Variables are the fields your operators can change on a graphic, such as which team a line-up shows, the minute of a goal or a line of text. They come from the graphic's template, where they're called control variables. On the Variables tab you choose which ones to use, how each one appears and what value it starts with, so operators only see what they need.
[VIDEO PLACEHOLDER: Control_Room_04_Set_Up_Variables_v2.0.mp4]
Before you start
You need a Control Room with at least one graphic added to a section.
You need access to edit graphics in that Control Room.
Open the Variables tab
In your Control Room, find the graphic you want to set up.
Click the three-dot menu ⋮ on the graphic's row and select Edit. If you're adding a new graphic, you're already in this panel.
Click the Variables tab. It sits between the Details and Context tabs.
Add a variable
Pick a variable from the list. The list shows the variables built into the theme graphic, such as the minute of a goal or the team to show.
Click Add Variable. The variable is added to the graphic with its own settings.
Repeat for any other variables your operators need.
Which variables you can pick depends on how the graphic's template was built. Some, like Invert Team Name, only exist in templates that include them.
Variable settings
Each variable has its own settings. For example, on the team line-up graphic, TeamShow is a dropdown that picks the home or away team.
Variable: the control, as named in the graphic's template.
Type: the kind of value. STRING is text, BOOLEAN is on or off, and FACT is a match event, such as a goal or card.
Display Type: how the control looks to the operator. A Dropdown lets them pick from a list. A Button gives a one-click choice, which suits simple options like home or away.
Exit Mode: what the graphic does when this value changes while it's on air. Immediate takes the graphic off and brings it straight back with the new value. Deferred waits, and the new value shows the next time the graphic comes in.
Expose: Show puts the control in front of the operator. Hide keeps it out of the way, and the graphic uses the default value.
Set the default value
Set a Default Value for each variable. This is what the graphic shows unless an operator changes it. For example, you might set TeamShow to the home team, or give a subtitle the default text "Starting XI".
A good default saves your operator time on match day. It's especially important for hidden variables, because the operator can't change them in the Control Room.
Save your changes
Click Update Graphic to keep your changes. If you close the panel without updating, your variable settings are lost.
How operators use variables
In the Control Room, the operator clicks the arrow on a graphic's row to expand it.
Any variables set to Show appear there, filled in with their default values.
The operator changes what they need, for example picking Ridgeview (RVR) instead of Harbour City (HCF) for a line-up, then clicks Preview to check it.
When it looks right, they click GFX IN to put it on air.
If a graphic is already on air and the operator changes a variable, nothing changes on the live graphic until they click Update.
Tips and common mistakes
Hide controls operators rarely need, like an extra-time clock on a scorebug, so the row stays simple.
For goal, card or substitution graphics, use Type FACT with a Dropdown so the operator picks the event from a list.
Team line-ups only fill in once the line-up is saved in the LiveScore app or arrives through external data. If a line-up graphic looks empty, check the line-up first.
Changed a variable on a live graphic and nothing happened? Click Update.
Good to know: To learn more about where variables come from, see What Are Control Variables?
Next: Add context to a graphic