Look Book Builder

I/O Patch is the I/O reference for engineers. Source names pull from the show's library — click the chevron next to a name to pick a common name or type your own. Destination type (Destination / AUX) is editable per row. Bandwidth warnings show as a small red pill in the row when a connector can't carry its resolution.

Sources

0 total

Name

Connector

Type

Resolution

Notes

Actions

Apply to

Click the chevron next to any name to pick from the library or rename.

Destinations

0 total

Name

Connector

Type

Resolution

Notes

Actions

Apply to

New destinations default to 1920×1080.

Multiviewer info lives only in the I/O Patch and the I/O export — MVs don\u2019t render on the canvas or in the preset table.

Sources

0 total

Destinations

0 total

Multiviewer

1 default

A red pill in a row’s bandwidth column means the connector can’t carry the resolution. The count here is the second-level reminder.

Look Book Builder · Help

The Basics

Show

The top-level project. One show file (.avlb) holds all screens, presets, DSM outputs, and settings for a single event.

Screen / Destination

A physical display output — IMAG, LED wall, confidence monitor, etc. Each has a name, resolution, and position on the canvas.

Preset

One look or moment in the show. A preset defines what content appears on every screen simultaneously. Think of it as one row in your runsheet.

P-Code

The short identifier for a preset (P01, P02…). Used in the table, exports, and show calling.

Layer (L1–L64)

Up to 64 content sources can be assigned per destination per preset. L1 is the primary source, higher layers sit on top.

Content Type

What is playing on a layer — IMAG, CAM, GFX, PROMPTER, etc. Each type has a colour used throughout the UI.

DSM / AUX

Downstream mix or auxiliary output — a separate programme feed sent to a specific destination (FOH confidence, broadcast, record, etc.).

Canvas — Video Presets

Canvas

The visual representation of your total output resolution. All destinations sit inside it side by side.

Destination box

Drag a corner handle to resize — adjacent destinations shift automatically. Click to select, then Arrow keys resize 1px (Shift + Arrow = 10px).

Layer chip

Coloured rectangle inside a destination box representing an active layer. Click to open Layer Properties (Simple). Double-click for Advanced (with crop).

Overlap hatch

Orange diagonal pattern between two destinations that share canvas area — indicates a blend zone.

Dead space arrow

Blue double-headed arrow between destinations with a gap — shows the pixel distance of unused canvas.

Preset header

Double-click the background of the header bar to collapse/expand. Double-clicking inside a text field selects text as normal.

Layers — Detail

Assigning content

Click a layer cell in the table or a chip on the canvas. The Layer Properties panel opens.

Custom name

Each layer can have a custom name independent of its content type — used in exports.

Size & position

W × H sets layer size in pixels. Full Destination fills 100%.

Crop

(Advanced panel) Trims the layer by percentage from each edge — T/B/L/R. Live preview updates instantly.

Remove from preset

Deletes the layer assignment for the current preset only. Other presets keep their layer.

Remove globally

Deletes this layer from every preset in the show. Requires confirmation.

I/O Patch — Sources & Destinations

What it is

The engineer’s I/O sheet — every source and destination with its connector, machine type, resolution, notes and a bandwidth check. Open it from the top nav or the per-preset I/O Patch button.

Set for all

The first row of each section bulk-sets connector / type / resolution for every row below at once — then change any individual row on its own.

Edit a row

Click a pill to set the connector, machine type (PC / Mac / Camera…) or resolution. Type a name and press Enter (or click away) to confirm it.

Bandwidth warning

A red pill on a row means the chosen connector can’t carry that resolution (e.g. 4K over a single HD link). Fix the connector or the resolution to clear it.

Apply to (scope)

The footer pill sets scope. Globally adds / renames across the whole show (presets + canvas + library); Only Here keeps it as an I/O-Patch-only reference — handy for a PPT back-up that shouldn’t clutter the canvas.

