Cue List Widgets

Cue List widgets provide professional show control capabilities in QLC+. They display the steps of a chaser function as a list, allowing step-by-step playback with manual or automatic progression. Cue lists are implemented in ui/src/virtualconsole/vccuelist.h and vccuelist.cpp.

Overview

Cue List widgets are designed for theatrical and live show control:

Display chaser steps in a scrollable list
Manual step progression with next/previous buttons
Automatic playback with play/pause/stop controls
Show step names, numbers, and notes
Display progress bar for current step
Support crossfade between steps
Keyboard shortcuts for hands-free operation
External input for lighting console integration

Cue lists are ideal for:

Theater shows with defined cue sequences
Concert lighting with song-based cues
Architectural shows with timed sequences
Any application requiring precise step control

Chaser Assignment

Cue lists control chaser functions:

void setChaser(quint32 fid);
quint32 chaserID() const;
Chaser *chaser() const;

Source: vccuelist.h:114-121 The assigned chaser:

Provides the list of steps to display
Can contain scenes, RGB matrices, or other functions
Step order follows chaser configuration
Duration and fade times come from chaser steps

Only Chaser functions can be assigned to cue lists. If you need to control a single scene, create a chaser with just that one step.

Playback Controls

Cue lists provide several control buttons:

Control Layout

Two layout options are available:

enum PlaybackLayout
{
    PlayPauseStop = 0,  // Play/Pause | Stop
    PlayStopPause       // Play | Stop | Pause
};

void setPlaybackLayout(PlaybackLayout layout);
PlaybackLayout playbackLayout() const;

Source: vccuelist.h:241-251 Choose based on:

Personal preference
Available space
User familiarity

Playback Button

Start or resume playback:

public slots:
    void slotPlayback();

Source: vccuelist.h:172 Behavior:

If stopped: Start from current selection
If running: Toggle pause
If paused: Resume playback
Visual indicator shows playback state

Stop Button

Stop playback completely:

public slots:
    void slotStop();

Source: vccuelist.h:175 Behavior:

Stops chaser function
Maintains current step selection
Resets crossfader to default position
All lights fade out according to step fade times

Next/Previous Buttons

Manual step progression:

public slots:
    void slotNextCue();
    void slotPreviousCue();

Source: vccuelist.h:178-181 Behavior depends on Next/Previous mode setting (see below).

Next/Previous Behavior

Control what happens when next/previous is pressed:

enum NextPrevBehavior
{
    DefaultRunFirst = 0,  // Run first step if stopped, otherwise navigate
    RunNext,              // Always run the next/previous step
    Select,               // Only select, don't run
    Nothing               // Do nothing
};

void setNextPrevBehavior(NextPrevBehavior nextPrev);
NextPrevBehavior nextPrevBehavior() const;

Source: vccuelist.h:233-248

DefaultRunFirst

Standard theatrical behavior:

When stopped: Run first step
When running: Run next/previous step
Automatic progression to selected step

RunNext

Always run the step:

Immediately runs next/previous step
Starts playback if stopped
Good for “GO” button operation

Select

Navigation only:

Highlights next/previous step
Doesn’t start playback
Requires explicit play button press
Good for reviewing cues

Nothing

Disables buttons:

Next/Previous buttons do nothing
Use for automatic-only playback
Prevents accidental step changes

Cue List Display

The main list view shows step information:

private:
    QTreeWidget *m_tree;

Source: vccuelist.h:263 Columns displayed:

Step Number: Sequential step number (1, 2, 3…)
Step Name: Function name or custom label
Fade In: Fade in time for the step
Hold: Hold duration
Fade Out: Fade out time
Duration: Total step duration
Notes: Custom notes for each step (editable)

Current Step Indicator

The currently running step is highlighted:

public slots:
    void slotCurrentStepChanged(int stepNumber);

Source: vccuelist.h:184 Visualization:

Different background color
Bold or colored text
Auto-scroll to keep current step visible
Progress bar shows step completion

Step Notes

Editable notes for each cue:

public slots:
    void slotStepNoteChanged(int idx, QString note);
    
private slots:
    void slotItemChanged(QTreeWidgetItem*item, int column);

signals:
    void stepNoteChanged(int idx, QString note);

Source: vccuelist.h:187, vccuelist.h:212, vccuelist.h:412 Notes can include:

Cue descriptions (“Lights up”, “Spotlight on actor”)
Timing reminders
Technical notes
Operator instructions

