Using the stage plot editor

The editor is where your show takes shape. It's a drag-and-drop canvas — no layers, no menus buried three levels deep. If you've ever moved icons around a desktop, you already know most of it.

The toolbar

Across the top of the canvas you'll find four tools. You only really need the first one most days.

• Select — the default. Click to pick something, drag to move it.
• Pan — grab the canvas and drag it around. Handy on bigger stages. You can also hold Space while using any other tool to pan temporarily.
• Draw — free-form lines, for things like cable runs or stage markings that aren't a standard element.
• Text — drop a label anywhere. Useful for notes like "DI from keys" or "water here please."

Placing your first element

The element library lives on the left side. Drums, amps, mics, monitors, risers, musicians, and a handful of other stage objects.

Drag any element from the library onto the canvas. When you let go, it snaps to the nearest grid point (a 20 px grid, by default) so you don't have to fight to line things up. Drop a drum kit dead centre and work outward from there — that's how most people start.

The properties panel

Click any element on the canvas, and the right-hand panel fills with its settings.

You get:

• Label — what shows on the plot. "Gtr amp — Marshall JCM800", "Vocal mic — SM58". Edit this freely.
• Rotation — in degrees. Type a number or drag the dial.
• Scale — make something bigger or smaller than the default. Useful for a stack of cabs vs. a single combo.
• Lock — stops you from accidentally moving an element once it's where you want it.

Keyboard shortcuts worth knowing

You don't have to memorise them, but a few will save you a lot of clicks:

• Space — hold to pan the canvas
• Arrow keys — nudge the selected element one grid step
• Delete or Backspace — remove the selected element
• Ctrl/Cmd + D — duplicate

Grouping, z-order, and risers

Some elements belong together. A drum kit is really a kick, snare, toms, hats, and cymbals. Select them all and group them so the whole kit moves as one.

Z-order is just which thing sits on top. If your monitor wedge is hiding behind a mic stand, right-click and choose "Bring forward".

Risers are special: place a riser on the stage, then drop the drums, amp, or musician onto it. Now when you move the riser, everything on it comes along. No more re-aligning after every change.

Once you've got the hang of this, have a look at Build a stage plot from a photo for a shortcut when you're starting from an old sketch or email.