Display Properties

Display Properties control how each display is named, placed, routed, rendered, and calibrated. In practice, this panel is where most output troubleshooting and final show handoff work happens.

Open Display Properties

  1. Select a display in Stage or in the Devices pane.
  2. Open the Properties panel.
  3. Edit values in the display sections described below.

Many properties can be edited on multiple selected displays at once, which is useful for fast setup across large systems.

Property Groups at a Glance

GroupTypical settingsWhy it matters
GeneralName, Node/Alias, Enabled, ColorDevice identity and operator clarity
PlacementPosition/orientation, projector eye/targetVisual alignment on Stage and in 3D mapping
PresentationStage tier visibilityControls which tiers can show content
OutputOutput type, channel, resolution, size mappingPhysical/virtual routing and raster behavior
SignalColor depth/space, SDI link type, interlaced, delay, qualitySignal compatibility and image quality
Warp/MaskWarp enable/edit, mask enable/edit, soft edgesGeometry correction and edge shaping
CalibrationNDI calibration stream, display asset contextCamera-based and imported calibration workflows
White PointPer-display R/G/B trimCross-display color matching
Test PatternNone/Muted/White/Masked/Pattern, overlayFast output verification and diagnostics

General Properties

Use this section first, before deep signal tuning:

  • Name - keep labels operator-readable and patch-sheet aligned.
  • Node / Address (Alias) - host assignment for non-virtual displays.
  • Enabled - output active state.
  • Color - visual identification in Stage/Devices views.

For virtual displays, node assignment is not required.

Placement and Orientation

Placement settings control where the display exists in the show coordinate space.

For regular 2D displays, use placement tools to set position/size/orientation. For 3D projectors, additional parameters are available:

  • Eye (projector position)
  • Target (look-at point)
  • Roll
  • Lens shift
  • Width/Distance ratio

Projector calibration lock options can prevent calibration from changing lens shift or width/distance ratio when those values are known and fixed.

Presentation (Tiers)

The tiers mask determines which Stage tiers are allowed to render cues on that display.

Use this to isolate content families (for example show layer variants, rehearsal overlays, operator-only graphics) without changing cue geometry.

Output Properties

PropertyPurpose
Output TypeGPU, SDI, NDI, or Virtual
ChannelPhysical output index (GPU/SDI)
ResolutionRender target dimensions
Use as Input ResolutionCouples display size to output raster
Color DepthOutput precision (GPU)
Color SpaceDisplay color pipeline target (GPU)
NDI Color SpaceStream color encoding (NDI)
SDI Link TypeSDI transport mode (SDI)
InterlacedInterlaced output mode (NDI/SDI)
Delay FramesOutput delay compensation
Max QualityHigher quality render path where needed

Routing Notes

  • GPU and SDI routing depends on node alias + channel.
  • NDI routing uses stream identity instead of a physical channel.
  • Virtual has no physical routing.

If two displays share the same route resources, WATCHOUT can report a resource conflict warning.

Resolution and Size Behavior

The Use as Input Resolution toggle controls how stage dimensions relate to output resolution:

  • enabled: display size follows output resolution (common/default)
  • disabled: display size is modeled independently from output raster

Use independent size only when you intentionally want design-space dimensions to differ from transmission raster.

Signal and EDID

Signal-related options are output-type dependent:

  • GPU: color depth, color space, EDID selection/capture
  • SDI: SDI link type
  • NDI: NDI color space
  • NDI/SDI: interlaced toggle

Additional controls:

  • Delay (frames): fine timing offset (0-10 frames)
  • Render with maximum quality: enables higher quality rendering path

Use non-default signal settings only when they solve a specific hardware or show requirement.

EDID Capture

EDID (Extended Display Identification Data) is a data block that displays transmit to describe their capabilities — supported resolutions, timing modes, color depth, and manufacturer information. WATCHOUT can capture and save a display's EDID data as an asset in the show.

To capture EDID:

  1. Select the GPU display in Device Properties.
  2. In the Output section, locate the EDID row.
  3. Click Save EDID.

The captured EDID is stored as an asset that you can reference later for troubleshooting or for applying to other displays. You can also select a previously captured EDID asset from the dropdown to apply it to the display, or choose Current Monitor to use the live EDID from the connected display hardware, or Keep to not send any EDID override.

The display must be enabled to capture its EDID. If the display is disabled, the Save EDID button will be inactive.

EDID capture is particularly useful in rental and staging environments where you need to document the exact display capabilities at each venue, or when troubleshooting resolution and timing issues where the display is not advertising the expected modes.

Signal and Calibration

Display-level calibration settings include:

  • White point
  • NDI calibration stream
  • Render info overlay
  • Warp/mask/soft-edge integration

Notes:

  • NDI calibration stream is available for GPU display workflows that use camera-based alignment.
  • Imported canvas/display-asset workflows may show additional calibration context.

Warp, Mask, and Soft Edges

Display shaping tools are configured per display:

  • Warp: enable/disable and open warp editor
  • Mask: enable/disable and open mask editor
  • Automatic soft edges: blend setup for overlap workflows
  • Soft-edge gamma: edge blend response trim

Use these together for projector blending and irregular output surfaces.

White Point and Test Pattern

White Point

Per-display red/green/blue white point controls are used to match output color temperature between displays.

Test Pattern

Diagnostic output modes are available per display:

  • None (normal playback)
  • Muted
  • White
  • Masked
  • Pattern

The Show Overlay / Render Info toggle helps identify outputs during setup.