[Sidus Link Pro] Quickshots vs Cues
How Quickshots (Sidus BT) and Cues (DMX) differ, and when to use each.
The protocols
Only Aputure and amaran lights can be controlled over Sidus BT.
Sidus BT (Bluetooth) sends a one-shot command. Tell a light to turn blue and the app sends that command exactly once. If the light misses the message, it is not resent.
DMX can drive any DMX-enabled fixture, including all Aputure lights and any third-party light (most amaran lights do not have DMX). DMX broadcasts continuous commands at about 44 times per second. Tell a light to turn blue and the line repeats "blue, blue, blue..." constantly. Miss a packet, the next one catches it.
Quickshots
A Quickshot is a saved snapshot of the stage that you recall with one tap. It captures the last command sent to every fixture on stage, with no timing and no setup.
New in V2.4: Quickshots now capture both Sidus BT and DMX fixtures. Previously Bluetooth-only. On recall, DMX fixtures snap to the saved state alongside the Sidus BT fixtures. Combined with the V2.4 ability to drag a Quickshot onto a Cue Master or an Action Panel button, a Quickshot is now a stage-wide, single-tap recall surface.
Because Sidus BT is a mesh network (the message hops light to light), not every Bluetooth fixture receives the command at exactly the same moment. DMX fixtures in the Quickshot snap together.
What changed in V2.4
- DMX fixture capture. Quickshots now include DMX fixtures in addition to Sidus BT. A single Quickshot can recall the entire stage.
- Quickshots on Cue Masters. Drag a Quickshot from the Quickshot Window onto any of the 10 Cue Masters. Once loaded, the Quickshot fires from the Master with a tap.
- Quickshots in Action Panel. Drop a Master holding a Quickshot onto an Action Panel button and the Quickshot becomes a big, labeled GO button. Double-tap the Quickshot card on a Master to open the Edit Quickshot window.
- Crossfade between Quickshots. The default transition between Quickshots is now Crossfade between Quickshots (the V2.3 default was "Fade Function OFF" with snap behavior). Switch to Fade to Black between Quickshots from the Gear Icon for the prior behavior.
- Auto-close tray on drag. The Quickshot tray now closes automatically when you drag a Quickshot onto a Cue Master, so you can drop onto a Master that the tray was previously covering.
Cues
A Cue is a recorded snapshot of the stage that plays back inside a Cue Master (one of the 10 slots at the bottom of the screen). When a Cue fires, every light receives its instruction at the same instant, and each light's instruction is specific to that fixture. Cues support fade times, wait times, and follow behaviors (Loop, Hold Last Cue, Bounce, Connect to Master, Unload).
For the full recording workflow and Cue Sequence behavior, see Recording and Managing Cues.
The one-liner
Quickshot: tap, recall the whole stage instantly.
Cue: hit GO, every light hits its mark with timing.
Quick reference
| Quickshot | Cue | |
|---|---|---|
| Protocol (V2.4+) | Sidus BT + DMX | DMX / CRMX (sACN, Art-Net) |
| Fixtures | Aputure / amaran (BT) + any DMX-enabled fixture | Any DMX-enabled fixture |
| Transmission | BT: one-shot mesh-hopped, DMX: continuous | Continuous, ~44 Hz, simultaneous |
| Timing | Snap (no fade) or Crossfade between Quickshots | Full fade-in, wait, follow behavior |
| Loaded onto Cue Master? | Yes (new in V2.4) | Yes |
| Fires from Action Panel? | Yes (new in V2.4, via a Cue Master) | Yes |
| Plan | Free (Sidus BT alone), Pro for DMX Quickshots | Pro (1 universe) / MAX (4 universes) |
| Use case | Save and recall a whole-stage look fast | Program a show, hit GO with timing |
When to use which
- Use a Quickshot when you need instant recall of the whole stage. Setup walks, talent rehearsal looks, a "go back to default" reset, a Bluetooth-only club setup.
- Use a Cue when you need timing (fade times, wait times) or when you need a sequence of looks to advance with GO presses. Anything you would call "a show."
- Use a Quickshot on a Cue Master (new in V2.4) when you want one big button on Action Panel that fires a whole-stage reset.
Watch the videos
- User Guide Series: Episode 7 covers Bluetooth vs DMX in depth.
- What's New in V2.4 video: walkthrough of Action Panel, Mac OS Desktop, and Quickshots for DMX.
Related articles
- Recording and Managing Cues
- Action Panel: turn Cue Masters (and the Quickshots loaded on them) into a full-screen button grid.
- What's New in V2.4: full release notes.
- Adding, Controlling, and Recording Aputure Fixtures over Sidus BT
- Layout View
- 3D Visualizer