Node Management and Maintenance
The Nodes window in Producer is where you manage every node in the system. From here you restart services, rename nodes, set startup behavior, manage cached assets, adjust time sync, toggle protocols, and push software updates — all over the network. This page is the reference for every node action.
Accessing node actions
- Open Window > Nodes.
- Select one or more nodes.
- The Node Properties panel on the right shows the node's information and actions, grouped into System, Director, Asset Manager, Runner, Other, and Software. The same actions appear in the right-click context menu.
Some actions apply to several selected nodes at once (Restart Services, Restart, Shut Down, Splash Screen, Sync Settings). Others need a single node selected (Rename, Change Working Directory, Network Interfaces, Asset Watcher, Cache).
System actions
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Rename | Change the node's name. A dialog warns that shows using this node must be updated to the new name and that the node restarts its services. Reassign displays afterward using each display's Node field. |
| Restart Services | Restart all WATCHOUT services on the node without rebooting. The node reconnects to the Director and a Runner resumes rendering. Use this to recover from unexpected service behavior. |
| Shut Down | Shut down the node. It goes offline and must be powered on manually. |
| Restart | Reboot the node. It goes offline briefly, then reappears. |
| Wake Up | Power on a node that is off, using Wake on LAN. A known node that is off appears dimmed — right-click it and choose Wake Up. |
| Change Working Directory | Open the Change Working Directory dialog. See Working Directory Management. |
| Sync Settings | Open the Sync Settings dialog. See Time Synchronization. |
| Network Interfaces | Enable or disable specific network adapters for WATCHOUT discovery. At least one must stay enabled. Use this to control which network WATCHOUT communicates on when a node has several adapters. |
| ST 2110 Interfaces | Configure the node's Deltacast ST 2110 board. Appears only when the node has an ST 2110 board. See Setting Up ST 2110. |
| WATCHPAX Config | Open WATCHPAX information and control. Appears only on Dataton WATCHPAX hardware. |
ST 2110 Interfaces and WATCHPAX Config appear only on nodes that support them.
Director actions
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Use Director | Make this node the Director for the current show. |
| Close Director | Release this node from the Director role. |
| Startup Action | Set what the node loads when it boots — see below. |
Startup Action
The Startup Action dialog has two fixed options plus a row for each uploaded show:
| Option | Behavior |
|---|---|
| No Show | The node starts without a show and waits for a Director to assign work. |
| Last Show | The node loads the most recently active show from local storage. |
| (uploaded show) | The node loads a specific uploaded show, listed by filename. |
To add a show, click Upload Show and select it. Remove a single show with its trash icon, or use Remove all Shows. Startup Action is essential for unattended installations that must start playback after a power cycle.
Asset Manager actions
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Use Asset Manager | Make this node the Asset Manager for the current show. |
| Close Asset Manager | Release this node from the Asset Manager role. |
| Asset Watcher | Auto-upload new or changed files from watched folders on the node to the Asset Manager. See Asset Watcher. |
Runner actions
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Cache | Open the Local Asset Cache dialog — see below. |
| Splash Screen On | Show the WATCHOUT splash screen on the Runner's outputs. Allowed only when no Runner is active on the node. |
| Splash Screen Off | Stop the splash screen on the Runner's outputs. |
Local Asset Cache
Each Runner caches downloaded assets locally. The dialog lists the cached assets. A refresh icon updates the list. A delete icon (Remove Unused Local Assets) opens a confirmation, then deletes assets not used by the current show.
On a node used for different shows at different times, removing unused assets for one show may delete assets another show needs. Only clean the cache when the node will not need those assets again.
Other actions
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| MIDI Bridge | Open the MIDI Bridge dialog for MIDI control on the node. See MIDI Bridge. |
| LTC Bridge | Open the LTC Bridge dialog for timecode sync on the node. See LTC Bridge. |
| NMOS Controller | Open WATCHOUT's built-in NMOS Controller in a web view. Appears only when the node runs the NMOS Controller service. See ST 2110 Video Over IP. |
Protocols
The Protocols section has a toggle for each input protocol on the node:
| Toggle | Protocol |
|---|---|
| Art-Net | DMX over Ethernet for lighting integration |
| OSC | Open Sound Control for external show control |
| PosiStageNet | Positional tracking data |
| Web UI | Web-based remote control interface |
| WATCHOUT 6 protocol | WATCHOUT 6 compatibility protocol |
| WATCHOUT 7 protocol | WATCHOUT 7 protocol |
Each toggle enables or disables that protocol on the node. The states persist across service restarts. Each protocol is documented in External Control.
Software actions
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Update Software | Push a software update to the selected node(s). See Software Updates. |
| Switch to WATCHOUT 6 | Reconfigure the node to run WATCHOUT 6 and reboot. Available only on Dataton WATCHPAX hardware. See Software Updates. |
Node status information
Node Properties also shows status, grouped into sections:
- System — Name, License Key, Version, Services, Last Seen, Machine ID, Windows Hardware Errors, and Pixel Usage.
- NTP — sync mode, NTP offset, and the configured NTP server.
- Addresses — the network addresses where the node is reachable.
- Downloads — current asset transfer progress.
- CPU Info / Drive Info / Network Info / Memory Info / GPU Info / Render Info / Capture Info / Audio Info — resource use and playback health.
For the full window layout and indicator list, see The Nodes Window.
Recommended maintenance workflow
- Check software versions. Scan for version-mismatch warnings and update nodes that differ from Producer.
- Verify time sync. Check each node's NTP offset is near zero. See Time Synchronization.
- Review disk space. Clean the asset cache on nodes with limited space.
- Configure Startup Action for permanent installations so the show recovers after a power cut.
- Test restart recovery. Restart a node and confirm it reconnects and resumes playback.
Related
- The Nodes Window — the window layout and full indicator list
- Working Directory Management — changing where a node stores data
- Software Updates — the update and version process
- Time Synchronization — sync settings and NTP
- Remote File Access — browsing files on remote nodes