# Quick start guide ## Introduction Welcome to **Liberation** - the next generation of laser show software. Liberation is powerful and complex modern software; it's built on fundamentals of usability and reliability to give you the freedom to express your creativity. It's fast, efficient and seamless; follow this *Quick start guide* to get you up and running in no time! ### Managing lasers Liberation is flexible enough that you can set up lasers and visualise them without any actual lasers connected at all. And then when you're ready to go you can seamlessly assign each output to a laser controller. {% hint style="info" %} You can set up and visualise as many lasers as you want within Liberation, the licence tiers (Hobbyist, Pro, etc) only limit the number of lasers you can *arm.* This means that you can design laser shows with 100 lasers even with a free licence. You only need to upgrade when it comes to actually running it on real lasers. {% endhint %} The default has 8 lasers spread out horizontally but you can customise this to whatever you want. It's probably best to keep this default while you're getting to know the software, and then later on you can adjust it to match your hardware set up. (See [setting-up-your-project](https://docs.liberationlaser.com/setting-up/setting-up-your-project "mention")) {% hint style="warning" %} Important : Before you arm any lasers make sure you understand the risks involved and carefully go through the [setting-up-lasers](https://docs.liberationlaser.com/setting-up/setting-up-lasers "mention") chapter. {% endhint %} ## Overview of the software ### Safety shut-off Any time you're running lasers you must have a **hardware emergency stop button** on hand (see [emergency-stop-interlocks](https://docs.liberationlaser.com/hardware/emergency-stop-interlocks "mention")), but if you want to disarm everything less urgently you can use the ***DISARM ALL*** button, or the `Escape` key (or the ***SESSION*** key on the APC40). You can also reduce the global brightness using the on-screen slider or the main fader on the APC40. ### Slider elements Throughout Liberation there are various sliders and controls. {% hint style="info" %} `Cmd / Ctrl`-click a slider to type a new value if you need greater control than the slider can give you. {% endhint %} ### Keyboard shortcuts A full list of keyboard shortcuts can be found here : [keyboard-shortcuts](https://docs.liberationlaser.com/reference/keyboard-shortcuts "mention") ### Screen layout
{% hint style="info" %} Not sure what a particular button does? Hover over it with your mouse to get a description! {% endhint %} #### Menu
The menu is where you will find all file import / export options, and to open panels. You'll also find the option to authorise the computer with your subscription here (in *Liberation -> Authorise/Deauthorise this computer*) . #### Icon bar
Common tasks can be found here, such as arming/disarming all the lasers, the global brightness, test pattern, and switching between the 3D, Canvas and Output views ### Views The large area in the top left of the screen can be one of 3 main views; **3D**, **CANVAS** and **OUTPUT.** Switch between them using the icon bar buttons (or use the `Tab` key to switch between the 3D and OUTPUT views, and then continue to tab through each laser output in turn).
#### 3D View
The 3D view shows you what your lasers will look like and can be configured to match your own laser set up. Click and drag to rotate the camera, use the mouse wheel to track forward and back. You can find many other options in the *3D Visualiser settings* panel (*View -> 3D Visualiser Settings*). See [3d-visualiser](https://docs.liberationlaser.com/setting-up/3d-visualiser "mention"). #### Output View
The output view is used to configure zones and masks for each laser. (Note the massive number in the top left corner so you can easily see which laser you are on!) This view is a representation of the entire output of this laser, and where each zone sits within it. By default there is only one zone per laser but you can add as many zones as reasonably practical, and you will see them all in this view. {% hint style="info" %} **What is a zone?