External Control

External Control is the window where you decide which key, MIDI control, OSC message, HID control or DMX channel does what. Every button, switch and fader in Studio, and room actions such as the laser pointer or the timer, can be run from a key or a control surface, so you can run a show without touching the mouse.

What works today

Open the window

On macOS:

• Studio menu > External Control… (the Studio menu appears when you are signed in).
• Window menu > External Control.
• Settings > Control, row External Control, button Open....
• The keyboard help list, button Edit shortcuts....
• Right-click a control in Studio and choose External Control (see Assign from a control).

On Windows:

• Studio menu > External Control…, in the menu bar of the Windows layout and the Studio window, or under the Menu button in Classic (the Studio menu appears when you are signed in).
• The overflow menu of the command bar on the Room and Studio pages, External Control....
• The Settings menu in the Studio top bar, External Control....
• The ? keyboard list in the Studio top bar, button Edit shortcuts....
• Settings > Control, row External Control, button Open....
• Right-click a control in Studio and choose External Control.

The window is a single window. On macOS it is 900 by 780 points to begin with.

How a key becomes an action

A key is ignored (and passes through to the app) when:

• a text field is being edited (typing a name or searching),
• a sheet or panel is the key window,
• Lock Switching is on (Escape and Set Shift Key... still work),
• the Scene Editor canvas wants that key (arrows, Backspace, Delete, Escape),
• the key is not in the list of bindable keys.

When a binding takes a key, the key is consumed, so it does not also do what it normally does. Holding a key never fires an action twice.

Windows: the Studio window takes keys set to The Studio window or Any Cliqer window, and the Timeline Editor window takes keys set to The Timeline Editor window. No other window takes keys, so Any Cliqer window works like The Studio window today. While the Studio search or rename box is open, keys without Ctrl or Alt pass through to the box.

The window

Toolbar

Bindings table

Columns: Trigger, Action, Status. You can select several rows; the Delete key removes them.

• Trigger shows modifier glyphs in the order Control, Option, Shift, Command, then the key as your keyboard layout names it, for example ⌘R. A new binding reads Not set. While waiting it reads "Press a key or move a MIDI control..." (on the OSC tab "Send an OSC message...", on HID "Press a button or move a control..."). A binding on the shift layer carries a small "Shift layer" tag.
• Action shows the action and its settings, for example "Preview Input 2". "+1" after it means the binding runs more actions (from an imported file). A binding without an action says "Choose an action".
• Status shows a badge when something needs attention:

An empty list says No Bindings. A search with no hits says No Matches.

Windows: each binding is one row with the trigger, the action and the badges, and "(Shift layer)" after the action on the shift layer. A trigger not learned yet reads Not assigned and a binding without an action reads No action. Add is in the command bar, Remove is in the detail form, and the search box is Search.

Detail form

Select one binding to edit it below the table. Every change saves at once. With several rows selected it says " Bindings Selected"; with none, No Binding Selected.

Input list (for actions that act on an input): Selected Input, Preview, Program, then Input 1, Input 2 and so on for each tile in your input bar. Selected Input follows the tile you have selected. Channel list (for mixer actions): Selected Input, the inputs, then the buses.

When options:

Windows: the detail form has the same sections. Works in reads The Studio window, Any Cliqer window or The Timeline Editor window, and Shift layer sits under Layer. A key has no key-up on Windows, so a key offers Press (buttons) and Toggle, On and Off (switches). MIDI, OSC and HID also offer Release (buttons) and Momentary (on while held) (switches). The MIDI form has no Port, Channel or Message fields: the trigger is the control you moved while Learn waited.

Configurations

A configuration is a named set of bindings. You can keep one for a conference, another for a studio shoot, and switch between them from the Configuration list. The one you used last is remembered.

• Default is built in and read only. It has the keys listed in Keyboard shortcuts. The window says "Default is read only. Add a binding to work in your own copy."
• The first time you add or change a binding while Default is active, Cliqer copies Default into a configuration named My Shortcuts (or My Shortcuts 2, and so on) and works there.
• vMix, Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve are built in and read only too. Each moves the keys you know from that app onto the same Cliqer actions. Under the Configuration row, Source links to the page the keys come from, and Not mapped lists the commands that keep Cliqer's keys. To change one, choose Save Current As... and edit the copy.

