click either the line or ring option in the Inspector.

Flip LED fixtures horizontally or vertically
‣ Click or in the toolbar.
‣ Click one of the fixtures’ name and choose Flip Horizontally or Flip
Vertically from the shortcut menu.
‣ Choose Layout > Flip Horizontally or Flip Vertically.
Edit the shape of an LED strip
4 To end editing the shape, press Return or click in the empty area outside the
LED strip.
Position Fixture Names

You can reposition the name tags of fixtures to prevent them from overlapping with
other objects.
Move a fixture’s name tag
‣ Drag the name tag to a position near the fixture’s icon.

Set Beam Directions
Lightkey displays virtual light beams for PARs, moving lights, and similar fixtures as
well as LED bars. They are represented by circles in the Preview. For moving lights,
an arrow indicates the current pan position:
Moving light Fixed light
Lightkey needs some information about the positions of your moving and static lights
to match what you see on the screen with the actual fixture. This is called calibration.
❖ Note: Lightkey needs to know a moving light’s pan and tilt ranges to match its
beam direction. This information is part of the fixture profile. Some moving
lights let you choose between different pan/tilt ranges in their device settings.
In this case, always select the largest possible range, because this is what the
fixture profile uses.
Calibrate the position of a moving light
‣ Click Beam Direction… in the Inspector.
‣ Click the fixture’s name and choose Beam Direction… from the shortcut
menu.
‣ Choose Layout > Beam Direction… (or press Command-Shift-Option-P).
3 Follow the instructions and click Next after each step, or Done after the last
step.
‣ Home: This step tells Lightkey in which direction the fixture is pointing.
The fixture moves to the center of its pan range and tilts by 90°.
Imagine you’re looking through the base of the moving light in the
direction of the pan axis. Drag the arrow until it points in the direction of
the light beam.

Viewing direction onto
position control
Position control
Pan axis
Pan rotation
‣ Rotation: This step tells Lightkey in which direction the light turns. The
light performs a slow pan movement, then turns back in blackout and
repeats the movement.
The rotating arrow should follow the direction of the light beam. If
necessary, click the arrow to reverse its direction.
‣ Limits: This steps is optional. It allows you to limit the allowed ranges for
pan and tilt. This can be useful, for example, to prevent a light from
pointing directly at a wall behind it or into the DJ booth.
Drag the handles to limit the allowed ranges for pan and tilt.
‣ Perspective: This step is important to make the virtual light beams match
the fixture. The light moves to the center of its pan and tilt ranges.
Consider the Preview on the screen. Select the direction in which the light
beam is currently pointing—to the left or right, up or down, or parallel to
the viewing direction.
When calibration is complete, a checkmark appears below the fixture icon.
Calibrate the position of a static light

‣ Click Beam Direction… in the Inspector.
‣ Click the fixture’s name and choose Beam Direction… from the shortcut
menu.
‣ Choose Layout > Beam Direction… (or press Command-Shift-Option-P).
3 Follow the instructions, then click Done.
★ Tip: Select multiple fixtures of the same type to set their beam directions at
once (assuming they point in the same direction).
Set Beam Colors

For fixtures with a fixed color that can’t be changed through DMX—such as a PAR
with a color gel—, you can choose the color of the virtual light beam. The color is also
displayed as a dot inside the fixture icon.
Set a fixture’s beam color
‣ Click Beam Color… in the Inspector.
‣ Click the fixture’s name and choose Beam Color… from the shortcut
menu.
‣ Choose Layout > Beam Color… (or press Command-Shift-Option-C).
3 Choose a color.
★ Tip: Select multiple fixtures to set their beam colors at once.
Group Fixtures
Grouped fixtures can be quickly selected at once, although it is still possible to select
them individually. You should group fixtures with the same type and in the same
location—for example, a row of blinders above the stage.

Create a fixture group
1 Select the fixtures to group.
‣ Control-click one of the fixtures and choose Group from the shortcut
menu.
‣ Choose Layout > Group (or press Command-Option-G).
Grouped fixtures are enclosed by a dashed frame when they’re selected.
Ungroup grouped fixtures
1 Select the fixture group.
‣ Control-click one of the fixtures in the group and choose Ungroup from
the shortcut menu.
‣ Choose Layout > Ungroup (or press Command-Option-G).
Locate Fixtures
If you are not sure which fixture a particular icon belongs to, you can use Highlight
Mode. When Highlight Mode is enabled, the selected fixture(s) will light up. This
works for both DMX fixtures and smart lights.
Enable Highlight Mode
‣ Click in the toolbar or choose Layout > Highlight Mode (or press Command-
Shift-H).
Disable Fixtures or Hide Light Beams

If a fixture is temporarily disconnected, broken, or simply not in use, you can disable
it in Lightkey. A disabled fixture shows no light beam, can’t be selected in the
Preview, and all its DMX channels are set to zero.
You can also tell Lightkey to hide a fixture’s virtual light beam.

Disable or enable a fixture
‣ Select one or more fixtures and click Disable in the Inspector.
If multiple fixtures are patched to the same DMX address, you can disable each one
individually. When all fixtures are disabled, the corresponding DMX channels are set
to zero.
❖ Note: You can also disable or enable fixtures in the Fixture Manager. See
“Disable Fixtures” in chapter 13, ”Manage DMX Fixtures“.
Hide the virtual light beam
‣ Select one or more fixtures and click “Hide light beam” in the Inspector.
Add or Remove Fixtures

You can add or remove fixtures in the Fixture Manager. You can also add multiple
icons in the Preview for a single fixture, which is useful if you patched several
identical fixtures to the same DMX address. See chapter 13, “Manage DMX Fixtures”,
Edit Shapes, Images, and Text

This section discusses editing actions which pertain to shapes, built-in or custom
images, and text labels. Shapes include rectangles, rounded rectangles, ovals,
triangles, lines, and various types of trusses.
Add a Shape, Image, or Text

Use the icons on the right side of the window to add objects.
Add an object
‣ Click either Shapes or Images, then drag an object to the desired position in the
Preview.
‣ Choose Layout > Insert (name of shape).

Add a custom image
‣ Choose Layout > Insert Image File…, then select an image file and click Insert.
‣ To add an image from another application, copy the image to the Clipboard, go
to Lightkey, and choose Edit > Paste.
‣ Drag an image file from the Finder to the Preview area and position it where
you want it.
Add text
‣ Click Shapes, then place the pointer over the T icon and drag it to the desired
location in the Preview.
‣ Choose Layout > Insert Text.
Double-click the text label to begin editing, then type. To start a new line, press
Option-Return. Click outside the text label or press Return to finish editing.
To edit an existing text label, double-click the text label or select it and press Return.
Copy and Paste Shapes, Images, and Text

You can copy shapes, images, and text labels to the Clipboard and paste them again
later, as common in many Mac apps. You can also copy and paste images between
applications.
Cut or copy an object
‣ Select the object(s) and choose Edit > Cut or Edit > Copy (or press Command-
X or Command-C).
‣ Control-click the object and choose Cut or Copy from the shortcut menu.
Paste objects from the Clipboard
‣ Choose Edit > Paste (or press Command-V).
‣ Control-click anywhere in the Preview and choose Paste from the shortcut
menu.

Duplicate Shapes, Images, and Text
‣ Select the object(s) and choose Edit > Duplicate (or press Command-Shift-D).
‣ Control-click an object and choose Duplicate from the shortcut menu.
‣ Hold down the Option key while you drag an object.
‣ Hold down the Option key and press one of the arrow keys. The new object will
be offset from the original by one unit in the arrow direction.
Delete Shapes, Images, and Text
‣ Select the object(s) and press the Delete key.
If you accidentally deleted an object, choose Edit > Undo Delete.
Flip Shapes and Images

Lines, some trusses, and images can be flipped on the horizontal or vertical axis.
Flip objects horizontally or vertically
‣ Click or in the toolbar.
‣ Control-click the object and choose Flip Horizontally or Flip Vertically

from the shortcut menu.
‣ Choose Layout > Flip Horizontally or Flip Vertically.
Order Shapes, Images, and Text

The order or layering of shapes, images, and text determines whether objects appear
above or below other objects. Note that fixtures always appear on top of other
objects.
Change the order of objects

􀞒
􀟨
‣ Choose Layout > Order and then choose one of the options in the
submenu.
‣ Control-click one of the objects and choose one of the options in the Order
submenu of the shortcut menu.
Change the Style of Shapes and Images

You can change attributes like fill color, stroke width, stroke color, and opacity for
shapes and images.
Change the style of a shape or built-in image
1 Select one or more shapes and images.
2 Use the Inspector to change the fill color, stroke width, and stroke color. You
can also use custom colors.
Change the opacity of a custom image
1 Select the image.
2 Use the Opacity slider in the Inspector to change the image opacity.
Adjust Shape Features

Some shapes have specific features which you can change with special selection
handles.
Adjust the corner radius of a rounded rectangle
1 Select the rounded rectangle.
2 Drag the green selection handle near its top-left corner.
Edit the shape of a line
1 Select a line.

􀐟
4 To end editing the line, press Return or click in the empty area outside the line.
Change the starting or ending angle of a curved truss
1 Select the curved truss.
2 Drag one of the green selection handles at each end. Hold down the Shift key as
you drag to constrain the angle to 45°.
Change Text Formatting

You can change fonts, font sizes, and other text attributes like in many other Mac
applications.
Change the formatting of a text label
1 Select one or more text labels. To change only a part of the text, double-click a
text label and select the desired range.
‣ Click Show Fonts in the Inspector or choose Edit > Font > Show Fonts.
Select a font, font size, and other options in the Font window.
‣ Choose Edit > Font > Bold, Underline, Italic to change the text style.
‣ Click Show Colors in the Inspector or choose Edit > Font > Show Colors,
then select a color in the Color window.
‣ Choose Edit > Alignment, then choose one of the options in the submenu
to change the alignment of the label.

Chapter 8
Fixture Properties
A fixture property comprises one or more
features of a fixture that can be controlled
through DMX—for example, Dimmer, Color, and
Position. This chapter describes how you change
these properties in Lightkey.
Changing a fixture property generally involves two steps:
• select one or more fixtures, or one or more individual light beams,
• change a property of the fixtures or light beams.
When you set a fixture property, the property is defined or overridden. A blue dot to
the left of the fixture name indicates that at least one property has been defined.
The fixture has

overridden properties
You can define fixture properties for multiple fixtures at once, even if the fixtures are
of different types. Lightkey will do its best to find the closest matching value for each
individual fixture.

Select Fixtures
As you will often need to select fixtures as you create a light show, Lightkey provides
numerous techniques to do so quickly using the keyboard, mouse, and other
hardware. They are described in this section. A light frame around the icon indicates
that a fixture is selected.
The frame shows that the

fixture is selected
❖ Note: If a fixture has been disabled it can’t be selected.
Select All Fixtures

You can quickly select or deselect all fixtures in the project.
Select or deselect all fixtures
‣ To select all fixtures, choose Edit > Select All (or press Command-A).
‣ To deselect all fixtures, choose Edit > Deselect All (or press Command-Shift-A
or Esc) or click a blank part of the Preview.
Select Fixtures by Location

You can select or deselect fixtures by their location in the Preview.
Select or deselect fixtures by location
‣ To select a single fixture, click its icon.
‣ To select all fixtures in a group, click the icon of one of the fixtures. To select an
individual fixture in a group, double-click its icon.
‣ To select additional fixtures, hold down the Shift key and click each fixture.
‣ To remove a fixture from the selection, hold down the Shift key and click the
selected fixture.

‣ To select multiple fixtures at once, press the mouse button over a blank part of
the Preview and drag it over the fixtures. (Hold down the Option key to select
outward from the starting point.)
‣ To add or remove multiple fixtures to/from the selection, hold down the Shift
key, press the mouse button over a blank part of the Preview, and drag it over
the fixtures.
‣ To select the nearest fixture in any direction, press one of the arrow keys.
‣ To extend the fixture selection in any direction, hold down the Shift key and
press one of the arrow keys.
Select Fixtures by Type

When a single fixture is selected, you can quickly extend the selection to all other
fixtures of the same type (for example, all moving heads or all blinders).
Select fixtures by type
1 Select a single fixture.
2 Choose Edit > Select All [fixture type] (for example, Select All Moving Heads)
(or press Command-Option-A).
Select Fixtures by Name

You can quickly select a fixture by typing its short name, or select multiple fixtures by
typing a common prefix of their short names. You can also step through fixtures in
alphabetical order.
Select fixture(s) by their short name
‣ Type one or more letters or numbers. Do not use the Shift key or any other
modifier keys.
Example: Suppose your rig consists of moving heads and PARs, arranged like this:
PL1 PL2 PL3 MH1 MH2 MH3 MH4 MH5 MH6 PR3 PR2 PR1

Here are examples how you can select these fixtures using type selection:
Type this… … to select these fixtures
M All moving heads
MH2 MH2
P All PARs
PL PARs on the left (PL1–3)
PR PARs on the right (PR1–3)
P1 Outmost PARs
Step through fixtures by their short name
‣ To select the next fixture in alphabetical order, press Control-Tab.
‣ To select the previous fixture in alphabetical order, press Control-Shift-Tab.
Select Fixtures Through External Control

You can set up bindings to select fixtures through DMX-In, MIDI, or custom keyboard
shortcuts. See chapter 16, “External Control”, for more information.
Select Light Beams

Some fixtures have multiple light beams which can be controlled individually—for
example, an LED matrix or a scanner with multiple heads. To change properties for
individual beams, you first select the beam(s) and then change the fixture properties.

For some types of fixtures the icon in the Preview shows the individual beams:
LED strip with 8 beams LED ring with 12 beams LED matrix with 25 beams
LED bar with 4 segments LED PAR with 7 beams Moving head array with 4 heads
❖ Note: Only the Dimmer, Color, Shutter/Strobe, and Position properties can be
defined for individual beams.
Select one or more light beams
1 Select one or more fixtures with multiple light beams.
2 If the fixtures’ icons show the light beams, do one of the following:
‣ Click one of the beams in the icon of a selected fixture to select it.
‣ To select a range of beams, press the mouse button on a beam and drag
the pointer across other beams. Alternatively, click one of the beams, then
hold down the Shift key and click another beam: This selects the two
clicked beams and all beams in between.
‣ To select an additional beam or remove a beam from the selection, hold

down the Command key and click a beam.
For fixtures whose icons don’t show the light beams, do one of the following:
‣ Click the fixture’s name and choose Beams from the shortcut menu, then
choose one of the items from the submenu.
‣ Choose Fixture > Beams, then choose one of the items from the
submenu.
‣ To select an additional beam or remove a beam from the selection, hold

down the Command key and select a beam as in the previous steps.

Fixture Properties
A fixture property comprises one or more features of a fixture that can be controlled
through DMX—for example, Dimmer, Color, and Position. There are several places
where you control properties of the selected fixture(s):
• The Design view below the Preview (see the image below) controls most fixture
properties, for example, Dimmer, Color, and Shutter/Strobe. The Design view
adapts itself to the fixtures in the current project: Only properties which are
supported by your fixtures are visible, and individual controls may be hidden if
they don’t apply to your fixtures.
• Heads-up displays (or HUDs) in the Preview control Position, Focus, Zoom, and
Iris.
• The fixture’s shortcut menu and the menu bar contain commands to control the
Lamp and Command properties.
The blue dot indicates that the

Dimmer property is defined Click to show the Design view
The frame shows the Gobo Wheel property

is selected
The Zoom property is

controlled by a HUD
Show the Design view
‣ Click Design below the Preview.

‣ Choose View > Design (or press Command-D).
Select a Fixture Property

Most fixture properties can be selected. While a property is selected, you can use
specific keyboard shortcuts to control the property. These shortcuts are listed in the
following sections; you also see them in the Shortcuts view when the property is
selected. For example, if the Color property is selected, the Shortcuts view’s title
reads “Shortcuts – Color”.
A property with a HUD is selected when the HUD is open.
The Design view shows only properties that pertain to the selected fixtures. If no
fixtures are selected in the Preview, the Design view is empty.
❖ Note: You can’t select properties that have been hidden from the Design view.
See “Reorder and Hide Custom Properties” below on how to show or hide
properties in the Design view.
There are several ways to select fixture properties.
Select a fixture property
1 Select one or more fixtures in the Preview.
‣ Click a fixture’s name and select the property from the shortcut menu.
‣ Click in the toolbar and choose Select Property from the menu, then
select a property.
‣ Choose Fixture > Select Property, then select a property from the menu.
Fixture properties in the Design view are automatically selected when you click one
of their controls. For example, the Shutter/Strobe property is selected when you click
one of the shutter states. The selected property in the Design view has lighter
background.

􀍡
Many fixture properties have a keyboard shortcut (a letter) which selects the property
in the Design view or opens the property’s HUD. After using the shortcut to select the
property, you can use property-specific keyboard shortcuts to change its value. This
way you can control most fixture properties solely by using the keyboard.
Fixture property Shortcut letter
Dimmer D
Color, Color Wheel C
Gobo Wheel G
Shutter/Strobe S
Position P
Focus F
Zoom Z
Iris I
Prism M
Frost R
Fog O
Select a fixture property using keyboard shortcuts
1 Select one or more fixtures which support the property.
‣ Hold down the Shift key and press the letter for the fixture property.
‣ Press only the letter for the fixture property until the property is selected
in the Design view or until a HUD appears.
Cycle the fixture properties in the Design view
1 Make sure the Design view is visible (see above).
2 Select one or more fixtures.
3 Press the Tab key to select the next (or first) enabled property in the Design
view, or press Shift-Tab to select the previous enabled property.

Deselect any fixture property
‣ Press Return, Enter, or Esc.
‣ Click the empty area at the top of the Design view.
‣ Click a blank part of the Preview. (This will also deselect all fixtures.)
★ Tip: If your Mac has a Touch Bar, you can use it to conveniently control any
fixture property. Select the fixture property as described above, then change
its value with the Touch Bar.
Define a Fixture Property

When you manually set a fixture property’s values in the Design view or the
property’s HUD, the property is said to be defined or overridden. In this state the
property values are applied directly to the fixture, overriding any presets, sequences,
and cues. If a fixture property is not defined, the fixture’s state depends on the active
presets, sequences, and cues.
A blue dot to the left of a property’s name indicates that the property is defined. A
gray dot means that that the property is defined for some but not all of the selected
fixtures. When you change the value of a property (for example, by dragging the
Dimmer slider), the property is automatically marked as defined.
Clear a defined fixture property
‣ Click the blue (or gray) dot to the left of the property’s name in the Design view
or the property’s HUD.
‣ Select the property and press the Delete key.
For more information see “View Overridden Fixture Properties” and “Clear Fixture
Properties” later in this chapter.

Effects
When an effect has been applied to a fixture property, the property’s value is defined
by the effect. In this case you see an icon in place of the property’s controls in the
Design view. Click the icon to edit the effect. See chapter 10, “Effects”, for more
information about effects.
Remove an effect for a fixture property
‣ Click the blue (or gray) dot to the left of the property’s name in the Design view.
‣ Select the property and press the Delete key.
Dimmer
The Dimmer property controls a fixture’s intensity (brightness).
Select the Dimmer property
1 Select one or more fixtures which support the Dimmer property.
‣ Click one of the fixtures’ names and choose Dimmer from the shortcut
menu.
‣ Press Shift-D or press D until the Dimmer property is selected.
The keyboard shortcuts in this section require that the Dimmer property is selected.
Change a fixture’s intensity
‣ Drag the Dimmer slider in the Design view.
‣ Place the pointer over the Dimmer slider and scroll up or down. (If this doesn’t
work, choose Lightkey > Settings… (or Preferences…), click Gestures, and
make sure “Scrolling changes slider and HUD values” is selected.)
‣ Press the Up/Down Arrow keys or Plus/Minus keys to increase/decrease the

intensity by 10%.
‣ Hold down the Option key and press the Up/Down Arrow keys or Plus/Minus
keys to increase/decrease the intensity by 1%.

‣ Type a number to set the intensity to an exact value. (Type a single digit to set
the value in steps of 10%. Type two or three digits to set an exact percent value.)
‣ Hold down the Command key and scroll up or down while the pointer is over the
Preview. (This gesture can be changed in the Settings/Preferences window. See
“Multi-Touch Gestures” in chapter 16, “External Control”.) The Dimmer
property needs not be selected for this.
❖ Note: As a convenience, when you select an intensity greater than zero and
the shutter state is closed, Lightkey automatically opens the shutter (for
fixtures which support the Shutter property).
Choose how intensities are applied to multiple fixtures
‣ Click Dimmer and choose one of the following options from the menu:
• Absolute: All fixtures are assigned the same intensity, regardless of their
previous state.
• Relative: This mode maintains the relative distances between the fixtures’
intensities. For example, if you increase the intensity by 10%, all fixtures’
intensities increase by 10% from the previous value.
You may note that the Dimmer property is also available for fixtures with no explicit
Dimmer DMX channel. If a fixture uses the RGB color model (see “Color” below),
Lightkey will also display the Dimmer property which then affects the color’s
brightness. This feature has several advantages, for example:
• It allows dimming fixtures of different types at once, whether they have a

Dimmer channel or not.
• Fixtures with no explicit Dimmer support are also affected by the Master
Dimmer (see below).
• It allows controlling the intensity separately from the color, e.g. in different
presets.
Master Dimmer
Apart from the Dimmer property, the intensity of all fixtures is also affected by the
Master Dimmer. You can tell Lightkey to ignore the Master Dimmer for individual
fixtures.

Change the Master Dimmer
‣ Click Live to show the Live view, then drag the Master Dimmer slider.
Alternatively, place the pointer over the slider and scroll up or down. (If this
doesn’t work, choose Lightkey > Settings… (or Preferences…), click Gestures,
and make sure “Scrolling changes slider and HUD values” is selected.)
‣ Place the pointer over the Preview and swipe up or down with four fingers on
your trackpad. (This gesture requires that four-finger gestures are not assigned
to other actions in System Settings (or System Preferences). It can be changed
in the Settings/Preferences window. See “Multi-Touch Gestures” in chapter 16,
“External Control”.)
❖ Note: The Master Dimmer only affects fixtures that can be dimmed.
Ignore the Master Dimmer for individual fixtures
1 Click Edit in the toolbar or choose View > Edit Preview to edit the Preview.
3 Click Ignore Master Dimmer in the Inspector on the right.
4 Click Done in the toolbar.
Color
The Color property mixes a fixture’s light color by combining a set of three base
colors in varying degrees. Traditionally color mixing uses the CMY (Cyan, Magenta,
Yellow) model. With the advent of LED fixtures the RGB (Red, Green, Blue) model is
becoming common. Some fixtures support additional colors like amber, white, or
ultraviolet.
For fixtures that use the CMY or RGB models, the Design view shows a round control
comprised of three sliders which control the color’s hue (outer ring), saturation (left
inner slider), and brightness (right inner slider). Behind the scenes, Lightkey
translates these components to the matching RGB or CMY values.
Some fixtures provide additional color components:
• Cool or warm white

• Amber
• Lime
• Ultraviolet
Additional features may include:
• Color temperature: The tint of white light, in degrees Kelvin.
• Green/magenta saturation: The shift from the neutral point to full minus green
or full plus green, in percent.
• Xfade to Color: Transition between pure white (0%) and full color (100%).
Select the Color property
1 Select one or more fixtures which support the Color property.
‣ Click one of the fixtures’ names and choose Color from the shortcut menu.
‣ Press Shift-C or press C until the Color property is selected.
The keyboard shortcuts in this section require that the Color property is selected.
Choose the color’s hue
‣ Drag the Hue slider in the Design view.
‣ Place the pointer over the Hue slider and scroll up or down. (If this doesn’t

hue by 10°.
‣ Hold down the Option key and press the Up/Down Arrow keys or Plus/Minus
keys to increase/decrease the hue by 1°.
‣ Type a number between 0 and 360 to change the hue.
‣ Hold down the Command and Option keys and scroll up or down while the
pointer is over the Preview. (This gesture can be changed in the Settings/
Preferences window. See “Multi-Touch Gestures” in chapter 16, “External
Control”.) The Color property needs not be selected for this.

Choose the color’s saturation
‣ Drag the Saturation slider (left).
‣ Place the pointer over the Saturation slider and scroll up or down. (If this
‣ Press the Left/Right Arrow keys to decrease/increase the saturation by 10%.
‣ Hold down the Option key and press the Left/Right Arrow keys to decrease/
increase the saturation by 1%.
‣ Hold down the Command, Shift, and Option keys and scroll up or down while the
pointer is over the Preview. (This gesture can be changed in the Settings/
Preferences window. See “Multi-Touch Gestures” in chapter 16, “External
Control”.) The Color property needs not be selected for this.
Choose the color’s brightness
‣ Drag the Brightness slider (right).
‣ Place the pointer over the Brightness slider and scroll up or down. (If this
Change the color using the system color window
1 Click the current color in the center of the color control.
The system color window opens.
2 Choose a color in the color window.
Change additional colors and features
‣ Drag the sliders next to the main color control, or place the pointer over a slider
and scroll up or down. (If no sliders are visible then the selected fixtures don’t
support these features.)

‣ When the Color property is selected, press the Tab key until a border appears
around the slider you’d like to change. Then use the Up/Down Arrow keys or
type a numeric value to change the slider’s value.
You can enlarge the sliders for additional colors and features for more precise
control. The enlarged sliders also show the current value for each slider.
Change the size of the sliders for additional colors/features
‣ Click Color and choose Small Sliders or Large Sliders from the menu.
Why are my lights blue?
If a fixture’s Color property is not defined—that is, it’s neither overridden nor
defined by any active preset, cue, or sequence—then Lightkey applies its default
color. For RGB and CMY fixtures the default color is normally blue. Therefore, if
the fixture’s Dimmer is open (or it cannot be dimmed), the light color is blue.
You can change the default color to any other color, including black. See “Default
Values” later in this chapter for more information.
Color Wheel
The Color Wheel property controls a fixture’s color wheel, which contains colored
gels to create a tinted light beam. Some fixtures have multiple superimposed color
wheels; in this case there are multiple Color Wheel properties which you can control
independently.
For each color wheel, the Design view shows a grid of the available colors. If multiple
fixtures are selected, the grid contains the union of all available colors for the
fixtures.
Some fixtures support “special” colors which also appear in the grid:
• “Split colors” are created by stopping the color wheel at a position where two
adjacent color gels are in front of the light source.
• Color correction gels appear as “CTO” (Color Temperature Orange) or “CTB”

(Color Temperature Blue) and may contain a color temperature in Kelvin.

• Numbers represent “unknown” colors that have not been specified in the
fixture profile.
• Some fixtures support “random color” or “sound-controlled color” features.

They are represented by icons (cube or musical note, respectively) in the color
grid. The exact semantics of these features depend on the fixture.
• Many fixtures can rotate their color wheel continuously, creating a “rainbow
effect”. In this case one or two rainbow icons appear at the end of the grid. Most
fixtures also allow changing the rotation speed.
Select the Color Wheel property
1 Select one or more fixtures with a color wheel.
‣ Click one of the fixtures’ names and choose Color Wheel from the shortcut
menu.
‣ Press Shift-C or press C until the Color Wheel property is selected.
The keyboard shortcuts in this section require that the Color Wheel property is
selected.
Select a color
‣ Click one of the colors in the grid.
‣ Press an arrow key.
‣ Type a number to select a color by its index.
If multiple kinds of fixtures are selected and the selected color is not available on all
fixtures, Lightkey tries to apply the closest matching color.
Change the speed of the rainbow effect
‣ Press the mouse button over one of the rainbow icons at the end of the color
grid, and drag up or down.

Gobo Wheel
The Gobo Wheel property controls a fixture’s gobo wheel. A gobo is a stencil that is
placed in front of the light source, projecting an image onto a surface. The term is an
acronym for “GOes Before Optics”. Similar to a color wheel, multiple gobos are
arranged on a wheel so that they can be moved sequentially through the light beam.
Some fixtures have multiple superimposed gobo wheels; in this case there are
multiple Gobo Wheel properties which you can control independently.
For each gobo wheel, the Design view shows a grid of the available gobos. If multiple
fixtures are selected, the grid contains the union of all available gobos for the
fixtures.
Select the Gobo Wheel property
1 Select one or more fixtures with a gobo wheel.
‣ Click one of the fixtures’ names and choose Gobo Wheel from the shortcut
menu.
‣ Press Shift-G or press G until the Gobo Wheel property is selected.
The keyboard shortcuts in this section require that the Gobo Wheel property is
selected.
Select a gobo
‣ Click one of the gobos.
‣ Press an arrow key.
‣ Type a number to select a gobo by its index.
Gobo Cycle
Some fixtures support a gobo cycle effect which continuously rotates the gobo wheel
in clockwise or counterclockwise direction at a fixed or variable speed.

Apply a gobo cycle effect
1 Select the clockwise or counterclockwise gobo cycle effect from the gobo grid
(only available if the selected fixtures support gobo cycle).
2 Drag the Speed slider to change the cycle speed (only available if the selected
fixtures support variable cycle speeds). Alternatively, place the pointer over the
slider and scroll left or right.
Gobo States
Many fixtures support some or all of the following gobo states:
• Rotation: Continuous rotation in clockwise or counterclockwise direction.
• Bouncing: Continuous rotation with alternating direction.
• Indexing: Changes the gobo’s angle.
• Shake: Rotates the gobo wheel slightly backward and forward.
Change a gobo’s rotation state
‣ Click or press R to enable rotation. Repeat to reverse the rotation direction,

and repeat again to stop the rotation.
‣ If the fixture supports gobo rotation with variable speed: Press the mouse
button over and drag up or down to adjust the speed, or press the Minus/Plus
keys. Press Option-Minus or Option-Plus for fine control.
Change a gobo’s bounce state
‣ Click or press B to enable bouncing. Repeat to stop the gobo from bouncing.
‣ If the fixture supports gobo bouncing with variable speed: Press the mouse
Rotate a gobo (indexing)
‣ Press the mouse button over and drag up or down to adjust the angle. Click
again to disable gobo indexing.
‣ Press I to turn indexing on or off. Press the Minus/Plus keys to change the
angle; press Option-Minus or Option-Plus for fine control.

Change a gobo’s shake state
‣ Click or press S to enable shake. Repeat to stop the gobo from shaking.
‣ If the fixture supports gobo shake with variable speed: Press the mouse button
over and drag up or down to adjust the speed, or press the Minus/Plus keys.
Press Option-Minus or Option-Plus for fine control.
❖ Note: Rotation, bounce, and indexing are not available for the open gobo.
Shutter/Strobe
The Shutter/Strobe property can control two slightly different things:
• A fixture’s shutter, which can be moved in front of the light source so that no
light is emitted. Often the shutter can also be used to create stroboscope
(strobe) effects (regular or irregular flashes of light) or pulse effects (gradually
increasing the amount of light and abruptly reducing it, or vice versa).
• A stroboscope (strobe) effect, which may or may not be realized through a

shutter (it may also be realized by a xenon flash lamp, for example).
Select the Shutter/Strobe property
1 Select one or more fixtures which support the Shutter/Strobe property.
‣ Click one of the fixtures’ names and choose Shutter/Strobe from the
shortcut menu.
‣ Press Shift-S or press S until the Shutter/Strobe property is selected.
The keyboard shortcuts in this section require that the Shutter/Strobe property is
selected.
Open or close the shutter
‣ Click Open or Closed.
‣ Press O to open or C to close the shutter.

❖ Note: As a convenience, Lightkey automatically sets the shutter state to open
when you apply a non-zero Dimmer value if the shutter was previously closed.
Control strobe effects
‣ Click Strobe or press S to enable strobing (if supported by the fixture). Repeat
to select synchronized strobe, random strobe, random synchronized strobe, or
lightning strobe (if supported by the fixture).
Strobe Synchronized strobe Random strobe
Lightning strobe Random synchronized strobe
‣ Press the mouse over the Strobe button and drag up or down to adjust the
strobe speed (if the fixture supports variable strobe speeds).
‣ If the fixture supports a sound-controlled strobing, drag the mouse up until the
label reads “Sound-Active”.
‣ You can also press the Up/Down Arrow keys or Minus/Plus keys to decrease/
increase the strobe speed. (Press Option-Up/Down Arrow or Option-Minus/Plus
for fine control.)
Control shutter pulse effects
‣ Click Pulse or press P to enable the pulse effect (if supported by the fixture).
Repeat to change the pulse style. The button cycles between the following
states if they are supported by the selected fixtures:
Pulse Pulse Pulse Burst
opening closing alternating pulse
Random Random pulse Random pulse Random pulse

burst pulse alternating closing opening
‣ Press the mouse over the Pulse button and drag up or down to adjust the pulse
speed (if the fixture supports variable pulse speeds).
‣ You can also press the Up/Down Arrow keys or Minus/Plus keys to decrease/
increase the pulse speed. (Press Option-Up/Down Arrow or Option-Minus/Plus
for fine control.)

Position
The Position property controls the pan and tilt of a moving light.
Lightkey’s position control is a circular area which reflects the physical position of
the fixture. A point represents the current fixture position. The point’s angle shows
the fixture’s pan angle, and the distance from the center shows the tilt angle.
Imagine looking in the direction of the pan axis:
Viewing direction onto

position control
Position control
Pan axis
Pan rotation
Before you use the position control, you should calibrate the fixture’s beam direction,
as described in “Set Beam Directions” in chapter 7, “Preview”. This makes sure that
the angles in the position control match the virtual Preview.
Lightkey measures pan angles from the center of the pan range, which is called the
home angle. For example, if the pan range is 540° then the pan angles range
between –270° and +270°. The home angle is always at 0°. In clockwise direction
from the home angle are negative angles, in counterclockwise direction are positive
angles.
Likewise, tilt angles are measured from the center of the tilt range. For example, if
the tilt range is 320° then the tilt angles range between –160° and +160°. If the tilt
angle is 0°, the fixture is parallel to the pan axis.

