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Your first show

Welcome. By the end of this tutorial you will have added media, set up a screen and a mixer, built a slot, and fired it live. That is the whole loop that runs every event in ArenaDirector, start to finish. Plan for about 15 minutes, and take it one milestone at a time — there is nothing to undo if you go slowly.

You do not need to understand everything yet. Each milestone links to a fuller page if you want more depth later. For now, just follow the happy path.

What you'll need
  • ArenaDirector installed and licensed.
  • One audio or video file on this computer that you would like to play.
  • Ideally a screen and a set of speakers connected — but you can complete every milestone without them and connect hardware later.

1. Add media to the library​

Everything you play comes from your media library — your pool of audio and video files. Start by pointing ArenaDirector at the folder where your file lives.

  1. Select the gear icon in the left sidebar to open the Configuration window.
  2. Select Library under the Media group.
  3. Select Add Directory, give the folder a name, then use the folder picker to point it at the folder that holds your file.
  4. Select Scan next to the new entry. ArenaDirector reads the folder and lists what it finds.

That is enough to keep going. The Media library page covers tagging, filtering, and previewing files once you have more of them.

Screenshot pending

first-show-01-library — the Configuration → Library pane with one scanned directory listed. Tracked in website/SCREENSHOTS.md.

2. Set up a canvas and a mixer​

Next, set up the two destinations your slot will send media to: a canvas for video and a mixer for sound.

A canvas is a video destination. You design it at a chosen size, and a live preview appears inside the app right away — no screen needs to be plugged in.

  1. In the Configuration window, select Video under the Media group.
  2. Select Add canvas. A new canvas starts at 1920 × 1080 and its preview becomes live immediately.
  3. Give it a clear Name so you recognize it later.
  4. If you have a screen connected, open the Assign to display… dropdown under Displays and select your screen. (No screen yet? Skip this — the canvas still works in preview.)

A mixer is an audio destination — a named set of speakers you send sound to. ArenaDirector already starts with one mixer, so you only need to confirm it points at your speakers.

  1. Select Audio under the Media group.
  2. Select the mixer in the list on the left.
  3. Under Output Device, choose your Audio Backend, then pick your Device and its Channel Pair.

That is all you need for now. The Canvases and Audio and mixers pages go deeper on resolutions, multiple zones, and the equalizer.

Screenshot pending

first-show-02-canvas-mixer — the Configuration → Video pane with one named canvas, and the Audio pane with a mixer that has a device selected. Tracked in website/SCREENSHOTS.md.

3. Build your first slot​

A slot is a button you press to play media during an event. You build it once and reuse it all event long. Slots already wait for you in the grid — you configure one by editing it.

  1. Close the Configuration window to return to the slot grid.
  2. Right-click any slot in the grid to open Edit Slot.
  3. On the General tab, type a name in the Description field — this label appears on the button, so keep it short ("Goal Horn", "Walk-in").
  4. Select the Media tab, then select Add source and choose the file you scanned in milestone 1.
  5. At the bottom of the Media tab, set Output mixers to the mixer you confirmed in milestone 2. If your source is a video, also open its canvas selector in the source row and tick your canvas.
  6. Select Save.

Your slot now knows what to play and where to send it. The Slots page covers colors, multiple sources, looping, and fade behavior.

Screenshot pending

first-show-03-slot — the Edit Slot dialog on the Media tab, showing one source and the Output mixers selection. Tracked in website/SCREENSHOTS.md.

4. Fire it on the grid​

This is the moment everything leads to. The slot grid is where you operate ArenaDirector live.

  1. Find your slot on the grid — it shows the name you gave it.
  2. Select it.

The button pulses while it plays, your sound goes to the mixer, and any video appears on the canvas. Select the slot again to stop it and return it to the beginning.

That is a full show in miniature: media in, destinations set, slot fired. The slot grid page covers pausing, resuming, and the Stop All controls for when an event is in full swing.

Screenshot pending

first-show-04-fire — the slot grid with one slot lit and pulsing as it plays. Tracked in website/SCREENSHOTS.md.

What's next​

You have run the core loop. From here you can build out a real event:

  • Add a background Show — walk-in music or a sponsor loop that plays on its own while you fire slots live.
  • Set up a controller so you can fire slots from hardware keys instead of the mouse.
  • Read the Core concepts to see how slots, layers, mixers, canvases, and shows fit together.