TOPS 1.0.4 operating manual

1. Prepare a project and explore Review Demo

This guide covers TOPS 1.0.4. GO, STANDBY, Programmer and Audio Move retain their on-screen names. TOPS is the evolution of LightPad and keeps the .lightpad project format.

Start with network output disabled. Open Settings > Review Demo to explore without buying Full or connecting equipment. Back up the open project first: loading a demo may replace it.

Create and name your project. Check power, battery, storage and locally available files. Import and export through Files. Save a copy before changing patch, profiles, memories or audio routes.

The .lightpad export does not include audio files. Keep the originals separately. When moving to another device, relink missing files and test the entire project. Local recovery is not a substitute for an external copy.

2. Patch, addresses and the fixture library

In Patch, select the profile and mode matching the physical fixture. Set the universe and start address; check the complete footprint and avoid overlap with other fixtures or Pixel Map.

A logical fixture number (CH) is different from its DMX address: CH 3 may start at address 101 in universe 2. Selecting CH 3 selects that fixture, not raw DMX channel 3.

The offline library includes Open Fixture Library profiles. Create custom profiles or import GDTF and OFL files. Review the interpretation report and unsupported attributes against the manufacturer’s DMX chart.

To repatch, use Change Address on the fixture row. Check the universe, address and next free location. After changing a profile or mode, review affected groups, memories, palettes and cues before enabling output.

3. Programmer, groups, memories and palettes

Select fixtures or a group in Programmer. Adjust intensity, color, position and the attributes available in the profile. A fixture without a usable dimmer does not gain one when you enter At Full.

Check Live or RAW DMX. PROG marks a Programmer modification; it does not prove physical reception. Masters, blackout, FX and other layers can change the final output.

Store states as memories or cues and reuse intensity, focus, color and beam palettes. Editing a shared memory or palette can affect more than one cue.

Release Programmer after recording to verify what the cue recalls. RELEASE SEL releases selected fixtures; CLEAR ALL clears Programmer changes. Releasing may reveal the base state. Home can immediately move pan and tilt; it does not mean off.

Since 1.0.4, Live REC MEM, REC CUE and REC MEMORY record what you see, including Programmer values, and the cue includes fixtures lit only from the Programmer. If you do not want to record a temporary tweak, press CLEAR before REC. After a timed fade, CLEAR returns to the cue’s look.

4. One list: edit, prepare and run cues

Light, Audio Play, OSC, Wait and control cues share a list with numbers, notes, color tags and WAIT/FOLLOW links. Configure each action, destination and timing in its cue editor.

CURRENT is the current cue; EDITING is the cue being inspected or changed; STANDBY is the next cue GO will run. Moving STANDBY never executes a cue. Check its number and name before pressing GO.

GO runs the configured timing. In the main cue list, BACK loads the previous cue into STANDBY without executing it and cancels pending continuation. Press GO to run it. In an active Sequence, BACK uses that Sequence’s own progression; rehearse it separately.

Use the play, pause and stop controls on a row for that individual cue. Global transport and STOP ALL have a different scope. STOP is not blackout: check lighting, Programmer, effects and audio separately.

Rehearse WAIT/FOLLOW for their entire duration. Repeating GO to be sure can advance another cue. Going back does not automatically undo OSC messages or external actions already sent.

Reorder cues using their row handles and review the resulting numbers. Copy and paste after another cue when needed. Check references and the next STANDBY before continuing.

5. Command line and keyboard

Enter a complete command and press ENTER. Intensity uses 0–100%; RAW DMX uses 0–255. Universe filters fixtures in the patch; it does not set the receiver IP address.

Channel 1 Thru 5 At Full targets logical fixtures 1–5 and sets their intensity to full when the attribute exists. Universe 2 Channel 3 Intensity At 50 affects CH 3 only if it is in U2.

Record Cue 12.5 records a lighting cue at that free number. Update Cue 12.5 Merge merges changes; Update Cue 12.5 Replace replaces content within the command scope. Keep a copy before replacing.

Transport commands include GO, GO TO CUE n, CUE n GO and GO TO CUE 0. Read the result before issuing another command. CLEAR and CLEAR ALL depend on the panel; clearing command text and releasing Programmer are different actions.

Check physical keyboard shortcuts in rehearsal: a focused text field can capture keys. Keep touch controls for GO, STOP and pause available.

6. Audio: files, levels and per-cue controls

Import an audio file through Files and create an Audio Play cue. Select the correct file, then adjust level, loop, start offset and fades. Check Audio Master and the current output.

Create pause, resume, stop or fade actions with the correct target cue. Test row controls and STOP ALL: stopping one cue and stopping all audio are different operations.

Listen to the full file and rehearse interruptions, transitions and simultaneous playback. Before the performance, verify that every file is local and accessible without a pending download.

7. TOPS Full: multichannel audio, maps and Audio Move

Connect the interface before configuring audio. Check the outputs actually exposed by iOS or iPadOS. Channel availability and latency depend on that route and the device.

Assign physical channels and place speakers on the map. Test each output individually at a low level. Drawing four speakers does not create four independent outputs when only two are exposed.

Configure the audio cue’s routing and spatial map. Create Audio Move with that source, a path and a duration. Prepare shapes and adjust their distribution on the pad.

Start playback and test movement handovers with GO. Check file continuity, direction, crossfade and final position on all physical outputs. If no spatial source appears, check Audio Play, its map and routes first.

8. Sequences, Pads, FX and Pixel Map

Sequences organize sets of cues with their own progression and timing. Check which Sequence is active and test Start, Pause, Resume and Stop separately from global transport.