Tilt
Current position
Home angle Pan
If a fixture’s pan range exceeds 360° then some points in the position control may
correspond to two different pan angles, just like one physical fixture direction can
relate to different pan angles (for example, –90° and +270°). You can still use all pan
angles (within a total range of 700°) by starting at the home (center) position and
moving the fixture from there to the desired pan angle.
Open the Position HUD
1 Select one or more fixtures which support the Position property.
‣ Click one of the fixtures’ names and choose Position from the shortcut
menu.
‣ Press Shift-P or press P until the Position HUD appears.
If you have a trackpad which supports Force Touch, you can also force click a fixture
icon to open the Position HUD. Otherwise you can press the mouse button over a
fixture icon for about 0.5 seconds until the Position HUD appears. These gestures can
be configured in Lightkey’s Settings (or Preferences) window. For more information,
see “Multi-Touch Gestures” in chapter 16, “External Control”.
The following tasks in this section require that the Position HUD is open.
Change the fixture position
‣ Click inside the position control (the circle around the selected fixture’s icon).
Hold down the mouse button and drag to adjust the position.
‣ To maintain the current pan angle, hold down the Command key as you click or
drag.
‣ To maintain the current tilt angle, hold down the Shift key as you click or drag.

‣ To disable snapping to some pan/tilt angles, hold down the Control key as you
drag.
‣ To reverse the sign of the pan or tilt value, Control-click the position control
and choose Flip Pan or Flip Tilt from the shortcut menu.
‣ To quickly change the fixture position when the Position HUD is not open, press
the mouse button while the pointer is over a fixture’s icon. When the Position
HUD opens, drag the pointer to a point in the position control, then release the
mouse button.
Additional ways to change the pan angle
‣ Place the pointer over the position control and scroll up or down. (If this doesn’t
‣ Press a number key to set the pan angle according to the location of the key.
7 8 9
4 6
1 2 3
‣ Press the Left/Right Arrow keys to increase/decrease the pan angle by 1°.
‣ Hold down the Shift key and press the Left/Right Arrow keys to increase/
decrease the pan angle by 10°.
Select a pan angle if the fixture’s pan range exceeds 360°
‣ If a fixture’s pan range exceeds 360° then some points in the position control
may correspond to two different pan angles—a negative and a positive angle,
for example, –90° and +270°. To select the positive pan angle, move the fixture
to the home pan angle, then drag the pointer in the positive direction
(counterclockwise) until you get to the desired angle. To select the negative pan
angle, move the fixture to the home pan angle, then drag the pointer in the
negative direction (clockwise) until you get to the desired angle.

Additional ways to change the tilt angle
‣ Place the pointer over the position control, hold down the Command key and
scroll. (If this doesn’t work, choose Lightkey > Settings… (or Preferences…),
click Gestures, and make sure “Scrolling changes slider and HUD values” is
selected.)
‣ Press the Up/Down Arrow keys to increase/decrease the tilt angle by 1°.
‣ Hold down the Shift key and press the Up/Down Arrow keys to increase/
decrease the tilt angle by 10°.
Select a negative tilt angle
‣ Hold down the Command key to lock the pan angle and drag the pointer across
the center of the position control.
‣ Press the Down Arrow key to decrease the tilt angle until it becomes negative.
(Hold down the Shift key while pressing the Down Arrow key to increase the
steps.)
‣ Control-click the position control and choose Flip Tilt. This will reverse the sign
of the tilt angle.
Choose how angles are applied to multiple fixtures
‣ Click Position and choose one of the following options from the menu:
• Absolute: All fixtures point in the same direction, regardless of their home
position and rotation direction (as long as the position is within their
range). For example, if you select a position where the beam points
upwards in the Preview, all fixtures will point upwards.
• Relative to Home Position: All fixtures are assigned the same pan and tilt
angles (as long as they are within the fixtures’ ranges). For example, if you
select a pan angle of +30°, all fixtures move to a pan angle of +30° relative
to their respective home position.
• Relative to Current Position: This mode maintains the relative distances

between the fixtures. For example, if you increase the pan angle by 15°
then all fixtures move by 15° from their current position.

Some fixtures allow infinite rotation around the pan or tilt axis with variable speed.
Enable infinite pan or tilt rotation
1 Click (pan) or (tilt). Repeat to reverse the rotation direction.
2 Drag the Pan Speed or Tilt Speed slider to adjust the rotation speed.
Close the Position HUD
‣ Click anywhere outside the HUD.
Movement Speed
The Movement Speed property (sometimes called “Mspeed”) controls a moving
light’s movement when the Position property (pan and tilt) changes. Some fixtures
support multiple speed modes like Tracking or Vector. Other fixtures simply let you
change the speed from slow to fast.
Select the Movement Speed property
1 Select one or more fixtures which support the Movement Speed property.
2 Click one of the fixtures’ names and choose Movement Speed from the shortcut
menu.
The keyboard shortcuts in this section require that the Movement Speed property is
selected.
Change the speed mode (if available)
1 Click the button below the words “Movement Speed”. (The button is only visible
if your fixtures support different speed modes.)
2 Select one of the available options. (Lightkey only shows the options that your
fixtures support).
• Tracking: The fixture follows the position sent by Lightkey as closely as

possible. This mode is appropriate for most situations. Always use this
mode if the position is controlled by a movement path or sequence. (You
can quickly select this mode by pressing T.)

• Tracking, Slow/Medium/Fast Speed: Some fixtures provide specialized
algorithms for slow, medium, and fast movements. See your fixture’s
documentation for more information.
• Vector: The fixture uses an internal algorithm to calculate a smooth

movement between the positions sent by Lightkey. The speed can be
controlled with the Speed slider. Using this mode is usually not necessary
because Lightkey can generate continuous fixture movements. (You can
quickly select this mode by pressing V.)
• Blackout During Pan/Tilt Movement: Like tracking, but the dimmer or

shutter close while the fixture is in motion. (You can quickly select this
mode by pressing B.)
• Blackout During Wheel Movement: Like tracking, but the dimmer or

shutter close during color or gobo wheel transitions.
• Blackout During Pan/Tilt & Wheel Movements: Like tracking, but the
dimmer or shutter close while the fixture moves and during color or gobo
wheel transitions.
Change the movement speed (if available)
1 If the selected fixtures support multiple speed modes, make sure Vector is
selected.
2 Do one of the following to change the vector speed:
‣ Drag the Speed slider. Alternatively, place the pointer over the slider and
scroll left or right. (If this doesn’t work, choose Lightkey > Settings… (or
Preferences…), click Gestures, and make sure “Scrolling changes slider
and HUD values” is selected.)
‣ Press the Left/Right Arrow keys or Minus/Plus keys to decrease/increase

the speed. (Press Option-Left/Right Arrow or Option-Minus/Plus for fine
control.)
Focus
The Focus property adjusts the beam so that the light is concentrated on the focal
point.

Open the Focus HUD
1 Select one or more fixtures which support the Focus property.
‣ Click one of the fixtures’ names and choose Focus from the shortcut
menu.
‣ Press Shift-F or press F until the Focus HUD appears.
As a shortcut, you can configure Lightkey to open the Focus HUD when you pinch on
the trackpad using two fingers (requires a multi-touch trackpad or Apple Magic
Trackpad). For more information, see “Multi-Touch Gestures” in chapter 16,
“External Control”.
The following tasks in this section require that the Focus HUD is open.
Change the focus
‣ Click inside the focus control (the circle around the selected fixture’s icon).
Hold down the mouse button and drag to adjust the focus. To disable snapping
press and hold the Control key.
‣ Place the pointer over the focus control and scroll. (If this doesn’t work, choose
Lightkey > Settings… (or Preferences…), click Gestures, and make sure
“Scrolling changes slider and HUD values” is selected.)
‣ Place the pointer over the focus control and pinch on the trackpad using two
fingers (requires a multi-touch trackpad or Apple Magic Trackpad).

focus by 10°.
‣ Hold down the Option key and press the Up/Down Arrow keys to increase/
decrease the focus by 1°.
‣ Type a number to set the focus to an exact value. (Type a single digit to set the
value in steps of 10°. Type two digits to set an exact value in degrees.)

Choose how the focus is applied to multiple fixtures
‣ Click Focus and choose one of the following options from the menu:
• Absolute: All fixtures are assigned the same focus value, regardless of
their previous state.
focus values. For example, if you increase the focus by 10%, all fixtures’
focus values increase by 10% from the previous value.
Close the Focus HUD
Zoom
The Zoom property controls the size (or spread) of the light beam by moving a lens
back and forward inside the fixture.
Open the Zoom HUD
1 Select one or more fixtures which support the Zoom property.
‣ Click one of the fixtures’ names and choose Zoom from the shortcut
menu.
‣ Press Shift-Z or press Z until the Zoom HUD appears.
As a shortcut, you can configure Lightkey to open the Zoom HUD when you pinch on
the trackpad using two fingers (requires a multi-touch trackpad or Apple Magic
The following tasks in this section require that the Zoom HUD is open.

Change the zoom angle
‣ Click inside the zoom control (the circle around the selected fixture’s icon).
Hold down the mouse button and drag to adjust the angle. To disable snapping
‣ Place the pointer over the zoom control and scroll. (If this doesn’t work, choose
‣ Place the pointer over the zoom control and pinch on the trackpad using two

zoom angle by 1°.
‣ Type a number to set the zoom angle to an exact value.
Choose how zoom angles are applied to multiple fixtures
‣ Click Zoom and choose one of the following options from the menu:
• Absolute: All fixtures are assigned the same zoom angle (as long as it is
within their zoom ranges), regardless of their previous state.
zoom angles. For example, if you increase the angle by 20°, all fixtures’
zoom angles increase by 20° from the previous value.
Close the Zoom HUD
Iris
The Iris property controls a set of shutters which change the size of the light beam.
Open the Iris HUD
1 Select one or more fixtures which support the Iris property.

‣ Click one of the fixtures’ names and choose Iris from the shortcut menu.
‣ Press Shift-I or press I until the Iris HUD appears.
As a shortcut, you can configure Lightkey to open the Iris HUD when you pinch on the
trackpad using two fingers (requires a multi-touch trackpad or Apple Magic
The following tasks in this section require that the Iris HUD is open.
Change the iris size
‣ Click inside the iris control (the circle around the selected fixture’s icon). Hold
down the mouse button and drag to adjust the iris size. To disable snapping
‣ Place the pointer over the iris control and scroll. (If this doesn’t work, choose
‣ Place the pointer over the iris control and pinch on the trackpad using two

iris size by 10%.
‣ Hold down the Option key and press the Up/Down Arrow keys to increase/
decrease the iris size by 1%.
‣ Type a number to set the iris size to an exact value. (Type a single digit to set
the value in steps of 10%. Type two digits to set an exact percent value.)
Choose how iris sizes are applied to multiple fixtures
‣ Click Iris and choose one of the following options from the menu:
• Absolute: All fixtures are assigned the same iris size (as long as it is
within their iris ranges), regardless of their previous state.
iris sizes. For example, if you increase the size by 10%, all fixtures’ iris
sizes increase by 10% from the previous value.

Close the Iris HUD
Prism
The Prism property multiplies the light beam by passing it through a faceted glass
lens. Each facet produces a copy of the beam at a slightly different focus. Many
fixtures support rotating prisms at fixed or variable speeds. Some fixtures have
multiple superimposed prisms; in this case there are multiple Prism properties
which can be controlled independently.
Select the Prism property
1 Select one or more fixtures which support the Prism property.
‣ Click one of the fixtures’ names and choose Prism from the shortcut
menu.
‣ Press Shift-M or press M until the Prism property is selected.
The keyboard shortcuts in this section require that the Prism property is selected.
Select a prism type
‣ Click a prism icon. (Only the prism types that are supported by your fixtures are
shown.)
‣ Type a number.
Change the prism rotation state
‣ Click or press R to enable rotation. Repeat to reverse the rotation direction,

and repeat again to stop the rotation. (The symbol is only visible if the fixture
supports prism rotation.)

‣ If the fixture supports prism rotation with variable speed: Press the mouse
Rotate the prism (indexing)
‣ Press the mouse button over and drag up or down to adjust the angle. Click
again to disable prism indexing. (The symbol is only visible if the fixture
supports prism indexing.)
‣ Press I to turn indexing on or off. Press the Minus/Plus keys to change the
angle; press Option-Minus or Option-Plus for fine control.
Frost
The Frost property controls a diffusion filter which softens the light beam. Some
fixtures allow control over the degree of softening, others simply let you control if the
effect is on or off. Some fixtures also support a frost pulse effect (gradually
increasing the frost amount and abruptly reducing it, or vice versa).
Select the Frost property
1 Select one or more fixtures which support the Frost property.
‣ Click one of the fixtures’ names and choose Frost from the shortcut menu.
‣ Press Shift-R or press R until the Frost property is selected.
The keyboard shortcuts in this section require that the Frost property is selected.
Enable or disable the frost filter
‣ Click On or Off or press O.
Control the degree of softening
1 Click Linear or press L.

2 Do one of the following to adjust the frost amount:
‣ Drag the Amount slider. Alternatively, place the pointer over the slider and

the frost amount by 10%.
‣ Hold down the Option key and press the Left/Right Arrow keys or Minus/
Plus keys to decrease/increase the frost amount by 1%.
‣ Type a number to set the frost amount to an exact value. (Type a single
digit to set the value in steps of 10%. Type two digits to set an exact
percent value.)
Apply a frost pulse effect
1 Click Pulse or press P. Do this again to change the pulse direction (if the fixture
supports both increasing and decreasing pulse effects).
2 Do one of the following to change the pulse speed:
‣ Drag the Pulse Speed slider. Alternatively, place the pointer over the
slider and scroll left or right. (If this doesn’t work, choose Lightkey >
Settings… (or Preferences…), click Gestures, and make sure “Scrolling
changes slider and HUD values” is selected.)

the speed. (Press Option-Left/Right Arrow or Option-Minus/Plus for fine
control.)
Fog
The Fog property controls the amount of fog or haze produced by a fog machine or
hazer.
Select the Fog property
1 Select one or more fixtures which support the Fog property.
‣ Click one of the fixtures’ names and choose Fog from the shortcut menu.

‣ Press Shift-O or press O until the Fog property is selected.
The keyboard shortcuts in this section require that the Fog property is selected.
Change the fog amount
‣ Drag the Amount slider. Alternatively, place the pointer over the slider and
Preferences…), click Gestures, and make sure “Scrolling changes slider and
HUD values” is selected.)
‣ Press the Left/Right Arrow keys or Minus/Plus keys to decrease/increase the

fog amount by 10%.
‣ Hold down the Option key and press the Left/Right Arrow keys or Minus/Plus
keys to decrease/increase the fog amount by 1%.
‣ Type a number to set the fog amount to an exact value. (Type a single digit to set
the value in steps of 10%. Type two digits to set an exact percent value.)
Custom Fixture Properties

Many fixtures have additional, non-standard properties which can be controlled in
the Design view. These properties can take three forms:
Vanilla
Vanilla Strawberry
Strawberry Chocolate
Chocolate
Fan Speed
Strawberry Strawberry
Slider List of options List of options with slider
Select a custom fixture property
1 Select one or more fixtures which support the property.

2 Click one of the fixtures’ names and choose the property name from the
shortcut menu.
The keyboard shortcuts in this section require that the property is selected.
Slider
If the property is represented by a slider, its value may be a percent value (0–100%)
or DMX value (0–255).
Change the property’s value
‣ Drag the slider. Alternatively, place the pointer over the slider and scroll left or
right. (If this doesn’t work, choose Lightkey > Settings… (or Preferences…),
click Gestures, and make sure “Scrolling changes slider and HUD values” is
selected.)
‣ If the slider’s value is a percent value:

the property value by 10%.
‣ Hold down the Option key and press the Left/Right Arrow keys or Minus/
Plus keys to decrease/increase the property value by 1%.
‣ Type a number to set the value to an exact value. (Type a single digit to set
the property value in steps of 10%. Type two digits to set an exact percent
value.)
‣ If the slider’s value is a DMX value:

the property value by 1.
‣ Type a number to set the value to an exact value.
List of Options
If the property is represented by a list of options, you can choose one of the options
from the list. The property may also have a slider, whose meaning usually depends
on the selected option and which may not be available for all options.

Select an option and change the slider value (if available)
‣ Click the property’s button.
‣ Press Return or Enter (when the property is selected).
The list of options appears.
‣ Click an option.
‣ Type the first letters of an option’s name.
‣ Press the Up/Down Arrow keys to select the previous/next option.
3 If a slider is visible and enabled, do one of the following:
‣ Drag the slider. Alternatively, place the pointer over the slider and scroll
left or right. (If this doesn’t work, choose Lightkey > Settings… (or

the value.
4 Press Return or Enter to hide the list of options.
★ Tip: Double-click an option to select it and hide the options.
Reorder or Hide Custom Properties

By default, custom properties are ordered as they appear in the fixture profile, but
you can reorder or hide properties as you like. For example, you can hide unused
properties to free up space in the Design view.
You can’t reorder or hide the built-in standard fixture properties.
Reorder or hide custom properties
1 Select one or more fixtures with custom properties.
2 Click Edit in the top-right of the Design view. Alternatively, choose View > Edit
Design View or press Command-Shift-Option-D.

3 Make changes in the Design view as appropriate:
‣ To change the order of the custom properties, drag them to the desired
position.
‣ To hide a custom property, click the box to the left of its name.
4 Click Done (or press Command-Return).
Quickly hide a fixture property
‣ Click the fixture property’s name in the Design view and select Hide This
Property from the menu.
Lamp
The Lamp property allows turning a fixture’s lamp on or off. Lightkey automatically
turns the lamp on when you start the application or open a project, and you can tell it
to turn the lamp off when you quit the application or close the project. You will rarely
need to use this property during normal operation. Note that only some fixtures
support the Lamp property.
❖ Note: The Lamp property can’t be stored in presets.
Manually turn a fixture’s lamp on or off
‣ Click the fixture’s name and choose Lamp > On or Lamp > Off from the
shortcut menu.
‣ Select the fixture and choose Fixture > Lamp > On or Fixture > Lamp > Off.
Automatically turn the lamp off when you quit Lightkey or close the project

click General.
2 Select “Send Lamp Off to fixtures” and choose how long the “lamp off” value
should be sent. You can find the required duration in your fixtures’
documentation.

Command
The Command property can be used to send various commands to a fixture.
(Technically, this is done by setting a DMX channel to a certain value for a short
amount of time.) The available commands depend on your fixtures; common
commands are:
• Reset
• Reset Pan/Tilt
• Enable blackout during pan/tilt movement
• Disable blackout during pan/tilt movement
❖ Note: The Command property can’t be stored in presets.
Send a command
‣ Click the fixture’s name, choose Command from the shortcut menu and then
choose one of the commands from the submenu.
‣ Select the fixture, choose Fixture > Command and then choose one of the
commands from the submenu.
Default Values
Lightkey uses sensible default values for fixture properties that aren’t defined. For
example, it sets the Shutter property to “closed” and the Movement Speed to the
fastest speed. You can change those defaults, if necessary, for each individual fixture.
Change a fixture property’s default values
1 Select one or more fixtures in the Preview. The new defaults will only affect
those fixtures.
2 Change the fixture property in the Design view or a HUD.
3 Click the fixture property name in the Design view or HUD and choose Set as
Default Value from the menu.

Reset a fixture property’s default values to the original values
1 Select one or more fixtures in the Preview. The change will only affect those
fixtures.
2 Click the fixture property name and choose Reset Default Values.
Copy and Paste Fixture Properties

You can copy the properties of the selected fixture to the Clipboard and then paste
them to other fixtures. Only overridden properties (that is, properties that you
manually defined in the Design view or HUDs) are copied, but not properties which
are defined by presets, sequences, or cues.
You can copy properties between fixtures of different kinds, assuming that the
involved fixtures support them. Lightkey tries to convert the values if necessary. For
example, if you copy a CMY fixture’s Color property to an RGB fixture, Lightkey
calculates the corresponding RGB color. If you copy a color from a CMY or RGB
fixture to a color wheel fixture, Lightkey picks the closest matching color on the
wheel. If you copy the Prism property to a fixture with different prism types, Lightkey
chooses the closest matching type that the destination fixture supports.
Copy and paste fixture properties
‣ Click a fixture’s name and choose Copy Properties from the shortcut
menu, then choose an item from the submenu. Choose All to copy all
overridden properties.
‣ Select a single fixture, then click in the toolbar and choose Copy
Properties and then choose an item from the menu. Choose All to copy all
overridden properties.
‣ Select a single fixture, then choose Fixture > Copy Properties and choose
an item from the submenu (or press Command-Option-C). Choose All to
copy all overridden properties.
‣ Select one or more fixtures, then click the name of a fixture property in
the Design view or a HUD and select Copy (property name) from the menu.
This will only copy a single fixture property.
To copy the properties of an individual light beam, select only that beam. Only
overridden fixture properties can be copied.

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2 Select one or more fixtures you want to apply the properties to. If you want to
paste the properties to individual light beams only, select those beams.
‣ Click one of the fixtures’ names and choose Paste Properties from the
shortcut menu.
‣ Click in the toolbar and choose Paste Properties from the menu.
‣ Select Fixture > Paste Properties (or press Command-Option-V).
‣ Click the name of a fixture property in the Design view or a HUD and select
Paste Properties from the menu.
❖ Note: The menu for copying fixture properties does not include properties
that have been hidden from the Design view. See “Reorder and Hide Custom
Properties” earlier in this chapter on how to show or hide properties in the
Design view.
View Overridden Fixture Properties

Lightkey can give you a quick overview of the fixture properties that are currently
overridden.
Show the overridden fixture properties
‣ Click Overrides in the toolbar.
‣ Click the blue dot next to a fixture’s name.
‣ Choose Fixture > Show Properties (or press Command-P).
‣ Control-click in a blank part of the Preview and choose Show Properties from
the shortcut menu.
Lightkey will display the names of the overridden properties next to the fixtures’
icons. You can quickly select one of the properties for editing or clear a property.

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Click a property to
select and edit it
Move the pointer over a property
and click the ! button to clear
the property for the fixture.
Hold down the Option key to clear
the property for all fixtures
Hide the overridden fixture properties
‣ Click anywhere in the Preview or press Esc, Return, or Enter.
Clear Fixture Properties

You can quickly clear (or “undefine”) some or all overridden properties. This will also
remove effects and fanning.
Clear a single fixture property
‣ Click the blue (or gray) dot to the left of the property’s name in the Design
view or the property’s HUD.
‣ Select a fixture property and press the Space bar or Delete key.
Clear all overridden fixture properties for a set of fixtures
‣ Click one of the fixtures’ names and choose Clear Properties from the
shortcut menu.
‣ Click in the toolbar and choose Clear Properties from the menu.
‣ Select Fixture > Clear Properties (or press Command-Delete).
Clear all overridden properties from all fixtures

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‣ Select Fixture > Clear Properties for All Fixtures (or press Command-Shift-
Delete).
‣ Control-click a blank part of the Preview and choose Clear Properties for All
Fixtures from the shortcut menu.
After all properties have been cleared, the blue dots to the left of the fixtures’ names
in the Preview disappear.
Undo Changes
If you inadvertently changed a fixture property, you can undo the change. You can
also redo changes that you have undone.
Undo or redo changes
‣ To undo the last action, choose Edit > Undo (or press Command-Z).
‣ To redo the last action you undid, choose Edit > Redo (or press Command-
Shift-Z).
Fanning
Fanning (also called “spreading”) lets you create interesting looks by spreading
fixture property values evenly across a range of fixtures. When you use fanning, you
define the property values for at least two fixtures (usually the first and last), and
Lightkey will calculate the values for the fixtures in between. Like normal property
values, fanned properties can be stored in presets, sequences, and cues, while
staying fully editable at any time.
Fanning can be used for the following fixture properties:
• Dimmer
• Color (RGB and additional colors)
• Position
• Focus
• Zoom
• Iris
• Frost

• Fog
• Any custom property represented by a slider
Values can be fanned not only across fixtures but also across the individual beams of
LED fixtures. In the following, the term pixel will be used for the smallest unit which
can be individually controlled—either a fixture or a beam.
Example: By fanning colors across the beams of LED strips you can easily create
color gradients.
Example: Pan angles spread over a row of moving lights.
Fan a fixture property
1 Select at least three fixtures, or an LED fixture with at least three beams.
2 Do one of the following to select a fixture property:
‣ Click one the fixture’s names and select a property from the shortcut
menu.
‣ Choose Fixture > Select Property, then select a property from the menu.
3 Click the fixture property’s name in the Design view or the property’s HUD, then
choose Add (property name) Fanning… from the menu.
Lightkey displays the Fanning HUD around the fixtures’ icons in the Preview.

Select whether the pan angle, tilt The blue dots indicate that
angle, or both should be fanned positions have been defined
(Position property only) for the outer fixtures
The positions in between are

calculated automatically
In the example above, the fixtures are ordered from left to right. There are other
possibilities for ordering fixtures and beams which highly affect the result of the
fanning.
Change the order of fixtures (or beams)
1 When the Fanning HUD is visible, click Fixture Order.
As you move the mouse pointer over an item in the menu, Lightkey shows the
resulting fixture order in the Preview.
2 Select an option as appropriate:
• Left to Right: Sort the fixtures or beams from left to right as they appear in
the Preview.
• Right to Left: Sort the fixtures or beams from right to left as they appear in
the Preview.
• Top to Bottom: Sort the fixtures or beams from top to bottom as they
appear in the Preview.
• Bottom to Top: Sort the fixtures or beams from bottom to top as they
• By Short Name: Sort the fixtures alphabetically by their short name, either
ascending or descending. Beams are sorted by their index.
• By Address: Sort the fixtures by their universe and DMX address, either
• Select Fixtures: Treat all beams of a fixture as a single pixel.

• Select Beams: For fixtures with multiple beams, treat the beams as
individual pixels.
Example: Colors fanned across multiple fixtures with the “Left to Right” fixture
order.
P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8
P9 P10 P11 P12 P13 P14 P15 P16
If the “By Short Name” option is selected instead, the result would look like this:
P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8
P9 P10 P11 P12 P13 P14 P15 P16
Example: Colors fanned from left to right across four LED matrixes using the
Fixtures option. All beams of each fixture have the same color.
If the Beams option is selected instead, fanning includes the individual beams:
Define the value for a fixture or beam
‣ Click the fixture or beam, then choose a value.
A blue dot near the fixture or beam indicates that a value has been defined. The
values for the fixtures or beams in between are calculated automatically.
Remove the defined value for a fixture or beam
‣ Click the blue dot near the fixture or beam.

You can’t remove the last two defined values.
When a fixture property is controlled by fanning, the fixture property’s area in the
Design view shows an icon instead of the normal controls. You can open the Fanning
HUD and edit the fanning settings at any time.
Edit a fanned fixture property
‣ Click the icon in the Design view.
‣ Click a fixture’s name in the Preview, then select a fixture property from the
shortcut menu. Fanned properties are marked with an icon.
‣ Click Overrides in the toolbar. The names of the overridden properties appear
next to the fixtures’ icons, and an icon marks fanned properties. Click a fixture
property’s name to edit it.
Remove fanning
‣ While the Fanning HUD is open, click the title at the upper-left and choose
Delete Fanning from the menu.
‣ If the fixture property appears in the Design view, select the fixtures and then
click the blue dot to the left of the property’s name in the Design view.
‣ Click in the toolbar or choose Fixture > Clear Properties for All Fixtures (or
press Command-Shift-Delete). This will also remove any other overridden
properties from all fixtures.

Chapter 9
Presets and Sequences
Presets and sequences are the basic building
blocks of your light show. They are also the basis
for cues, which will be introduced in the next
chapter.
A preset stores an arbitrary combination of fixture properties for a set of fixtures. For
example, a preset could include colors and intensities for a number of moving heads,
or their pan/tilt positions. A preset can contain different properties for different
fixtures. Presets are generally static because they contain fixed values for fixture
properties. However, presets can also include effects which are treated like a special
value for a fixture property.
Although the concept of presets is deliberately flexible, there are common patterns
for using them. You may want to create “looks” for groups of related fixtures and
store each one in a preset. Later you can use these presets to combine different
fixture groups to a complete look. Or, if you prefer a more modular approach, you
can create presets which define a single property for a given group of fixtures. You
will end up with one set of “color” presets, another set of “gobo” presets and so on
which you can reuse later to quickly compose a look on the stage.
Whichever way you prefer, it is a good idea to organize similar presets in groups.
Here’s an example of three typical preset groups:

Moving Head Colors Moving Head Gobos LED Bars
Deep Blue Spiral Magenta
Deep Blue Spiral (rotating) Orange
Lime Green Heart Yellow
Color Change Flower (shaking) Green
A sequence contains a number of presets (also called steps) which are activated one
after the other. Each step has a duration which determines how long it remains
active. Lightkey can crossfade between two succeeding steps, which can be the basis
for interesting effects. There are various settings which control the order and timing
of sequences. You can also synchronize sequences to music, which means that they
will advance to the next step in sync to the beat.
Presets and sequences appear in the Preset Palette at the right side of the main
window.
If you don’t see the Preset Palette
‣ Choose View > Show Preset Palette.
Create a Preset
There are two basic ways to create a preset: You can define some fixture properties
and then save the result as a preset. Or you can begin with an empty preset and then
define its fixture properties.
Create a preset from the overridden fixture properties
1 Select one or more fixtures and change their properties. (See chapter 8,
“Fixture Properties”, for more information.) Fixtures with overridden properties
display a blue dot to the left to their name in the Preview.
‣ Choose Preset > New Preset (or press Command-N).
‣ Control-click an item in the Preset Palette and choose New Preset from
the shortcut menu. (If the clicked item is a group or sequence, the new
preset is added at the end of the group or sequence. If the clicked item is a
preset, the new preset is inserted after the preset.)

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A new preset appears in the Preset Palette, containing the overridden
properties of all fixtures. Lightkey automatically creates an icon and proposes a
name for the preset depending on its content.
3 If you want to keep the proposed name, simply press Return. Otherwise type a
different name and then press Return.
Create a preset that is initially empty
1 Click in the toolbar or choose Fixture > Clear Properties for All Fixtures to
make sure no fixture properties are overridden.
2 Click in the toolbar, or use one of the alternatives listed above.
A new, empty preset appears in the Preset Palette.
3 Select one or more fixtures and change their properties.
4 Click the checkmark next to the preset’s name in the Preset Palette.
View Preset Contents

Lightkey can give you a quick overview of the fixtures and fixture properties affected
by a given preset.
Show the contents of a preset
‣ Click the preset in the Preset Palette. (This will also activate the preset, as
described below.)
‣ Control-click the preset and choose Show Properties from the shortcut menu.
Lightkey will display the names of the properties defined for each fixture next to the
fixture icons in the Preview.
Hide the contents of a preset
‣ Click anywhere in the Preview.
‣ Press Esc, Return, or Enter.

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Activate Presets
When you activate a preset, its contained fixture properties are applied to the
fixtures. A preset is active when it is selected in the Preset Palette. Note that any
overridden fixture properties always take precedence over active presets.
To activate a preset
‣ Click the preset in the Preset Palette.
Activate a range of presets
1 Click the first preset.
2 Hold down the Shift key and click the last preset.
Change a preset’s active state
‣ Hold down the Command key and click the preset.
Deactivate all presets
‣ Press Esc.
Edit a Preset
You can always change the fixture properties stored in a preset after it has been
created.
Edit the fixture properties in a preset
‣ Move the pointer over the preset in the Preset Palette and click Edit.
‣ Hold down the Command key and double-click the preset.
‣ Click the preset in the Preset Palette and choose Preset > Edit (or press
Command-Shift-E).
‣ Control-click the preset and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
White you are editing a preset, its name appears in the center area of the
toolbar.
2 Make changes to the fixture properties. (See chapter 8, “Fixture Properties”, for
more information.)

3 Click Update next to the preset’s name in the Preset Palette, or press Return.
(To discard your changes and return to the preset’s previous state, hold down
the Option key and click Cancel next to the preset’s name, choose Preset >
Cancel Editing, or press Esc).
Lightkey will update the preset’s contents and icon. If the preset’s name has been
automatically assigned by Lightkey, it is updated too.
Presets and Overridden Properties

You can add the contents of a preset—that is, the fixture properties it defines—to the
overridden fixture properties. When you do this, the fixture properties in the preset
replace any previous values for those properties. Fixture properties not defined by
the preset remain unchanged.
Add the contents of presets to the overridden properties
‣ Select one or more presets in the Preset Palette and choose Preset > Apply.
‣ Control-click a preset and choose Apply from the shortcut menu.
‣ Select one or more presets and drag them to the Preview area.
You can use the same technique to merge two presets.
Merge two presets
1 Move the pointer over the first preset in the Preset Palette and click Edit.
2 Control-click the second preset and choose Apply from the shortcut menu.)
3 Click the checkmark next to the first preset’s name in the Preset Palette, or
press Return.
If some fixture properties are defined by both presets, the properties from the
second preset will replace those from the first preset.
In reverse, you can also add the overridden fixture properties to one or more existing
presets. In this case the overridden properties replace any previous values in the
presets. Fixture properties that aren’t overridden remain unchanged.

This technique is an alternative to editing the preset, as described earlier. It is
especially useful when you need to change multiple presets at once.
Add the overridden fixture properties to one or more presets
‣ Select one or more presets in the Preset Palette and choose Preset >
Add Overrides.
‣ Control-click a preset and choose Add Overrides from the shortcut menu.
‣ To add the overridden properties for the selected fixtures only, hold down
the Option key as you perform one of the preceding steps. The command
changes to Add Overrides for Selected Fixtures.
Create a Preset Group

As your list of presets grows, you may find it easier to create groups of similar
presets, which can be collapsed and expanded as necessary. Apart from presets,
groups can also contain sequences and other groups.
Create an empty preset group
‣ Press the mouse button over the symbol in the toolbar until a menu
appears, then choose New Group.
‣ Choose Preset > New Group (or press Command-Shift-N).
‣ Control-click an item in the Preset Palette and choose New Group from
the shortcut menu.
2 Enter a name for the group and then press Return.
Create a group from existing items
1 Select some presets, sequences, or groups in the Preset Palette. (Hold down
the Shift or Command key to select multiple items.)

