# Overview

Welcome! This tutorial section takes you from a fresh install to a running show. Whether you are setting up Exaplay 3 for the first time or exploring what it can do, follow the path below at your own pace.

## What is Exaplay 3?

Exaplay 3 is a professional media playback and composition system designed for stage, events, and projection-mapping environments. It lets you:

* Play video, images, and live inputs across **multiple screens** simultaneously
* Build **timed timelines** and **operator-driven cue lists** for live shows
* Apply **real-time GPU effects**, projection warping, and edge blending
* Control everything from a **web-based interface** — on the same machine or from a tablet across the network

The system runs as a Windows application with a C++ rendering engine and a Vue 3 web editor.

## Your Learning Path

Work through these pages in order for the best experience:

| Step | Page                                                       | What you'll learn                                                                           | Time   |
| ---- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------ |
| 1    | [Installation](/v3/getting-started/installation.md)        | Download, install, and activate Exaplay 3 on Windows                                        | 10 min |
| 2    | [Key Concepts](/v3/getting-started/key-concepts.md)        | Understand screens, compositions, layers, timelines, and cue lists                          | 5 min  |
| 3    | [Quick Start Tutorial](/v3/getting-started/quick-start.md) | Open the app, add a screen, load a video, and play it back                                  | 10 min |
| 4    | [Your First Project](/v3/getting-started/first-project.md) | Build a multi-screen show with background loops, title graphics, cues, and operator control | 20 min |

::: tip Start here if you already have Exaplay 3 installed Jump straight to [Key Concepts](/v3/getting-started/key-concepts.md) to learn the vocabulary, then follow the [Quick Start Tutorial](/v3/getting-started/quick-start.md). :::

## System Requirements

Before installing, make sure your hardware meets these specifications:

| Component            | Minimum                                    | Recommended                               |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------- |
| **Operating System** | Windows 10 64-bit                          | Windows 11 64-bit                         |
| **Processor**        | Intel Core i7 (8th gen) or equivalent      | Intel Core i9 / AMD Ryzen 9               |
| **Memory**           | 16 GB RAM                                  | 32 GB or more                             |
| **Graphics Card**    | NVIDIA GTX 1060 with 4 GB VRAM             | NVIDIA RTX 3080 with 10 GB VRAM or higher |
| **Storage**          | SSD with ≥ 200 MB/s sequential read        | NVMe SSD with ≥ 3 GB/s sequential read    |
| **Network**          | 1 Gbps Ethernet (for NDI / remote control) | 10 Gbps Ethernet                          |
| **Display Outputs**  | 1                                          | 4 or more                                 |

::: details Why does storage speed matter? Video playback reads large files continuously from disk. A single 4K HAP clip can require 400+ MB/s of sustained read throughput. When playing multiple clips simultaneously, an NVMe SSD ensures smooth playback without dropped frames. :::

::: tip HAP codec performance HAP and HAP Q use **CPU decoding** combined with GPU texture upload, so fast multi-core CPUs significantly increase the number of simultaneous streams you can play. H.264 and ProRes rely on GPU-accelerated decoding via the Medialooks pipeline. :::

## Need Help?

If you run into problems during setup, check [Troubleshooting](https://github.com/vioso/docs/blob/main/exaplay3/troubleshooting/README.md) or visit the [GitHub repository](https://github.com/fritscherman/exagit) to file an issue.


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