Give each Pad a clear name, action and destination. Rehearse repeated presses and their effect on the cue list; do not assume every action runs in an independent layer.

For FX, check fixture assignment, speed, size and interaction with masters and cues. Pixel Map requires Full. Verify geometry and channels to avoid overlap, and rehearse how to stop output.

9. Networking: Art-Net and sACN E1.31

Connect the iPhone or iPad and receivers to the control network. Allow Local Network access. Check IP addresses, subnet and the Ethernet adapter or Wi-Fi actually in use.

Select Art-Net or sACN and match universes at both ends. For unicast, enter the receiver IP. Free supports 64 channels in one universe; Full adds complete and multiple universes, Art-Net broadcast and sACN multicast.

For sACN, coordinate priority and concurrent senders. Enable output at safe levels and verify the node and a physical fixture: a sending indicator does not prove reception.

Keep TOPS open and active for continuous control. iOS may suspend networking in the background. Rehearse disconnection, returning to the app and recovery before the performance; background time is not permanent operation.

10. OSC, MIDI Learn, PJLink and Ableton Link

For outgoing OSC, configure IP, port, address and arguments according to the receiving system. 127.0.0.1 means the device itself. Test a harmless message first and confirm reception.

Full adds incoming OSC remote control and MIDI Learn for assigning MIDI Note and Control Change to GO, STOP, masters and Pads. Learn each control and check activation, channel, repeated messages and scope before the show.

In Settings, OSC and MIDI have their own cards and MIDI its own screen. OSC ports and the IP are applied when you leave the field, on iPhone too. Deleting an OSC patch, an OSC profile or a MIDI assignment asks for confirmation.

PJLink requires Full. Set the projector IP and password, then verify each command on the physical projector. AV mute/shutter is not power off or an emergency control.

Ableton Link synchronizes tempo and phase. It does not transmit audio or start or stop remote playback. Check participants and rehearse loss and recovery of synchronization.

Settings > Compatibility lists implemented protocols and tested hardware. Protocol or profile compatibility does not imply manufacturer certification or endorsement.

11. Show Health Check and SHOW mode

Before operation, run Show Health Check. Review its findings for audio files and routes, patch, cues, Sequences, network destinations, projectors, battery and storage.

Resolve relevant findings and check again. A report without warnings does not replace physically checking fixtures, speakers, networking and external systems.

Enable SHOW after preparation. It locks editing while keeping operation controls available. To leave SHOW, hold the exit control for two seconds; no code is required.

SHOW, Show Health Check, STOP ALL, blackout, saving and recovery are included in Free and Full. Test blackout for each fixture type: reducing light does not stop movement or machinery.

12. Free, Full, purchase and restoration

TOPS is free to download. Free includes up to 25 cues and one Sequence, 64 DMX channels in one universe over Art-Net or sACN unicast, stereo Audio Play, sending OSC cues and Ableton Link.

Full is a one-time purchase: unlimited cues and Sequences, complete 512-channel and multiple DMX universes, broadcast/multicast, MIDI Learn, incoming OSC control, multichannel and spatial audio, Audio Move, Pixel Map and PJLink. Device and setup limits still apply.

Open Settings > TOPS Full to buy, restore or redeem offer codes. Apple shows the price before confirmation. Restore using the Apple account that purchased Full and an Internet connection.

If you redeem a code while TOPS is closed or in the background, return to the app to refresh access. If Full stays locked, check the account, wait for the restoration result and contact support with version and device details.

13. Local projects and privacy

No TOPS account is required. The app has no ads, publisher analytics or tracking. Files lets you choose a backup destination; selecting iCloud Drive does not create a live shared project session.

OSC passcodes and PJLink passwords remain in the local Keychain without synchronization or export. Configure them again when moving a project to another device. Keep original audio files separately from the .lightpad file.

14. A rehearsal exercise

With network output disabled, create two Dimmer 1ch fixtures in U1 at addresses 1 and 2. Select both, prepare a low intensity in Programmer and record Cue 1.

Prepare another intensity and record Cue 2 with a fade. Release Programmer, put Cue 1 in STANDBY and press GO. Check the next STANDBY and verify that moving it executes nothing.

Rehearse pause, resume, row controls and STOP ALL. Add an Audio Play cue with a local file and test individual and global stop. Test WAIT/FOLLOW separately.

Run Health Check, enable SHOW and practise the two-second exit. Repeat with the actual equipment at safe levels and allow time to test recovery.

15. Before every performance

Export the project, preserve original audio and test recovery. Use the same device, interface, system and version as in rehearsal.

Physically check patch, profiles, modes, addresses and universes. Review masters, Programmer, FX and Sequences for unintended residual states.

Test local files, audio outputs, channels and levels; verify network connections and external destinations; check power and storage.

Rehearse GO, BACK, STOP, pause, WAIT/FOLLOW, per-cue controls, STOP ALL and blackout. Review Health Check and prepare SHOW mode.

Keep the app active and agree on a fallback with the crew. TOPS is not an emergency control and must not be the sole control for safety-critical systems.

16. Troubleshooting

No light: check logical CH, profile, address, universe, Programmer, master, blackout, Local Network permission, enabled output and physical reception.

GO does not run the edited cue: EDITING and STANDBY are separate. Explicitly prepare the next cue and verify its number.

No audio: check the local file and reference, system output, Audio Master and cue route. Exported projects do not carry audio files.

Editing is locked: check SHOW mode. Leave it with a two-second hold when appropriate.

Audio Move does not move the source: check Full access, active playback, spatial source, map, duration and available outputs.

Contact developer@unquinto.es with version/build, device, operating system, protocol, interface and reproducible steps. Review projects before sharing and exclude passwords.

Questions and answers