Configuration Actions menu:

Names must not be empty, and not Default or one already in use.

Windows: the same actions are in the command bar: Add and, in the overflow menu, New configuration..., Save current as..., Rename configuration..., Delete configuration..., Import..., Export..., Set shift key... and Remove shift key. The name box has Create, Save or Rename, and Cancel, and deleting asks the same "Delete ?". The copy of Default is named My Configuration (My Configuration 2, and so on). Setting the shift key says "Press the shift key, Esc cancels", and the window shows "Shift key: " or "No shift key".

Shift layer

A shift key turns the whole keyboard into a second layer, like a function key on a mixing console. The shift key shows in the window as "Shift key ". While you hold it, bindings with Shift layer on replace the plain binding of the same key; keys without a shift binding keep working. The Control layer action can latch the layer on and off.

Bindable keys

Letters A to Z, digits 0 to 9, the punctuation keys (equals, minus, both square brackets, quote, semicolon, backslash, comma, slash, period and backquote), Return, Tab, Space, Backspace, forward Delete, Home, End, Page Up, Page Down, the four arrows, Keypad Enter, F1 to F12 and Keypad 0 to 9, with any mix of Control, Option, Shift and Command. Escape can be used with a modifier, but plain Escape cancels learning. Modifier keys alone, Caps Lock, F13 and above and the keypad operators cannot be bound.

Windows: letters, digits, F1 to F12, the punctuation keys, Backspace, Tab, Space, Enter, Insert, Delete, Home, End, Page Up, Page Down, the four arrows and the keypad digits and operators, with any mix of Ctrl, Alt and Shift. Escape always cancels learning, so it cannot be bound.

Reserved keys

Some keys already do something in every app, and Cliqer refuses them with the message "This key already does something in every Mac app. Choose another." (on Windows, "...in every PC app...")

Assign from a control

Every button, switch and fader in Studio carries a right-click External Control submenu, on macOS and on Windows:

On an input tile the submenu sits in the tile's own right-click menu. After you bind a key, the Studio menu and the tooltips follow it: a bound Record shows its key in the menu and in the tooltip.

MIDI

The MIDI tab lists the MIDI ports Cliqer sees, plugged in or not.

An empty list says No MIDI Ports: "Plug in a MIDI controller. It appears here at once."

If your plan does not include Studio control surfaces, the tab shows "MIDI is part of Studio Control. Your plan does not include it, so no port is opened." with an Upgrade button, and the ports stay off.

To bind a control, click Add Binding on the MIDI tab, then move a fader or press a pad ("Move a control..."). The detail form for a MIDI binding has:

A trigger reads like "Note 60 ch 1", "CC 7 ch any", "CC 7 14-bit ch 1", "Program 3 ch 1" or "Pitch Bend ch 2". Button LED sends an On value and Off value; Motor Fader sends the value back so the fader follows Studio; Tally Pad sends Program value, Preview value and Off value (0 to 127). If Show back is on but the port's Feedback tick is off, the form tells you to turn it on.

Windows: the tab lists each port as its own row, named In for an input and Feedback for an output, with a switch and Connected or Not connected. An empty list shows the same No MIDI Ports text. The detail form for a MIDI binding has Learn, Feedback (None, LED, Motor fader or ring or Tally pad) and the values LED on, LED off, On Program, On Preview and Off (0 to 127). Choose the port, channel and message by moving the control while Learn waits.

OSC

The OSC tab holds the receiver settings above the list of OSC bindings.

Type an address and choose Add to allow a sender, and the minus button removes one. Without Studio control surfaces the tab shows "OSC is part of Studio Control. Your plan does not include it, so nothing listens." with an Upgrade button.

Windows: the settings are Receive OSC, Port (UDP and TCP) and Allowed sources, a box where you type the addresses (separated by commas, semicolons, spaces or new lines) and choose Apply. A line per listener reads, for example, "OSC over UDP

: listening".