Add & remove

New sources and destinations always append at the bottom of the list. Add Source / Destination / AUX / MV sit under each section; the matching Remove buttons open a picker.

Multiviewer (MV)

An operator-monitor reference. It lives only in the I/O Patch and the I/O export — never drawn on the canvas or in presets.

Wire — Signal Flow

What it is

A diagram of every signal path that exists in any preset — sources on the left, destinations and AUX on the right, lines showing what feeds what.

Simple vs Advanced

Simple auto-draws every path in the show. Advanced is a free-form builder with routers and multiple pages.

Source thumbnails

Each source card carries a thumbnail tile (camera, slides, prompter…). Click the shuffle icon to swap the auto-tile, or upload your own image.

Export & asset pack

Save the diagram as PDF / SVG / PNG. The Asset Pack downloads every 1920×1080 thumbnail as one ZIP (sources / destinations / aux-dsm) — a ready-made image packet to hand your operators.

Video Presets — Advanced (Blend & AOI)

Turn it on

Open the Advanced ▾ menu at the top of a preset to reveal blend zones, area-of-interest, dead-space and free-positioning on the canvas.

Make a blend

Drag one destination over its neighbour. The overlap shows as an orange hatch and the canvas reports the combined Blend Group resolution (e.g. 3240×1080).

Edit the overlap

Double-click the px number in the middle of the blend zone to type an exact overlap — it highlights for editing. A blended pair stays locked together and will not pull a third destination in on its own.

Area of Interest

Select a destination and activate AOI to capture only part of it — drag the red box or type exact X / Y / W / H.

Dead space

A blue double-arrow between two destinations shows the pixel gap of unused canvas between them.

DSM / AUX Outputs

Adding

Click + in the DSM toolbar below any preset. Each DSM has a name, resolution, and on/off state per preset.

Per-preset override

Double-click a DSM box to open its panel. Name and Type (DSM / AUX) can be set per preset — other presets are unaffected.

Content assignment

When a DSM is ON for a preset, assign a content type. This appears in the Excel export.

Global label

The DSM / AUX pill in the toolbar sets the global default label. Individual presets can override it.

Destination Names — Per Preset

Global name

Set in the Destination Combinations table or Destination Properties panel. Default across all presets.

Per-preset override

In the Destination Properties panel the Name field saves for that preset only. Other presets keep their own names.

Fallback

If no override is set for a preset, the destination shows its global name everywhere.

Save, Load & Export

.avlb file

The project file format. JSON-based, version 2. Saves all destinations, presets, DSM outputs, canvas size, and custom content types.

Autosave

Changes are automatically saved to browser localStorage. Restored on next open if no manual load is performed.

Unsaved indicator

Gold dot on the Save button means you have changes not yet written to a file.

↓ Excel

Exports a .tsv file with one column per destination and one column per DSM. Shows actual content per preset. Opens in Excel, Numbers, Sheets.

↓ Look Book

Exports a print-ready visual. Opens browser print dialog — choose Save as PDF.

Preflight check

Both exports run a validation check first. Errors block export. Warnings let you proceed.

New Show

Clears everything and opens Quick Setup. Warns if you have unsaved changes.

Quick Setup Wizard

Opening

Appears automatically on first load. Re-open with the + New button.

Destination Names

Expand each destination row to give it a custom name before building. Falls back to Destination 01, 02… if blank.

Set default for all

When ON (blue), changing Destination 1's resolution cascades to all others. Turn OFF to set independently.

After setup

All destinations, one preset (GLOBAL PRESET 00), and any DSM outputs are created. Everything can be changed afterwards.

Pixel ↔ Feet Conversion

Reference standard

96 PPI — standard pixels-per-inch used by design software (Photoshop, After Effects, etc.) for screen output.

Default conversion

1 foot = 1,152 pixels (96 PPI × 12 inches). Adjust below if your venue uses LED panels with a different pixel density.

