The lane map

Select a lane from the Lanes list to show its controls and transition grid; the list follows drawing order, with the top lane first. The selected lane shows its templates as thumbnails (their ⋯ menu moves one to another lane or removes it), + Add template, and the elements that Morph automatically, with × to stop keeping one on screen and + Keep a component on screen… to add one. Edit the lane's name in its header, use ↑/↓ to change drawing order and × to remove an empty lane. + Add lane adds one.

Take out with links a lane's lifetime to another lane. For example, choose Lower third on a ticker that should leave with its lower third. The parent's Out also plays each dependent lane's own Take out; Clear removes them immediately. This follows dependencies through multiple levels. Each lane is Independent by default; a lane cannot follow itself or its descendants. Taking the parent in again leaves its dependents Off until you take them in explicitly. Their editorial data is retained, but previous active/prepared selections are reset. A dependent Take is rejected while the parent is leaving. This setting is separate from drawing order and making room; leave it Independent when the ticker should remain on air after the lower third leaves.

For a takeover across lanes, expand Take out before entering under the incoming template's thumbnail and check the lanes that must leave. For example, on Breaking, select Headline, Second line and Header. Breaking is prepared first, then the selected lanes and their dependents play their own Take out timings. Breaking enters only after they are Off. Unselected lanes, such as the channel bug and ticker, stay on air. Taking Breaking out leaves those earlier lanes Off; their data is retained for the next manual Take. Updating the same on-air template does not repeat the takeover. To let a normal headline replace Breaking, check Breaking in that headline's own Take out before entering list. Both directions can be authored independently. A reverse Take prepares first and waits for Breaking's Out; it never restores a previous second line or header automatically. If preparation fails, the current output stays on. Missing lanes, duplicate targets, self references and targets whose dependents include the incoming lane are rejected.

Below, Every moment in this lane is a grid: rows are where the lane comes from (Off, then each template) and columns where it goes (each template, then Off). Each cell is one moment: Take in from Off, Update from a template to itself (new data), Switch to another template and Take out to Off. A cell shows its style, speed and length, with bars for when the old content leaves (orange), the new content arrives (blue) and the elements morph (green). Custom marks a cell with its own timing; every other cell follows its lane. Select a cell to see a summary, then Open on stage, or double-click it.

Expand Checks and lane coordination for ▶ Play the show, Checks, and Together on air for each pair of lanes.