How to
From cable to first cue, step by step.
The full manual, a quick start, and the six first steps.
The complete manual
Every window in the app, explained in order - fixtures, faders, palettes, effects, pixel strips, timeline, MIDI, remote. Good for reading offline or printing.
Download manualJust the essentials
Connect your interface, add a fixture, get your first light on screen. A few pages, no detours.
Download quick startQuick start
Your first light, in six steps.
You can do steps 1 to 3 with no hardware plugged in at all - handy if your interface has not arrived yet.
Install and open SDC
Run the installer - no admin rights needed - and start the app. Free mode gives you the whole thing for two hours at a time.
Add your first fixture
Load the GDTF file for your light. No GDTF file? Load the manufacturer's PDF manual and let SDC build one, or type the channels in with the Simple GDTF Maker.
Check the fixture faders
Open the fixture faders and move a channel. With a full GDTF file each fader is labelled, so you can see dimmer, colour, gobo and movement for what they are.
Choose your output device
In Settings, pick your USB interface from the dropdown or type the IP of your Art-Net node, and set the universe. USB interfaces need their own drivers installed first.
Set a look and save it
Pick a colour, position the fixture, add an effect if you want one. Then save it as a palette or park it on a scene fader.
Build the show
Stack scene faders for bigger looks, drop palettes onto the timeline for automated playback, and map the lot to an APC Mini or your phone.
Common jobs
Where to look in the manual when you need one specific thing.
Make a GDTF file from a manual
Manual To GDTF reads the DMX chart out of the fixture's PDF and writes a standard .gdtf file you can also use elsewhere.
Spread a colour across a group
Select the fixtures, pick a colour, then use the spread option so the group fades across a range instead of matching exactly.
Tidy up pan and tilt
Apply offsets or invert pan or tilt so fixtures on opposite sides of the stage mirror each other rather than chase.
Set up a pixel strip
Map the strip in the pixel section, then use the built-in effects, or drive individual pixels when you need something specific.
Hand control to someone else
Start the remote, then open it in a phone browser or the SDC Remote app on the same network - faders, palettes and scenes only.
Map an APC Mini
Select the button or fader you want to control, press Assign, then press the matching control on the APC Mini.
Stuck on something?
Check the release history on the News page first - if the behaviour looks like a bug, a newer version may already fix it. If not, email us and we will answer.