Progress Display

Visual feedback for current step:

private:
    QProgressBar *m_progress;
    QTimer *m_timer;
    
public:
    int getCurrentIndex() const;
    QString progressText() const;
    double progressPercent() const;
    
signals:
    void progressStateChanged();

private slots:
    void slotProgressTimeout();

Source: vccuelist.h:124-128, vccuelist.h:191, vccuelist.h:221, vccuelist.h:269, vccuelist.h:272 The progress bar:

Updates every 200ms
Shows percentage of current step completion
Displays time remaining
Includes fade in/out phases

Crossfade Control

Manual crossfade between steps:

Crossfade Mode

enum FaderMode
{
    None = 0,
    Crossfade,  // Crossfade between two steps
    Steps       // Manual step intensity control
};

FaderMode sideFaderMode() const;
void setSideFaderMode(FaderMode mode);
bool isSideFaderVisible() const;

Source: vccuelist.h:278-290

Crossfade Slider

Manual crossfade control:

protected:
    QLabel *m_topPercentageLabel;
    QLabel *m_topStepLabel;
    ClickAndGoSlider *m_sideFader;
    QLabel *m_bottomPercentageLabel;
    QLabel *m_bottomStepLabel;
    
public:
    int sideFaderValue() const;
    bool primaryTop() const;
    QString topPercentageValue() const;
    QString bottomPercentageValue() const;
    
public slots:
    void slotSetSideFaderValue(int value);

Source: vccuelist.h:292-296, vccuelist.h:319-323, vccuelist.h:306 How it works:

Select two adjacent steps
Enable crossfade panel
Move slider to fade between steps
Top label shows “primary” step
Bottom label shows “secondary” step
Slider position controls intensity ratio

Crossfade Button

Toggle crossfade panel:

private:
    QToolButton *m_crossfadeButton;
    
protected slots:
    void slotShowCrossfadePanel(bool enable);
    
public:
    bool sideFaderButtonIsChecked() const;
    
public slots:
    void slotSideFaderButtonChecked(bool enable);
    
signals:
    void sideFaderButtonToggled();

Source: vccuelist.h:264, vccuelist.h:312, vccuelist.h:291, vccuelist.h:305, vccuelist.h:300

Keyboard Shortcuts

All controls support keyboard shortcuts:

void setNextKeySequence(const QKeySequence& keySequence);
QKeySequence nextKeySequence() const;

void setPreviousKeySequence(const QKeySequence& keySequence);
QKeySequence previousKeySequence() const;

void setPlaybackKeySequence(const QKeySequence& keySequence);
QKeySequence playbackKeySequence() const;

void setStopKeySequence(const QKeySequence& keySequence);
QKeySequence stopKeySequence() const;

Source: vccuelist.h:334-356 Common keyboard mappings:

Space: Playback (GO)
Backspace: Stop
Right Arrow: Next
Left Arrow: Previous
Enter: Run selected cue

External Input

Cue lists support multiple input sources:

static const quint8 nextInputSourceId;
static const quint8 previousInputSourceId;
static const quint8 playbackInputSourceId;
static const quint8 stopInputSourceId;
static const quint8 sideFaderInputSourceId;

Source: vccuelist.h:80-84 Each control can be mapped independently:

Next: MIDI note or fader
Previous: MIDI note or fader
Playback: MIDI note or button
Stop: MIDI note or button
Crossfade: MIDI fader or encoder

Input processing:

void updateFeedback() override;

protected slots:
    void slotInputValueChanged(quint32 universe, quint32 channel, uchar value) override;

Source: vccuelist.h:371-374

Solo Frame Integration

Cue lists work with solo frames:

virtual void notifyFunctionStarting(quint32 fid, qreal intensity, bool excludeMonitored) override;

Source: vccuelist.h:160 When in a solo frame:

Starting cue list stops sibling widgets
Ensures only one show element runs
Clean transitions between cues
Professional behavior for theater

Intensity Control

Cue lists respond to intensity adjustments:

void adjustIntensity(qreal val) override;

Source: vccuelist.h:387 Intensity affects:

All steps in the running chaser
Real-time adjustment during playback
Submaster control support
Grand master integration