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appears, then choose New Group From Selection.
‣ Choose Preset > New Group From Selection (or press Command-Option-
Shift-N).
Expand or collapse a group
‣ Click the disclosure triangle to the left of the group name.
‣ Click the group in the Preset Palette and choose Preset > Expand/Collapse
Group (or press Command-Left/Right Arrow).
Create a Sequence
Sequences look similar to groups in the Preset Palette; you can distinguish them by
their icon to the left of the name. Like groups, they can be collapsed and expanded.
Sequences contain a list of presets, but unlike groups, they cannot contain groups or
other sequences. The presets in a sequence are also called steps.
Create an empty sequence
appears, then choose New Sequence.
‣ Choose Preset > New Sequence (or press Command-Control-N).
‣ Control-click an item in the Preset Palette and choose New Sequence

2 Type a name for the sequence and then press Return.
Create a sequence from existing presets
1 Select the presets in the Preset Palette. (Hold down the Shift or Command key
to select multiple presets.)

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appears, then choose New Sequence From Selection.
‣ Choose Preset > New Sequence From Selection (or press Command-
Control-Option-N).
3 Type a name for the sequence and then press Return.
View Sequence Contents

by a given sequence—or, more precisely, all fixture properties affected by any preset
in the sequence.
Show the contents of a sequence
‣ Click the sequence in the Preset Palette.
‣ Control-click the sequence and choose Show Properties from the shortcut
menu.
Hide the contents of a sequence
Run Sequences
Run a sequence or stop a running sequence
‣ Click or to the right of the sequence’s name in the Preset Palette.
‣ Click the sequence in the Preset Palette and choose Preset > Start Sequence
or Preset > Stop Sequence.

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Sequence Order
There are various options which determine the order in which the steps in a
sequence are activated. As an example, consider a sequence with four steps which
define different fixture colors:
Name
Blue
Green
Yellow
Red
If you run the sequence with the default settings, each step is activated once, from
top to bottom:
time
Change a sequence’s order
‣ Double-click the sequence in the Preset Palette.
‣ Control-click the sequence and choose Get Info from the shortcut menu.
2 In the window that appears, click Options at the top and change the settings as
appropriate:
‣ Repeat: Choose how many times the sequence repeats before it stops.
Click the arrow in the text field and choose “inf” from the menu to make
the sequence repeat infinitely.
‣ Backwards: If selected, the steps will be activated in reverse order (from

bottom to top).
time
‣ Autoreverse: If selected, the sequence will reverse its direction after each
pass. (The repeat count must be greater than one for this to have an
effect.) If the Backwards option is selected, the first pass will be
backwards; otherwise the first pass will be forwards.
time

‣ Random: With this option, each pass through the sequence activates the
steps in a random order. The Backwards and Autoreverse options are
ignored.
‣ Freeze on completion: If selected, the last step will remain active when
the sequence has finished.
time
❖ Note: The options for Pan/Tilt movements in this window are described below
in “Create Fixture Movements With Sequences”.
Sequence Timing
A sequence can either use manual timing or beat-controlled timing.
Manual Timing
When using manual timing, each step in a sequence has a hold time which
determines how long the step remains active when the sequence runs. Consider the
example from the previous section with the following hold times:
Name Hold Time

Blue 00:02.0
Green 00:04.0
Yellow 00:02.0
Red 00:04.0
If you run the sequence, it would look like this:
00:00 00:02 00:04 00:06 00:08 00:10 00:12
Lightkey can crossfade (or blend) between consecutive steps. During the crossfade,
fixture property values gradually change from the old to the new state. Crossfading
only works for some fixture properties: For example, Lightkey can fade between two
Dimmer or two Focus values but not between Shutter states. If a property can’t be
crossfaded its value will change instantly in the middle of the crossfade period.

When crossfading between two steps, Lightkey can only fade fixture properties which
are defined in both steps. For example, to have a fixture gradually light up from off to
full intensity, the first preset must define the Dimmer property with a value of 0% and
the second step must define it with a value of 100%.
The duration of a crossfade is called the fade time; it is added to the hold time. By
default the fade time is zero, so all property values change instantly as in the
previous example.
➤ Important: Fade times do not apply to smart lights. They use a fixed fade time
which can’t be changed in Lightkey.
Example: The above sequence with a fade time of 1 second.
hold fade hold fade hold fade hold
00:00 00:02 00:04 00:06 00:08 00:10 00:12 00:14 00:16
When you use crossfading, a common technique is to set the hold times to zero, thus
creating a continuous animation. In our example, this would result in a “rainbow”
effect.
Example: Fade times are 00:02.0, hold times are zero.
fade fade fade
00:00 00:02 00:04 00:06 00:08 00:10 00:12
A sequence has a default hold time and default fade time. These values are initially
applied to all steps in the sequence but can be overridden for individual steps, as
described below.
❖ Note: The fade time for the last step in the sequence is only meaningful if the
sequence repeats. In this case it defines the time to blend between the last
and the first step.
When using manual timing, you can quickly change the overall speed of a sequence
through its speed rate. All hold and fade times are multiplied by this factor. Its
default value is 1.

Example: The original sequence with a speed rate of 0.5.
00:00 00:02 00:04 00:06 00:08 00:10 00:12
Example: The original sequence with a speed rate of 1.5.
00:00 00:02 00:04 00:06 00:08 00:10 00:12 00:14 00:16 00:18
Beat-Controlled Timing
With beat-controlled timing, you can synchronize a sequence to music. By default,
the sequence advances to the next step on each beat:
Beat Beat Beat Beat
00:00 00:02 00:04 00:06 00:08 00:10 00:12
You can change how often the sequence is advanced using the beat multiplier, which
is 1 by default. For example, if you set the beat multiplier to “÷ 2”, the sequence is
advanced on each half beat:
Beat Beat Beat Beat
00:00 00:02 00:04 00:06 00:08 00:10 00:12
With beat-controlled timing, you cannot set hold times, but you can still set fade
times. In this case the fade begins on each beat.
For information on how to set the beat grid, see chapter 12, “Beat Control”.
Change a sequence’s timing options
‣ Double-click the sequence in the Preset Palette.
‣ Control-click the sequence and choose Get Info from the shortcut menu.

2 In the window that appears, click Timing at the top and change the settings as
appropriate according to the foregoing discussion. Select “Individual fade
times” to allow individual steps to override the default fade time, as described
below.
Change the hold or fade time of individual steps
1 Select one or more steps. (Hold down the Command or Shift key as you click to
select multiple steps.) By selecting multiple steps you can change their hold or
fade times at once.
2 Click the hold or fade time (to the right of the step name). The fade time is only
visible if the sequence timing option “Individual fade times” is selected.
3 Enter a new value. You can press the Up/Down Arrow keys to increase/decrease
the time by one second. Leave the field empty to use the sequence’s default
hold or fade time.
4 Press Return to end editing.
★ Tip: When editing hold or fade times, press Tab or Shift-Tab to quickly jump to
the next or previous field.
You can change the initial hold and fade times for newly created sequences in the
Timing pane of Lightkey’s Settings or Preferences window. You can also increase the
precision (number of decimal places shown) for hold and fade times.
Change the hold and fade times for newly created sequences

click Timing.
2 Change the values in the fields for the sequence hold and fade time. (To revert a
value to the standard value, delete the field contents and press Return.)
Change the precision for hold and fade times

click Timing.
2 Select an option from the “Time precision” pop-up menu.

Create Fixture Movements With Sequences
If the steps in a sequence define different pan/tilt positions, your fixtures will move
between these positions as the sequence runs. Lightkey provides different options to
control the exact movement of the fixtures.
❖ Note: Another way to generate fixture movements are movement effects, as

described in chapter 10, “Effects”. Each technique has its advantages and
drawbacks. A movement effect is quick to create, easy to reuse on different
fixtures, and provides a better visual impression of how the fixture moves. On
the other hand, a sequence lets you combine the fixture movement with other
property changes and gives you more control over timing.
As an example, consider a sequence with five steps which define positions for a
fixture:
Name Hold Time Fade Time

Position 1 (P1) 00:01.0 00:02.0
Position 2 (P1) 00:01.0 00:06.0
Position 3 (P1) 00:01.0 00:04.0
Position 4 (P1) 00:01.0 00:02.0
Position 5 (P1) 00:01.0 00:02.0
The following graph shows when the fixture reaches the different positions if no
special options are applied. In the graph, the vertical dimension represents the
fixture position (which actually consists of two dimensions, pan and tilt). During the
crossfade periods, Lightkey linearly interpolates the fixture positions between the
previous and next step.
P5
P2
P4
P1 P3
00:00 00:02 00:04 00:06 00:08 00:10 00:12 00:14 00:16 00:18

If we change all hold times to zero to create a continuous movement, the fixture
moves like this:
P5
P2
P3
P4
P1
00:00 00:02 00:04 00:06 00:08 00:10 00:12 00:14
The fixture moves on the direct way from one position to the next, changing its
movement direction at each point. If you want a smoother movement instead, you can
select the option “Smooth movements”.
P5
P2
P3
P4
P1
00:00 00:02 00:04 00:06 00:08 00:10 00:12 00:14
Lightkey will calculate a curve which passes all five fixture positions at the times
determined by the steps’ hold and fade times. For example, the time it takes to move
from P1 to P2 is the sum of the first step’s hold and fade times (with this option there
is no longer a difference between hold and fade time).
The movement speed from each position to the next may vary—it depends on the
hold/fade times and the distance between the positions. In the example, P1 and P2
are relatively far apart, but the fade time is short, so the fixture moves at a high
speed. To create a uniform movement, select the option “Constant pace”.
P5
P2
P3 P4
P1
00:00 00:02 00:04 00:06 00:08 00:10 00:12 00:14

Lightkey will adjust the time at which each position is reached so that the fixture
moves at (approximately) constant speed (ignoring the individual hold/fade times).
The total time for moving through the sequence is still the same (that is, it is
determined by the total hold and fade times).
Organize Presets and Sequences

Here are ways to organize presets, groups, and sequences in the Preset Palette.
Move a preset, group, or sequence
‣ Drag the item up or down in the Preset Palette. You can move items in and out
of groups and sequences (however, sequences can’t contain groups or other
sequences).
Reorder multiple presets, groups, or sequences
1 Select the items in the Preset Palette. Hold down the Shift or Command key to
select multiple items.
2 Drag the selected items to the desired position.
Rename a preset, preset group, or sequence
1 Click the preset, preset group, or sequence in the Preset Palette to select it.
‣ Click the item’s name in the Preset Palette.
‣ Choose Edit > Rename (or press Return).
‣ Control-click the item and choose Rename from the shortcut menu.
3 Enter a new name and then press Return.
Duplicate a preset, preset group, or sequence
1 Click the preset, preset group, or sequence in the Preset Palette to select it.
2 Choose Edit > Duplicate (or press Command-Shift-D). Lightkey will create a
copy of the item below the original item.
After duplicating a preset, Lightkey will automatically begin to edit it (see “Edit a
Preset”).

Duplicate a preset, preset group, or sequence by dragging
‣ Hold down the Option key and drag the preset, preset group, or sequence.
Lightkey will add a copy of the item at the target location.
After duplicating a preset, Lightkey will automatically begin to edit it (see “Edit a
Preset”).
Delete a preset, preset group, or sequence
1 Click the item in the Preset Palette to select it. (Hold down the Shift or
Command key to select multiple items.)
‣ Choose Edit > Delete.
‣ Control-click the item and choose Delete from the shortcut menu.
‣ Press Delete.
3 If the preset or sequence is part of a cue, an alert message will appear. Click
Delete to delete the item and remove it from any cues.
If you accidentally deleted an item, choose Edit > Undo Delete.
Filter Items in the Preset Palette

To quickly find an item you can filter the Preset Palette so only items whose name
contains the search text are shown.
Filter items in the Preset Palette
2 Click the symbol in the search field and choose Preset Palette from the
menu.
3 Enter the text to search for in the search field. As you type the Preset Palette is
filtered accordingly.

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Reorder Sequence Steps
Lightkey provides two useful commands to quickly reverse the order of steps in a
sequence or to reorder them randomly (shuffle).
Reverse of shuffle all steps in a sequence
‣ Select the sequence in the Preset Palette, then choose Preset > Reverse
Presets or Presets > Shuffle Presets.
‣ Control-click the sequence and choose Reverse Presets or Shuffle Presets

Reverse or shuffle some of the steps in a sequence
1 Select some steps in the same sequence. (Hold down the Shift or Command key
to select multiple items.)
‣ Choose Preset > Reverse Presets or Presets > Shuffle Presets.
‣ Control-click one of the selected steps and choose Reverse Presets or

Shuffle Presets from the shortcut menu.

Chapter 10
Effects
Lightkey’s powerful effects engine makes it easy
and fun to create dynamic looks. It comes with
over 50 effect templates or lets you build your
own effects for almost any fixture property. You
can synchronize effects to music and overlay
multiple effects for limitless possibilities.
An effect controls the output of a fixture property for a set of fixtures. Like “static”
property values, effects can be stored in presets, sequences, and cues, while staying
fully editable at any time. Effects can be applied to the individual beams of an LED
fixture, or across multiple fixtures.
There are three basic kinds of effects which apply to different fixture properties:
Effect Use for
Pattern Dimmer, Color (RGB and additional colors)
Dimmer, Color (RGB and/or additional colors), Position, Focus, Zoom, Iris,
Curve
Frost, Fog, any custom property represented by a slider
Movement Position

Pattern Effects
A pattern effect generates a pattern from a set of predefined values. Pattern effects
can be applied to either the Dimmer or the Color property, so the term value refers
to either an intensity value (0–100%) or a color. You can choose from a number of
patterns such as a chase. Some patterns are entirely deterministic and repeating
whereas others have random elements.
Curve Effects
A curve effect uses a repeating mathematical function—for example, as a sine wave
—to calculate the value of the fixture property. The output depends on the time and a
number of adjustable parameters.
Most of the fixture properties that can be controlled by curve effects consist of a
single numeric value, usually in the range 0 through 100%. In this case the result of
the mathematical function directly determines the value of the fixture property.
There are two fixture properties with more complex values which consist of multiple
components. Separate mathematical functions are used to calculate each
component which are then combined to form the value of the fixture property. These
properties are:
• Color: A color usually consists of at three components which depend on the

color model. Color models are HSB (hue, saturation, brightness), RGB (red,
green, blue), CMY (cyan, magenta, yellow). In addition, the following
components may be added if they’re supported by the fixture: cool white, warm
white, amber, lime, ultraviolet.
• Position: A position consists of the pan angle and the tilt angle.
Movement Effects
A movement effect describes the continuous pan and tilt movement of a moving light
along a predefined closed path—for example, a circle or a figure eight. A movement
path consists of two or more control points from which Lightkey interpolates the
fixture’s position at any given time.

Lightkey allows you to design movement paths in a natural way: The points on the
path give an indication of where the light beam points in reality, and the path’s shape
(although only in 2D) resembles the actual movement. This is different from some
other applications which show movement paths in a Cartesian coordinate system,
with little resemblance to the actual fixture movement. As a consequence, the same
fixture movement may look entirely different in Lightkey than in other applications.
❖ Note: This also means that you can’t create some paths which look (on the
screen) like a certain path in Cartesian coordinates. For example, you can’t
create a perfect circle because moving lights with a finite pan range can’t
(indefinitely) move in a circle. In such a situation, think about how you want
the fixture to move and create your path accordingly. Lightkey allows you to
build any movement path that can be created in a Cartesian coordinate
system.
Lightkey comes with a set of built-in movement paths which you can freely edit and
build upon. Whenever you change a built-in path, Lightkey creates a copy. Those self-
created paths are stored in the project.
❖ Note: Another way to generate fixture movements are sequences, as

described in “Create Fixture Movements With Sequences” in chapter 9,
“Presets and Sequences”. Each technique has its advantages and drawbacks.
A movement effect is quick to create, easy to reuse on different fixtures, and
provides a better visual impression of how the fixtures move. On the other
hand, a sequence lets you combine the fixture movement with other property
changes and gives you more control over timing.
Add an Effect
1 Select one or more fixtures for the effect. Make sure the fixtures’ light beams
are visible (that is, their shutters and dimmers are open).
‣ Click in the toolbar and choose a fixture property from the menu.
‣ Choose Fixture > Add Effect, then choose a fixture property (or press
Command-Option-E).

􀜎
‣ Click a fixture property’s name in the Design view or in a property’s HUD
and choose Add [property name] Effect… from the menu.
3 Select the appropriate options in the area below the Preview.
To start from an effect template:
‣ Click one of the available templates. When a template is selected,

Lightkey shows a preview of the effect. Templates which don’t apply to the
selected fixtures appear gray.
‣ The icon indicates that an effect is beat-controlled.
‣ Enter text in the search field at the top-right to filter the displayed
templates by name.
‣ Move the pointer over an effect template and click Add to add the effect to
the selected fixtures. You can edit the effect’s properties later.
To add a custom effect:
‣ Click Custom Effect.
‣ Select a fixture property and the kind of effect. The available effect types
depend on the fixture property you selected.
‣ Click Add Effect.
4 If there’s already an effect for the same fixture property, an alert message
appears.
‣ Click Replace to replace the existing effect.
‣ Click Overlay to overlay the new effect with the existing one. See “Overlay
Effects” later in this chapter.
Lightkey adds the effect to the selected fixtures and shows its settings in the area
below the Preview.
Edit an Effect
When a fixture property is controlled by an effect, the fixture property’s area in the
Design view shows an effect icon instead of the normal controls. You can edit an
effect’s settings at any time.

Edit an effect
‣ Click the effect icon in the Design view.
‣ Click a fixture’s name in the Preview, then select a fixture property from the
shortcut menu. Properties with an effect are marked with an icon.
‣ Click Overrides in the toolbar. The names of the overridden properties appear
next to the fixtures’ icons, and an icon marks properties with an effect. Click a
fixture property’s name to edit the effect.
When you edit an effect, Lightkey displays its settings in the area below the Preview.
They are described in the following sections.
Edit the Effect Timing

An effect either has a fixed duration or is synchronized to the beat (beat-controlled).
• Fixed duration: You can choose the duration of the effect, that is, the time after
which the effect repeats. When you add an effect to a cue, the duration is
multiplied by the cue’s Speed modifier. Note that some randomized pattern
effects do not repeat and don’t have a duration.
• Beat-controlled timing: You can choose the beat multiplier, which controls how
often the effect repeats per beat. For example, if you set the beat multiplier to
“÷ 2”, the effect repeats twice during each beat. Beat synchronization is
available for curve effects and some pattern effects.
You can set the timing options in the area below the Preview:
Fixed duration Beat-controlled timing
Edit the Fixture Order

When you assign an effect to multiple fixtures or to fixtures with multiple beams (e.g.
LED bars, strips, or matrixes), the order of the fixtures (or beams) has an important
impact on the effect. In the following, the term pixel will be used for the smallest unit
which can be individually controlled—either a fixture or a beam.

You can change the order of the fixtures (or beams) when you edit an effect. You can
also add fixtures to an effect or remove fixtures after the effect has been created.
Change the order of fixtures (or beams) for an effect
1 Edit an effect, then click Fixture Order in the area below the Preview.
As you move the mouse pointer over an item in the menu, Lightkey shows the
resulting fixture order in the Preview.
2 Select an option as appropriate:
• Left to Right: Sort the fixtures or beams from left to right as they appear
in the Preview.
• Right to Left: Sort the fixtures or beams from right to left as they appear
in the Preview.
• Top to Bottom: Sort the fixtures or beams from top to bottom as they
• Bottom to Top: Sort the fixtures or beams from bottom to top as they
• By Short Name: Sort the fixtures alphabetically by their short name, either
• By Address: Sort the fixtures by their universe and DMX address, either
• Random: Sort the fixtures or beams randomly. A new random order is

generated each time you select this option.
• Start to End: Use the order as described above.
• From Center: Based on the order as described above, number the fixtures
from the center to the edges. An index can be shared by two fixtures or
beams—one on each side from the center. This option can’t be used with
random order.
• To Center: Based on the order as described above, number the fixtures

from the edges to the center. An index can be shared by two fixtures or
beams—one on each side from the center. This option can’t be used with
random order.
• Select Fixtures: Treat all beams of a fixture as a single pixel.

• Select Beams: For fixtures with multiple beams, treat the beams as
individual pixels.
• Grouping: Treat several adjacent fixtures or beams as a group that acts

like a single pixel. For example (grouping set to 3): 1 / 1 / 1 / 2 / 2 / 2 / 3 /
3 / 3 / 4 / 4 / 4.
• Repeat: Repeat pixel indexes on every 2nd, 3rd, 4th … fixture or beam. For
example (repeat set to 3): 1 / 2 / 3 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 1 / 2 / 3.
Change the fixtures that participate in an effect
1 Edit an effect, then click Fixture Order in the area below the Preview and
choose Select Fixtures… from the menu.
2 Select the fixtures to participate in the effect in the Preview.
3 Click Done.
Edit Pattern Effects

Pattern effects generate a pattern from a set of predefined values. In the following,
the term value refers to either an intensity value (0–100%) or a color, depending on
the fixture property.
The area below the Preview contains the values for the pattern:
Click a value to edit it Drag the sliders to change the value
Select a different pattern Add a new value

Reorder the values
‣ Drag a value to the left or right.
Duplicate a value
‣ Hold down the Option key and drag the value to the left or right.
Remove a value
‣ Control-click a value and choose Delete from the shortcut menu.
‣ Drag the value outside the values area and release the mouse button.
The following section describes the available patterns and their options.
Chase
The pixels cyclically take on the predefined values.
This pattern can be beat controlled. In this case the chase is advanced on each beat
(can be adjusted with beat multiplier).
Steps per Value The number of chase steps before a pixel takes on the next value (see
examples below).
Phase Controls where the chase begins when the effect becomes active, relative
to its duration. For example, a phase of 50% makes the chase begin half
way through the duration.
This setting is especially useful when you overlay multiple effects.
Time Offset Manual timing: Controls when the pixels change to the next value. A time
offset of 0% means that all pixels change their value at the same time.
Higher offsets mean that a pixel changes its value later than the
preceding pixel (see “Edit the Fixture Order” above).
This is similar to the Delay parameter except at the beginning of the effect
(see examples below).
Delay Manual timing: Introduces a delay for each pixel to change its value,
relative to the preceding pixel. At the beginning of the effect each pixel
starts at the first value (see examples below).
Smoothness A smoothness value greater than zero lets Lightkey blend between
consecutive values (see examples below).

Example: A chase pattern with four colors, no time offset or delay.
Pixel 1
Pixel 2
Pixel 3
Pixel 4
Pixel 5
time
The chase with a time offset of 100%.
Pixel 1
Pixel 2
Pixel 3
Pixel 4
Pixel 5
time
The original chase with a delay of 100%.
Pixel 1
Pixel 2
Pixel 3
Pixel 4
Pixel 5
time
The chase with a time offset of 100%, 2 steps per value.
Pixel 1
Pixel 2
Pixel 3
Pixel 4
Pixel 5
time
The following diagram illustrates the effect of different smoothness values:
0%
33%
100%
time
Fill
A pattern which successively fills all pixels with a fixed value. The first value defines
the background, the remaining values are used in succession for filling.

Example: A fill pattern with a background color and two fill colors.
Pixel 1
Pixel 2
Pixel 3
Pixel 4
Pixel 5
time
Rain
Produces moving streaks on a static background. The first value defines the back-
ground, the remaining values are used in succession for the streaks.
This pattern can be beat controlled. In this case a new streak is launched on each
beat (can be adjusted with beat multiplier).
Length The length of each streak (number of pixels).
Distance The distance between successive streaks (number of pixels).
Phase Controls where the pattern begins when the effect becomes active,
relative to its duration. For example, a phase of 50% makes the chase
begin half way through the duration.
This setting is especially useful when you overlay multiple effects.
Smoothness If greater than zero, each streak fades out towards the background value.
Example: A rain pattern with a background value and two foreground values
(length = 4, distance = 2, smoothness = 100%).
Pixel 1
Pixel 2
Distance
Pixel 3
Pixel 4
Pixel 5
Length
Pixel 6
Pixel 7
Pixel 8
Pixel 9
time
Sparkle
Random pixels light up on a static background. The first value defines the
background, the remaining values are used for the “sparkles”.

Interval The time interval in which new sparkles are created (in seconds).
Lifetime The time each sparkle remains visible (in seconds).
Smoothness If greater than zero, each sparkle fades out towards the background
value.
Use values as palette If selected, each sparkle will pass thru all values (except the background
value) during its lifetime. In other words, the values act like a color
palette for colorizing the sparkles.
Otherwise, each sparkle uses one of the non-background values (in
succession) and fades out towards the background value.
Example: A sparkle pattern with a background color and four foreground colors
(smoothness = 100%). The locations of new sparkles are chosen randomly.
Lifetime
Pixel 1
Pixel 2
Pixel 3
Pixel 4
Pixel 5
time
New sparkle Interval
Fire
Resembles a burning flame. The values are interpreted as a color palette for the fire,
with the “hottest” values towards the right. This pattern looks best on LED strips with
20 or more pixels.
Speed Controls the speed of the effect.
Sparking Controls how fast a flame cools down. More cooling means shorter
flames.
Cooling Controls how often a new spark will ignite at the bottom of the fire. A
higher value makes the fire more active.
Jellyfish
Generates a pattern of elements which move along the pixels while pulsating like a
jellyfish. The first value defines the background, the remaining values are used for
the “jellyfish”. This pattern looks best on LED strips with 20 or more pixels.

Count The maximum number of jellyfish visible at a time.
Size Controls the size of the jellyfish.
Speed Controls the speed by which the jellyfish move.
Smoothness Controls how the jellyfish fade out towards the edges.
Use values as palette If selected, the values (except the background value) are used as a color
palette for colorizing the jellyfish.
Otherwise, each jellyfish uses one of the non-background values (in
succession) and fades out towards the background value.
Edit Curve Effects

Curve effects use a mathematical function to calculate the value of the fixture
property. When you edit a curve effect Lightkey shows a graphical representation of
the function below the Preview. For fixture properties with multiple components
(Color, Position), each component has its own curve.
Select a color model Click a component to edit

(color effects only) its curve
The dot shows the current location on

the selected curve
Transform the selected curve
‣ Press the pointer over the curve and drag up or down to move the curve
vertically. You can also press the Up/Down Arrow keys.
‣ Press the pointer over the curve and drag left or right to move the curve
horizontally. You can also press the Left/Right Arrow keys.

‣ Hold down the Command key and drag up or down to scale the curve. You can
also press Command and the Up/Down Arrow keys. By scaling the curve beyond
zero you flip it vertically.
‣ To change the curve’s high (maximum) or low (minimum) values, move the
pointer over the curve area and drag one of the markers at the top and bottom
of the curve.
‣ To resize a curve segment, move the pointer over the curve area and drag one
of the horizontal section markers (some curve types only).
‣ To flip the curve vertically, Control-click the curve area and choose Flip
Vertically from the shortcut menu.
‣ To reset the curve’s position and scaling, Control-click the curve area and
choose Reset Curve from the shortcut menu.
Additional options appear to the right of the curve:
Curve Type Choose one of the built-in curve types.
Divider Divides the duration into equal subdivisions and applies the function to
each subdivision. This is useful when there are multiple curves (for fixture
properties with multiple components).
Time Offset Time offset between two consecutive fixtures (or beams), in percent of the
duration. For example, with a duration of 10 seconds and a time offset of
5%, the second fixture will perform the effect 0.5 seconds later than the
first, the third fixture will be 1 second later than the first, and so on. See
“Edit the Fixture Order” above.
Some options are available for the Position property only. To change them, click the
Options button in the lower-left.
Mirror pan If you use the “From Center” fixture order option (see “Edit the Fixture
Mirror tilt Order” above), Lightkey can “mirror” the pan and/or tilt angles on one
side of the center (that is, reverse their sign). Here’s an example of
mirrored pan angles: –30° / –15° / 0° / +15° / +30°.
Relative If you select this option, the effect’s pan and tilt values are added to the
pan/tilt values defined elsewhere. For example, you could have two cues
active at the same time: One cue defines “absolute” positions for some
fixtures and the other adds a relative effect “on top”.

Edit Movement Effects
Movement effects define the pan and tilt movement of a moving light using
movement paths (or simply paths). When you edit a movement effect, the built-in
movement paths and those stored in the project appear in the area below the
Preview. Click a path to use it for the effect. Movement paths are stored
independently of the effect, so you can reuse them for other effects.
When you edit a movement path later, the changes will affect all effects and fixtures
to which the path was applied. You can prevent this by duplicating the path before
editing it. When you begin editing a built-in path it is automatically duplicated.
All built-in paths and user paths appear here
The frame marks the path that is used

for the movement effect
Duplicate a path
‣ Control-click a path and choose Duplicate from the shortcut menu, then type a
name for the new path and press Return.
‣ Hold down the Option key and drag a path.
Rename a user path
‣ Control-click a path and choose Rename from the shortcut menu. Type the new
name and press Return.
‣ Select a path and press Return.

Delete a user path
‣ Control-click a path and choose Delete… from the shortcut menu. In the dialog
that appears, click Delete.
The following table describes the options for movement effects.
Time Offset Time offset between two consecutive fixtures, in percent of the duration.
For example, with a duration of 10 seconds and a time offset of 5%, the
second fixture will perform the movement 0.5 seconds later than the first,
the third fixture will be 1 second later than the first, and so on. See “Edit
the Fixture Order” above.
Pan Offset Adds an offset (in degrees) to the pan angle between two consecutive
fixtures. For example, if the pan offset is 10° then the pan angle of the
second fixture will always be 10° larger than the pan angle of the first,
and the pan angle of the third fixture will be 20° larger than the pan angle
of the first, and so on. See “Edit the Fixture Order” above.
Tilt Offset Adds an offset (in degrees) to the tilt angle between two consecutive
fixtures.
Additional options are shown when you click the Options button in the lower-left:
Mirror pan If you use the “From Center” fixture order option (see “Edit the Fixture
Mirror tilt Order” above), Lightkey can “mirror” the pan and/or tilt angles on one
side of the center (that is, reverse their sign). Here’s an example of
mirrored pan angles: –30° / –15° / 0° / +15° / +30°.
Relative If you select this option, the effect’s pan and tilt values are added to the
pan/tilt values defined elsewhere. For example, you could have two cues
active at the same time: One cue defines “absolute” positions for some
fixtures and the other adds a relative effect “on top”.
You can edit any of the built-in and self-created movement paths—for example, you
can move, add, or remove points and flip or transform the path. When you begin to
edit a built-in path, a copy is created.
Whenever you make a mistake as you edit a path, you can choose Edit > Undo to
undo the last change.
Begin editing a movement path
‣ Click one of the effect’s fixtures in the Preview.
The Position HUD appears and shows the movement path.

Edit Points
Every movement path consists of two or more control points. The point where the
movement starts is marked with a dot.
Control points can be selected, indicated by a green or red color. When a point is
selected, the fixture moves to the position represented by the point, and follows it as
you move the point. When you clear the selection, the fixture resumes to move along
the path, starting at the point that was previously selected.
Starting point
Pan and tilt angles of

selected control point
Selected control point
Select a control point
‣ Click a point to select it.
‣ Press the Tab key to select the following point in path order, or Shift-Tab to
select the preceding point.
‣ Press the Esc key or click in a blank part of the position control to clear the
selection.
Move a control point
‣ Drag the point with the mouse. As you drag, you can use the following modifier
keys:
‣ To keep the current pan angle, hold down the Command key.
‣ To keep the current tilt angle, hold down the Shift key.
‣ To disable snapping hold down the Control key.

‣ Click a control point to select it, then do one of the following to move the point:
‣ Place the pointer over the position control and scroll up or down to change
the pan angle. Hold down the Command key as you scroll to change the tilt
angle instead. (If this doesn’t work, choose Lightkey > Settings… (or
‣ Press the Left/Right Arrow keys to increase/decrease the pan angle by 1°.
decrease the pan angle by 10°.
‣ Press the Up/Down Arrow keys to increase/decrease the tilt angle by 1°.
decrease the tilt angle by 10°.
To deal with fixtures whose pan range exceeds 360° or to apply negative tilt angles,
you can use the techniques described in “Position” in chapter 8, “Fixture Properties”.
Add a control point
‣ If the path has connection lines between the points (curve and line types),
double-click anywhere on a connection line.
‣ If the path has no connection lines (points type), double-click anywhere in the
position control.
‣ You can also Control-click a point and choose Insert Point from the shortcut
menu. This will insert a control point between the clicked point and the next.
Remove a control point
‣ Click a point to select it, then press the Delete key.
‣ Control-click a point and choose Delete Point from the shortcut menu.
Change the starting point
‣ Control-click a point and choose Make Starting Point from the shortcut menu.
Reverse the points in a path
‣ Click Options and choose Reverse Path from the menu.

Transform Paths
You can move a path’s control points in two dimensions:
• By changing their pan values: This will move the points around the center.
• By changing their tilt values: This will change the points’ distance from the
center.
Likewise, you can “scale” the path in the same two dimensions. Finally, you can “flip”
the pan or tilt angles of the points in the path, which reverses their signs.
Move or scale a path
1 Click (or press T) to enter Transform mode.
A green outline with handles appears around the control points.
2 Do one of the following to move the path:
‣ Hold down the Shift key and drag around the center of the position control
to change the pan values.
‣ Hold down the Command key and drag away from the center or towards
the center of the position control to change the tilt values.
‣ If you press neither the Shift nor Command keys as you drag, Lightkey will
change either the pan or tilt values, depending on the mouse movement.
‣ Place the pointer over the position control and scroll up or down to change
the pan angles. Hold down the Command key as you scroll to change the
tilt angles instead. (If this doesn’t work, choose Lightkey > Settings… (or
‣ Press the Left/Right Arrow keys to increase/decrease the pan angles by

1°.
decrease the pan angles by 10°.
‣ Press the Up/Down Arrow keys to increase/decrease the tilt angles by 1°.
decrease the tilt angles by 10°.
3 Drag one of the four green handles at the edges of the path outline to scale the
path. Hold down the Option key as you resize the path from its center.

