Driving your script from QLab, a Stream Deck or a foot pedal

When you are calling, your hands are on the headset and the cue lights, not the trackpad. Cuemark can be moved on by the rest of the rig: a QLab cue, a lighting console, a Stream Deck, or a foot pedal under the desk.

To be clear about which way round this works: Cuemark follows. QLab, the lighting desk and the operators still run the show. What the button does is move your place in the script, take the cue on deck, and turn the page.

OSC: from QLab or a lighting console

Switch on OSC in Cuemark's Preferences. It listens on UDP port 53001, and only to the same computer unless you point it at another address, because a port that takes cues should not be open to a shared theatre network by accident.

In QLab, add a Network cue that sends one of these to the computer running Cuemark on port 53001, and put it in the cue list where you want the script to move. A lighting console that can send OSC from a macro or a cue works the same way; check its manual for where OSC output is set.

A value of 0 counts as a button being released, so a button that sends 1 then 0 moves you on once, not twice.

A Stream Deck, through Bitfocus Companion

Settings ▸ Companion offers two ways in, both off until you switch them on.

• HTTP: turn on Accept HTTP commands and use Companion's Generic HTTP module. Copy the Companion setup puts every address, with the key that goes with it, on the clipboard, ready to paste beside you while you build the buttons.
• OSC: point Companion's Generic OSC module at the addresses above.

Cuemark can also send its state back to Companion over OSC (the cue on deck, the page, whether the show is running), so a button can show the next cue number rather than a guess.

A MIDI foot pedal or keyboard

Switch on MIDI in Preferences, which lists the inputs it can see. The mapping is small enough to remember:

• A sustain pedal (CC 64) takes the cue; CC 65 steps a line.
• Note 60 (middle C) takes the cue; 62 and 59 step forward and back a cue; 64 and 65 step lines.

Letting the pedal back up does nothing, so one press is one step.

Try it on the sample scripts

The free trial has everything above switched on for its two built-in scripts, so you can wire up the pedal or the Stream Deck before you rely on it in a show.

More guides

• How to mark up a prompt book on a computer
• What to look for in software for calling a show
• How to make a cue sheet from a script PDF
• Can you mark up a scanned rehearsal script?