Every playlist in an Automated Game Plan has a timeline that shows exactly what it will do and when. This article explains how to open a timeline, read each row, zoom in for more detail, recognise looping items and change the order of your playlists.
Before you start
Your organisation needs the Graphics module, because Automation depends on it.
You need an Automated Game Plan in the Automation tab with at least one playlist that contains items. If your playlists are empty, the timeline has nothing to show. See Create an Automated Game Plan.
Open a playlist timeline
Each playlist in your game plan is shown collapsed by default, so you can see all of your playlists at a glance. To look inside one:
Go to the Automation tab and open your game plan.
Find the playlist you want to review, for example your Pre-Game playlist for Harbour City (HCF) v Ridgeview (RVR).
Click the arrow on the playlist to expand it. Its timeline opens underneath.
Click the arrow again to collapse the playlist when you have finished. You can expand more than one playlist if you want to compare them.
Read the timeline
The timeline is laid out in rows. Each row is one item in the playlist. Items are added with Add Item to Sequence, and each one is one of these types:
Overlay Graphic: a graphic from your theme, such as a Match ID or Scorebug.
Action: something the game plan does rather than shows: Hide all, Show scorebug or Hide all except scorebug.
Multimedia: an image or video from the Media library.
Advertisement or Ad Template: sponsor adverts placed on screen.
Every item has a start time (mm:ss) and either a duration or Loop. Next to each row is a bar that shows this:
Where the bar starts is when the item begins, measured from the moment the playlist starts.
How long the bar is is how long the item runs.
Reading the bars together shows you how items line up. Bars that sit side by side play one after another. Bars that overlap play at the same time, for example a sponsor graphic appearing while the Match ID is still on screen. This is the quickest way to check that nothing clashes before you go live.
Graphics animate in and out, and that animation time is part of the item's duration. Leave about 2 seconds between items so animations finish cleanly.
Zoom in for more detail
Long playlists can make short items hard to see. Use the zoom slider to change how much time fits on screen.
Zoom in to see short items clearly and check exact start points.
Zoom out to see the whole playlist and how items flow from start to finish.
Zooming only changes your view. It does not change the timing of any item.
Looping items
Some items are set to loop instead of having a duration. A looping item stays on until the playlist ends or another playlist takes over. For example, a Match ID on Loop in the Pre-Game playlist stays on screen for the whole pre-game while viewers wait for kick-off at LIGR Demo Stadium.
As soon as another playlist takes over, for example when the scorer presses Players Entering, the looping item stops and the new playlist runs instead. Looping is useful for anything you want on screen for an unknown length of time, such as before the match or during a break.
Change the order of playlists
You can rearrange the playlists in your game plan:
Find the handle on the left of the playlist you want to move.
Click and hold the handle, then drag the playlist up or down.
Release it in its new position.
Keeping your playlists in a logical order, such as pre-match first and post-match last, makes the game plan easier to read and review. When two playlists trigger together, their priority decides which one runs. See Playlist priority and guards explained.
Tips and common mistakes
Drag playlists by the handle only. Clicking elsewhere on the playlist will not move it.
If an item seems to be missing, zoom in. Very short items can be hard to spot when zoomed out.
Give every item its own start second. Two transitions on one second can wipe each other, and the app shows a warning when this happens.
A Hide all placed exactly on an item's end time can cut its out-animation short. Leave a little space.
Check overlapping bars carefully. Two graphics in the same screen position at the same time can cover each other.
Live playlists should end by returning to the scorebug, so finish them with Show scorebug or Hide all except scorebug.
Use Preview a playlist to watch the timeline play out. For more on the app's warnings, see Playlist warnings and timing tips.