4 Click again (or press T or Esc) to exit Transform mode.
Flip the pan or tilt angle of each point in the path
‣ Click Options and choose Flip Pan Values or Flip Tilt Values from the menu.
Path Types
There are three different ways how Lightkey can interpolate the path positions
between the control points. The following graphs illustrate these types for a
movement path with four control points. In the graphs, the vertical dimension
represents the fixture position (which actually consists of two dimensions, pan and
tilt).
• Smooth: The fixture moves smoothly between the control points. The time for
moving from one point to the next depends on the distance between the points.
Duration
• Line: The fixture moves on the direct way from one control point to the next,
changing its movement direction at each control point. The time for moving
from one point to the next depends on the distance between the points.
Duration

• Points: The fixture moves instantly from one control point to the next, with
maximum speed. It remains at each control point for an equal time. (This is
often used in conjunction with the “Blackout during pan/tilt movement” feature
of many moving lights.)
Duration
Change a path’s type
‣ Click Options and choose Curve, Lines, or Points from the menu.
Copy and Paste Effects

Because an effect is like a special value for a fixture property, you can copy effects
between fixtures in the same way as you can copy fixture property values.
When you copy and paste an effect the new effect is independent of the original one.
If you want to add more fixtures to an effect instead, see “Edit the Fixture Order”
earlier in this chapter.
Copy an effect between fixtures
1 Click the name of a fixture with an effect and choose Copy Properties from the
shortcut menu, then choose a fixture property. An icon marks properties with
an effect.
2 Select one or more fixtures you want to apply the effect to.
3 Click one of the fixtures’ names and choose Paste Properties from the shortcut
menu.
Delete an Effect
When you delete an effect, it is removed from all fixtures. If you want to remove
individual fixtures from an effect instead, see “Edit the Fixture Order” earlier in this
chapter.

Delete an effect
‣ While you’re editing an effect, click the effect’s name below the Preview and
choose Delete from the menu.
‣ If the fixture property appears in the Design view, select the fixtures and then
click the blue dot to the left of the property’s name in the Design view.
‣ Click in the toolbar or choose Fixture > Clear Properties for All Fixtures (or
press Command-Shift-Delete). This will also remove any other overridden
properties from all fixtures.
Overlay Effects
You can overlay multiple effects for the same fixture property to create entirely new
looks. If there are multiple effects for a fixture property, Lightkey adds their output
values to determine the final output. If the values are colors, Lightkey uses the
“screen” blend mode to blend the output colors of the individual effects.
Effect 1
Effect 2
Result
Overlay an existing effect with a new effect
1 Select one or more fixtures with an effect. Choose Fixture > Add Effect and
choose a fixture property, then select a new effect for the same property (see
“Add an Effect” earlier in this chapter).
2 Click Add Effect.
3 In the alert message that appears, click Overlay.
Overlay an effect by duplicating
1 Edit an effect.
2 Click the effect’s name below the Preview and choose Duplicate from the menu.
A second effect is added with the same parameters. You can now modify the new
effect’s settings.

Switch between multiple effects during editing
‣ Click the edited effect’s name below the Preview and choose a different effect
from the menu.
Save an Effect Template

You can save an effect as a template which appears in the Effects Chooser so you can
quickly select it for new effects.
Save an effect as a template
1 Edit an effect.
2 Click the effect’s name below the Preview and choose Save as Template… from
the menu.
3 In the dialog that appears, enter a name and click Save.
Rename an effect template
1 Choose Fixture > Add Effect, then choose a fixture property to open the Effects
Chooser.
2 Control-click an effect template and choose Rename from the shortcut menu.
3 Type a new name, then press Return.
The built-in effect templates cannot be renamed.
Remove an effect template
1 Choose Fixture > Add Effect, then choose a fixture property to open the Effects
Chooser.
2 Control-click an effect template and choose Delete… from the shortcut menu.
3 In the dialog that appears, click Delete.
The built-in effect templates cannot be deleted.

Chapter 11
Live Control
Lightkey provides two kinds of live control: You
can build a custom-tailored control panel with
buttons and faders to activate arbitrary lighting
cues on the fly, or you can use a cuelist to recall
cues in a specific order.
The central element in both cases is a cue, which consists of a combination of

presets and sequences from the Preset Palette.
Live View Pages

The Live view is the primary place for controlling your lights during a live show. The
Live view can have multiple pages, but only one of them is visible at a time. Only the
cues on the current page have an effect on the output. There are two types of pages—
control panels and cuelists—which will be explained in the following sections.
Although the Live view is the central place for controlling your show, it is still
possible to override fixture properties on the fly or activate presets and sequences.
Overridden fixture properties always take precedence over active cues, presets, and
sequences.
Show the Live view
‣ Click Live below the Preview.

‣ Choose View > Live (or press Command-L).
★ Tip: If you have a second display connected to your computer, you can show
the Live view on the second display. See “Dual Windows” in chapter 6, “The
Lightkey Window”, for more information.
Manage Live view pages
‣ Choose Live > Manage Live Pages…
‣ Click Live at the top of the Live view and choose Manage Live Pages… from
the menu (or press Command-Shift-Option-L).
2 In the dialog that appears, make changes as appropriate:
‣ To add a control panel or cuelist: Click and choose an item from the
menu. Enter a name for the new page and press Return.
‣ To reorder the pages: Drag the rows in the list up or down.
‣ To rename a page: Select the page, then click and choose Rename
from the menu. Alternatively, select the page and click its name. Type a
new name and press Return.
‣ To change a page’s fade time: Select a page and click in the Fade Time
column. Type a new value and press Return.
‣ To duplicate a page: Select a page, then click and choose Duplicate

from the menu. Enter a name for the new page and press Return.
‣ To delete a page: Select the page and click or press the Delete key,
then click Delete in the dialog that appears.
3 Click Done.
Change the visible page
‣ Click Live at the top of the Live view, then select a page from the menu.
You can change the default fade time which is used for new Live pages. Changing this
value will not affect existing pages.

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Change the fade time for new Live pages

click Timing.
2 Change the value for “Live page: Fade time”.
Control Panels
A control panel can contain an unlimited number of buttons which you can freely
arrange, resize, attach, and place in frames. Each button is associated with a cue.
There are two types of buttons:
• Push button: A push button simply activates or deactivates a cue.
• Fader: A fader lets you control a cue’s intensity between 0% and 100%, like on a
traditional lighting console. The intensity determines to what degree a cue
affects the fixtures’ properties. There are horizontal and vertical faders.
You can also add text labels to a control panel.
Enclose buttons in Modifiers control various aspects of a

frames for visual cue. They can be applied to cues and
separation frames
If you attach multiple buttons, only one of them can be active.

The buttons’ colors are automatically chosen to reflect their
contents
➤ Important: Fader buttons do not currently work for smart lights.
See “Live View Pages” earlier in this chapter to learn how to create a control panel.

Edit a Control Panel
Enter edit mode to change the objects in a control panel.
Enter or exit edit mode
‣ To enter edit mode, click Edit at the top-right of the Live view. To exit edit mode,
click Done.
‣ Choose View > Edit Control Panel (or press Command-Option-J).
‣ Control-click a blank part of the control panel and choose Edit Control Panel
‣ Hold down the Command key and double-click a blank part of the control panel.
‣ Press Command-Return to exit edit mode.
While the control panel is in edit mode, a grid is shown in the background which
helps you to align buttons and faders. The remainder of this section assumes that the
control panel is in edit mode.
In edit mode you can hold down the Space bar and drag to pan the control panel area.
Create a Button
When you create a button, Lightkey automatically adds the active presets and
sequences to its cue. If there are any overridden fixture properties, it also adds a
special preset named “Ad hoc properties” which contains those properties. This
preset is special because it doesn’t appear in the Preset Palette.
Add a button
‣ Choose Live > New Button.
‣ Control-click a blank part of the control panel and choose New Button
‣ While the control panel is in edit mode, click at the top-right of the Live
view.

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The control panel changes to edit mode and a new button is added. The cue
inspector appears on the right of the control panel, showing the cue’s contents
and other options.
2 Type a name for the button, then press Return.
3 Drag presets and sequences from the Preset Palette to the upper part of the
cue inspector.
4 Edit the button’s other properties in the inspector, as described in “Edit Cue
Contents and Options” later in this chapter.
Create a button from one or more presets and sequences
‣ Select one or more presets and/or sequences in the Preset Palette and drag
them to a blank part of the control panel. Drag the presets or sequences onto a
frame (but not onto a button) to create a new button inside the frame.
Lightkey creates a new button which contains the dragged objects.
Create multiple buttons from presets and sequences
1 Select several presets and/or sequences in the Preset Palette.
2 Drag the presets or sequences to a blank part of the control panel. Hold down
the Command key when the pointer is over the control panel.
Lightkey creates a new button for each dragged object, containing just this
object.
Create a Text Label

‣ While the control panel is in edit mode, click T at the top-right of the Live
view.
‣ Control-click a blank part of the control panel and choose Insert Text from
the shortcut menu.
2 Drag the text label to where you want it.
3 Double-click the text label to begin editing, then type. To start a new line, press
Option-Return.
4 Click outside the text label or press Return to finish editing.

To edit an existing text label, double-click the text label or select it and press Return.
Select Objects
The following actions pertain to both buttons and text labels.
Select and deselect objects
‣ To select a single object, click it.
‣ To select additional objects, hold down the Shift key and click each object.
‣ To remove an object from the selection, hold down the Shift key and click the
selected object.
‣ To select multiple objects at once, press the mouse button over a blank part of
the control panel and drag it over the objects. (Hold down the Option key to
select outward from the starting point.)
‣ To add or remove multiple objects to/from the selection, hold down the Shift
key, press the mouse button over a blank part of the control panel, and drag it
over the objects.
‣ To select all objects in the control panel, choose Edit > Select All (or press
Command-A).
‣ To deselect all objects in the control panel, choose Edit > Deselect All (or
press Command-Shift-A or Esc) or click a blank part of the control panel.
When an object is selected, it shows handles at its corners and edges.
Move Objects
You can freely arrange buttons and text labels in the control panel.
Move objects in the control panel
‣ Press the mouse button over an object and drag it to a new location. To move
multiple objects, select the objects and then drag them to a new location.
By default, objects snap to the grid in the background as you drag. Lightkey also
shows smart alignment guides that help you to precisely align them.
‣ To disable alignment guides and grid snapping, hold down the Control key as
you drag.

‣ To constrain the motion to horizontal or vertical, drag the object(s) while
holding down the Shift key.
‣ To move the objects by one grid unit, select the objects and press one of the
arrow objects. To move objects by five units, hold down the Shift key and then
press an arrow key.
Attach Buttons
By default you can activate as many buttons as you like, independent of each other.
You can attach a number of buttons so they form a group where only one button can
be active at a time.
Front Lights
Slow Movement
Back Lights
By default buttons Fast Movement Attach buttons to
are activated create a group
independently Spots Ballyhoo where only one can
be active at a time
Stage Center
House Lights
Attach buttons
‣ Move two or more buttons together so their borders touch (see “Move Objects”
above).
Detach a button from others
‣ Move the button away from the others.
Resize Objects
You can freely resize the buttons and text labels in a control panel. You can even
resize multiple objects at once.
Resize objects
‣ Select one or more objects and then drag one of the blue selection handles. To
resize the objects in one direction, drag a side handle instead of a corner
handle.
‣ To resize the objects from their center, press the Option key as you drag.

‣ To disable alignment guides, hold down the Command key while you resize
objects.
Rename a Button
1 Click the button to select it.
‣ Click the button’s name.
‣ Select the button and choose Edit > Rename (or press Return).
‣ Control-click the button and choose Rename from the shortcut menu.
3 Type a new name and then press Return.
Duplicate Objects
1 Done one of the following:
‣ Select the object and choose Edit > Duplicate (or press Command-Shift-
D).
‣ Control-click the object and choose Duplicate from the shortcut menu.
‣ Hold down the Option key while you drag an object.
2 After duplicating a button, type a name for the new button and then press
Return.
Copy and Paste Objects

You can copy buttons and text labels to the Clipboard and paste them again later. You
can also copy and paste buttons/cues between different control panels or cuelists.
Cut or copy an object
‣ Select the object(s) and choose Edit > Cut or Edit > Copy (or press Command-
X or Command-C).
‣ Control-click an object and choose Cut or Copy from the shortcut menu.

Paste objects from the Clipboard
‣ Control-click anywhere in the control panel and choose Paste from the shortcut
menu.
Delete Objects
1 Click an object to select it. (Hold down the Shift or Command key to select
multiple objects.)
‣ Control-click the object and choose Delete from the shortcut menu.
‣ Press Delete.
If you accidentally deleted an object, choose Edit > Undo Delete.
Frames
You can enclose related buttons in a frame and assign a title to it. Frames can serve
several purposes:
• They visually group the enclosed buttons.
• You can add Previous/Next controls which activate the buttons in the frame in
sequential order.
• You can add modifiers to a frame which change the output of the contained
cues. See “Edit Modifiers” later in this chapter.
Create a frame
1 Select one or more buttons.
‣ Choose Live > New Frame.
‣ Click near the top-right of the Live view.
3 Type a title for the frame, then press Return.

Add buttons to an existing frame
‣ Drag one or more buttons onto a frame and release the mouse button.
‣ Drag one or more buttons over a frame and rest the mouse until the frame
flashes. The frame is extended to include the dragged buttons, and you can
continue to drag them to their final position.
Remove buttons from a frame
‣ Select one or more buttons and choose Live > Remove from Frame.
‣ Control-click a button and select Remove from Frame from the shortcut menu.
If you remove all buttons from a frame, the frame disappears.
Remove a frame
‣ Click a blank part of the frame to select it, then press Delete.
‣ Control-click a blank part of the frame and choose Delete from the shortcut
menu.
Change a frame’s title
‣ Click a blank part of the frame to select it, then click the frame’s title.
‣ Click a blank part of the frame to select it and choose Edit > Rename (or
press Return).
‣ Control-click a blank part of the frame and select Rename from the
shortcut menu.
2 Type a new title, then press Return.
Add Previous/Next controls to a frame
‣ Click a blank part of the frame to select it and choose Live > Get Info.

‣ Control-click a blank part of the frame and select Get Info from the
shortcut menu.
‣ Double-click a frame while the control panel is in edit mode.
The frame inspector appears on the right side of the control panel.
2 In the frame inspector, select Show Previous/Next buttons.
Two arrow buttons appear in the top-right corner of the frame which activate
the previous or next button, respectively. The order is determined by the
locations of the buttons in the frame.
Like buttons, frames have a priority which is relevant if multiple cues define the
same fixture properties. See “Output Order of Precedence” later in this chapter for
more information.
Set a frame’s priority
‣ Click a blank part of the frame to select it and choose Live > Get Info.
‣ Control-click a blank part of the frame and select Get Info from the
shortcut menu.
‣ Double-click a frame while the control panel is in edit mode.
The frame inspector appears on the right side of the control panel.
2 Select a value from the Priority pop-up menu in the frame inspector.
Change Text Formatting

You can change fonts, font sizes, and other text attributes for text labels, buttons,
and frames. This works similarly to many other Mac applications.
Change the formatting of an object
‣ Choose Edit > Font > Show Fonts. Select a font, font size, and other
options in the Font window.
‣ Choose Edit > Font > Bold, Italic, or Underline to change the text style.

‣ Choose Edit > Font > Show Colors, then select a color in the Color
window. (This applies to text labels only.)
‣ Choose Edit > Alignment, then choose one of the options in the submenu
to change the text alignment.
★ Tip: Another way to access the formatting menu options is to control-click an

object. You can also change the text alignment in the cue and frame
inspector.
Cuelists
Use a cuelist when you want to recall cues in a fixed order during a show. It contains
a sequence of cues which can be arranged in groups for a better overview. Cuelists
are best used if you want to preprogram an entire show with no or minimal
interventions during the show.
Only one cue in a cuelist can be active at a time. During a show, you advance to the
next cue by pressing the Space bar or performing a manual fade. Or you can define a
time after which the next cue should automatically be activated. The next cue can
activate immediately or with a crossfade.
It is often useful to number your cues so you can quickly refer to them. To do this
simply add a number before the cues’ names, e.g. “001 My cue”. When you add a new
cue or duplicate a cue, Lightkey will automatically increment the number for the new
cue.
See “Live View Pages” earlier in this chapter to learn how to create a cuelist.
Create a Cue
When you create a cue, Lightkey automatically adds the active presets and
sequences to the cue. If there are any overridden fixture properties, it also adds a
special preset named “Ad hoc properties” which contains those properties. This
preset is special because it doesn’t appear in the Preset Palette.

Add a cue
‣ Click next to an item in the cuelist. A new cue is inserted below the
item. (To insert a cue above the clicked item, hold down the Shift key as
you click .)
‣ Choose Live > New Cue (or press Command-Plus). A new cue is inserted
below the selection, or at the end of the cuelist if no items are selected.
‣ Control-click anywhere in the cuelist and choose New Cue from the
shortcut menu. A new cue is inserted below the clicked item.
When the cue has been added, the cue inspector appears to the right of the
cuelist, showing the cue’s contents and other options.
2 Type a name for the cue, then press Return.
3 Drag presets and sequences from the Preset Palette to the upper part of the
cue inspector.
4 Edit the cue’s other properties in the inspector, as described in “Edit Cue
Contents and Options” later in this chapter.
Create a cue from one or more presets and sequences
‣ Select one or more presets and/or sequences in the Preset Palette and drag
them to a blank part of the cuelist or in between two rows.
Lightkey creates a new cue which contains the dragged objects.
Create multiple cues from presets and sequences
1 Select several presets and/or sequences in the Preset Palette.
2 Drag the presets or sequences to a blank part of the cuelist or in between two
rows. Hold down the Command key when the pointer is over the cuelist.
Lightkey creates a new cue for each dragged object, containing just this object.
Create a Cue Group

For a better overview you can organize your cues in groups which can be collapsed
and expanded as necessary. Whether a group is expanded or not has no effect on
playback order. Groups can also contain other groups.

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Create an empty cue group
‣ Choose Live > New Group (or press Command-Shift-Plus). A new group
is inserted below the selection, or at the end of the cuelist if no items are
selected.
‣ Control-click anywhere in the cuelist and choose New Group from the
shortcut menu. A new group is inserted below the clicked item.
Create a cue group from existing items
1 Select some items in the cuelist. (Hold down the Shift or Command key to select
multiple items.)
‣ Choose Live > New Group From Selection (or press Command-Shift-
Option-Plus).
‣ Control-click one of the items and choose New Group From Selection
Expand or collapse a cue group
‣ Click the disclosure triangle to the left of the group name.
Cuelist Timing
Each cue in a cuelist can have a hold time after which the cue is deactivated and the
next cue is activated (possibly with a crossfade) when you play back the cuelist.
Alternatively you can click a button or press the Space bar to advance to the next cue.
In addition, each cue has a fade time which determines the duration of the crossfade
to the next cue. If the fade time is zero then the next cue is activated instantly.

Example: Cue 1 has a hold time. Cue 2 has no hold time and remains active until is
pressed.
Hold Time 1 Fade Time 1 Fade Time 2
Cue 1 Cue 2 Cue 3
If a cue contains one or more sequences with a fixed loop count, Lightkey will
automatically proceed to the next cue in the cuelist when all sequences have finished
(even when the cue has no hold time or when the hold time has not yet elapsed).
Change a cue’s hold or fade time
1 Select one or more cues. (Hold down the Command or Shift key as you click to
select multiple cues.) By selecting multiple cues you can change their hold or
fade times at once.
2 Click in the Hold Time or Fade Time column and type a new value. You can also
use the following keyboard shortcuts:
‣ Up/Down Arrow: Increase/decrease the time by one second.
‣ Option-Up/Down Arrow: Increase/decrease the time by 0.1 seconds.
‣ Shift-Up/Down Arrow: Increase/decrease the time by 10 seconds.
Leave the hold time field empty if you want to advance to the next cue manually.
3 Press Return to end editing.
★ Tip: When editing hold or fade times, press Tab or Shift-Tab to quickly jump to
the next or previous field.
You can also change hold and fade times in the cue inspector. See “Edit Cue Timing
Options” later in this chapter.

Manual Crossfading
Instead of assigning fade times to each cue, you can also perform crossfades
manually by dragging a slider. This gives you full control over the fade speed and is
especially useful with a hardware controller.
➤ Important: Manual crossfading does not apply to smart lights. They use a
fixed fade time which can’t be changed in Lightkey.
Enable manual crossfading
‣ Choose View > Show Xfade Slider.
The Xfade slider appears to the right of the cuelist.
❖ Note: You can bind the Xfade slider to an external hardware fader. See
chapter 16, “External Control”, for more information.
Select Cues for Playback

Sometimes you may want to skip a cue during playback. For example, if you want to
retain two versions of a cue but you want to use only one of them.
Each cue has a checkbox to the left of its name. To skip a cue during playback, you
can deselect its checkbox.
Organize Cues
Here are ways to organize cues in a cuelist.
Move a cue or group
‣ Drag the item up or down in the cuelist.
Reorder multiple cues or groups
1 Select the items in the cuelist. Hold down the Shift or Command key to select
multiple items.
2 Drag the selected items to the desired position.

Rename a cue or group
1 Click the item in the cuelist to select it.
‣ Click the item’s name.
‣ Choose Edit > Rename (or press Return).
‣ Control-click the item and choose Rename from the shortcut menu.
3 Enter a new name and then press Return.
Renumber cues
1 Rename the first of the cues that you would like to renumber and add a number
before its name, for example, “010 My cue”. This determines where the cue
numbers begin.
2 Select all cues that you would like to renumber, including the cue you just
changed.
‣ Choose Live > Renumber.
‣ Control-click one of the cues and choose Renumber from the shortcut
menu.
Lightkey adds increasing numbers before the names of the cues (or updates
any existing numbers).
Duplicate a single cue or group
‣ Hold down the Option key and click next to an item in the cuelist.
Lightkey will create a copy of the item below the original.
Duplicate multiple cues or groups
1 Select the items in the cuelist. (Hold down the Command or Shift key as you
click to select multiple items.)
‣ Choose Edit > Duplicate (or press Command-Shift-D).
‣ Control-click one of the items and choose Duplicate from the shortcut
menu.

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Lightkey will create a copy of the items below the original items.
Duplicate cues or groups by dragging
1 Select the items in the cuelist. Hold down the Command or Shift key and click to
select multiple items.
2 Hold down the Option key and drag the items up or down.
Lightkey will add copies of the items at the target location.
Delete a single cue or group
‣ Click next to an item in the cuelist.
Delete multiple cues or groups
1 Select the items in the cuelist. (Hold down the Command or Shift key as you
click to select multiple items.)
‣ Control-click one of the items and choose Delete from the shortcut menu.
‣ Press Delete.
If you accidentally deleted an item, choose Edit > Undo Delete.
Copy and Paste Cues

You can copy cues and entire cue groups to the Clipboard and paste them again later.
You can also copy and paste cues between different cuelists or control panels.
Cut or copy a cue or group
‣ Select the items in the cuelist and choose Edit > Cut or Edit > Copy (or press
Command-X or Command-C).
‣ Control-click a cue or group and choose Cut or Copy from the shortcut menu.
Paste cues from the Clipboard

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‣ Control-click anywhere in the cuelist and choose Paste from the shortcut
menu.
Filter Items in a Cuelist

To quickly find an item you can filter the cuelist so only items whose name contains
the search text are shown.
Filter items in a cuelist
2 Click the symbol in the search field and choose Cuelist from the menu.
3 Enter the text to search for in the search field. As you type the cuelist is filtered
accordingly.
Edit Cue Contents and Options

You can edit the contents and other options for cues in the cue inspector which
appears on the right of the Live view. Most of this section applies to both control
panels and cuelists.
Open the cue inspector in a control panel
‣ Hold down the Command key and click the button.
‣ Control-click a button and choose Get Info from the shortcut menu.
‣ While the control panel is in edit mode, select one or more buttons and choose
Live > Get Info (or press Command-I).
‣ While the control panel is in edit mode, double-click a button.
‣ Force click a button (requires a trackpad with Force Touch support).

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Open the cue inspector in a cuelist
‣ Select one or more cues and choose Live > Get Info (or press Command-I).
‣ Hold down the Command key and click the cue’s name.
‣ Control-click a cue and choose Get Info from the shortcut menu.
‣ Force click a cue (requires a trackpad with Force Touch support).
Edit Cue Contents

You can easily change the presets and sequences in a cue by drag and drop.
Edit a cue’s contents
1 Make sure that only a single cue is selected. (You cannot edit the contents of
multiple cues.) The contents are shown in the upper part of the cue inspector.
2 Edit the cue’s contents:
‣ To add a preset or sequence to the cue, drag it from the Preset Palette to
the upper part of the cue inspector.
‣ To remove a preset or sequence from the cue, click the object in the cue
inspector and press Delete. Alternatively, place the pointer over the object
and swipe left, then click Remove.
‣ To show the fixture properties defined by a preset or sequence, select it in

the cue inspector. Lightkey will display the names of the defined
properties next to the fixture icons in the Preview.
‣ To edit a preset in a cue, move the pointer over the preset in the cue
inspector and click Edit, or double-click the preset. See “Edit a Preset” in
chapter 9, “Presets and Sequences”.
‣ To reveal a preset or sequence in the Preset Palette, Control-click the

object in the cue inspector and choose Show in Palette from the shortcut
menu.
Add a preset or sequence to several cues
1 Select multiple control panel buttons or cues in a cuelist.

2 Drag a preset or sequence from the Preset Palette to the upper part of the cue
inspector.
The preset or sequence is added to all selected cues.
Quickly add presets or sequences to a cue
‣ Drag one or more presets or sequences from the Preset Palette to a button in a
control panel or to a cue in a cuelist.
View Cue Contents

by a cue.
Show the contents of a cue
‣ Hold down the Command and Option keys and click a button in a control panel
or a cue’s name in a cuelist.
‣ Control-click a button in a control panel or a cue in a cuelist and choose Show

Properties from the shortcut menu.
‣ Select a button in a control panel (this assumes that the control panel is in edit
mode) or a cue in a cuelist, then choose Live > Show Properties.
Hide the contents of a cue
Edit Ad Hoc Properties

Apart from presets and sequences from the Preset Palette, a cue can also contain
fixture properties that have been overridden when the cue was created. These
appear in the cue inspector as a special preset called “Ad hoc properties”. You can
edit a cue’s ad hoc properties after the cue has been created.

Edit the ad hoc properties in a cue
‣ Control-click a button in a control panel or a cue in a cuelist and choose

Edit Ad Hoc Properties from the shortcut menu.
‣ Select a button in a control panel (this assumes that the control panel is in
edit mode) or a cue in a cuelist, then choose Live > Edit Ad Hoc
Properties.
An item which represents the ad hoc properties is added to the Preset Palette
while the properties are being edited.
2 Make changes to the fixture properties. (See chapter 8, “Fixture Properties”, for
more information.)
3 Click Update next to the “Ad hoc properties” item in the Preset Palette or in the
toolbar (or press Return). (To discard your changes and return to the preset’s
previous state, hold down the Option key and click Cancel or choose Preset >
Cancel Editing).
After editing, the item for the ad hoc properties disappears again from the Preset
Palette.
Alternatively you can merge the currently overridden fixture properties into the ad
hoc properties of one or more cues. This technique is especially useful when you
want to change the ad hoc properties of multiple cues at once.
Add the overridden fixture properties to one or more cues
‣ Control-click a button in a control panel or a cue in a cuelist and choose

Add Overrides from the shortcut menu.
‣ Select one or more buttons in a control panel (this assumes that the
control panel is in edit mode) or one or more cues in a cuelist, then choose
Live > Add Overrides.

‣ To add the overridden properties for the selected fixtures only, hold down
the Option key as you perform one of the preceding steps. The command
changes to Add Overrides for Selected Fixtures.
Edit Cue Timing Options

The Timing section of the cue inspector lets you change a cue’s timing options. Cues
in a control panel have a fade-in and fade-out time (which may be zero). Cues in a
cuelist have a fade time and, optionally, a hold time.
Change a cue’s timing options
1 Open a cue’s inspector (as described earlier in this section) and scroll to
Timing.
2 Change the settings as appropriate:
• Fade-In, Fade-Out (control panels only): Controls the time for fading the
cue in or out when you activate or deactivate it. Set this to zero to
(de-)activate the cue instantly.
• Hold, Fade (cuelists only): The cue’s hold and fade times. See “Cuelist
Timing” earlier in this chapter for more information.
If you’re using a cuelist, you can also change hold and fade times directly in the
cuelist. See “Cuelist Timing” earlier in this chapter.
You can change the initial hold and fade times for newly created cues in the Timing
pane of Lightkey’s Settings or Preferences window. You can also increase the
precision (number of decimal places shown) for hold and fade times.
Change the hold and fade times for newly created cues

click Timing.
2 Change the values in the fields for the cue hold and fade time. (To revert a value
to the standard value, delete the field contents and press Return.)

Change the precision for hold and fade times

click Timing.
2 Select an option from the “Time precision” pop-up menu.
Edit Button Appearance and Behavior

There are different types of buttons which are described earlier in this chapter. This
section applies to control panels only.
Change button options
1 Open the inspector for a button in a control panel and scroll to Button.
2 Change the settings as appropriate:
• Button Type: Changes the button’s type, as described at the beginning of

this chapter.
• Behavior: Allows you to choose how a push button activates its cue. There
are two options:
• Toggle: Clicking the button once activates the cue, clicking it again
deactivates the cue.
• Flash: The cue is activated when you press the mouse button over the
button and deactivated when you release the mouse.
• Priority: Controls the cue’s priority which is relevant if multiple cues

define the same fixture properties. See “Output Order of Precedence”
later in this chapter for more information.
• Color: Allows you to choose the color in which the button appears in the
Live view. If you choose Automatic, Lightkey tries to find a color based on
the cue’s contents.
• Alignment: Change the alignment of the button’s title.
• Show Fonts: Change the font of the button’s title. Only available in edit
mode.

• Activate: Lightkey can automatically activate one or more buttons in the
selected control panel when you start the application or open a project.
This way you can define a default state for your lights. (Note: This setting
will be ignored if the option “Restore active cues, modifiers, and Master
Dimmer“ is selected in the Settings/Preferences window. See “Startup
State” later in this chapter.)
Lightkey can also activate one or more buttons just before you quit the
application or close the project. Their cues will be active for 0.5 seconds,
which is useful to turn your fixtures off: Simply define a cue which sets the
intensity to 0% for all fixtures. The cue may also do things like move your
moving lights to their home positions etc.
Edit Modifiers
A modifier is a parameter which alters the output of one or more cues in some way.
You can quickly change modifier values in the Live view or with an external controller
while you run your show.
You can add modifiers to a single cue or to a frame. Frame modifiers apply to all cues
in the frame, similar to a “submaster”.
Modifiers are applied to the final output of the cue, whether it comes from fixture
properties defined in the cue, sequences in the cue, fanning, or effects. For example,
they can change the result of a movement or color effect while the effect is running.
This makes modifiers a powerful way to change a cue’s look on the fly.
Some modifiers are multiplied with the value of a fixture property. Here’s an example
showing the results of the Dimmer modifier at 150%:
Fixture Dimmer in cue Dimmer output
FX1 50 % 75 %
FX2 40 % 60 %
FX3 100 % 100 %

Other modifiers are added to the value of a fixture property. The following example
shows the results of the Pan Angle modifier at +30°:
Fixture Pan angle in cue Pan angle output
FX1 –120° –90°
FX2 +50° +80°
FX3 –90° –60°
If a modifier is present in a button and its enclosing frame, both modifiers are applied
to the output. For example, if a cue’s Pan Angle modifier has a value of +50° and the
enclosing frame’s modifier has a value of –20° then the pan angles are shifted by
+30°.
The following modifiers are available:
• Speed: Affects the speed of the cue. For example, setting the speed to 2.0×
makes the cue run at twice the normal speed.
You can choose exactly which aspects of the cue are affected by the modifier.
For example, you may want to control the speed of a movement effect but not
the gobo rotation speed. See below for more information.
Setting the Speed modifier to 0 pauses the cue, and changing it to a positive
value resumes seamlessly from where it left off.
• Beat Multiplier: Affects the timing of beat-controlled sequences and effects in

the cue. For example, a multiplier of “× 2” makes them advance on every
second beat.
The modifier is multiplied with the sequence’s or effect’s own beat multiplier.
For example, if a cue contains a sequence whose beat multiplier is “÷ 2”, and
the cue’s Beat Multiplier modifier is set to “× 6”, then the resulting multiplier is
“× 3” (the sequence advances on every third beat). However, the resulting
multiplier can never be smaller than “÷ 12” or higher than “× 12”.
• Time Offset: The modifier value is added to the Time Offset parameter of any
chase pattern, curve, and movement effects in the cue.
• Fade Time: Extends or shortens a cue’s fade times. For example, a modifier
value of 200% doubles the fade time, and a value of 0% disables fading.
• Dimmer: The Dimmer values in the cue are multiplied by the modifier.

