Switching¶

Preview a source, then cut or auto it to program; set the transition, put a source straight on program, fade to black.

$ bmdctl preview cam3
STUDIO A  PGM CAM2 · PVW CAM1
  preview     CAM1 → CAM3                                          24 ms
$ bmdctl cut
STUDIO A  PGM CAM2 · PVW CAM3
  cut         CAM3 on program · CAM2 on preview                    30 ms
$ bmdctl transition mix 0:12
STUDIO A  PGM CAM3 · PVW CAM2
  transition mix  1:00 → 0:12                                      22 ms
$ bmdctl auto
STUDIO A  PGM CAM3 · PVW CAM2
  auto        CAM2 on program · CAM3 on preview                    29 ms
$ bmdctl program cam2
STUDIO A  PGM CAM2 · PVW CAM3
  program     CAM2                                               already
$ bmdctl ftb toggle
STUDIO A  PGM CAM2 · PVW CAM3
  ftb toggle  off → black                                           sent

A result line is the command, what changed (before → after), and how long the switcher took to report it back. Where the time would be, three words can appear instead:

Status	Meaning
`already`	the switcher held that value; nothing was sent
`sent`	the command has no report to wait for (`ftb toggle`, `dsk auto`)
`rejected`	the switcher reported back but kept the value it had

cut is confirmed when the switcher reports both buses; auto when the transition starts, not when it ends.
transition mix 0:12 sets the mix rate. Rates are frames or seconds:frames at the switcher's display rate. transition wipe, dip, dve and stinger set the other styles, transition style picks one, transition next --next background,key1 sets what the next transition takes.
tbar 5000 moves the transition halfway (0 to 10000; unverified on hardware, and it says so).
ftb toggle fades to black and back (sent: the switcher reports nothing for it); ftb rate 1:00 sets its rate.
On a switcher with more M/Es, --me 2 (counted from 1, as ATEM Software Control counts) picks one; the result shows it, program ME2.

Sources¶

Anything that takes a source (program, preview, aux, key fills, the multiviewer) takes it several ways. bmdctl tries them in this order, ignoring case:

You type	It means
`2`	source id 2, input 2. Any id works: `1000` is bars, `3010` media player 1
`cam2`, `camera 2`, `in2`, `input 2`	input 2, whatever it is called
`mp1`, `mp2`	media player 1 or 2
`bars`, `black` (`blk`)	colour bars, black
`col1`, `col2`	colour generator 1 or 2
`pgm`, `pvw`	M/E 1's program and preview outputs
`cf1`, `aux3`	clean feed 1, aux output 3
`CAM2`, `"Camera 2"`	the input whose short or long name that is
`stage`	the one input whose name starts that way

An alias wins over an input's label. If you have renamed input 1 to "cam2", cam2 still means input 2; bmdctl says so once, and 1 reaches the input you named. A name two inputs share, or a start several names share, is refused with the candidates listed. bmdctl inputs lists what the switcher has; where what you typed isn't the short name, the result shows it in brackets:

$ bmdctl inputs
STUDIO A  PGM CAM2 · PVW CAM1

    1  CAM1  Camera 1   · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·  ○ PVW
    2  CAM2  Camera 2   · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·  ● PGM
    3  CAM3  Camera 3
    4  CAM4  Camera 4
       Bars  Color Bars
       COL1  Color 1
       COL2  Color 2
       MP1   Media Player 1
       MP2   Media Player 2

  bmdctl inputs --all adds outputs, masks and keys
$ bmdctl preview "Camera 3"
STUDIO A  PGM CAM2 · PVW CAM1
  preview     CAM1 → CAM3 (Camera 3)                               24 ms
$ bmdctl program cam9
error  no input "cam9"
       1 CAM1 Camera 1 · 2 CAM2 Camera 2 · 3 CA… · bmdctl inputs for all

Tab completes input names while the engine runs (INSTALL.md).

Aux outputs¶

$ bmdctl aux 1 pgm
STUDIO A  PGM CAM2 · PVW CAM3
  aux 1       CAM1 → PGM                                           18 ms
$ bmdctl aux 2 cam4
STUDIO A  PGM CAM2 · PVW CAM3
  aux 2       PGM → CAM4                                           19 ms
$ bmdctl show aux
STUDIO A  PGM CAM2 · PVW CAM3 · aux

  aux 1       PGM
  aux 2       CAM4
  aux 3       PGM

status collapses neighbours on one source: aux 3–6 PGM. Any source works, including pvw, cf1 (clean feed) and other aux outputs.