Appearance
Configuration Overview
System configuration lives in the Settings window, opened from the burger menu in the header bar (Menu → Settings). It is organised into tabs so you can jump directly to the area you want to change.
A machine in Client Mode has no Settings item — its configuration is driven by the master. See Multi-Client Setup.
Settings Tabs
| Tab | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Timeline Defaults | Defaults applied to clips as you add them — still duration, and the default fade type with its in / out / crossfade durations |
| Audio | Audio driver choice (ASIO / PortAudio), device, sample rate, buffering, routing and master level |
| Startup | What Exaplay should open or restore when the application starts |
| Communication | OSC, TCP, UDP, network control, and the multi-client toggle |
| Timecode | Timecode mode (off, OSC / LTC / MTC slave, or master), framerate, global offset, chase behaviour, and the LTC audio input and output channels |
| System | System-wide behaviour such as autosave and machine-specific options |
| Autoheal | Crash recovery, watchdog restart behaviour, restore timing, and verbose recovery logging |
| Interface | Colour theme, font size, the welcome screen, the interface PIN lock, and the startup shell (ui.startup-mode / ui.startup-url) |
Changes take effect immediately unless stated otherwise. Project-related settings are stored with the project file (.vpp), while some interface preferences are remembered locally on the machine you are using.
Related Configuration Guides
Use these pages for task-based configuration walkthroughs:
| Guide | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Output Setup | Screen assignment, output mapping, resolution, warp/blend, and NDI output |
| Audio Settings | Driver setup, channel routing, and timecode audio input |
| Network Settings | OSC, ArtNet, remote control, firewall rules, and connectivity |
| Multi-Client Setup | Distributed playback across multiple Exaplay systems |
Interface and Workflow Options
Several frequently used workflow settings live in the Interface, Timeline Defaults and Communication tabs:
- Color Theme (Interface) — switch between the default blue-dark look, a darker black/gray theme, or a light theme (as of 3.3, the light theme is correctly applied across the Inspector, Timeline, Transport, and File Browser as well)
- Font Size (Interface) — Normal, Large or Extra Large
- Welcome Screen (Interface) — reopen the introductory screen at any time
- Default Fade type (Timeline Defaults) — the fade every new clip starts with (None out of the box), with its In, Out and Crossfade duration presets. See Fades & Transitions
- Protect interface with PIN (Interface) — ask for a PIN code (1–8 letters/digits) before this system's interface can be used. The code is deliberately stored as readable text in the machine's
config_system.json, so a forgotten PIN can always be looked up (or cleared) in that file — see PIN Lock for the full behaviour and recovery steps - Multi-Client Mode — enable remote system discovery, playback sync, and file copy tools
Quick Access Controls
The most common live controls remain available without opening Settings:
| Control | Location |
|---|---|
| Master volume | Transport bar |
| FPS / diagnostics | Header toolbar → Diagnostics icon |
| Connection status | Top-right corner |