** A zone is a space within a laser's output that you can direct laser content into. And you can have more than one zone per laser. The simplest type of zone is a *beam* zone, but there are also *canvas* zones and *DMX* zones. For this guide we'll mostly focus on beam zones, which are usually used to create atmospheric beam effects through the air. {% endhint %} You can select the laser you want to edit using either : * the numbered buttons in the bar at the top * pressing the number key for the laser you want *(1-9* keys\_)\_ * the `Tab` key to cycle through from one to the next Add a new laser to the set up by pressing the *+* button. (There is also an *ADD LASER* button in the *Laser Overview* panel) Delete a laser from the set up by hitting the red ⊖ button in the *Laser Overview* panel. You can zoom in and out using the mouse scroll wheel, and click and drag anywhere there isn't a zone to move the view. Click on a zone to select it and then adjust its corner points with the mouse. Use the `Alt / Option` key while you are dragging a corner to make it non-uniform. Right-click on the zone to see more options, including changing the type of zone. Along the left is a bar with a series of icon buttons, hover over any button to get a description of what it does. Buttons here let you add beam zones, canvas zones, and masks. There are also options to set a test pattern for this laser only, along with grid and snapping settings. For more details see [output-view](https://docs.liberationlaser.com/output-view "mention"). #### Canvas The Canvas system is used mostly for graphics and architectural mapping. You can distribute complex images across multiple lasers, and perspective-correct each section. See [graphics-and-the-canvas-system](https://docs.liberationlaser.com/graphics-and-the-canvas-system "mention"). ### APC40 MIDI controller
Although it is possible to control Liberation using the mouse and keyboard, it's way better to use an APC40 MIDI control interface (Mark 2 is best but Mark 1 also works). See also : [apc40-reference](https://docs.liberationlaser.com/reference/apc40-reference "mention") We have now also implemented support for APC Mini Mark 2 and the MIDI Fighter Twister, and more are in development. But the APC40 Mark 2 is the best option for most cases. ### Clips and effects {% hint style="info" %} **What is a clip?** A clip is a container for any laser content within Liberation. Clips can contain beams or graphical animations and they are usually a looping cycle. They can be directed into any zone (or *Canvas target area*) and are triggered using the clip buttons inside the clip deck. {% endhint %} #### Clip deck overview
This grid is known as the *clip deck* and it is where all of the laser clips are stored. It is designed to map directly to the 8 x 5 grid of buttons on your APC40. **Navigating the clip deck.** You can scroll the clip deck left and right using : * Left and right arrow keys. Add `Cmd / Ctrl` to scroll one full page at a time. * Trackpad : Swipe * Mouse : if your mouse has a sideways scroll you can use that while hovered over the clip deck * APC40 scroll knob * APC40 *<- DEVICE ->* buttons To help you get your bearings, there is a mini visualiser of the clip deck along the top. See also [clips](https://docs.liberationlaser.com/clips "mention") #### Starting and stopping clips Press a clip button (either with the mouse or with the APC40) to start a clip. Press it again to stop it. When you start a clip, all other clips of the same colour will automatically stop unless you hold *shift*. Some clips will be in *Flash mode* (by default, the red ones), in which case they will stop as soon as you release the clip button. The *STOP* button stops all currently running clips. #### Setting output zones for the clip Underneath the clip buttons, you'll see the zone buttons, beam zones 1 to 8 by default (*BEAM 1*, *BEAM 2*, etc). The zone buttons light up to indicate which zones are assigned to the currently selected clip.
Two rows below the zone buttons, you'll see the X/Y flip buttons, toggle these to flip the clip horizontally and vertically. {% hint style="info" %} Note that these zone allocations and X/Y flip settings are connected to the clip itself; they are retained next time you run that clip. They are not a global setting. {% endhint %} Right click on a clip to edit more settings for the clip. Also see [clip-settings](https://docs.liberationlaser.com/clips/clip-settings "mention") ### Groups You'll notice that each clip has a coloured outline, and this colour represents which *group* it's in. The APC40 clip buttons also light up in this colour.