• Hue: Applies to fixtures with RGB or CMY color mixing. The modifier value
(between 0° and 360°) is added to the hue values in the cue.
• Color Temperature: The modifier value (between −5000K and +5000K) is added
to the color temperatures in the cue.
• Green Saturation: The modifier value (between −100% and +100%) is added to
the green saturation values in the cue.
• Xfade to Color: The xfade to color values in the cue are multiplied by the
modifier.
• Pan Angle, Tilt Angle: The modifier values (between −180° and +180°) are
added to the pan and tilt angles defined in the cue.
• Focus: The focus values in the cue are multiplied by the modifier.
• Zoom Angle: The zoom angles in the cue are multiplied by the modifier.
• Iris Size: The iris sizes in the cue are multiplied by the modifier.
• Frost Amount: The frost amounts in the cue are multiplied by the modifier.
• Fog Amount: The fog amounts in the cue are multiplied by the modifier.
You can choose which aspects of the cue are affected by the Speed modifier:
• Sequence Speed: Affects the speed of any sequences in the cue with manual
timing.
• Effect Speed: Affects the speed of any effects in the cue with manual timing.
• Rainbow Speed: Affects the speed of any rainbow effects (color wheel rotation).
• Vector Speed: Affects the speed of pan/tilt movements in vector mode.
• Infinite Pan/Tilt Speed: Affects the speed of any infinite pan or tilt movement.
• Gobo Rotation Speed: Affects the gobo rotation speed.
• Gobo Shake Speed: Affects the gobo shake speed.
• Gobo Change Speed: Affects the gobo change speed (gobo wheel rotation).
• Strobe Speed: Affects the speed of strobe effects.
• Shutter Pulse Speed: Affects the speed of shutter pulse effects.
• Prism Rotation Speed: Affects the prism rotation speed.

Select which modifiers are visible in the Live view
1 Open the inspector for a cue or frame (as described earlier in this section) and
scroll to Modifiers.
2 Select the modifiers you would like to control. If you selected a cue, only
modifiers which apply to the cue are enabled (for example, Pan Angle is only
available if the cue defines the Position property for at least one fixture).
3 To select which aspects are affected by the Speed modifier, click Options and
choose items from the menu. If you selected a cue, only options which apply to
the cue are enabled (for example, Gobo Rotation Speed is only available if at
least one fixture in the cue has a rotating gobo).
You can set default values for modifiers which will be applied at startup. To use
default values, make sure the option “Restore active cues, modifiers, and Master
Dimmer“ is not selected in the Settings/Preferences window. See “Startup State”
later in this chapter.
Change the default value for a modifier
1 Exit edit mode, if necessary.
2 Press the mouse button over a modifier’s icon and drag up or down to set the
modifier’s value.
3 Control-click the modifier and choose Set as Default Value from the shortcut
menu.
Live Control With Control Panels

This section describes how you use a control panel during a live show to activate
cues, change their intensity, and change modifiers. For the tasks in this section the
control panel should not be in edit mode.
❖ Note: All actions in this section can also be performed through external
hardware, such as a MIDI controller, or through custom keyboard shortcuts.
See chapter 16, “External Control”, for more information.

Control Buttons
There are two types of buttons—push buttons and faders. Push buttons may use
either “toggle” behavior or “flash” behavior.
Ballyhoo Front Lights
Activate or deactivate a cue with a push button and “toggle” behavior
‣ Click the button.
Activate a cue with a push button and “flash” behavior
‣ Press the mouse button over the button.
The cue is activated until you release the mouse.
While the cue is active, the button’s color changes to reflect its state.
Depending on the cue’s options, the cue will either activate/deactivate instantly or
fade in and out (see “Edit Cue Options” earlier in this chapter). If the button is
attached to other buttons, their cues will be deactivated.
Change a cue’s intensity with a fader
‣ Drag the fader to the very left (or bottom) to deactivate the cue, or to the very
right (or top) to fully activate the cue. The fader values in between gradually
change the cue’s intensity.
➤ Important: Fader buttons do not currently work for smart lights.
Cues generally remain active until you deactivate them, except for the following
cases where Lightkey automatically deactivates cues:
• If you activate a button that is attached to other buttons, then the other buttons
are automatically deactivated. (See “Attach Buttons” earlier in this chapter for
more information.)
• If a cue contains one or more sequences, it is automatically deactivated when

all sequences have finished. (If at least one sequence repeats infinitely or has
its “Freeze on completion” option selected, the sequence never finishes and the
cue is not automatically deactivated.)

Step Through Buttons in a Frame
If buttons are enclosed in a frame, you can step through them in sequential order
using the arrow buttons in the upper right. The arrows are only visible if the frame
option “Show Previous/Next buttons” is selected. See “Frames” earlier in this
chapter.
Moving Lights
Slow Movement
Fast Movement
Ballyhoo
Successively activate the buttons in a frame
‣ Click the arrows at the top-right of the frame to activate the previous or next
button. The order is determined by the locations of the buttons.
Change Modifiers
Modifiers are a convenient and powerful way to alter the output of a cue during a
show. They can be added to individual cues or an entire frame, in which case they
affect all cues in the frame.
Ballyhoo
Change the value of a modifier
‣ Press the mouse button over the modifier’s icon, then drag the mouse up or
down.
‣ Hold down the Shift key as you drag to change the modifier in coarse steps.
‣ To disable snapping to the neutral value, hold down the Control key.
Each modifier has a neutral value where it doesn’t change the output of the cue, and
a customizable default value which may be different from the neutral value.
Reset a modifier to its neutral or default value
‣ Control-click the modifier’s icon and choose Reset to Neutral Value or Reset to
Default Value from the shortcut menu.

Live Control With Cuelists
This section describes how you run a light show from a cuelist. The cues are typically
activated one by one in sequential order, although it’s possible to skip to a random
cue at any time. Whether groups are expanded or not doesn’t affect the playback
order. If the checkbox to the left of a cue’s name is not selected, the cue is skipped.
❖ Note: The actions in this section can also be performed through external
hardware, such as a MIDI controller, or through custom keyboard shortcuts.
See chapter 16, “External Control”, for more information.
Control Playback
During playback, the name of the active cue is displayed in the center area of the
toolbar.
Start playback
‣ Click .
Lightkey will activate the first cue in the cuelist. If the cue has a hold time, it will
begin to run.
Pause or resume playback
‣ Click . When playback is paused, the hold time of the current cue stops
running. Pausing has no effect unless the current cue has a hold time.
Activate the next cue
‣ Click or press the Space bar.
Lightkey will activate the next cue (possibly with a crossfade). If there is no next
cue, the current cue will be deactivated.
Activate the previous cue
‣ Hold down the Shift key and click or press Shift-Space.

􀊆
􀊄
Stop playback
‣ Click .
Lightkey will deactivate all cues in the cuelist.
Manual Crossfading
Instead of setting fixed fade times for each cue, you can use the Xfade slider to
perform manual crossfades. This gives you full control over the fade speed and is
especially useful with a hardware controller. “Manual Crossfading” earlier in this
chapter explains how to show the Xfade slider.
Manually crossfade between cues
‣ Drag the Xfade slider from its current position to the opposite end.
This starts a crossfade from the current cue to the next, regardless of the cue’s
fade time. The crossfade ends when the slider has reached the opposite
endpoint. If you move the slider all the way back to the original endpoint while
the fade is in progress you can cancel the crossfade.
After the crossfade has completed, move the Xfade slider in the opposite direction to
begin the next crossfade.
Activate Arbitrary Cues

Although cuelists are usually played back in their predefined order, you can skip to a
random time when necessary.
Jump to a specific cue instantly
‣ Control-click a cue and choose Activate from the shortcut menu.
‣ Double-click a cue.
‣ Select a cue and press Command-Return.
Skip to a specific cue with a fade
‣ Control-click a cue and choose Activate With Fade from the shortcut menu. This
fades to the cue according to the previous cue’s fade time.

􀛷
‣ Hold down the Option key and double-click a cue.
‣ Select a cue and press Command-Option-Return.
Jump to a specific cue by name
1 Choose Live > Go to Cue… (or press Command-G).
2 Start typing the name of the desired cue. (If you use cue numbers, simply type
the cue’s number.)
3 When the completed name matches the cue that you want to select, click Go.
(Hold down the Option key to enable crossfading.)
Change Modifiers
Modifiers are a convenient and powerful way to alter the output of a cue during a
show.
Change the value of a cue’s modifier
‣ Press the mouse button over the modifier’s icon to the right of the cue name,
then drag the mouse up or down.
‣ Hold down the Shift key as you drag to change the modifier in coarse steps.
‣ To disable snapping to the neutral value, hold down the Control key.
Each modifier has a neutral value where it doesn’t change the output of the cue, and
a customizable default value which may be different from the neutral value.
Reset a modifier to its neutral or default value
‣ Control-click the modifier’s icon and choose Reset to Neutral Value or Reset to
Default Value from the shortcut menu.
Blind Mode
Blind mode allows you to make changes without affecting the DMX output. You can
still see the results of your changes in the Preview. Once you exit blind mode, all
changes are applied to the DMX output at once.
Enter blind mode
‣ Click in the toolbar or choose View > Blind Mode (or press Command-B).

While in blind mode, any active cuelists, sequences, and effects continue to run in the
DMX output. You can make the following changes without affecting the DMX output:
• Activate/deactivate presets, sequences, and cues
• Change the overridden fixture properties
• Change a cue’s intensity or modifiers
• Change the Master Dimmer
Exit blind mode and apply your changes
‣ Click in the toolbar or choose View > Blind Mode (or press Command-B).
Exit blind mode and revert any changes you made
‣ Choose View > Cancel Blind Mode.
‣ Hold down the Option key and click in the toolbar.
❖ Note: You can also enter or exit blind mode through external hardware, such
as a MIDI controller, or through custom keyboard shortcuts. See chapter 16,
“External Control”, for more information.
Freeze Output
When you freeze the output, Lightkey stops updating the DMX output and the
Preview. This pauses any running cuelists, sequences, and effects.
Freeze or unfreeze the output
‣ Click in the toolbar or choose View > Freeze Output (or press Command-
Period).
Briefly freeze the output
‣ Press and hold the mouse button over the button in the toolbar. Release the
mouse button to unfreeze the output.
When you unfreeze the output, cuelists, sequences, and effects will continue to run
seamlessly from where they left off.

❖ Note: You can also freeze or unfreeze the output through external hardware,
such as a MIDI controller, or through custom keyboard shortcuts. See chapter
16, “External Control”, for more information.
Startup State
By default, Lightkey presents the same default state each time you start the
application or open a project:
• The first live page is selected.
• No presets, sequences, or cues are active except for the cues you chose to be
active at startup (see below).
• All modifiers are at their default values.
• The Master Dimmer is at 100%.
This behavior is useful if you want to start with a “clean slate”, regardless of how the
project was left after the last performance.
You can tell Lightkey to automatically activate one or more control panel buttons at
startup. (This is not available in cuelists.) See “Edit Button Appearance and Behavior”
earlier in this chapter.
Automatically activate a cue at startup
1 Open the cue inspector and scroll to Button.
2 Select “At startup”.
Alternatively, you can tell Lightkey to remember the state before quitting or closing a
project. This will restore the selected live page, active cues, modifier values, and
Master Dimmer. In this case the “Activate at startup” option for cues is ignored.
Restore the last state at startup

click General.
2 Select “Restore active cues, modifiers, and Master Dimmer”.

★ Tip: To have Lightkey reopen the last project when you start the application,
make sure that “Close windows when quitting an app” is turned off in the
General pane of System Settings (or System Preferences).
Output Order of Precedence

When a fixture property is defined at multiple points, the final output is determined in
the following order:
1. Overridden fixture properties.
2. Selected presets and running sequences in the Preset Palette, in order of

activation.
3. If a control panel is selected: Active cues in the control panel, in the following
order:
• If the cues are enclosed in frames, the frame with the highest priority
wins.
• If the cues are in the same or no frame, the cue with the highest priority
wins.
• If the cues have equal priority, the most recently activated cue takes
precedence.
If a cuelist is selected: The active cue in the cuelist.
You can change cue and frame priorities in the cue and frame inspectors.

Chapter 12
Beat Control
Lightkey lets you run light shows in sync with
music. This chapter describes how to enable beat
control for sequences and effects, and how to
synchronize Lightkey to music.
Lightkey has a single, global source for the beat which usually matches the music
that’s playing. The beat source affects all sequences and effects that are marked as
“beat-controlled”. In other words, sequences and effects cannot use different beats,
and the beat does not depend on the active sequences and effects.
In this context, the term beat or beat grid actually means two things:
• It defines the tempo, in beats per minute, to make effects and sequences run at
the same speed as the music.
• It defines the phase synchronization, that is, when the beats occur, so effects
and sequences are aligned with the music.
There are several ways to set the global beat grid. You can:
• “Tap” the beat by pressing the mouse button or a key four times. Lightkey will
learn the beat and carry it forward at the same speed.
• Enter the exact beats per minute.
• Receive a MIDI Beat Clock signal sent by a DJ software, mixer, or audio analysis
tool.

• Connect to other software through Ableton Link, a technology for synchronizing
beat information between applications on the same computer or over a
network.
Beat-Controlled Sequences
Making a sequence beat-controlled is easy. A beat-controlled sequence advances to
the next step in sync with the beat.
Make a sequence beat-controlled
1 Double-click a sequence in the Preset Palette to open its inspector.
2 Click Timing and then select Beat-controlled.
When a sequence is beat-controlled you can no longer change the hold times of its
steps, so the hold times column in the Preset Palette disappears and the Speed
slider in the sequence inspector is disabled. You can still change the fade times.
In the simplest case, a beat-controlled sequence advances to the next step on each
beat. You can adjust the timing by applying a “beat multiplier”. For example, a
multiplier of “÷ 2” advances the sequence on every half beat, and a multiplier of “× 3”
advances it on every third beat. For more information see “Sequence Timing” in
chapter 9, “Presets and Sequences”.
Beat-Controlled Effects
Some effects can be synchronized to the beat. This is true for pattern effects (some
patterns only) and curve effects.
Make an effect beat-controlled
‣ Edit the effect, then select the icon in the Timing Mode options. If the icon
isn’t visible or is inactive then the effect can’t be beat-controlled.
The exact behavior of beat-controlled effects is described in chapter 10, “Effects”.

Like with sequences, you can apply a beat multiplier to adjust the timing.
Set the Beat Grid

There are various ways to set the beat grid—that is, define the tempo and alignment.

By Tapping
You can set the beat by pressing the mouse button or a key four times on each beat.
Lightkey will “learn” the beat and carry it forward at the same speed.
Tap the beat
‣ Click the beat indicator at the bottom-left of the Live view.
‣ Choose View > Set Beat (or press Shift-B).
2 Click Manual.
3 Press the mouse button or the Space bar four times on each beat.
4 Check if the animation in the beat indicator is in sync with the music. If not,
repeat step 3.
5 Click the beat count at the bottom or press Return.
❖ Note: You can also tap the beat through external hardware, such as a MIDI
controller, or through custom keyboard shortcuts. See chapter 16, “External
Control”, for more information.
As an Exact Value
You can manually specify the tempo (beats per minute). You can also align the beat
grid while maintaining the current tempo.
Set the tempo to an exact value
‣ Click the beat indicator.
2 Click Manual.
‣ Click the text field near the bottom, type a new value, and press Return.
You can use fractional values, like “12.5”.

‣ Click the arrows next to the text field or press the Up/Down Arrow keys to
increase or decrease the beats per minute. Hold down the Shift key as you
click to change the value in intervals of 10.
‣ Click “÷2” or “×2” to halve or double the current tempo.
Align the beat grid while maintaining tempo
2 Click Manual.
‣ To synchronize the time of the next beat: Hold down the Option key and
click once, or press Option-Space.
‣ To synchronize the time of the downbeat: Hold down the Option and Shift
keys and click once, or press Option-Shift-Space.
❖ Note: You can also change the tempo or align the beat through external
hardware, such as a MIDI controller. See chapter 16, “External Control”, for
more information.
Through MIDI Beat Clock

You can synchronize the beat with other software or external hardware which sends
MIDI Beat Clock signals. MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a standard
protocol that allows a wide variety of electronic music devices, control surfaces, and
software to send and receive performance data. MIDI Beat Clock (or MIDI Clock) is a
clock signal that is broadcast via MIDI to synchronize MIDI-enabled hardware and
software.

You can synchronize the beat with the following kinds of software or hardware:
• DJ software like Traktor or DJ mixers which detect the beats per minute. This is
usually the most accurate form of BPM detection because the software can
determine the beat grid in advance.
• Audio analysis software such as Waveclock or Wavetick which analyzes audio as

it plays. Lightkey itself does not perform audio analysis.
There are generally two ways to establish a connection between the source software
or hardware and Lightkey:
• Some sources create a MIDI source port on which they send MIDI Clock signals.
You select this port in Lightkey.
• Other sources require that you specify a MIDI destination port to which they
send MIDI Clock signals. In this case Lightkey can create a MIDI destination
port.
Synchronize Lightkey to a MIDI Clock source
2 Click External.
3 Select an input source from the list.
‣ If your MIDI source creates a MIDI output port, select it from the list.
‣ If your MIDI source requires a destination port, select Lightkey MIDI Input.
Lightkey creates a MIDI input port which you can select as destination in
another software.
When MIDI Clock signals are received, the status changes to “Receiving”, and
the animation in the beat indicator is in sync with the music.
Through Ableton Link

Ableton Link is a technology that synchronizes beat information over a wireless or
wired network. It works with Ableton Live and a variety of other applications and
devices. The source must be either on the same computer or on a computer on the
same local network.

Synchronize Lightkey via Ableton Link
2 Click External.
3 Click Ableton Link.
Lightkey looks for Ableton Link users on the same local network and displays
the number of peers found. When a connected peer changes its beat grid,
Lightkey’s beat indicator adapts to the peer.
Examples
The following examples show you how to synchronize the beat with selected software
through MIDI Beat Clock or Ableton Link.
❖ Note: This section is about third-party software from other manufacturers.

We have carefully tested the integration with Lightkey at the time it was
written, but cannot guarantee this functionality will work without errors and
continue to work in the future.
Ableton Live
Ableton Live is a music sequencer and digital audio workstation (DAW) software used
by many musicians and DJs. This section shows how to synchronize Lightkey to
Ableton Live through Ableton Link.

Synchronize Lightkey with Ableton Live
1 Open Ableton Live and click Link at the upper-left of the main window to enable
Link.
If you don’t see the Link toggle, choose Live > Preferences…, click Link/MIDI,
and make sure the button next to Show Link Toggle reads Show.
2 In Lightkey, click the beat indicator at the bottom-left of the Live view, then click
External > Ableton Link.
When Lightkey finds Ableton Live, the status text reads “1 peer” and the beat
indicator adapts to the tempo in Ableton Live.
Logic Pro
Logic Pro is a music sequencer and digital audio workstation (DAW) software by
Apple. This section shows how to synchronize Lightkey to Logic Pro through MIDI
Clock.
Synchronize Lightkey with Logic Pro
1 In Lightkey, click the beat indicator, then click External > Lightkey MIDI Input.
2 Open Logic Pro and choose Logic Pro X > Preferences > Synchronization.
3 Next to Transmit MIDI Clock, select one of the two destinations and choose
Lightkey Input from the pop-up menu.

Traktor
Traktor is a DJ software developed by Native Instruments. This section shows how to
synchronize Lightkey to Traktor through MIDI Clock.
Synchronize Lightkey with Traktor
1 Open Traktor, choose Traktor > Preferences…, and select Controller Manager
on the left.
2 Create a new generic MIDI device. As Out-Port, select Traktor Virtual Output.
3 Click MIDI Clock on the left, then select Send MIDI Clock.
4 Open the Master Clock panel in Traktor’s Global Section by clicking the
metronome icon. (If you can’t see the Master Clock / FX Panel, choose to
Traktor > Preferences… > Global Settings and select Show Global Section.)
5 To start sending a MIDI Clock signal, click the Play/Pause button. The button
appears blue when MIDI Clock is active.
6 In Lightkey, click the beat indicator, click External, and choose Traktor Virtual
Output.
Waveclock
Waveclock by Wavesum is an audio analysis tool which converts music to MIDI Beat
Clock signals in real time. You can use it if you play music through an app that does
not perform beat detection (like iTunes or Spotify) or a CD deck. This section shows
how to synchronize Lightkey to Waveclock through MIDI Clock.

Synchronize Lightkey with Waveclock
1 In Lightkey, click the beat indicator, then click External, and choose Lightkey
MIDI Input.
2 Open Waveclock. Choose Waveclock > Preferences… and select Lightkey Input
as output device. Close the Waveclock I/O Settings window.
3 In the Waveclock window, select MIDI Clock.

Chapter 13
Manage DMX Fixtures
Before Lightkey can control your DMX lights you
need to supply some basic information about the
fixtures. This process is sometimes called
“patching”.
DMX (Digital Multiplex) enables a controller—in this case, Lightkey—to control the
features of a wide range of DMX-compatible devices or fixtures. They are connected
to the controller through a DMX connection which consists of a series of DMX cables
between the controller and the fixtures in the form of a “daisy chain” (that is, each
fixture links to the previous and next fixture or the controller). DMX signals flow in
one direction from the controller to the fixtures.
All fixtures on a single daisy chain form a universe. In many cases an installation will
consist of only one universe, but depending on your license Lightkey can output DMX
to up to eight universes (and receive input from up to two universes).
The fixtures on a universe are controlled by 512 channels, each of which can have a
unitary value between 0 and 255 which controls a property of a fixture. Each fixture is
assigned a consecutive range of channels: Simple fixtures like dimmers require only
a single channel while some intelligent lights can require 20 or more channels. The
number of the first channel that controls a fixture is called the fixture’s address.

In order to know which fixture property is controlled by which channel, Lightkey
needs a fixture profile. It contains a description of the fixture’s capabilities and the
way they are controlled. Lightkey comes with a built-in library of fixture profiles from
a wide range of manufacturers and can import thousands of freely available profiles
in the formats SSL2, FXT, and PFF. You can also create your own profiles using the
built-in fixture editor.
In summary, in order to control a fixture you need to tell Lightkey its universe and
address and provide a fixture profile. You manage this information in the Fixture
Manager.
Click the arrow to configure a

Click a universe to select it universe for output or input
Fixture library DMX channels and fixtures in the selected universe
Open the Fixture Manager
‣ Choose Lightkey > Manage Fixtures… (or press Command-Shift-Down Arrow).
‣ Click a fixture’s short name in the Preview, then click the fixture’s address (e.g.
“Universe 1, channels 1 – 10”) in the shortcut menu. This will open the Fixture
Manager and show information about the clicked fixture.

Close the Fixture Manager
‣ Click Done in the toolbar.
‣ Choose Lightkey > Manage Fixtures… (or press Command-Shift-Up Arrow).
On the left of the Fixture Manager is the fixture library which contains all built-in,
imported, and user-created fixture profiles. The first column lists the manufacturers,
the second column shows the profiles for the selected manufacturer. The library also
contains a number of generic profiles which don’t relate to a specific fixture model.
On the right is a grid representing the 512 channels in a DMX universe. Click a
universe at the top of the grid to reveal its channels. For information on how to
configure a universe for output or input, see “Configure Universes” in chapter 14,
“DMX Output and Input”.
Find Fixture Profiles

Many simple fixtures work with one of the profiles in the Generic category of the
built-in library. Double-click a profile to view a description of the profile. You can also
find an overview of the generic profiles at the end of this User Guide.
For more complex lights you need a profile specific to the fixture. See “Find Fixture
Profiles” in chapter 4, “Set Up Your Lights”, to learn how to get fixture profiles.
Filter the Fixture Library

You can apply filters to the fixture library to quickly find matching profiles for your
lights.
1 Enter something in the search field above the fixture library to search for a
manufacturer or model name.
2 Click the arrow to the right of the search field to reveal additional filter options.
‣ Select a fixture type to only show fixtures of this type.
‣ Use the Channels field to find fixture profiles with the specified number of
channels. For example, enter “11, 15” to find profiles with an 11 channel
mode and an 15 channel mode.
Double-click a fixture profile in the library to view additional information.

Add DMX Fixtures
1 Select the universe which the new fixture is connected to.
2 Drag a fixture profile from the library to the channel grid. The first occupied
channel should match the fixture’s DMX address. Fixtures must not overlap.
The fixture will appear in the channel grid with a dashed outline. Below it you
see a window with additional options.
3 If the fixture has different operation modes (or “personalities”), select a mode
from the menu below the fixture name. Be sure to select the same mode as is
set on the fixture, or Lightkey will not be able to control the fixture! If no menu
is shown then the fixture has no modes.
4
5
6
4 Assign a short name to the fixture. Short names appear in Lightkey’s Preview;
they can be up to four characters long and usually include one or two letters
and a number.
Lightkey proposes a short name based on the fixture type, but you should
choose a naming scheme that’s suitable for your lighting installation. For
example, if you have a row of PAR cans on the floor and one at the ceiling, you
can name them F1, F2, F3, … and C1, C2, C3, …

If you add multiple fixtures at once, Lightkey will automatically increment the
number for each fixture. For example, if you add four moving heads and enter
“MH6”, their names will be “MH6”, “MH7”, “MH8”, and “MH9”.
5 You can correct the fixture’s DMX address in the Address field. (You can
increase/decrease the address by pressing the Up/Down Arrow keys while the
insertion point is in the field.)
6 If the Count value is greater than one, Lightkey displays multiple instances of
the fixture in the Preview which always share the same fixture properties. This
is useful when you patch several identical fixtures to the same DMX address.
7 To patch multiple fixtures of the same type with consecutive DMX addresses,
enter their number here. (You can increase/decrease the number by pressing
the Up/Down Arrow keys while the insertion point is in the field.)
8 Click Patch (or press Return).
Edit DMX Fixtures

After patching your fixtures you can change them at any time. This section pertains to
DMX fixtures; for Hue fixtures see chapter 15, “Smart Lights”.
View and Edit Patching Information

After patching a fixture, you can always come back and edit the information.
Changing the address, short name, or instance count will not affect your presets,
sequences, and cues.
View and edit information about a fixture
‣ Double-click a fixture in the channel grid.
‣ Control-click a fixture in the channel grid and choose Get Info from the
shortcut menu.
‣ Force click a fixture in the channel grid (requires a trackpad with Force
Touch support).

2 The following information is shown below the fixture:
Manufacturer
and model name
The mode currently in (from fixture profile)
use (if the fixture has
multiple modes)
and the number of
occupied channels
Click to add comments
(which are included
when you print the
The short name is patched fixtures)
used to identify the
fixture in the Preview
DMX address as
decimal number and
Number of instances DIP switch (Dual In-
shown in Preview line Package) values
Reveal one or more fixtures in the Preview
1 Select one or more fixtures in the channel grid. (Hold down the Command or
Shift key as you click to select multiple fixtures.)
2 Control-click one of the fixtures and choose Show in Preview from the shortcut
menu.
Reveal a fixture’s profile in the library
‣ Control-click a fixture in the channel grid and choose Show Profile in Library
Change a Fixture’s DMX Address or Universe

You can change a fixture’s DMX address or universe at any time. All presets,
sequences, and cues containing the fixture will continue to work.
Change the DMX address of one or more fixtures
‣ Drag the fixtures in the channel grid.

‣ Double-click a fixture, then change the value in the “Start at” field.
Change the DMX universe of one or more fixtures
1 Select one or more fixtures in the channel grid.
2 Drag the fixtures to one of the universes at the top. You can’t drag fixtures to an
input universe or Hue bridge.
Duplicate Fixtures
You can duplicate fixtures to quickly create new, independent fixtures of the same
kind. Optionally, the new fixtures can adopt the properties of the existing ones which
are stored in presets. This can be useful if you extend your lighting installation: For
example, assume you have a row of PARs for which you have created various presets,
sequences, and cues. You can easily add another PAR to the row which behaves
exactly like the others without making changes to your light show.
Duplicate fixtures
‣ Control-click one of the fixtures and choose Duplicate from the shortcut
menu.
‣ Hold down the Option key and drag the fixtures in the channel grid.
3 In the dialog that appears, select or deselect the option “Adopt fixture
properties in presets”.
If the option is selected, Lightkey will copy all properties for the existing fixtures
which are stored in presets to the new fixtures. In other words, the new fixtures
will behave exactly like the existing fixtures (until you make changes to the
presets).
If the option is not selected, Lightkey will simply create new fixtures with the
same fixture profiles and modes.
4 Click Duplicate.

Edit a Fixture Profile
You can conveniently edit fixture profiles in Lightkey’s fixture editor. The fixture
editor is built into the application so changes take effect immediately as you close the
fixture profile.
Edit a fixture’s profile
‣ Control-click a fixture in the channel grid and choose Edit Profile from the
shortcut menu.
‣ Hold down the Option key and double-click a fixture in the channel grid.
‣ Click a fixture’s short name in the Preview, then click the fixture profile name in
the shortcut menu.
‣ Select a fixture in the Preview and choose Fixture > Edit Fixture Profile (or
press Command-Shift-Option-Down Arrow).
‣ Hold down the Option key and double-click a fixture in the Preview.
❖ Note: Fixture profile information for the fixtures in a project is also stored in
the project file, so you can use the project even if you don’t have the fixture
profiles. If a fixture’s profile is not in your library, you can easily add it by
editing the fixture’s profile as described above.
Reassign Fixture Profiles

You can assign a different fixture profile to an existing fixture. Lightkey will try to
retain information about the fixture in presets, sequences, and cues, as long as the
stored properties exist in the new profile.
Reassign a fixture profile
1 Drag a fixture profile from the library to a fixture in the channel grid.
2 In the alert message that appears, select “Change all fixtures with profile
profile name” if you want to change all fixtures with this profile.
3 Click Change.

Disable Fixtures
Preview, and all its DMX channels are set to zero.
Disabled fixtures do not count towards the maximum number of output channels
permitted by your Lightkey license. If your fixtures use more channels than are
enabled by your license you can disable fixtures to decide which fixtures should
receive output.
‣ Control-click a fixture in the channel grid and choose Disable or Enable from
the shortcut menu.
❖ Note: You can also disable or enable fixtures in the Preview. See “Disable
Fixtures” in chapter 7, “Preview”.
Delete Fixtures
When you delete a fixture from the project all information about the fixture is
removed from presets, sequences, and cues. If you don’t want to permanently delete
the fixture you can disable it instead, as described in the preceding section.
Delete fixtures
‣ Drag a fixture out of the channel grid.
‣ Control-click a fixture and choose Delete… from the shortcut menu.
‣ Press the Delete key.
3 In the alert message that appears, click Delete (or press Command-Delete).
▲ Warning: Deleting a fixture cannot be undone. All related data—for example,

in presets, sequences, and cues—is removed from the project.

Print the Patched Fixtures
You can print a list of all fixtures in your project, including patching information and
comments. This can be convenient when setting DMX addresses on the fixtures or
when working with equipment hiring companies.
Print a list of the fixtures in a project
1 Click in the toolbar.
2 In the dialog that appears, click Print.
Work With Fixture Profiles

The fixture library on the left side of the Fixture Manager contains all built-in,
imported, and user-created fixture profiles.
Edit a Fixture Profile

You can edit fixture profiles in Lightkey’s built-in fixture editor. Changes take effect
immediately as you close the fixture profile.
❖ Note: You can view built-in profiles in the fixture editor but you cannot make
changes. Instead, you can duplicate the profile.
Edit a fixture profile
‣ Select a fixture profile in the library, then click and choose Edit Profile from
the menu.
‣ Control-click a fixture profile in the library and choose Edit Profile from the
shortcut menu.
‣ Hold down the Option key and double-click a fixture profile in the library.
The fixture editor opens. A complete discussion of the fixture editor is beyond the
scope of this User Guide.
To close the fixture profile, click to the left of its name (at the top).

􀎚
􀆄
􀍡
Import a Fixture Profile
You can import any Lightkey fixture profile into your library. You can also import
profiles in the formats SSL2 (Sunlite) and FXT or PFF (DMX FreeStyler).
Import a fixture profile
1 Click at the top of the fixture library and then choose Import Profile… from
the menu.
2 Select a fixture profile in one of the supported file formats

(.lightkeyfxt, .ssl2, .fxt, .pff) and click Import.
3 If you’re importing an SSL2 profile, enter the manufacturer and fixture name in
the dialog that appears, then click Import.
4 If the profile already exists in your library, Lightkey will display a warning. You
can either replace the existing profile or keep both profiles.
★ Tip: A quick way to import a fixture profile is to drag the file to the fixture
library. press Tab or Shift-Tab to quickly jump to the next or previous field.
Create a Fixture Profile

Lightkey’s built-in fixture editor lets you create your own fixture profiles.
Create a fixture profile
‣ Click at the top of the fixture library and then choose New Profile from the
menu.
An interactive assistant will appear and ask you about the basic information for
the fixture profile. Then Lightkey creates the fixture profile and opens it in the
fixture editor. A complete discussion of the fixture editor is beyond the scope of
this User Guide.
Duplicate a Fixture Profile

You can duplicate a fixture profile and use it as a starting point for new profiles.
Another reason to duplicate fixture profiles may be that you want to make changes to
a built-in profile.

􀍡
􀍡
Duplicate a fixture profile
‣ Control-click a fixture profile in the library and choose Duplicate Profile from
the shortcut menu.
A copy of the profile is added to the library, which you can then edit in the fixture
editor.
Delete a Fixture Profile

You can move user-created fixture profiles to the Trash. Built-in profiles cannot be
removed.
Move a fixture profile to the Trash
1 Control-click a fixture profile in the library and choose Move to Trash… from the
shortcut menu.
2 In the alert message that appears, click Move to Trash.

Chapter 14
DMX Output and Input
Lightkey provides numerous ways of DMX output
and input. You can use USB–DMX interfaces from
many manufacturers as well as the network
protocols Art-Net, sACN (also called E1.31), and
ESP Net.
DMX input/output is configured primarily in two places:
• The DMX Output pane of the Settings/Preferences window contains application-

wide settings for each output method.
• The Fixture Manager is where you patch your project’s universes to a USB
interface or network protocol.
DMX Output Settings

The DMX Output settings contain general settings for the various output/input
methods. These settings are global to the application and apply to all projects.
Change DMX Output settings
1 Choose Lightkey > Settings… (or Preferences…) and click DMX Output.
2 Select an output method from the left, then change the settings on the right as
appropriate.
3 Click Apply to apply your changes, or click Revert to leave the settings
unchanged.