Cliqer answers these addresses itself:

• /cliqer/ followed by an action id with its dots as slashes runs that action, with the action's settings as arguments in order and then its value: /cliqer/studio/preview 2, /cliqer/studio/t_bar 0.42 or /cliqer/studio/mixer/gain "mic" 0.8. An input is a number (0 for Preview, -1 for Program), an id or a title. A switch sent without a value toggles, and a level is absolute in its range. A message that cannot run is answered with /cliqer/error <address> <reason>.
• /cliqer/subscribe [pattern] [port] sends the matching state now and on every change, /cliqer/unsubscribe [pattern] stops it and /cliqer/get [pattern] answers once.

Any other address is the trigger of a binding. A message with no argument is a press and release, and a true or false or a number is a level from 0 to 1 (a button presses at one half). To make a binding, choose Add Binding on the OSC tab, then send the message from your OSC app, or on macOS type the Address (for example /studio/cut). An address starts with / and has no spaces, and /cliqer/ is reserved for Cliqer's own addresses.

AI agents (MCP)

Below the receiver, AI agents (MCP) lets an AI agent on this computer, such as Claude Code, run Cliqer's actions and read its state. Only this computer can connect, and the agent needs the token.

• Turn AI agents (MCP) on, then choose Copy Setup Command and paste the command into your agent. The token goes to the clipboard only, never on screen.
• New Token replaces the token. Agents set up with the old token stop working until they are set up again.
• It reads "MCP needs a plan with External Control." without Studio control surfaces, and "Turn on the local API to use MCP." while the local API is off.

The agent reaches the same actions as OSC: everything in Bindable actions except the Show group and actions that name a file.

HID

The HID tab lists control surfaces such as X-keys pads, Contour Shuttle devices and foot pedals. Keyboards, mice and Stream Decks are never listed.

Column	Meaning
Device	The device name, a dot and its vendor and product id.
Status	Connected or Not connected.
Use	A tick reads this device. Known surfaces are on until you turn them off; any other device is off until you turn it on.

An empty list says No HID Devices: "Plug in a control surface such as an X-Keys pad, a Contour Shuttle or a foot pedal. It appears here at once." Without Studio control surfaces the tab shows "HID is part of Studio Control. Your plan does not include it, so no device is read." To bind a button or dial, choose Add Binding on the HID tab, then press it ("Press a button or move a control...").

Windows: the list is named HID control surfaces, each device has a switch, and an empty list shows the same No HID Devices text.

DMX

The DMX tab takes channels from a lighting desk. Turn on Receive Art-Net and sACN (Windows: Receive DMX) and pick the Interface (All interfaces, or one network port). Art-Net listens on UDP 6454 and sACN on UDP 5568. Each channel is a level from 0 to 255: choose Add Binding, then move a fader on the desk to learn it. If your plan does not include Art-Net and sACN, the tab says so and nothing listens. Pixel maps and timecode over Art-Net are in Show Control.

Tally lights

The Tally tab drives hardware tally lights. A light shows whether an input is on Program or Preview, so it has no bindings, and the lights are shared by every configuration. Choose Add Light or Remove Light (Add and Remove light on Windows). The list shows Input, Light and Where, and the detail form has:

Field	Choices
Input	The input the light shows. It is lit red while the input is on Program and green while it is on Preview.
Type	Arduino (Firmata), blink(1) or TSL UMD (a tally display or multiviewer on the network).
Serial port (Arduino)	The serial port of the board. "No serial ports found. Plug in the Arduino and it appears here."
Program pin (Arduino)	The pin lit on Program, 2 to begin with.
Preview pin (Arduino)	A switch for a second pin lit on Preview, 3 to begin with.
Serial number (blink(1))	Empty uses the first blink(1) found.
Host, Port (TSL UMD)	Where the display listens. The port starts at 4003.
Version, Transport (TSL UMD)	3.1 or 5.0, over UDP or TCP. Screen is for version 5.0 only.
Index, Brightness, Label (TSL UMD)	The display index, the brightness (Off, Dim, Medium, Full) and the text. An empty label sends the input's name.