Group 1Cyan
Group 2Orange
Group 3Red
Group 4Indigo
Group 5Green
The group system is very flexible and it allows you to : * Keep clips in one group going, while you toggle groups in another one * Quickly assign zones and X/Y flips to all clips within a group * Set *Flash mode* for a clip (Group 3 is set to *Flash mode* by default) Groups also have settings for transition in/out that can be inherited by its clips, or over-ridden. You can assign the clip's group using the buttons in the right-click menu, or using the APC40 you can press the group button and *while it is still held down,* press the clip buttons. Change zone settings for all clips within a group Using the APC40, press the group button, then *while it is still held,* use the zone and X/Y buttons to toggle zone settings for all clips within that group. See also [groups](https://docs.liberationlaser.com/clips/groups "mention") ### Effects The effects system in Liberation is a powerful and versatile way of changing the clip output in real-time. The default effects buttons 1-8 are under the zone buttons. #### Applying an effect Press an effect button to toggle the effect, or even better, using the APC40 sliders 1-8 to fade effects in and out. #### Effect parameters Use the rotary controllers 1-8\* to adjust the *parameter* for each effect. (Or you can right-click with the mouse to adjust the level and parameter). The parameter change does different things dependent on how the effect is set up. See the list below for the default effects. {% hint style="info" %} The small numbers you see on the effect buttons refer to the *level* and *parameter* of the effect. The *level* is controlled by the fader on the APC40 or you can click-drag on the button. The parameter is adjusted by the rotaries on the APC40 or you can right-click to adjust with the mouse. {% endhint %} *\*Rotary controllers 1-8 are along the top of an APC40 Mk2 and on the top right on the Mk1. See also:* [apc40-reference](https://docs.liberationlaser.com/reference/apc40-reference "mention") #### The default effects
1. **Randomiser** :\ Applies a chaotic movement to the clip output. The parameter adjusts the amount/speed of chaos. 2. **Sine wave** :\ Warps all the content across a moving sine wave. The parameter adjusts the wavelength. 3. **Rotation** :\ Spins everything around. The parameter adjusts the spin speed. 4. **Horizontal flip** :\ Squishes and stretches everything horizontally. The parameter adjusts the speed. 5. **Scale** :\ Repeatedly scales everything from full to zero. The parameter adjusts the speed. 6. **Hue** :\ Changes the hue of everything, but doesn't change the saturation (ie anything white stays white). The parameter adjusts the hue. 7. **Saturation and hue** :\ Changes the hue of everything and also fully saturates the colour (ie anything white changes to the colour). The parameter adjusts the hue. 8. **Flash** :\ Repeatedly flashes the brightness of everything from full to zero. The parameter adjusts the flash speed.
There are a further 16 colour effects along the bottom row to apply pre-set hue and saturation values. Note that these are the default effects but they can be edited to do almost whatever you want! #### What is the *"currently selected clip"*? When you start a clip, it lights up to show that it is active. It also has a white outline around it which indicates that this is the currently *selected* clip. Whenever you toggle zone buttons or adjust the clip settings, these are applied to the *currently selected clip.* {% hint style="info" %} To select a clip without triggering it, press the `Alt / Option` key before pressing the clip button. This is a good way to adjust its zones and other settings without running it. {% endhint %} ### Clip settings panel Use the *Clip Settings* panel to edit scaling, X/Y position, and access the powerful zone delay system.
### Global settings panel Find the *Global Settings* panel to adjust global output settings that affect all output across all zones.
Turn on AUTO RESET to automatically reset all the *Global settings*, whenever no clips are playing. ### Timing Almost all laser displays have some kind of musical soundtrack, so the timing system in Liberation is based around a tempo in beats per minute. In the *Tempo Panel* you can see a representation of the time; each square represents a beat and you can see them flash in time.
