Workspace
Workspace is the arrangement of Light Stream windows: which windows are open, where they are docked, and what size they are. The program lets you freely rearrange windows to suit your task and your monitor, save the resulting layouts under names, and switch between them with a single click.
Workspaces are not tied to the project: they are shared across the whole program and stay the same no matter which project you are working in.
Program Windows
The interface is made up of separate windows (panels). The full list of windows is in the Window menu. A checkmark to the left of the name means the window is currently shown: clear the checkmark to remove the window from the screen, set it to bring the window back to its previous place.
| Window | What it contains |
|---|---|
| Mapping | The main field where fixtures are placed and effects are visible |
| 3D View | A three-dimensional scene with a model of the object and fixtures |
| Fixtures | Devices (Player, converters, ports), the project's fixture list, and patching |
| 3D Objects | List of objects, cameras, and fixtures in the 3D scene |
| Compositions | List of the project's compositions |
| Effects | Effect library from which effects are added to a composition |
| Timeline | Layouts and effects of the selected composition, arranged in time |
| Properties | Parameters of whatever is selected: an effect, a fixture, a layout, a device |
| Export | List of compositions for export to *.cue and export settings
|
| Playlists | Playlists for the schedule |
| Calendar | Schedule events by date |
Besides the list of windows, the Window menu also has a Workspace item — the layout management window, described below.
Docked windows have no close button — they can only be hidden, so you can never "lose" a window for good: it can always be brought back through the Window menu.
In the default layout, two groups of windows sit side by side on the left: the Compositions, Fixtures and 3D Objects tabs — and Properties. The right, largest part is occupied by the Mapping, 3D View and Export tabs; Calendar and Playlists join this same group when you enable them. The Timeline spans the full width at the bottom.
The Effects window is not docked by default: it opens as a separate window over the program, right above the Effects button on the timeline toolbar. The same button also hides it — it works as a toggle, just like the Effects checkbox in the Window menu.
Moving and Docking Windows
To move a window:
- Point at the window's tab with its name, hold down the left mouse button, and drag.
- Without releasing the button, notice the docking hints — arrows that appear along the edges and in the center of the area you are hovering over.
- Point at the arrow you need: the spot where the window will be placed is highlighted with a rectangle. The edge arrows place the window beside, above, or below its neighbor; the center one adds it as a tab in the same group.
- Release the mouse button.
If you release the button somewhere other than over an arrow, the window stays floating — a separate window that can be moved anywhere on the screen, including onto a second monitor. You can dock it back the same way, by dragging its title bar, or through the right-click menu.
The size of neighboring windows is changed by dragging the border between them.
Right-clicking a window's tab or title bar opens a menu with three commands: make the window floating, return it to its previous place, and hide it (the same as clearing the checkbox in the Window menu).
The window where the last click was made is considered active and is highlighted with a light gray border — it makes it easy to tell which window the current actions and hotkeys apply to.
Editor and Schedule Switch
Below the menu bar are two buttons for quickly switching layouts:
- Editor — working windows for assembling the project: mapping, 3D, timeline, fixtures, and properties;
- Schedule — windows for building the schedule: Calendar, Playlists and Compositions; the other windows are hidden while this is active.
The program remembers how you arranged the windows in each of the two modes and restores the arrangement when you switch back, so you can switch back and forth freely.
Saving Your Own Layouts
All layouts are collected in the Workspace window: Window menu → Workspace. This window does not block the program — you can leave it open, rearrange windows, and save the result right away.
| Item | Purpose |
|---|---|
| New | Remembers the current window arrangement and adds a new row to the list |
| Save | Overwrites the layout selected in the list with the current window arrangement (the program will ask for confirmation) |
| Load | Arranges the windows as recorded in the selected layout |
| Delete | Removes the selected layout from the list (the program will ask for confirmation) |
| On Startup | Marks the layout that will be loaded when the program starts |
| Name | The layout's name, changed by double-clicking the cell |
To create your own layout:
- Arrange the windows the way that's convenient for you.
- Open the Window menu → Workspace.
- Click New — the current window arrangement is remembered and appears as a new row in the list.
- Double-click the name to set a clear title, for example "Mapping" or "3D".
To return to a saved layout, select it in the list and click Load. If you later rearranged the windows and want to fix the new arrangement to the same row, select it, click Save, and confirm the question Save the selected workspace?. An unneeded row is removed with the Delete button, with the confirmation Do you want to delete the selected workspace?.
The first two rows of the list are standard:
- Editor — the factory window arrangement. Load it if the layout has come apart and you want to start with a clean slate. The Save and Delete buttons are unavailable for this row — it always restores the standard view.
- Schedule — the layout with the calendar and playlists, the same one you get with the Schedule button below the menu bar.
Layout on Startup
The On Startup column in the Workspace window determines which layout the program will open with next time. Mark the row you need with a dot — the marked name is highlighted in bold. Only your own layouts are remembered: if nothing is marked, or one of the two standard rows is marked, the program starts with the standard Editor layout.
Good to Know
- The list of workspaces is stored in the program's settings, not in the project: it is the same for all projects and is not carried over with the project file to another computer.
- The list is written to disk when you exit the program, so close it normally rather than by killing the task.
- The standard Editor and Schedule rows are rebuilt every time the program starts. Changes saved over Schedule only last until it is closed.
- If you updated from a version older than 3.1.2.7, the list of saved layouts is reset and needs to be rebuilt from scratch.
- The Effects window can be docked with the others like any other window, and that arrangement will also be saved in the workspace.