Serial USB Interfaces
The Serial USB Interfaces output method includes the following USB–DMX
interfaces: DMXking ultraDMX devices, Enttec DMX USB Pro, Jese DMX-TRI, Robe
Universal Interface.
These interfaces cannot be used together with Open DMX or Eurolite PRO interfaces.
Only one of these three output methods can be enabled at a time. A green dot next to
“Serial USB Interfaces” indicates that the method is enabled.
Enable Serial USB Interfaces
‣ Select Serial USB Interfaces on the left and click Enable.
This implicitly disables the options Open DMX Interfaces and Eurolite PRO.
Open DMX Interfaces

The Open DMX Interfaces output method includes the Enttec Open DMX USB
interface and similar devices (but not the Enttec Open DMX Ethernet interface).
These interfaces cannot be used together with serial USB or Eurolite PRO
interfaces. Only one of these three output methods can be enabled at a time. A green
dot next to “Open DMX Interfaces” indicates that the method is enabled.
Unlike most other USB–DMX interfaces, Open DMX devices don’t include a
microprocessor to create the DMX stream. Instead they rely on the computer to send
DMX frames in regular intervals. If the computer can’t provide the DMX data at a high
enough speed, you may experience flicker. In this case you should try to reduce the
DMX refresh rate.
Enable Open DMX Interfaces
‣ Select Open DMX Interfaces on the left and click Enable.
This implicitly disables the options Serial DMX Interfaces and Eurolite PRO.
Change the rate at which DMX data is sent
‣ Select an option from the “Refresh rate” pop-up menu.

★ Tip: When you enable the Open DMX Interfaces output method, Lightkey will
ask for an administrator password each time you start the application.
Therefore you should not enable this option unless you actually use an Open
DMX USB interface.
Eurolite USB-DMX512-PRO MK2

Enable this output method for the Eurolite USB-DMX512-PRO MK2 and Eurolite USB-
DMX512-PRO Cable.
These interfaces cannot be used together with serial USB or Open DMX interfaces.
Only one of these three output methods can be enabled at a time. A green dot next to
“Eurolite PRO” indicates that the method is enabled.
Enable Eurolite PRO
‣ Select Eurolite PRO Interfaces on the left and click Enable.
This implicitly disables the options Serial DMX Interfaces and Open DMX
Interfaces.
★ Tip: When you enable the Eurolite PRO output method, Lightkey will ask for
an administrator password each time you start the application. Therefore you
should not enable this option unless you actually use a Eurolite interface.
Other USB Interfaces

This output method includes the following USB–DMX interfaces: Eurolite USB-
DMX512-PRO, and Stage-Profi devices.
No settings are required for these interfaces.
Art-Net
Art-Net is a communication protocol for distributing DMX data over a computer
network. It was developed by Artistic Licence and has been placed in the public
domain. Art-Net can carry a large number of DMX universes, and Ethernet cabling or
Wi-Fi are useful for covering long distances.

An Ethernet–DMX interface—also called an Art-Net node—translates between Art-
Net and DMX. Since Art-Net is an open standard, you can use any interface which
conforms to the Art-Net standard versions 1 through 3. Some fixtures can also
connect to Art-Net directly, acting as an Art-Net node. This scenario is discussed
later in this section.
Art-Net nodes are grouped into nets (0–127) and subnets (0–15). A node can have up
to four ports, each of which can input or output one DMX universe. Lightkey can
connect to a single Art-Net node with up to four ports, so you can use up to four DMX
universes for output or input. Your computer must be in the same local network and
IP subnet as the Art-Net node.
Art-Net nodes require some configuration which is usually done through an on-
device menu, a software tool provided by the manufacturer, or a web browser
interface. Configuration includes the node’s IP address, net and subnet, port
directions (output vs. input), and universe numbers. It’s particularly important to
select the same universe number(s) on the node as in Lightkey; see “Configure
Universes” later in this chapter. For more information see the documentation of your
Art-Net node.
In Lightkey, you configure Art-Net settings in the Art-Net section of Lightkey’s DMX
Output settings.
In most cases Lightkey can find connected Art-Net nodes automatically. If Lightkey
can’t find the node it often helps to connect it directly to your computer using an
Ethernet cable in order to rule out network problems.

Connect to an Art-Net interface using automatic mode
1 Open the DMX Output settings (as described earlier in this chapter) and click
Art-Net on the left.
2 Select the network interface which your Art-Net node is connected to. Your
computer usually has multiple network interfaces such as Wi-Fi, the built-in
Ethernet port etc. If you are not sure it may help to look at the Network pane of
System Settings (or System Preferences) and check which network interfaces
are in use (click Open Network Settings…).
Each of your computer’s network interfaces has its own IP address. The IP
address of the selected interface is shown below the network interface.
3 Select Automatic.
4 Click Find Nodes.
Lightkey finds any Art-Net nodes that are connected to the selected network
interface and on the same local IP network.
5 Select your Art-Net interface in the list, if necessary.
6 Click Apply.
If your Art-Net interface has been found, proceed to “Configure Universes” later in
this chapter.
In rare cases it may be necessary to use manual mode and specify the exact net and
subnet values. This applies to older Art-Net nodes which do not support the ArtPoll
protocol.
Connect to an Art-Net interface using manual mode
1 Select Art-Net on the left.
2 Select the network interface which your Art-Net interface is connected to.
3 Select Manual.
4 Fill in the following information:
• Net: The Art-Net net of your interface (0–127).
• Subnet: The Art-Net subnet of your interface (0–15).

• Options: These are advanced options which should not be selected in most
cases.
• Use broadcast mode: Select this option for older Art-Net interfaces
which only support Art-Net version 1. When selected, DMX data is
sent to all devices on the network. This may significantly increase the
network load and reduce the network’s performance.
• Use limited broadcast: Select this option to use the limited broadcast
address (255.255.255.255) rather than the subnet-directed broadcast
address when broadcasting. Some devices which don’t follow the
Art-Net specification require this.
• Use loopback device: Select this if you want to receive Art-Net data
on the same computer—for example, in a visualizer software.
5 Click Apply.
Some fixtures have an RJ45 (Ethernet) port and can receive Art-Net data directly
from Lightkey. In this case no Art-Net interface is needed. If you want to send Art-
Net data directly to fixtures, consider the following:
• All fixtures must use the same net and subnet. (They may be on different
universes.)
• In Automatic mode, Lightkey finds all Art-Net nodes on the network, but only
one can be selected. You can select any fixture in this case. As long as all
fixtures use the same net and subnet, all will receive data. Alternatively you can
use Manual mode and enter the net and subnet numbers manually.
• Some fixtures have special network requirements—for example, they might

only work with IP addresses in the range 2.x.x.x or 10.x.x.x. Carefully read the
fixture’s documentation for more information.
sACN (E1.31)
Streaming ACN (sACN or ANSI E1.31) is a communication protocol for distributing
DMX data over a computer network. It was developed by ESTA (Entertainment
Services and Technology Association, now PLASA).
You use an Ethernet–DMX interface to translate sACN data to DMX. Some fixtures
can also connect to sACN directly. This scenario is discussed later in this section.

Connect to an sACN interface
1 Select sACN (E1.31) on the left.
2 Select the network interface your sACN interface is connected to. Your
3 The following options are available but should usually be left unchanged:
• DSCP value: You can specify a DSCP (differentiated services code point)
value to tag the IP packets with. This is an advanced feature; in most cases
you should enter 0.
• Options: These are advanced options that you will not need in most cases.
4 Click Apply.
❖ Note: When using sACN you can assign a priority to each universe. See
“Configure Universes” later in this chapter.

Some fixtures have an RJ45 (Ethernet) port and can receive sACN data directly from
Lightkey. In this case no sACN interface is needed. In most cases all you need to do is
ensure the fixtures and Lightkey are in the same local network and subnet. Consult
the documentation that came with your fixtures for more information.
ESP Net
ESP (Enttec Show Protocol) is a DMX-over-Ethernet communication protocol
developed by Enttec.
Set up DMX output through ESP Net
1 Select ESP Net on the left.
2 Select the network interface which your ESP Net interface is connected to. Your
3 Click Apply.
If you can’t patch a universe to ESP Net
If ESP Net does not appear in the list of output methods for a universe, make
sure the Enttec “Node Management Utility” (NMU) is not running. If it is, quit the
NME application, then choose Lightkey > Reset DMX Output, and try again.
Connect to an External OLA Server

Lightkey outputs DMX through the Open Lighting Architecture (OLA), an open-source
framework developed by the Open Lighting Project. You can install your own version
of OLA on your computer, run an OLA server (olad) and redirect Lightkey’s DMX
output to it. This will open up additional DMX output and input options.

▲ Warning: Running Lightkey with an external OLA server is considered an
experimental feature. There is no guarantee that it will work because the OLA
client built into Lightkey may not be compatible with other OLA versions. We
do not provide technical support for this feature.
Direct Lightkey’s DMX output to an external OLA server
1 Make sure your olad instance is running.
2 In the DMX Output settings, click Advanced Settings…
3 Select “Connect to an existing OLA server”. If the server does not use OLA’s
default port number (9010), enter a different port number in the text field. The
server must be running on the same computer.
4 Click OK.
Lightkey will attempt to patch the OLA server’s universes according to the settings in
the Fixture Manager. If you want to patch a universe through another way (for
example, OLA’s web or command-line interface), select “No output” or “No input” in
the Fixture Manager. In this case Lightkey will still send or receive DMX but not re-
patch the universe. This way you can use output or input methods that are not
available in Lightkey, such as other OLA plug-ins.
Configure Universes
To output or input DMX you need to map or “patch” DMX universes to either a USB–
DMX interface or a network protocol. You can use up to four universes for output,
depending on your Lightkey license. You can use up to two universes for input.
Add a universe
1 Click in the toolbar or choose Lightkey > Manage Fixtures… to open the
Fixture Manager.
At the top of the Fixture Manager is a row of DMX universes and Hue bridges.
2 Click (next to the last universe or Hue bridge).
3 Click Add DMX Universe. A new universe is added.
4 Change the universe’s settings as described below.

􀅼
Each universe has a unique number. Usually these numbers are simply 1, 2, and so
on, but you can assign any number to a universe. This can be useful with network
protocols which carry multiple DMX universes. The universe numbers must match
the settings on the network interface, as explained in “Configure Universes on a
Network Node” below.
• Art-Net: You can use any universe number from 0 to 15. An Art-Net node
address consists of the net (0 – 127), subnet (0 – 15), and universe number,
giving a total of 32,768 values. When you create a project with Art-Net, the
default universe number is 0, which is also the default of many Art-Net nodes.
• sACN: Possible universe numbers range from 1 to 63,999. Note that you cannot
use 0.
• ESP Net: You can use any number from 0 to 511.
Universe numbers are mostly irrelevant for USB–DMX interfaces—their only purpose
is to define the universes’ order. If an USB interface has multiple output ports, patch
multiple universes to the interface. For example, if you patch universes 2 and 3 to an
Enttec DMX USB Pro Mk2 interface, universe 2 is mapped to the first output port and
universe 3 is mapped to the second output port.
Configure a universe
1 Move the pointer over a universe at the top of the channel grid and click the
arrow on the right.
Click to show patching details
Below the universe, a window with patching details appears:

2 Enter a universe number in the Universe field. Universe numbers are mainly
relevant for network protocols, as described above.
3 Select Output to send DMX to the interface or Input to receive DMX for external
control.
4 For output universes, the following options are available:
• Output to: Select a USB–DMX interface or one of the network protocols

(Art-Net, sACN, or ESP Net interfaces do not appear in the menu). If your
USB interface is not in the menu, see “If Your USB–DMX Interface Does
Not Appear” below.
• Refresh rate: This controls how often Lightkey generates new DMX values
for the universe. For best results this should match the rate at which your
DMX interface sends DMX frames to the fixtures.
If you’re using an Open DMX interface then the refresh rate always
matches the rate at which the interface sends DMX frames to the fixtures,
so it cannot be changed.
• Priority: This field sets the universe priority for sACN, a value between 0
and 200. This can be useful when sending data to a sACN node which
merges multiple sources. The priority is not used for other output
methods.
For input universes, the following option is available:
• Input from: Select a USB–DMX interface or one of the network protocols.

If your USB interface is not in the menu, see “If Your USB–DMX Interface
Does Not Appear” below.
5 Click Done in the toolbar to close the Fixture Manager and apply your changes.
(Your changes won’t take effect until you close the Fixture Manager.)
Delete a universe
1 Move the pointer over a universe at the top of the channel grid and click the
arrow on the right.
2 Click and choose Delete Universe from the menu.
3 If an alert message appears, click Delete (or press Command-Delete).

􀍡
▲ Warning: Deleting a universe cannot be undone. All fixtures in the universe
will be removed from the project.
Configure Universes on a Network Node

If you output DMX through a network protocol like Art-Net or sACN, you need to
select the same universe number(s) on the network interface as in Lightkey. This is
usually done through an on-device menu, a software tool provided by the
manufacturer, or a web browser interface; consult the documentation of your
interface for details.
A special pitfall is that some Art-Net interfaces (e.g. DMXking eDMX) use universe
numbers which are offset by one from Lightkey’s:
Lightkey universe number Device universe number
0 1
1 2
⋮ ⋮
In this case you must add 1 to Lightkey’s universe numbers when you configure the
Art-Net node.
If Your USB–DMX Interface Does Not Appear

Here are some helpful tips if your USB–DMX interface does not appear in a
universe’s “Output via” or “Input via” menus:
• Check if your interface is on the list of compatible interfaces. Interfaces that are
not listed may not work with Lightkey.
• Connect the USB–DMX interface to your computer, then choose Reset DMX
Output from the Lightkey menu. Now check if your device is found.
• Lightkey requires a number of device drivers to work with the various USB–DMX
interfaces, which are installed by the Lightkey installer. If a driver is missing, a
warning will appear in the DMX Output section of Lightkey’s Settings or
Preferences window. When in doubt, run the Lightkey installer again.

• If you have an Open DMX (or similar) interface, make sure the output method
“Open DMX Interfaces” is enabled in the “DMX Output“ pane of Lightkey’s
Settings or Preferences window. On the other hand, if you have a serial USB
interface, make sure the output method “Serial USB Interfaces” is enabled.
Only one of these methods can be enabled at a given time.
• Sometimes it is necessary to restart your computer after installing Lightkey, to

make sure the device drivers are properly loaded. This is usually necessary only
once after installing Lightkey.
• In some cases it helps to unplug the device and replug it after about one
minute. Sometimes it helps to plug the interface into a different USB port.
• There may be conflicts if other applications try to access your DMX interface.
Please quit all other lighting control applications, then choose Lightkey >
Reset DMX Output. If your interface still doesn’t appear, restart your computer
and then open Lightkey again.
Monitor DMX Output

You can observe the current DMX output or input values for a full universe or
individual fixtures. This is useful to track down problems when fixtures don’t respond
or deviate from what’s shown in the Preview.
View the DMX output or input for a universe
1 Do one of the following to show the DMX Monitor window:
‣ Choose Window > DMX Monitor (or press Command-Shift-Option-O).
2 Select a universe from the pop-up menu at the top.
3 Rest the pointer over one of the DMX channels. A help tag appears showing the
corresponding fixture and property (applies to output universes only).
View the DMX output for the selected fixtures
1 Select one or more fixtures in the Preview.
2 Choose Fixture > Show DMX Output.
If you keep the DMX Monitor window open and select different fixtures, the output
display updates accordingly.

Chapter 15
Smart Lights
Smart lights can be a simple and cost-effective
complement to DMX lighting in many venues.
Starting with version 4 you can add Philips Hue
lights to your Lightkey projects and control them
alongside your DMX lights.
Lightkey can control bulbs, LED strips, plugs, and other types of lights of the Philips
Hue brand. Smart lights from other manufacturers which connect to a Philips Hue
bridge will often work as well, but we cannot guarantee compatibility with them.
To control Philips Hue lights with Lightkey you need:
• a Lightkey license which includes smart lights,
• a Mac computer running macOS 12 or later,
• a Hue bridge version 2 or newer (square shaped) whose firmware version is at

least 1 948 086 000. Lightkey cannot control Hue lights through Bluetooth.
When you add smart lights to Lightkey it is still possible to control them by other
means such as the Hue app or smart wall switches. However, changes from other
controllers will not show in Lightkey’s Preview.
❖ Note: Lightkey is no replacement for the official Hue iOS app. You still need
the Hue app to set up your bridge and for tasks like adding lights, managing
rooms and zones, etc.

Smart Lights vs. DMX
At the center of your Hue system is the Hue bridge, the link between your Mac and
your smart lights. An Ethernet cable connects the bridge to your Mac or a router. The
Hue bridge receives commands from Lightkey and transmits them wirelessly to
lights and plugs. Each light repeats the commands and passes them on to others.
This creates a wireless network which consumes very little power, but both the
number of commands sent and the range of transmission are limited.
Smart lights
Network router or switch
and plugs
Ethernet cable or Cat 5 (Ethernet) Hue bridge Low-power

Wi-Fi connection cable wireless network
There are some fundamental differences between DMX and smart lights which you
need to be aware of.
• Smart lights take (much) longer to respond. The low-power wireless network
which connects Hue lights to the bridge has a significantly higher latency than
DMX, therefore it takes longer for smart lights to turn on or off or change their
color. If you turn on or change multiple lights, each of them may respond with a
different delay (called “popcorn effect”).
• Smart lights can handle a limited amount of commands. The Hue network can
only transmit a small number of messages per second. If you change the lights
too fast they may take longer to respond or may not respond at all. The exact
timing depends on the number of lights in your network, other apps in the
network, additional traffic on the network such as software downloads, the
distance of the lights from the Hue bridge and from each other, and other
factors.

When integrating smart lights into your show, keep the following guidelines in mind:
• Don’t use effects and sequences with smart lights. Effects and fast sequences
usually cause a continuous stream of light changes which would overload the
Hue network. In particular, do not use beat-controlled effects or sequences;
this will not work due to the higher latency.
• Don’t use fade times with smart lights. Cue and sequence fade times are
ignored for smart lights. They always use a fixed fade time which cannot be
changed at this time.
Manage Hue Bridges

Before you can add your Hue bridge to Lightkey, make sure it’s on the same local
network as your Mac (that is, both connect to the same router). You should also make
sure the Hue bridge is using the latest firmware version. To do this, turn on
automatic firmware updates in the Hue iOS app.
Add a Hue Bridge

You can add multiple Hue bridges to a project and control their lights at the same
time (for example, if the lights are in different rooms).
Add a Hue bridge to a project
1 Click in the toolbar or choose Lightkey > Manage Fixtures… to open the
Fixture Manager.
At the top of the Fixture Manager is a row of DMX universes and Hue bridges.
2 Click (next to the last universe or Hue bridge).
3 Click Add Hue Bridge…
4 Wait for your Hue bridge to appear.
5 Press the button on the front side of your Hue bridge.
This permanently links Lightkey to the Hue bridge.
Once your Hue bridge has been added, it appears in the bar at the top of the Fixture
Manager next to your DMX universes. Click the Hue bridge to see its rooms and
fixtures.

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❖ Note: You must assign your Hue lights to a room for Lightkey to see them.
View Hue bridge details
‣ Move the pointer over a Hue bridge and click the arrow on the right.
A window with details about the Hue bridge appears.
If you made changes to the Hue bridge’s settings, such as adding a light, while the
Fixture Manager is open, you can update the information in the Fixture Manager to
reflect the changes.
Update Hue bridge information
‣ Choose Lightkey > Reset Hue Output.
Relink Lightkey to a Hue Bridge

If Lightkey cannot connect to a Hue bridge you previously added to a project, you may
see an error message which says “Lightkey is no longer linked to the Hue bridge.”
This can happen after a factory reset or if Lightkey has been removed from the Hue
bridge through the Hue web interface.
Relink Lightkey to a Hue bridge
1 Choose Lightkey > Manage Fixtures…
If Lightkey still cannot connect to the Hue bridge another error message
appears.
2 Click Relink… below the error message.
3 Press the button on the front side of your Hue bridge.
Delete a Hue Bridge

When you delete a Hue bridge, the fixtures and the associated data are removed from
the project.
Remove a Hue bridge
1 Move the pointer over a Hue bridge and click the arrow on the right.
A window with details about the Hue bridge appears.

2 Click and choose Delete Hue Bridge… from the menu.
Manage Smart Lights

The primary place for managing your smart lights remains the Hue iOS app. This is
where you add lights to a Hue bridge, set up rooms and zones, and move lights
between rooms and zones, for example.
You can view your smart lights in Lightkey’s Fixture Manager. Click a Hue bridge in
the bar at the top to see the associated rooms and fixtures in the area below.
View and Edit Fixture Information

Lightkey may display a status label below the name of a Hue fixture. The label can be
one of the following:
Unreachable The Hue bridge is unable to connect to the light. Make sure the light is
connected to power and try placing it closer to the Hue bridge.
Removed The light has been removed from the Hue bridge.
You can view and edit details about a Hue fixture such as its short name. Changing
these details will not affect your presets, sequences, and cues.
View and edit information about a fixture
‣ Double-click a fixture.
‣ Control-click a fixture and choose Get Info from the shortcut menu.
2 The following information is shown below the fixture:
Fixture name in
the Hue app
The short name is
used to identify
Number of
the fixture in the
instances shown
Preview
in Preview

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Reveal one or more fixtures in the Preview
1 Select one or more fixtures. (Hold down the Command or Shift key as you click
to select multiple fixtures.)
2 Control-click one of the fixtures and choose Show in Preview from the shortcut
menu.
Identify a fixture
‣ Control-click a fixture and choose Identify from the shortcut menu. The light
will briefly change its brightness.
Add a Hue Fixture

To add a new light, you first use the Hue iOS app to add it to your Hue bridge. Then
add a new fixture in Lightkey.
Add a Hue fixture
1 Add the new light to your Hue bridge using the Hue app. Make sure to assign
the light to a room.
2 In Lightkey, click in the toolbar or choose Lightkey > Manage Fixtures…
3 Click the Hue bridge in the bar at the top to select it.
The new fixture appears in the area below and is marked with a star.
4 Click Done.
Replace a Hue Fixture

If you replace a Hue fixture with another, it will appear as a new fixture in Lightkey.
You can tell Lightkey to adopt the previous fixture’s data so presets and cues
continue to work as before. You can also use this approach when you add a new
fixture and want it to adopt the behavior of the existing fixture.
Replace a Hue fixture
1 Add the new light to your Hue bridge using the Hue app.

The area below shows the existing lights and the new light which is marked
with a star.
4 Control-click the new light and choose Adopt Data From… from the shortcut
menu.
5 In the dialog that appears, select the original fixture and then click OK.
6 Click Done.
Move a Fixture Between Hue Bridges

When you move a Hue fixture from one Hue bridge to another, Lightkey can preserve
the data for the fixture so presets and cues continue to work as before. You can also
use this process when you replace a Hue bridge with a new device.
Move a fixture between Hue bridges
1 Use the Hue app to delete the light from the original Hue bridge.
2 Switch to the new Hue bridge in the Settings area of the Hue app.
3 Add the light to the new Hue bridge, and assign it to a room.
When you select the original Hue bridge, the fixture still appears but is marked
as “Removed”.
5 Click the new Hue bridge in the bar at the top to select it. (If you haven’t added
the Hue bridge to the project yet you can add it now.)
The area below shows the new light which is marked with a star, indicating it’s
a new fixture.
6 Control-click the new light and choose Adopt Data From… from the shortcut
menu.
7 In the dialog that appears, select the original fixture on the and then click OK.
8 Click Done.
Disable a Fixture
Preview, and Lightkey doesn’t send commands to it.

Disabled fixtures do not count towards the maximum number of smart lights
permitted by your Lightkey license. If you have more smart lights than are enabled by
your license you can disable fixtures to decide which fixtures should be controlled.
‣ Control-click a fixture in the channel grid and choose Disable or Enable from
the shortcut menu.
❖ Note: You can also disable or enable fixtures in the Preview. See “Disable
Fixtures” in chapter 7, “Preview”.
Delete a Fixture
Lights removed from a Hue bridge are not automatically removed from your Lightkey
project. Perform the following steps to remove the fixtures and the associated data
from your Lightkey project.
Delete a Hue fixture
1 Use the Hue app to remove the light from the bridge.
The area below shows the lights connected to the bridge. The removed light still
appears and is marked as “Removed”.
4 Control-click the fixture and select Delete… from the shortcut menu.

Chapter 16
External Control
Lightkey has strong support for integrating with
hardware and software through DMX, MIDI, OSC,
custom keyboard shortcuts, and the system-wide
shortcuts feature in macOS Monterey.
Hardware devices like DMX consoles and MIDI controllers make it easier to
efficiently run your light show during live performances. For example, you can
trigger cues and adjust modifiers with hardware buttons and faders. Lightkey sends
feedback to connected MIDI controllers to control LEDs or motorized knobs and
faders, including multi-color feedback for many MIDI controllers.
Beyond that you can control Lightkey from any other software which sends DMX,
MIDI, or OSC messages. All important features are accessible through the external
control system—down to individual fixture properties. Lightkey can also send MIDI to
other applications.
Lightkey also integrates with the shortcuts feature in macOS Monterey which lets you
build custom workflows and automations. Finally, Live Triggers is a unique feature to
trigger cues directly from Ableton Live’s timeline. You can build a fully automated
light show in sync with the music.
Lightkey can receive input in the following ways:
• DMX-In: Many USB–DMX interfaces and Ethernet–DMX interfaces have input

ports to feed DMX into your computer. This lets you control Lightkey from DMX
consoles or other hard- or software which sends DMX data.

• MIDI: MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is an established technology
for sending messages between a wide variety of electronic music devices,
control surfaces, and software. You can control Lightkey from virtually any
hardware or software that can send MIDI data.
Many MIDI controllers connect to your computer through the USB port. If a MIDI
device has MIDI-In and Out ports instead, you can connect it by means of a
MIDI–USB interface.
• Keyboard: In addition to the built-in keyboard shortcuts, Lightkey lets you

define your own shortcuts. For example, you can assign keys to the cues in the
Live view. You can use all letters, numbers, punctuation characters and the
function keys (F1, F2, …) in combination with the Shift, Control, and Option
modifier keys.
• OSC: Open Sound Control is a communication protocol for sending short

messages over a computer network. Many Mac and iOS applications can send
OSC, including TouchOSC, Lemur, and Vezér. Each OSC-controllable element in
Lightkey has its own address, so you don’t need to assign triggers before you
can send OSC messages. See “Open Sound Control (OSC)” later in this chapter
• Shortcuts: Shortcuts are a system-wide automation feature in macOS Monterey

which also works with Siri. You can create and edit shortcuts in the Shortcuts
app. See “macOS Shortcuts” later in this chapter for details.
Lightkey’s external control system is fully configurable, allowing you to custom-tailor

it to your specific setup and requirements. You can create multiple external control
configurations, which is useful for different environments or users.
External control settings are stored as part of your project, because actions such as
activating a cue are often specific to the project. You can export and import
configurations to transfer them between projects.
Quickly Assign Triggers

Lightkey provides a quick and convenient way to assign DMX-In, MIDI, and keyboard
triggers to many elements in the user interface. For example, this works for cues in
the Live view and many buttons and sliders in the Design view.
A more comprehensive way to create and edit triggers and actions is through the
External Control window, which is described in the following section.

Quickly assign a trigger to an element
1 Control-click an element in the user interface (e.g. a button or slider) and

choose External Control > Add Trigger… from the shortcut menu. This
command is only available for elements which support external control.
‣ Operate a fader on a connected DMX console.
‣ Operate a fader or button on a connected MIDI controller.
‣ Press a key on the keyboard (possibly with modifier keys).
Triggers assigned though this method also appear in the External Control window,
where you find additional options.
Quickly replace a trigger
1 Control-click an element in the user interface and choose External Control >
Replace Trigger… from the shortcut menu.
2 Operate a new trigger.
Quickly remove a trigger
‣ Control-click an element in the user interface and choose External Control >
Remove Trigger from the shortcut menu.
❖ Note: The Replace Trigger… and Remove Trigger commands are only
available when an element has exactly one trigger. If it has more then you
must perform the action in the External Control window.
If you have a MIDI controller with feedback LEDs, Lightkey can show you which
hardware button a user interface element is bound to.
See which hardware button a user interface element is bound to
‣ Control-click an element in the user interface and choose External Control,

then move the pointer over a trigger in the menu. The corresponding LED on
your MIDI controller flashes.

View a trigger in the External Control window
‣ Control-click an element in the user interface and choose External Control,

then select a trigger from the menu.
The External Control Window

The central place for configuring Lightkey’s external control system is the External
Control window.
Open the External Control window
‣ Choose Window > External Control (or press Command-E).
The External Control window is divided into three categories, visible at the top—DMX-
In, MIDI, and Keyboard. Below is a pop-up menu where you can select and edit
configurations for the current category. The main part of the window shows a list of
the trigger–action bindings for the selected configuration.
Switch between Select and manage configurations Bindings in the selected

categories in the current category category
Edit trigger settings for Edit action settings for the

the selected binding(s) selected binding(s)

Configurations
For each category of external control devices (DMX-In, MIDI, Keyboard) you can save
multiple configurations of external control settings. This is useful if your control
hardware changes or you use Lightkey in different scenarios or by several people.
Only one configuration per category can be active at a time. Configurations can be
exported to a file and imported again, which allows you to move them between
projects or share them with others.
The Configuration pop-up menu shows you the control configurations for the
selected category. The selected configuration is the one currently in effect.
Manage configurations
1 Choose Manage Configurations… from the Configurations pop-up menu.
A window with a list of configurations appears.
2 Change the configurations as appropriate:
‣ To add a new, empty configuration: Click , then enter a name for the
new configuration and press Return.
‣ To reorder configurations: Drag the rows in the list up or down.
‣ To rename a configuration: Select the configuration, then click and and

choose Rename from the menu. Alternatively, select the configuration and
click its name.
‣ To duplicate a configuration: Select the configuration, then click and

and choose Duplicate from the menu. Enter a name for the new
configuration and press Return.
‣ To export a configuration to a file: Select the configuration, then click

and and choose Export… from the menu. In the dialog that appears, enter
a filename, choose a location and click Save.
‣ To import a configuration file: Click and Choose Import… from the

menu. In the dialog that appears, navigate to the configuration file and
click Import. If a previous version of the configuration already exists in the
project, Lightkey will display a warning. You can either replace the existing
configuration or keep both.
‣ To delete a configuration: Select the configuration and click or press

the Delete key.

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􀅽
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􀍡
􀍡
3 Click Done.
❖ Note: The configuration named “Live Triggers” is a special configuration for

communicating with Ableton Live. It is created automatically and can’t be
edited. You cannot delete this configuration unless you disable Live Triggers
in the Settings/Preferences window. For more information see “Live
Triggers” later in this chapter.
MIDI Inputs
When the MIDI category is selected, a pop-up menu labelled Input appears below the
Configuration menu which lets you choose between the connected MIDI inputs.
Lightkey normally associates a binding with the device from which the MIDI message
was received, and sends feedback only to this device. This allows you to connect
multiple MIDI controllers, even if they send on the same MIDI channel.
The bindings list shows the bindings for the selected input. Note that Lightkey
responds to MIDI messages from all inputs, not just the selected one.
The input named Lightkey Input is used to receive MIDI from other applications.
Select Lightkey Input as the destination port in an application that can send MIDI.
Lightkey sends feedback for those bindings to the Lightkey Output port.
It’s also possible to create bindings which are not associated with a MIDI input. Those
bindings respond to messages from any input and send feedback to all outputs. They
are shown when you select Any in the Input menu.
Before Lightkey 3.5, MIDI bindings always responded to messages from all inputs.
Bindings created with previous Lightkey versions therefore appear in the “Any”
group. You can use cut, copy and paste to associate them with a specific input.
Associate MIDI bindings with a different MIDI input
1 Select one or more bindings.
2 Choose Edit > Cut.
3 In the Input menu, select the input you want to associate the bindings to.
4 Choose Edit > Paste.

You can select which outputs and inputs are used for receiving and sending MIDI. See
“MIDI Routing” later in this chapter for details.
Bindings
The central part of the External Control window shows a list of trigger–action pairs
called bindings. A trigger describes an operation on an external control device, like
pushing a button on a MIDI controller or operating a fader on a DMX console. An
action describes a change in Lightkey which occurs in response to a trigger, like
activating of a cue or changing the gobo rotation speed.
There are three kinds of triggers:
• Button: Buttons send a single message when pressed, and possibly another
when depressed. They are used for actions like tapping the beat or activating a
cue.
• Fader/knob: Faders or knobs represent a value within a finite range. Use them
for actions like controlling the Master Dimmer or crossfading between cues.
• Wheel: Wheels are infinite controls like jogwheel or rotary knobs. They can
increase or decrease a continuous value like the Master Dimmer. Wheels are
only available for MIDI bindings.
Keyboard triggers are always button-type triggers.
❖ Note: Before you can create DMX-In bindings, you must set up at least one
universe for DMX input. This connects the universe to a DMX interface’s input
port. See “Configure Universes” in chapter 14, “DMX Output and Input” for
more information.
The quickest way to create bindings is to operate a trigger and have Lightkey
“capture” it.
Create a binding by capturing a trigger
1 Open the External Control window and select the category where you want to
add a trigger.
2 Operate a trigger for which no binding exists yet:

‣ DMX-In: Operate a fader or button on a DMX console. Lightkey creates a
matching binding and automatically detects the trigger type (button or
fader).
‣ MIDI: Press a button or move a fader on a MIDI controller. Lightkey

creates a matching binding and automatically detects the trigger type
(button or fader).
‣ Keyboard: Press a key on the keyboard. Lightkey creates a button-type

binding for that key. You can use all letters, numbers, punctuation
characters and the function keys (F1, F2, …) in combination with the Shift,
Control, and Option modifier keys. (The Command key is reserved for
Lightkey’s standard keyboard shortcuts.)
❖ Note: If no binding is created when you operate a trigger, click in the

toolbar and make sure Automatically Create Bindings is selected. If Lightkey
selects an existing binding instead of creating a new one, then the trigger is
already bound to an action.
Lightkey automatically detects if a control sends a single message or continuous

values, and sets the trigger type to either button or fader. However, it cannot detect
wheels, so if the control is an infinite wheel then you need to change the trigger type
after creating the binding.
Manually create a binding
‣ Control-click in the bindings list and choose New Binding from the menu.
After creating a binding, configure its action in the area below the bindings list (see
“Actions” below). Note that some actions are only available for button triggers,
others only for fader or wheel triggers.
Find the binding associated with a control
‣ Operate the control. Lightkey selects the corresponding binding in the list.