There are multiple synchronisation options, including MIDI clock and Ableton Link. If you know the tempo of the music you can manually adjust it using the on-screen slider or the APC40 Tempo knob, but you can also keep in time with the music using the *Tap Tempo* system\_.\_ #### Tap Tempo *Tap Tempo* is a term commonly used in music apps, and it lets you tap in time with the beat to set the tempo while the music is playing. You can use the button on screen, although it's recommended to use the *T* key or the *Tap Tempo* button on the APC40 (or even a foot switch if you prefer). Press the *R* key or the *Metronome* button (APC40) to reset the tempo to the beginning of the bar. Press the *Y* key or turn the *Tempo* knob(APC40) to round the tempo to a whole number. This can be useful for electronic music which tends to have a round number of beats per minute. ### Organising your clip deck To move a clip on your clip deck, click and drag it to a new position. While dragging you can use the cursor keys (or the scroll wheel/buttons on your APC40) to scroll left and right. Press the `Alt / Option` key while you're dragging to make a copy. `Alt / Option`-click a clip to select it without starting it. `Alt / Option + Shift`-click a clip to multi-select, or click and drag outside of a clip to "lasso" select. Click and drag will drag ALL selected clips. To delete one or more clips either drag them off the clip deck (a trash can icon will appear) or use the DELETE button from the clip right click menu. ### Laser overview panel
The *Laser overview panel* gives you a quick look into the status of your currently running lasers. The green square on the right shows you that the laser controller is happy. If it goes orange, you have occasional drop-outs, and if it's red it has disconnected. If it's grey, then it's not connected to a controller at all. The graph in the middle is a history of frame lengths, and the number on the right is the current frame rate. The more complicated the content, the slower the frame rate will be (ie more flickery). Anything below about 25fps will start to look a bit flickery. ### Connecting to lasers - Controller Assignment panel Click on the *Assign Laser Controllers* button to open the *Controller Assignment* panel. (This panel can also be accessed via *View -> Controller Assignment* in the menu bar). You can choose which laser outputs go to which laser controllers here. Drag and drop controllers from the list on the right into slots on the left. You can rename your controllers to match which laser they are paired with (use the pen icon button). Read the [controller-assignment](https://docs.liberationlaser.com/setting-up/controller-assignment "mention") chapter for more details. {% hint style="danger" %} Before you arm any lasers make sure to go through the [setting-up-lasers](https://docs.liberationlaser.com/setting-up/setting-up-lasers "mention")chapter. {% endhint %} ### Laser output panel
This panel shows you the settings for the *currently selected laser* (represented by the number at the top). Change which laser is currently selected using the *tab* key, hitting a number key, clicking a laser number in the *Laser Overview* panel or in the *output view.* * **Number button** arm and disarm the laser, if it's red then the laser is armed. * **Brightness** adjust laser brightness independent of the other lasers (and it's combined with the *global brightness* setting - ie, if they're both at 50%, you're laser will be at 25%). * **Test Pattern** turns on a test pattern for this laser only (overrides the global test pattern setting) * **Orientation** corrects for lasers rigged sideways or upside-down. * **Flip Horizontal and Flip Vertical** reverses the output of the laser. Useful for output correction on inconsistently wired lasers. * **Copy Laser Settings** opens a panel that lets you copy various settings from this laser to others. ### Scanner settings Display lasers work by moving a single laser beam extremely quickly and turning it on and off to draw shapes in the air. What you see as lines, shapes, and images is actually the beam tracing paths faster than your eyes can follow. A point stream is the data that tells the laser where to move next and when the beam should be on or off. In Liberation, clips are converted into this point stream in real time as they are sent to the lasers. Liberation gives you detailed control over how this point stream is generated, allowing you to balance smoothness, brightness, and performance for each laser. {% hint style="info" %} If you are used to older laser software that relies on pre-calculated point streams, this approach may feel different at first. However, real-time point generation allows the same content to be optimised differently for each laser. This makes it easier to work with multiple lasers that have different scanner speeds or quality, without duplicating or rebuilding content. It also keeps clip files very small, which is why the entire default Liberation clip deck is only a few megabytes rather than gigabytes. {% endhint %} The basic scanner settings are: * **Speed** is the scanner speed, ie how fast the laser moves around to draw shapes. This is equivalent to adjusting the point rate on traditional laser software but on Liberation you can change how fast the laser moves *independent of the point rate.* You shouldn't need to adjust this. * **Scanner sync** (sometimes known as *blank shift, previously Colour Shift*) The scanners move the laser around really fast but usually the change of brightness and colour is out of sync with the movement. This shows up as little flickering "tails" of light on the edge of beams and lines. Use this adjustment to get the movement and colour in synch with each other. See [laser-settings](https://docs.liberationlaser.com/setting-up/laser-settings "mention") The other advanced scanner settings are covered in the [advanced](https://docs.liberationlaser.com/advanced "mention")chapter. ### Zoning For a full guide to setting up and zoning lasers see : [setting-up-lasers](https://docs.liberationlaser.com/setting-up/setting-up-lasers "mention") --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.liberationlaser.com/getting-started.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.