Function Monitoring

Cue lists monitor chaser state:

private slots:
    void slotFunctionRemoved(quint32 fid);
    void slotFunctionChanged(quint32 fid);
    void slotFunctionNameChanged(quint32 fid);
    void slotFunctionRunning(quint32 fid);
    void slotFunctionStopped(quint32 fid);

Source: vccuelist.h:195-218 Automatic updates when:

Chaser steps are added/removed/reordered
Step names change
Function starts/stops from elsewhere
Chaser properties are modified

The list view is refreshed through:

private:
    void updateStepList();
    QTimer *m_updateTimer;
    
private slots:
    void slotUpdateStepList();

Source: vccuelist.h:164-168, vccuelist.h:204

Direct Step Access

Jump directly to any step:

public:
    void playCueAtIndex(int idx);
    
signals:
    void stepChanged(int idx);

private slots:
    void slotItemActivated(QTreeWidgetItem *item);

Source: vccuelist.h:406, vccuelist.h:410, vccuelist.h:208 Methods:

Click step in list to select it
Double-click to run specific step
Web interface can trigger steps directly
External input can jump to steps

XML Persistence

Cue list configuration example:

<CueList ID="5">
    <WindowState X="10" Y="10" Width="300" Height="400"/>
    <Appearance>
        <Font>Arial,10</Font>
    </Appearance>
    <Chaser>42</Chaser>
    <NextPrevBehavior>DefaultRunFirst</NextPrevBehavior>
    <PlaybackLayout>PlayPauseStop</PlaybackLayout>
    <SlidersMode>Crossfade</SlidersMode>
    <Next Key="Right" Universe="0" Channel="10"/>
    <Previous Key="Left" Universe="0" Channel="11"/>
    <Playback Key="Space" Universe="0" Channel="12"/>
    <Stop Key="Backspace" Universe="0" Channel="13"/>
    <CrossLeft Universe="0" Channel="14"/>
    <CrossRight Universe="0" Channel="15"/>
</CueList>

Key XML elements:

Chaser: ID of controlled chaser function
NextPrevBehavior: Button behavior mode
PlaybackLayout: Control button arrangement
SlidersMode: Crossfade configuration
Next/Previous/Playback/Stop: Control input mappings
CrossLeft/CrossRight: Crossfade input mappings

Common Use Cases

Theater Show

Step-by-step lighting cues synchronized with stage action

Concert Lighting

Song-based cue lists with automatic timing

Architectural Show

Timed sequences for building lighting displays

Busking

Manual cue triggering for improvised shows

Best Practices

Organize Chaser

Create a well-organized chaser with clear step names

Add Cue Notes

Document each step with notes for operators

Set Keyboard Shortcuts

Assign intuitive keyboard shortcuts for fast operation

Configure Next/Prev

Choose behavior mode that matches your workflow

Test Playback

Run through entire cue list before show

Next Steps

Create a Chaser

Build the chaser function that will drive your cue list

Design Show Layout

Organize cue lists within frames for complex shows

External Control

Connect lighting console or MIDI controller

Web Interface

Control cue lists remotely via QLC+ Web Interface

Get Started

Core Concepts

Functions

Fixture Management

Virtual Console

Input/Output

Advanced Features

​Overview

​Chaser Assignment

​Playback Controls

​Control Layout

​Playback Button

​Stop Button

​Next/Previous Buttons

​Next/Previous Behavior

​DefaultRunFirst

​RunNext

​Select

​Nothing

​Cue List Display

​Current Step Indicator

​Step Notes

​Progress Display

​Crossfade Control

​Crossfade Mode

​Crossfade Slider

​Crossfade Button

​Keyboard Shortcuts

​External Input

​Solo Frame Integration

​Intensity Control

​Function Monitoring

​Direct Step Access

​XML Persistence

​Common Use Cases

Theater Show

Concert Lighting

Architectural Show

Busking

​Best Practices

​Next Steps

Create a Chaser

Design Show Layout

External Control

Web Interface

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Overview

Chaser Assignment

Playback Controls

Control Layout

Playback Button

Stop Button

Next/Previous Buttons

Next/Previous Behavior

DefaultRunFirst

RunNext

Select

Nothing

Cue List Display

Current Step Indicator

Step Notes

Progress Display

Crossfade Control

Crossfade Mode

Crossfade Slider

Crossfade Button

Keyboard Shortcuts

External Input

Solo Frame Integration

Intensity Control

Function Monitoring

Direct Step Access

XML Persistence

Common Use Cases

Best Practices

Next Steps