As concert rigs and theater productions grow, a live dashboard can quickly become overwhelmed with dozens of faders, color wheels, and trigger pads. Searching for the right control in a crowded, unorganized grid during a dark live performance leads to costly mistakes.
The Group Container Widget (group) brings hierarchical structure and spatial organization to your Live Dashboard. It packages related widgets into clean, titled, collapsible panels, keeping high-density control surfaces tidy and intuitive.
🗂️ Architectural Features & Workspace Hygiene
1. Descriptive Custom Headers
Assign meaningful names and visual identity to each zone:
- By Physical Rig Location: Front Stage Washes, Back Truss Beams, Side Fill Profiles, Audience Blinders.
- By Operational Function: Main Song Cues, Atmospheric & Worklights, Live Audio Reactive FX.
2. Collapsible Accordion Panels
Every group container includes a collapse toggle in its header:
- Focus on Active Performance Zones: During the main concert set, collapse auxiliary groups (such as house worklights, intermission scenes, and haze controls) to keep the screen uncluttered.
- Instant Expansion: A single click re-opens the container whenever utility adjustments are needed.
- Screen Real Estate Optimization: Essential for lighting operators running shows on compact laptop screens or auxiliary remote tablets.
3. Nesting Diverse Control Widgets
A Group Container can host any combination of child widgets:
- Place a Device Control Widget for moving heads alongside a Function Widget containing their position presets.
- Pair a Node Graph Widget with a Keyframe Animation Widget for unified dynamic effects control.
🎪 Recommended Production Layouts
| Stage Hierarchy | Recommended Nested Widgets | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1: Master Playback | Function Widget (Global Cues), BPM / Tap block | Central show flow, blackout, and verse/chorus transitions. |
| Zone 2: Primary Fixture Control | Device Controls (Beams & Washes in Tag Mode) | Live color picking, Pan/Tilt positioning, and dimmer trims. |
| Zone 3: Special FX & Atmosphere | Node Graph Macros, Smoke/Haze faders, Strobe jump pads | Sound-reactive bursts, blinder flashes, and fog levels. |
| Zone 4: Utility & House Lights | Collapsible simple button grid (Worklights, Walk-In look) | Pre-show and post-show venue management. |
🛠️ Configuration & Grid Management
- Add Group: Click Add Widget in dashboard edit mode and select Group.
- Set Title: Enter a descriptive group label in widget properties.
- Move & Nest: Drag existing widget cards inside the group's boundary.
- Resize: Drag the container's resize handle; child widgets automatically reflow inside the grid.
Read more in the Live Dashboard Guide and the Function Widget Manual.