With Loop Regions, you can make detailed edits to your lighting sequence while looping a specific part of your timeline for simulation. Loop Regions are particularly useful when programming to music using Music Timelines, but can also be convenient when a project calls for intricate changes between presets.
Loop Regions are available in the Timeline tab of Designer 2.12 and later. There are two ways to create a Loop Region: from the timeline header and from a selection. These two methods are explained below.
Specifying start and end positions in the timeline header
To create a Loop Region, first identify where in the timeline you wish to start the loop. Next, right-click in the timeline header at this position and select “Set loop region start”. A vertical blue line will appear at this point, indicating the loop start position.
Next, right-click in the timeline header at the desired end of the loop and select “Set loop region end”. A second vertical blue line will appear, as well as handles for adjusting the start and end positions.
💡 Tip: Alternatively, after setting a start position, click and drag the vertical blue start position line in the timeline header to set an end position.
Specifying start and end positions from a selection
Loop regions can be created from a selection of one or more presets on a timeline. To create a Loop Region, first highlight the presets you wish to be contained by the region. This can be achieved either by holding Ctrl (Cmd on macOS) and clicking the desired presets, or by clicking and dragging to create a selection on a timeline.
Next, right-click any preset in the selection and select ‘Set loop region to selection’. The timeline header will update to show two vertical blue lines, as well as handles for making adjustments to the start and end positions.
Enabling a Loop Region
After the start and end positions of your Loop Region have been specified, enable the Loop Region using the “Enable looping” button in the toolbar. The portion of the timeline header contained by your Loop Region will be shaded blue when enabled.
Once enabled, playback will loop within the region. If playback starts before the loop start position and later enters the Loop Region, playback will loop within the region. Looping will continue until disabled.
Note: Loop Regions are a useful programming tool for repeating a certain part of your timeline in Designer 2. Loop Regions are not sent to the controller as part of upload and do not affect playback.
Clearing a Loop Region
To remove a Loop Region from a timeline, right-click anywhere in the timeline and select ‘Clear loop region’.
For more information on Loop Regions, take a look at our Designer 2 online help.
