Cues & Columns

Adding cues

There are three ways to add a cue to your rundown:

• Click + Add Cue to This Block at the bottom of any block
• Press N to insert a new cue below the currently selected row
• Right-click any cue row to insert above or below it

New cues are added to the bottom of the current block. You can drag them to any position using the handle on the left side of the row.

Cue fields

Each cue has a set of built-in fields that you can fill in:

• Item — The cue name. This is the only required field.
• Speakers — Who is on stage or speaking during this cue.
• Stage — Stage configuration, seating, or positioning notes.
• Audio — Mic assignments, sound cues, playback files.
• Video — Screen content, presets, playback filenames.
• Playback & GFX — Replay, graphics, or broadcast cues.
• Lighting — Lighting state or preset name.
• Notes — Freeform notes visible only in the editor.

You choose which of these fields appear as columns — see Managing columns below.

Timing

Every cue tracks three time values:

• START — When this cue begins (wall-clock time)
• END — When this cue ends (wall-clock time)
• TRT — Total Run Time (duration). Enter as 5:00 for 5 minutes or 1:30:00 for 90 minutes.

You only need to enter one of these — ShowCall calculates the others automatically based on the previous cue's end time. The total rundown duration is always shown in the toolbar.

Hard Start times

A Hard Start pins a cue to a specific wall-clock time regardless of what comes before it. Right-click a cue and select Set Hard Start, then enter the time. All subsequent cues offset from that anchor. Hard Starts are shown with a lock icon in the # column.

Over/Under tracking

During a live show, ShowCall tracks whether you're running ahead or behind schedule. The over/under delta appears in the toolbar. You can reset it at any time from Options → Clear Over/Under Times.

Cue types & colors

Each cue belongs to a block, and each block has a color that helps you scan the rundown at a glance. Common block types include:

• Walk In — Pre-show audience arrival period
• General Session — Main program content
• Break — Intermission or networking break
• AV/Tech — Technical setup or transition cues
• Custom — Any name and color you define

To create a new block, click + Add Block at the bottom of the rundown. You can rename blocks, change their color, and drag cues between blocks.

Managing columns

Click Columns in the toolbar to open the Toggle Columns panel. From here you can show or hide any built-in field and add custom columns.

Column sizes

Each column has four width options — S, M, L, XL. Click the size button on a column row to change it. Medium (M) is the default. Use XL for columns with dense content like Video or Notes.

Show All / Reset Sizes

• Show All — Turns on every available column at once
• Reset Sizes — Returns all column widths to Medium

Custom columns

Click Add Column at the bottom of the Columns panel to create a new column. You can choose from:

• Text — Freeform text entry with optional rich formatting (bold, italic, color)
• Checkbox — A simple tick box, useful for confirmation or sign-off workflows

Give your column a name (e.g., "Confirmed", "Sponsor Tag", "Green Room") and it will appear in every cue row. Custom column data is saved with the rundown.

Reordering & sizing columns

In the Columns panel, grab the ⠿ drag handle on the left of any column row and drag it up or down to reorder the columns. The rundown updates instantly.

You can also rename any built-in column by clicking the pencil icon on its row — useful if your production uses different terminology (e.g., "Presenter" instead of "Speakers").