Without Studio control surfaces the tab shows "Tally is part of Studio Control. Your plan does not include it, so no light is driven."

Stream Deck and Companion

Stream Deck and Bitfocus Companion are separate integrations, not bindings in this window. In Settings > Control, the Stream Deck section lists the connected decks (macOS) and says "The plugin is installed automatically when the Stream Deck app is present."; Integrations says Companion is "Installed automatically when Bitfocus Companion is present. Companion connects on port 24601." On Windows both are under Integrations. The Stream Deck plugin can also run any action in Bindable actions. Buttons on those surfaces that run Studio actions need Studio control surfaces; host actions such as stopping a share stay free.

Messages

Problems appear in a bar at the top of the window with a Dismiss button. On macOS, after an import the bar reads " imported: key problems, unknown actions" and lists the unknown ones.

Message	When
is built in and cannot be changed. Use Save Current As to make your own.	You edited a read-only configuration such as Default.
is imported. Some of its keys clash or do things this version does not have; the list shows them.	An imported configuration has problems.
That binding is missing a setting its action needs.	An action setting is empty.
That control sent a value its action cannot take.	A control sent a value out of range.
Those network ports cannot be used: .	An OSC or local API port is taken or invalid.
This key already does something in every Mac app. Choose another.	A reserved key (Windows: "...every PC app...").
Give the configuration a name.	An empty name.
A configuration called already exists. Choose another name.	The name is taken.
That binding or configuration is gone.	It was deleted meanwhile.
Your changes could not be saved. They apply until Cliqer quits.	The settings file could not be written.
That file is not a Cliqer control configuration.	Import failed.
The configuration could not be written there.	Export failed.
That action is not available right now.	The action cannot run at the moment.
Another app holds this global shortcut. Choose another key.	The operating system refused a global shortcut.
This key cannot be a global shortcut. Choose another.	A global shortcut that the system cannot register.

A plan refusal when the action runs shows the Not Included in Your Plan alert, with Upgrade, see Plans and limits.

Bindable actions

The Action list holds every action Cliqer can run, grouped as below, in the words the list shows. A setting such as the input, the channel, the slot or the value is chosen in the detail form under it. Your list in the app is the authority: it comes from your version of Cliqer, so a newer version can have more. The keys each action has in the Default configuration are in Keyboard shortcuts.

OSC, MCP and the Stream Deck plugin reach every action here except the Show group and actions that name a file.