When it applies

Dead Space labels show FT values computed from the current PPI (visible when Advanced ▾ Show Dead Space is on).

Adjust PPI

1 ft = px

Terms used in live event production, show calling, and video switching — applicable across all platforms.

SHOW STRUCTURE

SHOW

The complete production — all screens, presets, and outputs for a single event or venue.

PRESET

A saved look — what content appears on which destination. Also called a cue, look, or snapshot.

TRANSITION

How the switcher moves from one preset to the next — cut, dissolve, or wipe.

CUE

An instruction to execute a preset. A show caller calls cues to the operator.

RUNDOWN

The ordered list of all cues/presets for a show.

DESTINATIONS & CANVAS

DESTINATION

A physical display or output — LED wall, projection screen, confidence monitor.

CANVAS

The total pixel space across all screens.

RESOLUTION

The pixel dimensions of a destination — width × height (e.g. 1920×1080).

ASPECT RATIO

The proportional relationship between width and height (e.g. 16:9, 4:3).

PIXEL PITCH

Distance in mm between LED pixels. Smaller pitch = higher resolution.

LED WALL

A display made of tiled LED modules. Modular, scalable, very bright.

EDGE BLENDING

Softening the join between overlapping projector images for a seamless look.

NITS

Unit of brightness (cd/m²). Indoor LED: 800–1500 nits. Outdoor LED: 3000–6000 nits.

LAYERS & COMPOSITING

LAYER

A channel of content on a destination. Higher numbers sit on top.

PIP

Picture-In-Picture. A smaller layer positioned within a larger destination.

BACKGROUND / BKG

The base layer — fills the entire destination behind all other layers.

DSK

Downstream Key. A graphic keyed over the final output after compositing.

USK

Upstream Key. Applied before the final composite — used for camera keying.

CHROMA KEY

Removes a specific colour (green/blue screen) to create transparency.

LUMA KEY

Uses brightness levels to create transparency.

CROP

Trimming the edges of a layer without moving it.

OPACITY

How see-through a layer is — 100% opaque, 0% transparent.

AOI

Area of Interest. A cropped region of a destination used as a virtual output.

SEAMLESS SWITCHING

Transition between presets with no visible glitch or flash.

OUTPUTS & MONITORING

DSM

Discrete Secondary Monitor. Auxiliary output for confidence monitors or prompters.

AUX

Auxiliary output — used for monitors, record feeds, or overflow screens.

PROGRAMME / PGM

The main live output — what the audience sees.

PREVIEW / PVW

Pre-fade view — lets the operator see what happens next before committing.

MULTIVIEW

Single monitor showing multiple inputs and outputs in a grid.

RETURN FEED

Signal coming back from a remote location, streaming encoder, or broadcast truck.

CONFIDENCE MONITOR

Display visible only to the presenter — shows slides, notes, or timer.

IMAG

Image Magnification. Live camera feed shown on the main destination for large audiences.

SIGNAL & CONNECTIVITY

SDI

Serial Digital Interface. Professional broadcast cable for uncompressed digital video.

12G-SDI

Single-cable SDI carrying 4K video. Common in broadcast and live events.

HDMI

Consumer/prosumer digital connector. HDMI 2.0 supports 4K at 60fps.

NDI

Network Device Interface. Sends video over standard ethernet.

GENLOCK

Synchronising video signal timing to prevent tearing when switching sources.

FRAME RATE

Frames per second — 24p, 25p, 30p, 50p, 60p. All sources should match.

LATENCY

Delay between input and output. Critical for IMAG — sync with live action matters.

EDID

Info a display sends to the source about its capabilities. Switchers can emulate it.

HDR

High Dynamic Range. Wider brightness and colour range than standard SDR.

COLOUR SPACE

Range of colours a system can represent. Rec.709 = HD. Rec.2020 = 4K/HDR.

