Compose User Guide

NORTHSTARSHOW SYSTEMS

Compose User Guide

Authoring shows in the Compose desktop application

Workspace Layout

Project Lifecycle

• File → New Project — name the venue, configure network (SSID, Helm IP, WPA password)
• Add zones in the Venue Tree (right-click → Add Zone)
• Add Polaris nodes to each zone (right-click a zone → Add Node)
• For each node, configure pins or channels in the Polaris Config view
• Open Cue List and create cues; build behaviour in the Block Editor
• Add audio/video/effect files in the Media Library
• Use Timeline to verify cue timing relationships
• Use Node Graph to inspect cue ↔ node dependencies
• File → Build Firmware (Ctrl+Shift+B) to compile per-variant .bin files
• File → Save (Ctrl+S) to write the .nsss.compose archive
• File → Deploy to Helm (Ctrl+Shift+D) to push to the venue

Block Editor

The Block Editor uses Scratch-style drag-and-snap blocks organised into categories:

• Events — hat blocks that determine when a cue fires
• Actions — stack blocks that drive Polaris outputs
• Control — wait, repeat, forever, if, if-else
• Reporters — values that can be plugged into number slots
• Booleans — conditions that can be plugged into boolean slots

See NSSS-DOC-0051 Block Type Reference for the complete catalog.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Related Documents

• NSSS-DOC-0021Compose Installation
• NSSS-DOC-0050Block Programming Concepts
• NSSS-DOC-0070.nsss.compose File Format

Revision History