Group	Actions
Slides and presenters	Click, Laser, Clear drawings, Share stop, Control mode
Timer	Timer, Timer NDI toggle
External Control	Control layer, Control configuration
Takes and transitions	Preview, Program, Cut, Quick play, Transition slot take, Take, Set tbar curve, T bar, Fade to black, Go, Set go, Stinger, Quick play duration, Quick play effect, Slot duration, Slot effect
Inputs	Set category, Input mode, Set loop, Live pause, Pause inputs
Effects	Input effect: chroma, Input effect: luma, Input effect: matte, Input effect: color, Input effect: lut, Input effect: similarity, Input effect: smoothness, Input effect: spill, Input effect: saturation, Input effect: hue, Input effect: temperature, Input effect: tint, Input effect: lut intensity, Input effect: opaque, Input effect: mirror h, Input effect: mirror v, Input effect: deinterlace, Input effect: sharpen, Input effect: sharpen amount, Input effect: auto frame, Effect level: lift r, Effect level: lift g, Effect level: lift b, Effect level: gamma r, Effect level: gamma g, Effect level: gamma b, Effect level: gain r, Effect level: gain g, Effect level: gain b, Effect level: luma min, Effect level: luma min smooth, Effect level: luma max, Effect level: luma max smooth, Chroma key colour
Background	Segment feather, Segment backdrop, Segment, Segment mode, Segment blur
Media and lists	Media play, Media pause, Media restart, Media seek, Media speed, List select, List next, List previous, Play list start, Play list stop, Play list next, Play list previous, Media auto flag: play on program, Media auto flag: pause off program, Media auto flag: restart on program, List flag: auto next, List flag: auto first, List flag: loop on, List flag: shuffle
Timeline	Timeline split at playhead, Timeline play, Timeline pause, Timeline shuttle forward, Timeline shuttle reverse, Timeline stop, Timeline seek, Timeline go to cue, Timeline next cue, Timeline previous cue, Timeline loop range, Timeline loop clear, Timeline track colour
Automation	Auto switch, Triggers, Macro run, Macro stop, Macro record
Overlays	Overlay toggle, Overlay preview, Overlay off
Scenes	Reset Corner Pin (macOS only), Input duplicate, Live edit, Undo, Redo, Layer blend, Layer enter, Layer exit
Audio	Mixer: gain, Mixer: muted, Mixer: afv, Mixer: to program, Mixer: to monitor, Mixer: pan, Mixer: solo, Mixer: to bus a, Mixer: to bus b, Mixer: solo safe, Audio on, Solo mode, Meters reset, Solo clear, Mixer duck, Mixer duck key, Duck depth, Headphones gain, Master gain, Bus: gain, Bus: muted, Output audio, Mic mode, Set input audio, Loudness target, Loudness custom, Meter mode, Recall safe group, Snapshot scope group, Paste strip, Add insert, Remove insert, Bypass insert, Move insert, Duplicate insert, Open insert editor, Rescan plugins, Bus add, Bus remove, Bus rename, Bus move, Bus set, Mixer send, Bus duplicate, Route connect, Route replace, Route move, Route disconnect, Route gain, Route clear, Net add, Net set, Net remove
Mixer snapshots	Snapshot save, Snapshot update, Snapshot recall, Snapshot rename, Snapshot duplicate, Snapshot delete
Audio processing	Channel dsp level: delay ms, Channel dsp level: high pass hz, Channel dsp level: gate threshold db, Channel dsp level: gate range db, Channel dsp level: gate attack ms, Channel dsp level: gate hold ms, Channel dsp level: gate release ms, Channel dsp level: compressor threshold db, Channel dsp level: compressor ratio, Channel dsp level: compressor attack ms, Channel dsp level: compressor release ms, Channel dsp level: compressor makeup db, Channel dsp level: compressor knee db, Channel dsp level: limiter ceiling db, Channel dsp level: limiter release ms, Channel dsp level: noise strength, Eq band level: freq hz, Eq band level: gain db, Eq band level: q, Limiter level: ceiling db, Limiter level: release ms, Audio dsp: high pass, Audio dsp: eq, Audio dsp: gate, Audio dsp: compressor, Audio dsp: noise suppression, Audio dsp: limiter, Limiter, Capture delay
Callers	Caller NDI, Caller hang up, Caller invite, Caller stage, Caller talkback, Talkback all, Caller accept, Caller decline, Caller chat, Caller return video, Caller return quality, Caller return audio, Caller source
Outputs	Input room, Input NDI, Program to room, Program NDI, Snapshot, Vivid colour, Vivid amount, Set multiview, Multiview NDI, Add multiview
Router	Remove destination, Route destination, Destination on, Destination lock, Output grid, Output mirror: mirror h, Output mirror: mirror v, Duplicate destination
Recording and streaming	Stream preflight, Record setting: video kbps, Record setting: audio kbps, Record setting: split minutes, Record setting: portrait, Record file, Record codec, Stream setting: video kbps, Stream setting: audio kbps, Stream setting: delay s, Record, Stream, Stream destination on, External