COLOUR & IMAGE

4:4:4 / 4:2:2 / 4:2:0

Chroma subsampling. 4:4:4 = full colour (best). 4:2:2 = broadcast. 4:2:0 = streaming.

10-BIT / 12-BIT

Bit depth — 10-bit = 1.07 billion colours, smooth gradients, no banding.

SDR

Standard Dynamic Range. Traditional brightness range up to ~100 nits.

HDR10

HDR format with static metadata, up to 10,000 nits. Common on LED walls.

HLG

Hybrid Log-Gamma. Live broadcast HDR — backward compatible with SDR displays.

PRODUCTION ROLES

SHOW CALLER

Calls cues live — directs the operator on when to transition.

TD / TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

Senior operator responsible for the switcher and signal flow.

PROJECT MANAGER / PM

Plans the production — builds the look book, defines destination layouts.

HIGH RES ENGINEER

Specialist operator for the high-resolution switcher.

MEDIA SERVER OP

Operates media server (Disguise, Green Hippo, Resolume) — manages video playback.

TECHNICAL RIDER

Document specifying exactly what equipment and connections a performer needs.

PATCH SHEET / I/O LIST

Lists every input and output connection. The engineer counterpart to the look book.

CONTENT TYPE SHORTHAND

AUX

Auxiliary. A secondary output — feeds overflow screens, record decks, or monitoring. Also used as a DSM label.

BACKUP

Backup feed or source held in reserve — switched to if the primary source fails during the show.

BLANK

An empty / black layer with no content. Used to intentionally darken a destination or as a placeholder.

BUG

Channel bug or watermark — a small persistent logo or icon keyed over content, usually corner-positioned.

CAM

Camera. A live camera feed — handheld, jib, or static positioned at the event.

CHROMA KEY

Removes a specific colour (green or blue screen) to create transparency for compositing.

CLOCK

A live clock graphic — countdown timer or time-of-day, typically driven by the graphics system.

CONFIDENCE

Confidence Monitor. Display visible only to the presenter showing slides, notes, or a countdown timer.

DSK

Downstream Key. A graphic layer keyed over the final output after all compositing is complete.

FULL GFX

Full-frame graphic. A graphic that fills the entire destination — no camera or video behind it.

GFX

Graphics. Any text, title, animation, or designed visual element from the graphics system.

HANDYCAM

A small handheld or compact camera — often used for POV shots, audience, or backstage coverage.

IMAG

Image Magnification. Live camera feed shown on large destinations so the back of the audience can see the stage.

LOGO

A static or animated brand logo — corporate identity graphic held on a destination.

LOWER 3RD

Lower Third. A graphic keyed over the bottom third of the destination — typically name and title text.

LUMA KEY

Uses brightness levels (luminance) to create transparency — white areas become transparent.

MULTIVIEW

A single monitor output showing multiple inputs and outputs arranged in a grid for monitoring.

NOTES

Speaker notes or prompter text fed to a confidence monitor — not visible to the audience.

PGM

Programme. The main live output — the final composite signal going to the audience screens.

PLAYBACK

Pre-recorded video content played from a media server, laptop, or video playback system.

PREVIEW

Preview (PVW). Pre-fade view — lets the operator see the next source before taking it to programme.

PROMPTER

Teleprompter feed. Scrolling script text shown to the presenter — mirrored on a beam-splitter in front of the lens.

PTZ

Pan-Tilt-Zoom. A remotely operated robotic camera — controlled from the operator position without a camera operator on set.

RECORD

Record feed. A dedicated output routed to a recording device — captures the show for archive or streaming.

RETURN

Return feed. Signal coming back from a remote location, streaming platform, or broadcast truck.

SLIDES

Presentation slides — PowerPoint, Keynote, or similar — driven by a presenter clicker or operator.

STREAM

Live streaming output or input — feed going to or coming from a streaming encoder or CDN.

TEAMS

Microsoft Teams. Video conferencing feed shown on screen — either a remote presenter or a hybrid audience.