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❖ Note: If the binding is not selected, click in the toolbar and make sure
Automatically Select Bindings is selected.
Duplicate a binding
‣ Choose Edit > Duplicate or press Command-Shift-D.
‣ Control-click a binding and choose Duplicate
You can use cut, copy and paste to move bindings between different configurations or
MIDI inputs. Bindings can only be copied within the same category (DMX-In, MIDI, or
Keyboard).
Move bindings between configurations or MIDI inputs
2 Choose Edit > Cut.
3 Select a different configuration or input.
4 Choose Edit > Paste.
In Lightkey, only one Live page can be selected at a time, so bindings that apply to
cues or frames on other pages are ignored. The actions for those bindings appear in
gray in the list. You can also choose to hide the bindings entirely.
Control which bindings are visible
‣ Click in the toolbar and choose Show Only Bindings for Current Page to hide
bindings for objects on Live pages other than the selected one.
Delete bindings
‣ Select one or more bindings, then press the Delete key.
‣ Control-click the binding and choose Delete from the menu.
If you accidentally deleted a binding, choose Edit > Undo Delete Binding.

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Sometimes Lightkey inadvertently captures a trigger and create a binding for it.
Those bindings often have no actions or actions with missing parameters. There’s an
easy way to delete those bindings.
Delete bindings with incomplete actions
1 Click in the toolbar and choose Select Incomplete Bindings.
2 Press the Delete key.
Triggers
Most of the time Lightkey will simply “capture” triggers when you operate them (e.g.
by pressing a button on a connected MIDI controller) and create a matching binding.
You can replace the trigger of an existing binding in the same way.
Change the trigger of an existing binding
‣ Control-click the binding and choose Capture Trigger… from the menu.
‣ Double-click the trigger in the bindings list.
2 Operate the new trigger:
‣ DMX-In: Operate a fader or button on a connected DMX console.
‣ MIDI: Press a button or move a fader on a connected MIDI controller.
‣ Keyboard: Press a key on the keyboard.
You can also edit the trigger for the selected binding (or bindings) in the area below
the bindings list. The left side shows the trigger details, which depend on the
selected category.
DMX-In Triggers
• Trigger: The type of trigger, either button or fader/knob.
• Universe: The DMX universe which Lightkey should observe. Only input
universes can be selected. See “Configure Universes” in chapter 14, “DMX
Output and Input” on how to configure universes for DMX input.
• Channel: The DMX channel to observe in the universe (1–512).
• Value (button-type triggers only): The channel value which triggers the action.
Lightkey performs the action whenever the channel assumes this value.

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• Values (fader bindings only): The range of DMX values used by the trigger, often
0 – 255. For example, if the range is 128 – 255 and the action controls a fixture’s
intensity, then a DMX value of 128 means 0% intensity and a DMX value of 255
means 100% intensity.
MIDI Triggers
• Trigger: The type of trigger, either button or fader/knob or wheel.
• Command: The MIDI command which triggers the action. Depending on the
trigger type, the available commands are Note On/Off, Control Change,
Program Change, and Pitch Wheel. The option No Command is used for
bindings which send MIDI to another application; see “Send MIDI to Other
Applications” later in this chapter for details.
• Channel: The MIDI channel of your MIDI controller (1–15). (Note: MIDI channel
16 is reserved for use by Live Triggers.)
• Note (only Note On/Off commands): The MIDI note to trigger the action. (Notes
are displayed by their name, e.g. C#0, but you can also enter them in decimal
form, e.g. 25.)
• Control (only Control Change commands): A control number identifying a

physical control on your MIDI controller (0–127).
• Value (only Control Change commands): The control value which triggers the
action (0–127).
• Program (only Program Change commands): A MIDI program number which

triggers the action (0–127).
• Sensitivity (only wheel-type triggers): Determines how quickly the value

changes.
• On/off (only button-type triggers): Select this for buttons which maintain their
state and send a single message when operated. Regular buttons send two
messages—one when pressed (e.g. Note On or CC 127) and another (e.g. Note
Off or CC 0) when released.
• 14-bit (only fader-type triggers, Control Change commands): Select this if the
fader sends 14-bit (high-resolution) values.
• Shift: The trigger applies only when the MIDI controller’s Shift button is held
down (see “MIDI Shift Button” below).

• Feedback: The kind of feedback messages sent back to the MIDI controller, e.g.
to control LEDs or motorized faders.
• None: Do not send feedback to the MIDI controller.
• Default: The feedback is determined by the connected device. This is the

appropriate option in most situations where feedback is being sent to a
hardware controller.
The remaining feedback options let you customize the exact MIDI messages
sent when the trigger becomes active or inactive. Custom feedback is only
available for button-type triggers. It can us used to change the LED colors on
MIDI controllers or control other software programs from Lightkey.
• Note On/Off: Send a Note On message when the trigger becomes active
and a Note Off message when it becomes inactive. You can choose the
note and velocity parameters of the Note messages.
• Note On: Send a Note On message when the trigger becomes active or
inactive. You can choose the note and velocity parameters of the Note On
messages.
• Control Change: Send a Control Change message when the trigger state
changes. You can choose the control and value parameters of each
message.
• Program Change: Send a Program Change message when the trigger

state changes. You can choose the program field of each message.
• SysEx: Send a System Exclusive message of arbitrary length when the

trigger state changes. You can enter the contents of the messages in
hexadecimal form.
Click Send to send the MIDI message for testing.
Keyboard Triggers
There are no trigger options for keyboard triggers. To change a keyboard trigger,
capture a different trigger as described earlier in this section.

Actions
The area in the lower-right of the External Control window is where you configure the
action for the selected binding (or bindings). The following table shows the different
kinds of actions and their parameters. Note that the available actions depend on the
trigger type.
Action Trigger type What it does Feedback
Activate/ Button Activates or deactivates a preset. The exact Yes

Deactivate behavior is controlled by the Behavior option:
Preset • Toggle: Change the preset’s “active”
state (from active to inactive or vice
versa) whenever the trigger’s state
changes to on—for example, when a
button on a MIDI controller or a key on
the keyboard is pressed.
• Flash: Activate the preset when the
trigger’s state is on, for example, when a
button or key is pressed. Deactivate the
preset when the trigger’s state is off, for
example, when a button or key is
released.
• Activate: Activate the preset when the
trigger’s state is on.
• Deactivate: Deactivate the preset when
the trigger’s state is on.
Deactivate All Button Deactivates all active presets. n/a

Presets
Start/Stop Button Starts or stops a sequence. The Behavior Yes

Sequence option works analogous to the Activate/
deactivate preset action.
Stop all Button Stops all running sequences. n/a

Sequences
Activate/ Button Activates or deactivates a cue. The Behavior Yes

Deactivate Cue option works analogous to the Activate/
deactivate preset action.
Previous/Next Button Activates the previous or next cue in a frame. n/a

Cue in Fame
Cuelist: Start/ Button Starts or stops playback in the a cuelist. Yes

Stop
Cuelist: Pause/ Button Pauses or resumes playback in a cuelist. Yes

Resume
Cuelist: Next Button Activates the next cue in a cuelist. Yes

Cue

Cuelist: Button Activates the previous cue in a cuelist. n/a

Previous Cue
Cuelist: Xfade Fader, Wheel Crossfades to the next cue in a cuelist, as by n/a
dragging the Xfade slider.
Change Cue Fader, Wheel Changes a cue’s intensity, as with a fader in Yes
Intensity the Live view.
Change Cue Fader, Wheel Changes the value of a cue modifier. Yes
Modifier If you select “All cues” then the action will
affect all cues on the current live page with
this modifier.
Change Frame Fader, Wheel Changes the value of a frame modifier. Yes
Modifier
Deactivate Cues Button Deactivates all cues in a frame. n/a

in Frame
Deactivate All Button Deactivates all active cues. n/a

Cues
Select Live Page Button Selects a Live view page. You can choose to Yes
select:
• The previous or next page (in the order
in which they appear in the menu);
• A particular page.
Select Fixtures Button Selects one or more fixtures. You can choose n/a
to select:
• All or no fixtures;
• The previous or next fixture (by short
name);
• A particular fixture (if the fixture is in a
group you can optionally select the
entire group);
• All fixtures with a particular profile.
Change Fixture Button/ Changes a fixture property, as in the Design For most
Property Fader, Wheel view or the HUDs. The available options fixture
depend on the selected property. You can proper-
choose if the changes should affect the ties
selected fixture(s) or a particular fixture or set
of fixtures.
Clear Properties Button Clears the overridden fixture properties. n/a
Blind Mode Button Enables or disables blind mode. Yes
Freeze Output Button Freezes or unfreezes the output. Yes
Master Dimmer Fader, Wheel Controls the Master Dimmer, as by dragging Yes
the Master Dimmer slider in the Live view.

Tap Beat Button Sets the beat grid by tapping four times, as Yes
with the beat controls in the Live view.
Sync Beat Button Synchronizes the time of the next beat, keep Yes
the tempo.
Sync Downbeat Button Synchronizes the time of the first beat, keep Yes
the tempo.
Set Beat Fader, Wheel Adjusts the tempo (beats per minute) with a Yes
fader. You can choose the values which
correspond to the minimum and maximum
fader positions.
Halve Beat Button Halves the current tempo (beats per minute). n/a
Double Beat Button Doubles the current tempo (beats per minute). n/a
Select Button Selects an external control configuration. You Yes

Configuration can choose to select:
• The previous or next configuration (in
the order in which they appear in the
menu);
• A particular configuration.
Shift Button Designates the trigger as the Shift button. See n/a
“MIDI Shift Button” below.
MIDI Shift Button

Some MIDI controllers have a Shift button which acts similarly to the Shift key on the
keyboard: When you hold down Shift and operate another button, fader, or wheel, the
other control performs a different action. Even if your controller has no designated
Shift button you can choose any button for this purpose. Before you can create
triggers with Shift you need to tell Lightkey which button is the Shift button.
Designate a button as the Shift button
1 In the External Control window, click MIDI.
2 Press the Shift button on your MIDI controller.
A new binding appears whose trigger matches the Shift button.
3 Choose Shift as the binding’s action.

Live Triggers
Ableton Live is a music sequencer and digital audio workstation (DAW) software used
by many musicians and DJs. Live Triggers are a quick and convenient way to trigger
lighting cues directly from the Ableton Live timeline, perfectly synchronized to the
music. This enables live performers to run a fully automated light show without the
need for manual operation.
This section assumes that you are familiar with the basics of Ableton Live and
already have a Lightkey project with cues (in a control panel or cuelist) that will be
triggered from Ableton Live. Lightkey and Ableton Live need to run on the same
computer.
It is up to you how you organize your cues. For example, can use a cuelist for each
song and step through the cues one by one. Or you can use a control panel and
activate one or multiple cues at various points in the timeline. For more information
on control panels and cuelists, see chapter 11, “Live Control”.
Set up communication between Ableton Live and Lightkey
1 In Lightkey, choose Lightkey > Settings… (or Preferences…), click External

Control, and make sure Enable Live Triggers is selected.
2 In Ableton Live, choose Live > Preferences… and then click Link MIDI.
3 Locate the row “Output: Lightkey Input” in the MIDI Ports list (this row is only
visible when Lightkey is open).
4 Make sure the button in the Track column reads “On”.
After setting up the communication, you’ll add one or more MIDI tracks to your set
from which you’ll control your lighting cues. (To activate more than one cue at a time,
it is necessary to use multiple tracks.)
Add a MIDI track to your project
1 In Ableton Live, go to Arrangement View.
2 Choose Create > Insert MIDI Track.

3 Make sure the In/Out section is visible (choose View > In/Out), then configure
the options in the track’s In/Out section:
Set the input type to
No Input.
Set the output type to

Lightkey Input.
Set the output channel to 16.
Now you’re ready to add lighting cues to your Ableton Live set. You’ll do that by
dragging prepared MIDI clips to the MIDI track.
Add clips to a MIDI track
1 Make sure that Ableton Live’s browser is visible (choose View > Show
Browser).
2 Locate and expand the item User Library > Lightkey in the browser.
3 Expand the item for the current Lightkey project. It contains the following
groups:
• Actions: This contains clips for generic actions.
• One group for each Live view page: These groups contain clips for every
cue on the page (control panel or cuelist). There’s also a clip which selects
the page in Lightkey’s Live view.
Generic actions for controlling

cuelist playback
Select live page

Cues from this page
Select live page

Cues from this page
4 Drag clips to the MIDI track.

5 Drag the right edge of the clips to adjust their duration, if necessary:
• Cues in a control panel: The cue is activated at the beginning of the clip
and remains active for its entire duration. Adjust the clip’s duration to the
time you would like the cue to stay active.
• Cues in a cuelist: The cue is activated at the beginning of the clip and
remains active until another cue is activated. You don’t need to adjust the
clip’s duration.
• Other clips: The action is performed at the beginning of the clip. You don’t
need to adjust the clip’s duration.
Cues in a control panel remain active for the duration of the clip
Cues in a cuelist remain active until another cue is activated
6 Play back the set. When playback reaches the beginning of a clip, the
corresponding cue activates in Lightkey.
When you use a control panel, a clip’s duration determines how long the
corresponding cue remains active. You can activate multiple cues at once by adding
more MIDI tracks.
➤ Important: Always drag the right end of a clip to change its duration, never
the left end. (At the beginning of a clip a MIDI message is sent to Lightkey
which activates the cue. When you drag the left end of a clip then either that
message is sent too late or no message is sent.)
Do not drag this end Always drag this end

to change the clip
duration

If you accidentally dragged the left end of a clip, you can fix it as follows:
Fix a clip whose cue does not activate correctly
1 Double-click the clip. The MIDI Note Editor appears in the Details view.
2 Drag the Start Marker in the MIDI Note Editor to the very left.
Start Marker
When you use a cuelist, you can either use the clip “Cuelist: Next Cue” to step
through the cues sequentially, or you can jump to a specific cue by dragging a cue to
the timeline.
The “Select Page” clips can be used to explicitly switch to a control panel or cuelist.
Usually this is not necessary: Lightkey automatically switches to the respective Live
view page when a cue is activated.
How Live Triggers Work

Live Triggers work through MIDI messages. Lightkey sets up a number of external
control bindings which bind MIDI messages to actions like activating a cue. It then
creates a MIDI clip in Ableton Live for each binding.
To view these bindings, choose Window > External Control, click MIDI, and select
Live Triggers from the Configuration pop-up menu. This special configuration cannot
be edited. If you keep the External Control window open you will see that the bindings
are selected when a matching MIDI message arrives.
MIDI messages for Live Triggers are always sent on MIDI channel 16. This channel is
reserved for messages between Ableton Live and Lightkey, you cannot use it for your
own MIDI bindings.

Disable Live Triggers
By default Lightkey automatically creates Live Trigger bindings for every project and
makes them available to Ableton Live. You can disable this feature if you don’t use it.
Disable Live Triggers
1 Choose Lightkey > Settings… (or Preferences…) and then click External
Control.
2 Deselect the option “Enable Live Triggers”. This disables Live Triggers for all
projects.
Live Triggers Troubleshooting

Here are some helpful tips if Live Triggers don’t work as expected:
• If your Lightkey project doesn’t appear in Ableton Live’s browser: Make sure
Live Triggers are enabled in Lightkey’s Settings or Preferences window. See
“Disable Live Triggers” earlier in this section.
• If a change in Lightkey doesn’t show in Ableton Live’s browser: Select the Live
Triggers configuration in the MIDI tab of the External Control window and click
Update.
• If Lightkey shows no response to triggers: Check if the MIDI track has the
correct input, output, and channel settings, as discussed earlier in this section.
To check if Lightkey receives MIDI messages, select the Live Triggers
configuration in the External Control window. When a message arrives the
matching binding is selected.
• If a single clip does not activate its cue, or if the cue activates too late: You may
have accidentally dragged the left edge of the clip. This can be fixed in the MIDI
Note Editor for the clip, as described earlier in this section.
Trigger Actions From ProPresenter

ProPresenter is a presentation software especially popular among houses of
worship. The following example shows how to trigger lighting cues from
ProPresenter 7 by means of MIDI messages. This example assumes that Lightkey
and ProPresenter run on the same computer.

Set up communication from ProPresenter to Lightkey
1 Make sure that Lightkey is open.
2 In ProPresenter, open the Preferences window and click Devices.
3 Click and choose MIDI from the menu.
4 In the dialog that appears, make the following changes:

Enter a label for the
connection
Select
Auto Reconnect
Select
Lightkey Input
5 Click Back.
A new item appears in the list.
6 Click Connect.
After MIDI communication has been established you can set up actions in Lightkey—
for example, activating a cue—to be performed when a certain slide is shown.
Trigger an action in Lightkey when a ProPresenter slide appears
1 Control-click a slide in ProPresenter and choose Add Action > Communication

> Lightkey > MIDI Note On. (Here, “Lightkey” is the name of the connection.)

􀅼
2 In the dialog that appears, make the following changes:
Choose any channel between 1 and 15.

Typically you would use the same channel
for all messages from ProPresenter to
Lightkey, although this isn’t technically
necessary. (Note that channel 16 cannot
be used.)
Choose a unique note.
Choose any value greater than zero. The
value has no effect as long as it’s greater
than zero.
3 Click Done.
Note that an icon appears in the top-left corner of the slide’s preview, indicating
that a MIDI message has been associated with the slide.
4 In Lightkey, choose Window > External Control and click MIDI.
5 In the Input pop-up menu, select Lightkey Input.
A new MIDI binding is added to the list.
7 Edit the binding in the area below the bindings list:
‣ In the Channel and Note fields on the left, enter the same channel and
note values as in ProPresenter.
‣ In the right part, select an action and set its parameters. To activate a cue,
select Activate/Deactivate Cue, then select a cue and set the behavior to
Activate.
When you run your ProPresenter presentation and a slide with a MIDI message
appears, the corresponding action is triggered in Lightkey. To verify that Lightkey
receives MIDI messages, watch the bindings in the External Control window: When a
MIDI message arrives Lightkey selects the matching binding.
❖ Note: It is also possible to do the reverse—have ProPresenter automatically

go to a slide when you activate a cue in Lightkey. For details see the following
section, “Send MIDI to Other Applications”.

􀅼
Send MIDI to Other Applications
Although the primary purpose of the external control system is to control Lightkey
from external sources, you can also use it to send MIDI messages to other
applications such as QLab or ProPresenter. Here’s an example how to make Lightkey
send a MIDI message each time a certain cue is activated or deactivated.
Send MIDI messages to another application
1 Open Lightkey and the application you would like to send MIDI messages to.
2 Configure the target application to receive MIDI messages from the Lightkey
Output port.
3 In Lightkey, open the External Control window and click MIDI.
4 In the Input menu, select Lightkey Input, which represents Lightkey’s own MIDI
port. Output messages for this port are sent to Lightkey Output.
A new MIDI binding is added to the list.
6 Configure the trigger in the lower-left part of the window:
• Trigger: Select Button.
• Command: Select No Command, which indicates that the binding doesn’t

respond to input and is used exclusively for sending messages.
• Feedback: Select the type of MIDI message you would like to send, for
example, Note On/Off.
• Use the following fields to configure the messages sent when the cue
becomes active and inactive.
• You can click Send to send a test message.
7 Configure the action in the lower-right part of the window:
• Action: Select Activate/Deactivate Cue.
• Cue: Select a cue.
8 To test the binding, activate the cue in the Live view. A MIDI message is sent to
the target application.

􀅼
MIDI Routing
Lightkey automatically recognizes any connected MIDI devices as well as source and
destination ports from other applications on your computer. You can choose which
ports should be used for input and output.
Select the MIDI ports used for external control
Control.
2 Enable or disable inputs and outputs as necessary.
For MIDI bindings associated with a particular input, Lightkey sends feedback
messages to the corresponding output. In some situations it may be necessary to tell
Lightkey which MIDI output belongs to a particular input.
Select the MIDI output which belongs to a particular input
Control.
2 Control-click a MIDI input and choose Send Feedback To from the menu, then
choose a MIDI output.
To receive MIDI messages from other software, Lightkey creates a MIDI port named
Lightkey Input. You can select this port as a destination in other applications when
Lightkey is open.
Open Sound Control (OSC)

OSC (Open Sound Control) is a communication protocol for sending short messages
over a computer network. Any software that can send custom OSC messages can be
used to control Lightkey. Popular OSC-enabled Mac and iOS applications include
TouchOSC, Lemur, and Vezér.
Each OSC-controllable element in Lightkey has its own address. This means you
don’t need to bind elements to triggers first, like with MIDI or DMX, but you can start
sending OSC messages right away. OSC messages follow a logical structure and are
much easier to read than MIDI or DMX. For example, here’s a message to activate a
particular cue in a control panel:

/live/My_Control_Panel/cue/Ballyhoo/activate
Connect to Lightkey
Lightkey receives incoming OSC messages through UDP and TCP over a local
network. Senders can use Bonjour to easily connect to Lightkey.
Connect to Lightkey from another application
1 In Lightkey, choose Lightkey > Settings… (or Preferences…), then click

External Control and make sure Enable OSC is selected.
2 If the sender application runs on a different computer, make sure it’s connected
to the same local network.
3 If the other application is on the same computer:
‣ Set the destination address to “localhost” or “127.0.0.1”, and set the

destination port to 21600.
If the other application supports Bonjour:
‣ Select Lightkey in the OSC settings of the sender application.
If the other application does not support Bonjour:
‣ In the sender application’s OSC settings, enter the IP address of the

computer where Lightkey runs (you can find this number in the Network
pane of System Settings/System Preferences) and set the port number to
21600.
OSC Addresses
An OSC message consists of an address followed by zero or more arguments. The
address always starts with a / and is followed by one or more /-separated parts.
An address selects a method in Lightkey, which is the equivalent of performing an

action. The following section describes all OSC methods that Lightkey understands.
Objects like cues, presets, and fixtures are addressed by their name. When you write
the name in OSC, keep the following in mind:
• OSC addresses are case-sensitive, so use uppercase and lowercase letters

exactly as in the original name.

• OSC addresses must not contain spaces, so you need to use an underscore
instead. For a cue named “Front Lights On”, you would type
Front_Lights_On in OSC.
• There are a number of other characters which are forbidden in OSC address
parts, so it’s best to avoid them in cue names. Address parts may only contain
printable 7-bit ASCII characters except for the following: #*,/?[]{}
If you must use one of these characters in your object names, you can use
address patterns to match them, as explained below.
Lightkey supports OSC address patterns to match the names of objects like cues and
presets. The syntax for patterns is as follows:
• ? matches any single character.
• * matches zero or more characters.
• A string of characters in square brackets matches any character in the string.

For example, Fab_[46] matches “Fab 4” and “Fab 6”.
• Two characters in square brackets with a minus sign in between indicate the
range of characters between the given two, in ASCII order. For example,
Fab_[4-6] matches “Fab 4,” “Fab 5,” and “Fab 6.”
• An exclamation point at the beginning of a bracketed string negates the sense

of the list, so the list matches any character not in the list.
• A comma-separated list of strings enclosed in curly braces matches any of the

strings in the list. For example, Fab_{Four,Six} matches “Fab Four” and
“Fab Six”.
Lightkey provides a quick and convenient way to copy of the OSC address of many
elements in the user interface. For example, this works for cues in the Live view and
many buttons and sliders in the Design view.
Quickly copy the OSC address of an element
‣ Control-click an element in the user interface (e.g. a button or slider) and

choose External Control > Copy OSC Address from the shortcut menu. This
command is only available for elemens whose action can be performed through
OSC.

Live View
All elements of the Live view—like cues, frames, and modifiers—can be fully
controlled through OSC.
/live/pageName/select [fadeTime]
Use this method to select the Live view page with the name pageName. The optional
fadeTime argument lets you specify a custom fade time, in seconds, which
overrides the page’s fade time.
/live/pageName/cue/cueName/activate [fadeTime]
/live/pageName/cue/cueName/deactivate [fadeTime]
/live/pageName/cue/cueName/toggle [fadeTime]
These methods let you activate or deactivate cues. pageName is the name of a
control panel or cuelist; you can also use the keyword selected to address the
currently selected page. cueName is the name of a cue or a pattern matching
multiple cue names; you can also use active for all active cues. It’s possible to
activate cues on pages other than the selected one, but this has no effect until the
page is selected.
The optional fadeTime argument lets you specify a custom fade time, in seconds,
which overrides the cue’s fade time. If you use this argument the Fade Time modifier
is ignored.
Remember that names are case-sensitive and you must replace spaces with
underscores. You can use wildcards to match multiple cues.
Here are some examples:
• /live/Control_Panel/cue/Red_Backlight/activate
Activates the cue “Red Backlight” on the page “Control Panel”.
• /live/selected/cue/Red_Backlight/activate
Activates the cue “Red Backlight” on the currently selected page.
• /live/*/cue/Red_Backlight/activate 0.5
Activates the cue “Red Backlight” on all pages with a fade time of 0.5 seconds.

• /live/*/cue/071*/activate
Activates cue number 071 in a cuelist.
• /live/*/cue/*/deactivate 0
Deactivates all cues on all pages with no fade.
/live/pageName/cue/cueName/intensity value
This method controls the intensity of fader buttons in a control panel. value is a
number between 0 and 1.
/live/pageName/frame/frameName/cue/cueName/…
This is an alternative way to address control panel cues within a frame. You can
append any command for cues, like toggle. For example, this message deactivates
all cues in the frame named “Backlight”:
• /live/selected/frame/Backlight/cue/*/deactivate
The following method changes the intensity of the active cues inside the frame:
• /live/selected/frame/Backlight/cue/active/intensity 0.8
/live/pageName/frame/frameName/previousCue [fadeTime]
/live/pageName/frame/frameName/nextCue [fadeTime]
These methods activate the previous or next cue in a frame, respectively. The
optional fadeTime argument lets you specify a custom fade time, in seconds.
/live/cuelistName[/groupName1[/groupName2[…]]]/cueName/…
In a cuelist, you can also address cues through their enclosing groups. Replace
groupName1, groupName2 and so on with the names of the groups containing the
cue, or a pattern matching those names. You can append any command for cues, like
activate. For example:
• /live/selected/Song_1/001_Intro/activate

/live/pageName[/frame/frameName]/cue/cueName/modifier value
/live/pageName/frame/frameName/modifier value
These methods give you control over cue and frame modifiers. modifier is one of
the following:
speed beatMultiplier timeOffset fadeTime
dimmer hue colorTemperature greenSaturation
xfadeToColor panAngle tiltAngle focus
zoomAngle irisSize frostAmount fogAmount
value is the value for the modifier. For percent values, use a number where 0.0
maps to 0% and 1.0 maps to 100%. You can also use neutral or default to reset a
modifier to its neutral or default value, respectively. Here are some examples:
• /live/selected/cue/Waterfall/speed 1.2
• /live/selected/cue/Waterfall/beatMultiplier /6
• /live/selected/cue/Waterfall/beatMultiplier x12
• /live/selected/cue/*/fadeTime 0
• /live/selected/cue/*/dimmer neutral
• /live/selected/cue/active/colorTemperature 5600
• /live/selected/cue/active/hue 180
• /live/selected/frame/Movers/panAngle -30
• /live/selected/frame/Movers/tiltAngle default
• /live/selected/frame/Movers/cue/active/focus 1.3

/live/start
/live/stop
/live/toggle
/live/pause
/live/resume
/live/togglePaused
/live/nextCue [fadeTime]
/live/previousCue [fadeTime]
These methods control cuelist playback. They are only available if a cuelist is
selected.
The optional fadeTime argument lets you specify a custom fade time, in seconds,
which overrides the cue’s fade time.
/live/xfade level
Use this method to control manual crossfades in a cuelist. level is the level of the
Xfade slider, a number between 0 and 1.
/live/cuelistName/cue/cueName/skip
/live/cuelistName/cue/cueName/unskip
These methods change the checkmarks to the left of the cues’ names in a cuelist.
Preset Palette
You can activate or deactivate presets, and start or stop sequences, with OSC
messages. Because the Preset Palette often contains multiple items with the same
name, addresses include the names of the enclosing groups, for example:
/palette/Movers/Colors/Indigo
You can replace the names of groups, presets, and sequences with address patterns,
as described earlier in this section. For example, this addresses all presets named
“Indigo” that are nested in two groups:
/palette/*/*/Indigo

What if you want to address all presets named “Indigo” in any group? In this case you
use the // operator, which looks in all descendant items of the group to its left. For
example:
• /palette/Movers//Indigo
Addresses any item in “Movers”—including contained groups—named “Indigo”.
• /palette//Indigo
Addresses any item named “Indigo”.
• /palette/Movers//
Addresses all items in the “Movers” group and contained groups.
/palette/address/of/preset/activate
/palette/address/of/preset/deactivate
/palette/address/of/preset/toggle
These methods activate or deactivate a preset. Replace address/of/preset with

the address of one or more presets, as described above.
/palette/address/of/sequence/start
/palette/address/of/sequence/stop
/palette/address/of/sequence/toggle
These methods start or stop a sequence. Replace address/of/sequence with the

address of one or more sequences, as described above.
Output Control
The following methods control the global DMX output.
/output/enterBlind
/output/exitBlind
/output/cancelBlind
/output/toggleBlind
These methods enter and exit blind mode.

/output/freeze
/output/unfreeze
/output/toggleFreeze
These method freeze or unfreeze DMX output.
/output/master value
This method sets the Master Dimmer level. value is a number between 0 and 1.
Beat Control
The following methods control beat synchronization.
/beat/tap
Set the beat grid by sending this message four times on successive beats.
/beat/sync
Synchronizes the time of the next beat while keeping the tempo.
/beat/syncDownbeat
Synchronizes the time of the first beat while keeping the tempo.
/beat/halve
/beat/double
Halves or doubles the current tempo (beats per minute).
/beat/tempo bpm
Specifies the tempo. bpm is a number which signifies the beats per minute.
Fixture Properties
You can control the properties of individual fixtures through OSC, like in the Design
view. The complete set of fixture properties is exposed through OSC. (It’s not
currently possible to control individual light beams through OSC, though.)

/fixture/fixtureName/overrides/propertyName value
Use this method to set fixture properties. fixtureName is the short name of a
fixture or a pattern matching multiple fixture names; you can use selected to
address the currently selected fixtures. Choose propertyName and value
according to the following table:
Property name Value
on on or off
dimmer A number between 0 and 1.
color{1|2|3} The index of a color on a color wheel.
rainbowSpeed{1|2|3} A nonnegative number (revolutions per second).
color Three numbers between 0 and 1 corresponding to red,

green, and blue. Alternatively, a string specifying RGB values
in hexadecimal form (make sure the argument is sent as a
string, not an integer).
hue, saturation, brightness A number between 0 and 1.
warmWhite, coolWhite, amber, A number between 0 and 1.

lime, ultraviolet
colorTemperature A color temperature in Kelvin.
greenSaturation A number between –1 and +1.
xfadeToColor A number between 0 and 1.
panAngle, tiltAngle A positive or negative angle in degrees.
infinitePanMode, One of the following: stopped, rotatingCW,

infiniteTiltMode rotatingCCW
infinitePanSpeed, A nonnegative number (revolutions per second).

infiniteTiltSpeed
speedMode One of the following: tracking, trackingSlow,

trackingMedium, trackingFast, vector,
blackoutDuringPanTiltMovement,
blackoutDuringWheelMovement,
blackoutDuringAnyMovement
vectorSpeed A number between 0 and 1.
gobo{1|2|3} The index of a gobo on a gobo wheel.
goboRotationMode{1|2|3} One of the following: stopped, rotatingCW,

rotatingCCW, bouncing, indexed

Property name Value
goboShakeMode{1|2|3} One of the following: stopped, shaking
goboRotationSpeed{1|2|3} A nonnegative number (revolutions per second).
goboAngle{1|2|3} An angle in degrees.
goboShakeSpeed{1|2|3} A nonnegative number in Hz.
goboCycleSpeed{1|2|3} A nonnegative number (revolutions per second).
shutterState One of the following: closed, open, strobe, syncStrobe,

randomStrobe, randomSyncStrobe, lightningStrobe,
pulseOpening, pulseClosing, pulseAlternating,
burstPulse, randomPulseOpening,
randomPulseClosing, randomPulseAlternating,
randomPurstPulse
strobeSpeed For steady strobing: A value in Hz.

For random strobing: A number between 0 and 1.
shutterPulseSpeed For steady pulsing: A value in Hz.

For random pulsing: A number between 0 and 1.
prismType{1|2} One of the following: none, twoFacet, threeFacet,

fourFacet, fiveFacet, sixFacet, eightFacet,
sixteenFacet, fiveFacetCenter, threeFacetLinear,
fourFacetLinear, fiveFacetLinear,
sixFacetLinear, frost
prismRotationMode{1|2} One of the following: stopped, rotatingCW,

rotatingCCW, indexed
prismRotationSpeed{1|2} A nonnegative number (revolutions per second).
prismAngle{1|2} An angle in degrees.
focus A number between 0 and 1.
zoomAngle A zoom angle in degrees.
irisSize A number between 0 and 1.
frostState One of the following: off, on, linear, pulseIncreasing,

pulseDecreasing
frostAmount A number between 0 and 1.
frostPulseSpeed A value in Hz.
fogAmount A number between 0 and 1.