MultiCorder	Iso setting: video kbps, Iso setting: audio kbps, Iso setting: split minutes, Iso setting: project file, Iso file, Iso, Iso input, Iso program
Screens	Add screen, Add canvas, Screen preview, Screen program, Screen cut, Screen take, Screen take slot, Screen transition, Add mix, Add canvas input, Region machine, Use native mode
Show	Show new, Show open, Show save, Show last, Show collect, Show collect cancel, Import vmix show, Library audition, Lock, Simple mode
Replay	Replay, Replay mark in, Replay mark out, Replay save, Replay play, Replay auto mark, Replay event add, Replay event delete, Replay event rename, Replay event trim, Replay event duplicate, Replay event tag, Replay event note, Replay event angle, Replay select event, Replay play event, Replay stop, Replay step, Replay quad
PTZ	PTZ move: pan, PTZ move: tilt, PTZ move: zoom, PTZ move: focus, PTZ stop, PTZ home, PTZ auto focus, PTZ image, PTZ image step, PTZ speed, PTZ recall, PTZ store, PTZ preset input
Titles	Title field, Title show, Title next row, Title previous row, Title select row, Title data refresh, Auto name titles, Title font replace, Title template save, Title template delete, Title import gt, Timer input set to, Timer input start, Timer input pause, Timer input set, Timer input reset
Web	Web navigate, Web reload
Go live	Go live, Captions, Go live keep, Schedule in, Schedule cancel
Stream inputs	Stream input restart
Monitoring	Safe areas, Centre cross
Teleprompter	Prompter play, Prompter reverse, Prompter speed, Prompter speed step, Prompter seek, Prompter move, Prompter home, Prompter jump section, Prompter go section
Scoreboard	Score add, Score subtract, Score set, Score reset, Score team name, Score team short, Score team colour, Score team logo, Score period, Score period next, Score period label, Score clock start, Score clock stop, Score clock toggle, Score clock set, Score clock adjust, Score clock reset, Score clock direction, Score clock start value
Troubleshooting	Recover audio, Recover input, Recover output, Recover room link, Recover captions
Scripture	Scripture go to, Scripture translation, Scripture split, Bible enable, Bible remove
Lyrics	Lyrics load, Lyrics section, Lyrics arrangement, Lyrics delete
Slides	Slides next, Slides previous, Slides go to
Virtual sets	Vset add, Vset pick, Vset talent, Vset move time, Vset preset, Vset screen, Vset fx, Vset draft camera
TikTok	Tiktok feed, Tiktok user
Scripts	Script run, Script stop
Sound pads	Pad add, Pad remove, Pad duplicate, Pad move, Pad rename, Pad colour, Pad volume, Pad set mode, Pad press, Pad release, Pad stop, Pad stop all
Layers	Set view, Set mode, Set clip, Move clip, Insert column, Delete column, Duplicate column, Rename column, Move column, Fire, Fire column, Stop layer, Stop all, Set cell width, Rename layer, Set layer opacity, Set layer blend, Set layer mute, Clear layer, Clear column, Ungroup, Rename group, Set group opacity, Set group mute, Set group collapsed, Fire group column, Stop group, Add layer, Remove layer, Move layer, Join group, Leave group, Set layer color, Set column color, Fire next column, Fire prev column, Set layers master, Set layers master mute, Duplicate layer, Set launch quantize
Tempo	Set bpm, Tap tempo, Nudge tempo, Resync tempo, Set tempo source, Set beats per bar, Force beat
Modulation	Set modulation, Clear modulation
Generators	Generator add, Generator source, Generator input, Generator pulse
Stage (Beta)	Stage import, Stage map, Stage projector add, Stage camera add, Stage rename, Stage duplicate, Stage delete, Stage take, Stage group, Stage ungroup, Stage hide, Stage lock, Stage tag, Stage light add, Stage look, Stage null, Stage mesh cleanup
Timecode	Timecode gen run, Timecode gen stop, Timecode gen locate
Pixel maps	Pixel map remove, Pixel map duplicate, Pixel map on
Redundancy	Redundancy take over, Redundancy hand back, Redundancy auto take over
Projection	Projection identify, Projection save preset, Projection load preset, Projection export preset, Projection import preset, Projection delete preset

Plans

• The External Control window opens on every plan.
• Keyboard bindings work on every plan. The action a key runs meets the same plan check as its button.
• MIDI, OSC, HID, Tally and AI agents (MCP) need Studio control surfaces. Without it no port is opened, nothing listens, no device is read and no light is driven.
• DMX in needs Art-Net and sACN.

Which plans include each feature: Plans and limits.

Related

Keyboard shortcuts

Every default key, for macOS and Windows.

Logs

Show Control Monitor lists each key press, MIDI message and OSC message Cliqer sees and what it did.

Show Control

Timecode, DMX in from a lighting desk, and pixel maps.