Just Playout · 2026 documentation

4.2 Timeline (v.2026.x)

Timeline

The Timeline shows all elements that are loaded in one of the available layers of the Channel, but also those elements that are already playing out. This includes the “Element” naming, the “Elapsed/Remaining Time” info, and the "Play" button. The visibility of the final output is defined from top to bottom.

4.1 b.png
  1. Layers: Depending on the configuration of the Channel you will see Audio, Event, FX- and Video-Layers. The names of the Layers may differ from the ones seen in the figure above, as they have been defined by your system administrator while setting up the Channels. Furthermore, your Channel might have more or fewer Layers than shown in this picture, or that specific Layers do not exist at all. 

  2. Elapsed Timecode: Displays the elapsed time for each actual playing element. If a Layer does not contain any elements, the timecode will display “00:00:00:00”.

  3. Current Item Name: Displays the name of the current item in the specific Layer.

  4. Poster Frame: Shows (if available) the poster frame of the current item in the particular Layer.

  5. Current Time Indicator (CTI): Shows the current Playout position.

  • Yellow: The Just Out engine is not started.

  • Green: The Just Out engine is started.

  • Red: The Just Out engine is started, but there is an FX element waiting at a stop frame.

6. Content of the Timeline:

  • Audio Element: Audio elements are represented by gray bars (or slices, depending on the Timeline scale). Audio items can only be placed on Audio Layers.

  • Graphic Element: Graphic elements are represented by gray bars (or slices, depending on the Timeline scale) with a gray triangle in case it has at least one stop frame in it. Only FX Layer compatible files can be placed on FX Layers.

  • Event Element: Event elements are represented by a yellow triangle. Event items can only be placed on Event Layers.

  • Simple FX Layer: In case a Simple Graphics (SFX) Channel Bug has been defined, it will be on air by default and can be turned off for each element going on air in the video track. If a Simple Graphics (SFX) Live Bug has been defined for a Channel using “Live Pass-Through by default”, the Live Bug will be on air by default and can be turned off for each element going on air in the video track. If “No In” or “Default Black” has been used for this Channel, the Live Bug will not be on air by default, but can be turned on for each element going on air in the video track.

  • Video Element: Video elements are represented by gray bars (or slices, depending on the Timeline scale) in the Video Layer. The bright blue part represents a finished action or loop.

7. Remaining Timecode: Displays the remaining time for each actually playing element.

8. Hide/Show Buttons: Use the visibility button in the timeline (or use the keyboard shortcut ctrl-1 for video, ctrl-2 for SFX and ctrl-3 and higher for the FX tracks) to toggle the visibility of the currently playing element on the specific Video or FX Layer. Toggling the visibility of the video layer will switch the video layer to the live signal or to black, if no live signal is available. The visibility of hidden Layers can be changed in the menu View → Hidden Timeline Layers. If a Rule is defined for this Channel, a symbol is shown to indicate that a Rule is active.

9. Timeline Scrub & Scale: The scale of the Timeline ruler can be changed by using your mouse wheel while hovering above the Timeline's ruler. The Timeline can either be static or rolling (View → Static Timeline). In static mode the Timeline ruler description starts with zero, in rolling mode the description equals the Just Out engine time.