TEST

Test pattern or signal. Used for alignment, colour calibration, and signal verification during setup.

TICKER

Scrolling text strip — news ticker style running across the bottom of the screen with live updates.

TIMER

Countdown or count-up timer graphic — session timer, break timer, or show clock.

USK

Upstream Key. Applied before the final composite — typically used for camera keying over a background.

WEBEX

Cisco Webex. Video conferencing feed — remote presenter or hybrid delegate shown on screen.

ZOOM

Zoom Video Communications. Video conferencing feed — remote presenter or hybrid delegate shown on screen.

If you came from another platform, here's how Look Book's terms map to what you already know. The Look Book column is what this app uses; the rest are the vendor names.

Look Book

Pixelhue

Barco

Aquilon

Spyder

Canvas

Output canvas

Master output

Free / Grid canvas

Visual Image (VI)

Destination

Screen

Screen Destination

Screen

Pixelspace

DSM / AUX

AUX

Aux Destination

Aux Screen

(Multiviewer)

Preset

Preset (Abs / Rel)

Preset

Master Memory

Command Key (Abs / Rel)

Layer

MAIN / PIP / AUX

Layer / User Key

Mixer / Split / Aux layer

Layer (= Window)

AOI

AOI (output)

—

AOI (output)

(Pan & Zoom)

Crop

Layer Source Crop

Layer crop

Crop

Crop (T / B / L / R)

BG / Color

BKG layer

—

Background layer

Background (2 / pixelspace)

Terminology gotchas

DSM ≠ DSK. DSM (Downstage Monitor) is broadcast/theater term for an auxiliary monitor — this is what Look Book uses. DSK (Downstream Keying) is Pixelhue's video keying effect, a different thing applied at the output. The two get confused often.

“Area of Interest” vs “Area of Interesting.” Pixelhue manuals spell it “Area of Interesting”; Aquilon spells it “Area of Interest.” Same concept (a sub-region of an output). Look Book standardizes on the common spelling.

Aquilon Crop ≠ Aquilon Mask. Aquilon distinguishes Crop (content is resized into the smaller area) from Mask (content stays unchanged, edges are erased). Look Book implements Crop only.

AOI is output-level, not screen-level. On every platform AOI crops the displayed area of an output. Look Book applies it at the Destination level — because Look Book Destinations map 1:1 to Outputs, the effect is the same.

About Look Book Builder

Look Book Builder is a pre-production and planning tool designed for show callers, producers, and video engineers to streamline show development before arriving onsite. It serves as a centralized reference point that helps unify the entire visual workflow between LED, projection, and screen switcher teams.

Rather than handling live control or system programming, Look Book Builder creates professional planning documents — including Excel and PDF outputs — that organize screen layouts, preset combinations, content references, and show flow into a clear visual guide for the whole production team.

The goal of Look Book Builder is to provide a faster, more professional way to collaborate, communicate, and prepare complex visual shows with greater consistency and efficiency.

Each setting can be toggled on or off independently. Changes save automatically and persist across sessions.

UI Size

Scales the whole interface up or down. Helps with low vision or eye fatigue.

Reduce Motion

Disables transitions and animations. Helps users with vestibular disorders, attention conditions, or visual fatigue. When OFF, follows your OS preference automatically.

High Contrast

Boosts text contrast above WCAG AAA. Brightens secondary text and dim labels for low-vision users.

Custom Content Type Colors

Override the default colors for content types. Useful for users with color vision differences (deuteranopia, protanopia, tritanopia). Pick a color that you can clearly distinguish from the others.

Quick presets

One-click apply a palette optimized for a specific color vision difference. Replaces all 6 content type colors below.

LOGO

GFX A

GFX B

PBP A

PBP B

IMAG

Restore everything to defaults and clear stored settings.

Destination Combinations

Presets

Properties

Assign Content

Custom Content Label