• /fixture/F4/overrides/dimmer 1.0
• /fixture/F4/overrides/color1 5
• /fixture/F4/overrides/color 0.29 0.0 0.51
• /fixture/F4/overrides/color "4b0082"
• /fixture/F4/overrides/hue 0.87
• /fixture/F4/overrides/amber 0.25
• /fixture/F4/overrides/colorTemperature 5600
• /fixture/F4/overrides/greenSaturation -0.2
• /fixture/F4/overrides/xfadeToColor 1
• /fixture/F4/overrides/shutterState strobe
• /fixture/F4/overrides/strobeSpeed 2.4
• /fixture/F4/overrides/panAngle 45
• /fixture/F4/overrides/focus 0.15
• /fixture/F4/overrides/zoomAngle 40
• /fixture/F4/overrides/irisSize 0.9
Beyond that you can also control any custom fixture properties specific to the fixture.
Use the property’s name as it appears in the Design view, but replace spaces with
underscores. For properties with a list of options, replace value is the name of the
option, for example:
• /fixture/F6/overrides/Auto_Program Program_1
For properties with a slider, specify the slider value—either a number between 0 and
1 for percentage sliders, or a number between 0 and 255 if the slider shows a DMX
value:
• /fixture/F6/overrides/Auto_Program_Speed 0.7
• /fixture/F6/overrides/Pattern 255
If a property has both options and a slider, use two arguments:
• /fixture/F6/overrides/Effect Effect_7 0.15

/fixture/fixtureName/overrides/clear
/fixture/fixtureName/overrides/propertyName/clear
The first method clears all overridden properties for one or more fixtures, the second
clears a single overridden property. fixtureName is the short name of a fixture or a
pattern matching multiple fixture names; you can use selected to address the
currently selected fixtures. propertyName is one of the following fixture property
names:
dimmer colorWheel{1|2|3} color
position speed goboWheel{1|2|3}
shutter prismWheel{1|2} focus
zoom iris frost
fog
propertyName can also be the name of a custom (fixture-specific) property.
• /fixture/F4/overrides/clear
Clears all overrides for the fixture F4.
• /fixture/*/overrides/shutter/clear
Clears the Shutter property for all fixtures.
/fixture/fixtureName/lamp/on
/fixture/fixtureName/lamp/off
These methods send a Lamp On or Lamp Off signal to one or more fixtures which
support this.
/fixture/fixtureName/command/commandName
This sends a command to one or more fixtures. commandName is the name of a

command understood by the fixture, e.g. Reset.

/fixture/fixtureName/select
/fixture/fixtureName/deselect
These methods select or deselect one or more fixtures. fixtureName is the short
name of a fixture or a pattern matching multiple fixtures.
macOS Shortcuts
Starting with macOS Monterey you can control Lightkey using the system-wide
shortcuts feature. Lightkey provides a number of actions, primarily for live control,
which are available in the Shortcuts app. You can also run shortcuts from Siri.
❖ Note: Shortcuts are only available in macOS 12 Monterey or later.
You create and edit shortcuts in the Shortcuts app that comes with macOS. For more
information see the Shortcuts User Guide by Apple.
You can also quickly create shortcuts from within Lightkey. These shortcuts will
subsequently appear in the Shortcuts app and you can edit them there.
Create a shortcut from Lightkey
1 Control-click an element in the user interface and choose External Control >
Add Shortcut… from the shortcut menu. This command is only available for
some elements, e.g. buttons in a control panel or cues in a cuelist.
2 In the window that opens, enter a phrase which can be used to invoke the
shortcut from Siri, then press Return. (This is necessary even if you don’t want
to use Siri.) The phrase is also used as the shortcut’s title.
3 Click Edit in Shortcuts to view and further edit the shortcut in the Shortcuts app.
➤ Important: Make sure to open Lightkey before you run or edit a shortcut with
actions from Lightkey in Shortcuts. If Lightkey isn’t open, Shortcuts launches
an invisible copy of Lightkey. Since it’s invisible you cannot quit this copy.
The following table lists the shortcut actions provided by Lightkey.

Action What it does
Activate/Deactivate Cue Activates or deactivates one or more cues. If the cues are on a
different Live page than the current one, they won’t become active
until you switch to that page.
You can choose one or more fixed cues to (de-)activate, or use the
output of a preceding action like Find Cues or Get Active Cues, or use
a variable containing one or more cues.
You can optionally specify a custom fade time to override the cue’s
fade time.
Get Active Cues Passes the active cues on the selected Live page to the next action. If
the current page is a cuelist then this will return no more than one
cue.
Blind Mode Enters or exits blind mode.
Find cues Finds cues on the current Live page by their name.
Freeze Output Freezes or unfreezes output.
Go to Cue in Cuelist Activates the next or previous cue in the current cuelist.
fade time.
Pause/Resume Cuelist Pauses or resumes playback of the current cuelist.
Select Live Page Selects a page in the Live view.

You can optionally specify a custom fade time to override the page’s
fade time.
Set Cue Intensity Sets the intensity of one or more cues.

You can choose one or more fixed cues, or use the output of a
preceding action like Find Cues or Get Active Cues, or use a variable
containing one or more cues.
Set Cue Modifier Sets the value of a modifier of one or multiple cues.
You can choose one or more fixed cues, or use the output of a
preceding action like Find Cues or Get Active Cues, or use a variable
containing one or more cues.
Set Frame Modifier Sets the value of a modifier of one or multiple frames.
Activate Cue in Frame Activates the next or previous cue in a frame.

fade time.
Set Master Dimmer Sets the Master Dimmer level.
Set Tempo Sets the beats per minute.
Start/Stop Cuelist Starts or stops playback of the current cuelist.

You can combine Lightkey’s actions with other actions in the Shortcuts app to build
your own workflows. For example, assume there’s a cue named Panel Color which
defines the color of some lights and has a Hue modifier. The following shortcut
repeatedly sets the Hue modifier to a random value every 30 seconds, effectively
applying a random color to the lights:
Multi-Touch Gestures
Lightkey supports configurable Multi-Touch gestures as an alternative way to quickly
and conveniently change frequently-used fixture properties. You configure these
gestures in Lightkey’s Settings or Preferences window.
Configure Multi-Touch gestures
‣ Choose Lightkey > Settings… (or Preferences…) and click Gestures.
You can use gestures to control the following fixture properties:
• Dimmer: Change the selected fixture’s Dimmer property.
• Master dimmer: Change the Master Dimmer.
• Color hue: Change the hue component of the selected fixture’s color (if the
fixture supports color mixing).
• Color saturation: Change the saturation component of the selected fixture’s

color (if the fixture supports color mixing).

You can control the fixture properties by scrolling or by swiping up or down with
three or four fingers while the pointer is over the Preview area. These gestures can
be combined with modifier keys. The swipe gestures require a Multi-Touch trackpad.
➤ Important: Three or four finger swipes can only be recognized when they are
not assigned to another action in the Trackpad pane of System Settings/
System Preferences (even when combined with modifier keys).
If you have a Multi-Touch trackpad, you can also pinch with two fingers while the
pointer is over the Preview to open one of the HUDs for Position, Focus, Zoom, or Iris.
This is especially useful for the Focus, Zoom, or Iris HUDs where pinching also
changes the property value. You should assign this gesture to the fixture property
which you most frequently use. If you choose Automatic, Lightkey will assign the
gesture to the property supported by most of your fixtures.
If your trackpad supports Force Touch, you can force click a fixture icon to use one of
the HUDs. This gesture is assigned to the Position HUD by default.

Appendix 1
Shortcuts and
Gestures
Lightkey’s comprehensive system of keyboard
shortcuts and gestures lets you control virtually
every application feature.
General
Application & Windows

Action Shortcut
Show Settings/Preferences window Command–Comma
Show Fixture Manager Command–Shift–Down Arrow
Hide Fixture Manager Command–Shift–Up Arrow or Command–Return
Open External Control window Command–E
Hide Lightkey Command–H
Hide other applications Command–Option–H
Close window Command–W
Minimize window Command–M
Minimize all windows Command–Option–M
Open DMX Monitor window Command–Shift–Option–O

Action Shortcut
Open User Guide Command–?
Quit Lightkey Command–Q
Projects
Action Shortcut
Open a project (when no project is open) Command–O
Close the current project Command–W
Save project Command–S
Editing
Action Shortcut
Undo the last action Command–Z
Redo the last action Command–Shift–Z
Cut the selection Command–X
Copy the selection Command–C
Paste content of Clipboard Command–V
Select all text or objects Command–A
Show or hide the search field Command–Option–F
View
Action Shortcut
Show Design view Command–D
Show Live view Command–L
Show/hide Preset Palette Command–Shift–P
Show/hide shortcuts Command–Shift–S
Enter/exit blind mode Command–B

Action Shortcut
Freeze/unfreeze output Command–Period
Edit Preview Command–J
Edit control panel Command–Option–J
Set beats per minute Shift-B or hold down B
Edit Design View Command–Shift–Option–D
Enter/exit full screen Command–F
Project Setup Assistant

Action Shortcut
Go to next step Command–Right Arrow or Command–Return
Go to previous step Command–Left Arrow
Preview Editing
General
Action Shortcut
Edit Preview or end editing Command–J or Command–double-click Preview

area
End editing Preview Command–Return
Enable/disable highlight mode Command–Shift–H
Scroll Space–drag
Selection
Action Shortcut
Select all objects Command–A
Deselect all objects Command–Shift–A or Esc

Action Shortcut
Select all fixtures of the same type as the Command–Option–A

selected fixture (e.g. all moving heads)
Select objects by dragging Drag from a blank part of the Preview (Option–
drag to select outward from starting point)
Add or remove an object from the selection Shift–click or Command–click on object
Add or remove objects from the selection Shift–drag or Command–drag from a blank part
of the Preview
Select an individual fixture from a group Double-click on fixture icon
Select fixtures by name Type (lowercase) letters or numbers
Select next fixture, in alphabetical order Control–Tab
Select previous fixture, in alphabetical order Control–Shift–Tab
Move
Action Shortcut
Move selected objects by one unit Arrow key
Move selected objects by ten units Shift–arrow key
Fixtures
Action Shortcut
Create group from selected fixtures Command–Option–G
Ungroup selected fixtures Command–Option–G
Set beam direction of selected fixtures Command–Shift–Option–P
Set beam color of selected fixtures (for fixtures Command–Shift–Option–C

with a fixed color)
Shapes, Text & Images

Action Shortcut
Duplicate selected objects Command–Shift–D or Option–arrow key

Action Shortcut
Duplicate selected objects by dragging Option–drag
Constrain dragging to horizontal or vertical Shift–drag

direction
Disable alignment/spacing guides while Control–drag an object

dragging
Resize an object from the center Option–drag a selection handle
Constrain a shape’s aspect ratio while resizing Shift–drag a selection handle
Do not constrain the aspect ratio of an image or Command–drag a selection handle

round truss while resizing
Rotate an object Command–drag a selection handle
Rotate in 45° steps Command–Shift–drag a selection handle
Rotate a line around its center Option–drag a selection handle
Constrain a line’s or arc’s angle to 45° Shift–drag a selection handle
Do not snap when changing a line or arc Command–drag a selection handle
Disable alignment/spacing guides while resizing Press Control while resizing
Begin or end editing a line’s shape Return
Move the selected handles while editing a line Arrow keys
Delete the selected handles while editing a line Delete
Begin or end text editing Return
Show Font panel Command–T
Show Color panel Command–Shift–C
Preview
Selection
Action Shortcut
Select all fixtures Command–A
Deselect all fixtures Command–Shift–A or Esc

Action Shortcut
Select all fixtures of the same type as the Command–Option–A

selected fixture (e.g. all moving heads)
Select fixtures by dragging Drag from a blank part of the Preview (Option–
drag to select outward from starting point)
Add or remove a fixture from the selection Shift–click or Command–click on fixture
Add or remove fixtures from the selection Shift–drag or Command–drag from a blank part
of the Preview
Select an individual fixture from a group Double-click on fixture icon
Select fixtures by name Type (lowercase) letters or numbers
Select next fixture, in alphabetical order Control–Tab
Select previous fixture, in alphabetical order Control–Shift–Tab
Select nearest fixture in arrow direction Arrow keys
Extend fixture selection in arrow direction Shift–arrow key
Fixtures
Action Shortcut
Show a fixture’s contextual menu Click fixture name or right-click/Control–click

fixture icon
Copy properties of selected fixture Command–Option–C
Paste fixture properties from Clipboard Command–Option–V
Show overridden fixture properties Command–P
Clear overridden properties for selected fixtures Command–Delete
Clear overridden properties for all fixtures Command–Shift–Delete
Show the selected fixture in Fixture Manager Command–Shift–Down Arrow
Edit a fixture’s profile Command–Shift–Option–Down Arrow or Option–

double-click fixture icon
Show DMX output for the selected fixture Command–Shift–Option–O
Change dimmer of selected fixtures Command–scroll up/down while mouse pointer

is over Preview area2

Action Shortcut
Change hue of selected fixtures Command–Option–scroll up/down while mouse

pointer is over Preview area2
Change saturation of selected fixtures Command–Option–scroll up/down while mouse

Change master dimmer Swipe up/down with four fingers while mouse
pointer is over Preview area1, 2
Change focus, zoom, or iris for the selected Pinch gesture1, 2

fixtures (or the fixture under the mouse pointer
if there is no selection)
1 Requires multi-touch trackpad or Apple Magic Trackpad.

2 This shortcut can be changed in the Settings/Preferences window.
Position
Action Shortcut
Select Position property Shift–P or hold down P or hold down mouse

button over fixture icon or force click1 fixture
icon2
Clear (undefine) Position property Space or Delete
Move beam to clicked location Click in Position HUD
Lock pan Command-drag
Lock tilt Shift-drag
Don’t snap Control-drag
Set pan angle according to location of key Numbers on numeric keypad
Change pan Scroll up/down while mouse pointer is over

Position HUD
Change tilt Command–Scroll up/down while mouse pointer

is over Position HUD
Increase/decrease pan angle by 1° Right/Left Arrow
Increase/decrease pan angle by 10° Shift–Right/Left Arrow
Increase/decrease pan angle by 0.1° Option–Right/Left Arrow
Increase/decrease tilt angle by 1° Up/Down Arrow or Plus/Minus
Increase/decrease tilt angle by 10° Shift–Up/Down Arrow

Action Shortcut
Increase/decrease tilt angle by 0.1° Option–Up/Down Arrow
Close Position HUD Return, Enter or Esc
1 Requires trackpad with Force Touch.

Focus
Action Shortcut
Select Focus property Shift–F or hold down F
Clear (undefine) Focus property Space or Delete
Set focus Click in Focus HUD
Change focus Pinch gesture1 or scroll up/down while mouse

pointer is over Focus HUD
Increase/decrease focus by 10% Up/Down Arrow or Plus/Minus
Increase/decrease focus by 1% Option–Up/Down Arrow
Set focus to an exact value Type numbers
Close Focus HUD Return, Enter or Esc
Zoom
Action Shortcut
Select Zoom property Shift–Z or hold down Z
Clear (undefine) Zoom property Space or Delete
Set zoom angle Click in Zoom HUD
Change zoom angle Pinch gesture1 or scroll up/down while mouse

pointer is over Zoom HUD
Increase/decrease zoom angle by 1° Up/Down Arrow or Plus/Minus

Action Shortcut
Set zoom to an exact angle Type numbers
Close Zoom HUD Return, Enter or Esc
Iris
Action Shortcut
Select Iris property Shift–I or hold down I
Clear (undefine) Iris property Space or Delete
Set iris size Click in Iris HUD
Change iris size Pinch gesture1 or scroll up/down while mouse

pointer is over Iris HUD
Increase/decrease iris size by 10% Up/Down Arrow or Plus/Minus
Increase/decrease iris size by 1% Option–Up/Down Arrow
Set iris size to an exact value Type numbers
Close Iris HUD Return, Enter or Esc
Design View
General
Action Shortcut
Cycle through properties in Design view Tab
Cycle backwards through properties in Design Shift–Tab

view
Clear (undefine) the selected property Delete
Deselect current property Return, Enter, or Esc

Action Shortcut
Don’t snap sliders Command–drag
Dimmer
Action Shortcut
Select Dimmer property Shift–D or hold down D
Increase/decrease intensity by 10% Up/Down Arrow or Plus/Minus
Increase/decrease intensity by 1% Option–Up/Down Arrow or Option–Plus/Minus
Set intensity to an exact value Type numbers
Change Dimmer property of selected fixtures Command–scroll up/down while mouse pointer
is over Preview area1
Change Master Dimmer Swipe up/down with four fingers while mouse
Color
Action Shortcut
Select Color property Shift–C or hold down C
Color Wheel
Action Shortcut
Select a color Arrow keys
Select color by index Type numbers
Color Components
Action Shortcut
Set hue to an exact value Type numbers
Increase/decrease hue by 10° Up/Down Arrow or Plus/Minus

Action Shortcut
Increase/decrease hue by 1° Option–Up/Down Arrow or Option–Plus/Minus
Decrease/increase saturation by 10% Left/Right Arrow
Decrease/increase saturation by 1% Option–Left/Right Arrow
Gobo
Action Shortcut
Select Gobo property Shift–G or hold down G
Select a gobo Arrow keys
Select gobo by index Type numbers
Toggle rotation or change rotation direction R
Toggle bounce B
Toggle indexing I
Toggle shake S
Decrease/increase speed or angle Minus/Plus
Fine control of speed or angle Option–Minus/Plus
Shutter/Strobe
Action Shortcut
Select Shutter/Strobe property Shift–S or hold down S
Open shutter O
Close shutter C
Select strobe or change strobe mode S
Select pulse or change pulse mode P
Decrease/increase strobe/pulse speed Up/Down Arrow or Minus/Plus
Fine control of strobe/pulse speed Option–Up/Down Arrow or Option–Minus/Plus

Prism
Action Shortcut
Select Prism property Shift–M or hold down M
Select prism type Type numbers
Toggle rotation or change rotation direction R
Toggle indexing I
Decrease/increase speed or angle Up/Down Arrow or Minus/Plus
Fine control of speed or angle Option–Up/Down Arrow or Option–Minus/Plus
Frost
Action Shortcut
Select Frost property Shift–R or hold down R
Frost on or off O
Select linear L
Select pulse P
Decrease/increase frost amount Left/Right Arrow or Minus/Plus
Fine control of frost amount Option–Left/Right Arrow or Option–Minus/Plus
Set frost amount to an exact value Type numbers
Movement Speed
Action Shortcut
Select tracking mode T
Select vector mode V
Select blackout mode B
Set speed to an exact percent value Type numbers
Increase/decrease speed by 10% Left/Right Arrow or Plus/Minus
Increase/decrease speed by 1% Option–Left/Right Arrow

Fog
Action Shortcut
Decrease/increase fog amount Left/Right Arrow or Minus/Plus
Fine control of fog amount Option–Left/Right Arrow or Option–Minus/Plus
Set fog amount to an exact value Type numbers
Custom Properties
Action Shortcut
Show or hide options Return or Enter
Select previous/next option Up/Down Arrow
Decrease/increase percent or DMX value Left/Right Arrow or Minus/Plus
Fine control of percent or DMX value Option–Left/Right Arrow or Option–Minus/Plus
Set percent or DMX value Type numbers
Select an option and hide the list of options Double-click option
Preset Palette
Selection
Action Shortcut
Extend the selection Shift–click a row
Add or remove a row to/from the selection Command–click a row
Clear the selection Command–click the selected row
Editing
Action Shortcut
Create new preset Command–N
Create new preset group Command–Shift–N

Action Shortcut
Create new group from selected items Command–Shift–Option–N
Create new sequence Command–Ctrl–N
Create new sequence from selected presets Command–Ctrl–Option–N
Show info for sequence Command–I or double-click a sequence
Edit the selected preset Command–Shift–E or Double-click preset
End editing a preset Command–Shift–E or Return or Enter
Cancel editing a preset Esc
Edit hold or fade time Click time
Increase/decrease hold or fade time by one Up/Down Arrow while editing time
second
Increase/decrease hold or fade time by 0.1 sec Option–Up/Down Arrow while editing time
Increase/decrease hold or fade time by 10 sec Shift–Up/Down Arrow while editing time
Jump to next field during editing Tab
Jump to previous field during editing Shift–Tab
Rename an item Return or click the item’s name
Duplicate the selected items Command–Shift–D
Duplicate one or more items Option–drag
Delete the selected items Delete
Delete an item Swipe left over a row
Control Panels
General
Action Shortcut
Show info for a button or frame Command–click button or frame
Show info for a button Force click on button1
Show properties defined in a cue Command–Option–click button

Action Shortcut
Change a modifier in coarse steps Hold down Shift while changing the modifier
Begin or end editing control panel Command–Option–J or Command–double-click

control panel
End editing control panel Command–Return
Edit Mode
Action Shortcut
Scroll Space–drag
Select all objects Command–A
Deselect all objects Command–Shift–A or Esc
Select objects by dragging Drag from a blank part of the control panel
(Option–drag to select outward from starting
point)
Add or remove an object from the selection Shift–click or Command–click an object
Add or remove objects from the selection Shift–drag or Command–drag from a blank part
of the control panel
Move selected objects by one unit Arrow key
Move selected objects by five units Shift–arrow key
Constrain dragging to horizontal or vertical Shift–drag

direction
Disable alignment guides and magnetic grid Control–drag

while dragging
Resize an object from the center Option–drag a selection handle
Disable alignment guides and magnetic grid Control–drag a selection handle

while resizing
Show info for a button or frame Command–I Double-click button or frame
Rename a button or frame Return or click the button’s or frame’s name
Add a button to a frame Drag button to frame
Cut the selected objects Command–X

Action Shortcut
Copy the selected objects Command–C
Paste objects (or cues) from Clipboard Command–V
Duplicate selected objects Command–Shift–D or Option–arrow key
Duplicate selected objects by dragging Option–drag
Delete selected objects Delete
Begin or end text editing Return
Show Font panel Command–T
Show Color panel Command–Shift–C
Cuelists
General
Action Shortcut
Extend the selection Shift–click a row
Add or remove a row to/from the selection Command–click a row
Show info for cue Command–I or Command–click “Get Info” or

force click1 cue
Show properties defined in a cue Command–Option–click “Properties”
Activate cue Double-click cue
Activate cue with fade Option–double-click cue
Activate selected cue Command–Return
Activate selected cue with fade Command–Option–Return
Change a modifier in coarse steps Hold down Shift while changing the modifier
Editing
Action Shortcut
Add new cue below the selected item Command–Plus

Action Shortcut
Add new cue above the selected item Shift–click the icon
Add new group Command–Shift–Plus
Add new group from selected items Command–Shift–Option–Plus
Duplicate the selected items Command–Option–D (or Option–click the

icon)
Duplicate one or more items by dragging Option–drag
Rename an item Return or click the item’s name
Delete the selected items Delete
Edit hold or fade time Click time
Increase/decrease hold or fade time by one Up/Down Arrow while editing time
second
Increase/decrease hold or fade time by 0.1 sec Option–Up/Down Arrow while editing time
Increase/decrease hold or fade time by 10 sec Shift–Up/Down Arrow while editing time
Jump to next field during editing Tab
Jump to previous field during editing Shift–Tab
Playback
Action Shortcut
Activate next cue Space
Activate previous cue Shift–Space
Activate cue by name (or number) Command–G

􀅼
􀅼
Effects
General
Action Shortcut
Add effect to selected fixtures Command–Option–E
End effect editing Return or Esc
Increment numeric value Up Arrow or Plus
Decrement numeric value Down Arrow or Minus
Numeric value fine control (not always Option–Up Arrow or Option–Plus

available)
Numeric value coarse control (not always Shift–Up Arrow or Shift–Plus

available)
Don’t snap sliders Command–drag
Curve Effects
Action Shortcut
Move curve vertically Drag up/down
Shift curve vertically by 1% Up/Down Arrow
Shift curve vertically by 10% Shift–Up/Down Arrow
Move curve horizontally Drag left/right
Shift curve horizontally by 1% Left/Right Arrow
Shift curve horizontally by 10% Shift–Left/Right Arrow
Scale curve Command–drag up/down or Command–Up/

Down Arrow
Movement Paths
Action Shortcut
Transform path T
Exit transform mode T or Esc

Action Shortcut
Close Position HUD Return, Enter or Esc
Add control point Double-click on path
Delete selected control point Delete
Lock pan while dragging control point Command-drag
Lock tilt while dragging control point Shift-drag
Don’t snap while dragging control point Control-drag
Set pan angle of selected control point Numbers on numeric keypad

according to location of key
Change pan of selected control point Scroll up/down while mouse pointer is over
Position HUD
Change tilt of selected control point Command–Scroll up/down while mouse pointer
is over Position HUD
Increase/decrease pan angle of selected control Right/Left Arrow

point by 1°
Increase/decrease pan angle of selected control Shift–Right/Left Arrow

point by 10°
Increase/decrease tilt angle of selected control Up/Down Arrow or Plus/Minus

point by 1°
Increase/decrease tilt angle of selected control Shift–Up/Down Arrow

point by 10°
Fixture Manager
General
Action Shortcut
Show Fixture Manager Command–Shift–Down Arrow
Hide Fixture Manager Command–Shift–Up Arrow or Command–Return

Fixture Library
Action Shortcut
Move focus to search field Command–Option–F
Get fixture profile info Return or Double-click a fixture profile
Edit a fixture profile Option–double-click a fixture profile
Channel Grid
Action Shortcut
Select universe Command–0 through Command–9
Select previous/next universe Command–Shift–Left/Right Arrow
Select previous/next fixture Left/Right Arrow
Select first/last fixture Command–Left/Right Arrow
Select fixtures by name Type letters or numbers
Clear selection Esc
Get fixture info Return, double-click, or force click1 a fixture
Edit a fixture’s profile Option–double click a fixture
Duplicate fixtures Option–drag fixtures
Delete fixtures Delete or drag fixtures out of grid
Fixture Info Window

Action Shortcut
Increase/decrease number of fixtures (when Up/Down Arrow or Plus/Minus (while in fixture

adding new fixtures) number field)
Increase/decrease fixture address Up/Down Arrow or Plus/Minus (while in fixture

address field)
Patch fixtures Return or Enter
Don’t patch fixtures Esc

Fixture Editor
Navigation
Action Shortcut
Go to previous/next fixture profile (if multiple Command–Shift–Left/Right Arrow

profiles are open)
Select previous/next mode (for profiles with Command–Up/Down Arrow

multiple modes)
Manage modes Command–Shift–Option–M
Scroll up Page Up
Scroll down Page Down
Move focus to next field Tab
Move focus to previous field Shift–Tab
Close fixture profile Command–W
Numeric Fields
Action Shortcut
Increment value Up Arrow or Plus
Decrement value Down Arrow or Minus
Multiple Settings
Action Shortcut
Add setting below the current one (for Command–Plus

properties with multiple settings, e.g. Gobo)
Add setting above the current one Command–Shift–Plus (or Shift–click the icon)
Duplicate the current setting (for properties Command–Option–Plus (or Option–click the
with multiple settings) icon)
Remove the current setting (for properties with Command–Minus

multiple settings)

􀅼
􀅼
Custom Capabilities
Action Shortcut
Toggle default setting Command-Option-X
Toggle slider Command-Option-S
Beams
Action Shortcut
Assign a property to a particular beam (when Click a beam

the property’s beam settings are visible)
Select beams by index (when the property’s Type numbers or a range (e.g. “1–4”)
beam settings are visible)
Add or remove beam from selection (when the Command–click a beam

property’s beam settings are visible)
Select a range of beams (when the property’s Shift–click a beam

beam settings are visible)
User Guide Viewer

Action Shortcut
Open User Guide Command–?
Scroll up Page Up or Shift-Space
Scroll down Page Down or Space
Go to previous search result (while focus is in Shift–Return

search field)
Go to next search result (while focus is in Return

search field)
Cancel search (while focus is in search field) Esc
Zoom In Command–Plus
Zoom Out Command–Minus

Appendix 2
Generic Fixture
Profiles
The following table provides an overview of the
generic fixture profiles in the built-in library.
Profile name Use for
Bulb Monochrome light bulb, one channel (Dimmer)
Fog Machine Fog machine or hazer, one channel (fog amount)
LED Matrix 3×3 (Mono) Monochrome 3×3 matrix, one channel per pixel (Dimmer)
LED Matrix 3×3 (RGB) 3×3 matrix, three channels per pixel (Red, Green, Blue)
3×3 matrix, five channels per pixel (Red, Green, Blue, Amber,
LED Matrix 3×3 (RGBAW)
White)
LED Matrix 3×3 (RGBW) 3×3 matrix, four channels per pixel (Red, Green, Blue, White)
LED Matrix 4×4 (Mono) Monochrome 4×4 matrix, one channel per pixel (Dimmer)
LED Matrix 4×4 (RGB) 4×4 matrix, three channels per pixel (Red, Green, Blue)
4×4 matrix, five channels per pixel (Red, Green, Blue, Amber,
LED Matrix 4×4 (RGBAW)
White)
LED Matrix 4×4 (RGBW) 4×4 matrix, four channels per pixel (Red, Green, Blue, White)
LED Strip (DRGB) LED strip, four channels (Dimmer, Red, Green, Blue)
LED Strip (Mono) Monochrome LED strip, one channel (Dimmer)

LED Strip (RGB) LED strip, three channels (Red, Green, Blue)
LED Strip (RGBA) LED strip, four channels (Red, Green, Blue, Amber)
LED Strip (RGBAW) LED strip, five channels (Red, Green, Blue, Amber, White)
LED Strip (RGBD) LED strip, four channels (Red, Green, Blue, Dimmer)
LED Strip (RGBW) LED strip, four channels (Red, Green, Blue, White)
6-beam LED strip, four channels per LED (Dimmer, Red, Green,
LED Strip 6× (DRGB)
Blue)
LED Strip 6× (RGB) 6-beam LED strip, three channels per LED (Red, Green, Blue)
6-beam LED strip, five channels per LED (Red, Green, Blue, Amber,
LED Strip 6× (RGBAW)
White)
LED Strip 6× (RGBW) 6-beam LED strip, four channels per LED (Red, Green, Blue, White)
Blue)
12-beam LED strip, five channels per LED (Red, Green, Blue,
Amber, White)
12-beam LED strip, four channels per LED (Red, Green, Blue,
LED Strip 12× (RGBW)
White)
Blue)
Amber, White)
White)
Blue)
Amber, White)
White)

PAR Spot Conventional spot, one channel (monochrome)
PAR Wash Conventional wash light, one channel (monochrome)
PAR Spot (DRGB) Spot light, four channels (Dimmer, Red, Green, Blue)
PAR Spot (RGB) Spot light, three channels (Red, Green, Blue)
PAR Spot (RGBW) Spot light, four channels (Red, Green, Blue, White)
PAR Spot (RGBAW) Spot light, five channels (Red, Green, Blue, Amber, White)
PAR Wash (DRGB) Wash light, four channels (Dimmer, Red, Green, Blue)
PAR Wash (RGB) Wash light, three channels (Red, Green, Blue)
PAR Wash (RGBW) Wash light, four channels (Red, Green, Blue, White)
PAR Wash (RGBAW) Wash light, five channels (Red, Green, Blue, Amber, White)
Switch DMX switch, one channel: Off (0) or On (255)
The remaining profiles in the Generic category are for demo purposes and shouldn’t
be used to control real fixtures.

Enjoy Lightkey!
Thank you for choosing Lightkey: We hope that it enhances your
creative process and wish you lots of fun creating exciting and
impressive light shows.
If you have any questions that were not answered in this User
Guide, need technical support, or want to share your feedback,
get in touch at hello@lightkeyapp.com.
We’re happy to help!
© 2022 Monospace GmbH. All rights reserved.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this manual is accurate. Monospace assumes no responsibility or
liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in this manual.
Any company and product names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies. Mention of third-party
products is for informational purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation. Monospace
assumes no responsibility with regard to the performance or use of these products.
This manual describes the features of the software version it was distributed with. If you are using a newer or older Lightkey
version please refer to the User Guide that comes with your version.
Rev. 4.0.5.

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LIGHTKEY

Professional DMX lighting control.

Chapter 1 Welcome to the World of Lightkey.........................................................12

Chapter 2 Intro to DMX ..........................................................................................14

Chapter 3 Lightkey Licenses ..................................................................................19

Chapter 4 Set Up Your Lights .................................................................................23

Lightkey User Guide 2

Chapter 6 The Lightkey Window ............................................................................39

Chapter 7 Preview .................................................................................................46

Lightkey User Guide 3

Chapter 8 Fixture Properties .................................................................................61

Lightkey User Guide 4

Chapter 9 Presets and Sequences .......................................................................107

Chapter 10 Effects ...............................................................................................125

Lightkey User Guide 5

Chapter 11 Live Control .......................................................................................147

Lightkey User Guide 6

Chapter 12 Beat Control ......................................................................................183

Chapter 13 Manage DMX Fixtures ........................................................................192

Lightkey User Guide 7

Chapter 14 DMX Output and Input ........................................................................204

Chapter 15 Smart Lights ......................................................................................217

Lightkey User Guide 8

Chapter 16 External Control ................................................................................225

Appendix 1 Shortcuts and Gestures .....................................................................265

Lightkey User Guide 9

Lightkey User Guide 10

Appendix 2 Generic Fixture Profiles ....................................................................287

Lightkey User Guide 11

This User Guide intends to be a comprehensive reference for Lightkey. It covers

Lightkey User Guide 12

Lightkey includes a sophisticated system of keyboard shortcuts and gestures to

Lightkey User Guide 13

Connect Your Fixtures

Lightkey User Guide 14

out in out in out in

USB, Ethernet, XLR cable DMX terminator

DMX splitter in out

Lightkey User Guide 15

Lightkey User Guide 16

Cat 5 (Ethernet) cable

• USB–DMX interfaces: Lightkey works with USB interfaces from various

Lightkey User Guide 17

Fixture address Fixture address

Lightkey User Guide 18

Go to the Online Store

Do one of the following:

‣ Open Lightkey and choose Lightkey > Buy License.

Activate Your License

Lightkey User Guide 19

Activate your license

1 Copy the license key to the Clipboard.

2 Open Lightkey and choose Lightkey > Manage License…

3 Click Activate License…

Activate your license on a computer with no Internet connection

1 Copy the license key to the Clipboard.

2 Open Lightkey and choose Lightkey > Manage License…

3 Click “No Internet connection?”.

5 Choose a destination—for example, the Desktop—and then click Save.