v2.0.15 · Updated April 2026
Everything in BeamSync
Built around real production workflows. Every feature exists because a working electrician or lighting designer needed it on a real show.
📋 Instrument Worksheet🔄 VectorWorks Bidirectional Sync☁️ Cloud Collaboration📄 Paperwork & Reporting🏷️ Label Printing⚡ Power Distribution🗺️ Planning Canvas🎛️ Smart DMX Assignment💡 Fixture Library🔍 Error Checking📝 Rider Check📏 Truss Tape
📋
Instrument Worksheet
A professional-grade spreadsheet built around how electricians actually work — not adapted from generic software.
- ✓Add, delete, and duplicate instruments with full multi-select
- ✓Bulk select via checkbox, Shift+click, or Ctrl+click
- ✓40+ fields per instrument: channel, dimmer, DMX, color, gobo, focus, position, user fields
- ✓Mode and DMX Footprint columns populated from VectorWorks
- ✓Numeric multi-cell auto-increment for channels, dimmers, DMX addresses
- ✓DMX address sequential fill with automatic universe wrapping
- ✓Text uniform fill across entire selection
- ✓Drag-select range selection with Shift+Enter for uniform values
- ✓Tab/Shift+Tab navigation, F2/Enter to edit, Escape to cancel
- ✓Double-click or single-click editing (configurable)
- ✓Auto-complete suggestions from field history
- ✓Sort by any column — ascending or descending
- ✓Save and restore custom view presets (columns + sort order + groups)
- ✓Built-in presets: Channel Hookup, Instrument Schedule, Dimmer Hookup
- ✓Position-based grouping with collapsible sections
- ✓Column reordering, resizing, and visibility toggle
- ✓Hide/show individual instruments without deleting
- ✓Global search and per-column filtering
- ✓Undo/redo with Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y (default 10-action history)
- ✓6 custom text fields and 6 custom number fields with configurable names
🔄
VectorWorks Bidirectional Sync
Live two-way data exchange using the native SLData XML protocol VectorWorks already speaks. Changes in VW appear in BeamSync in 2 seconds. BeamSync edits write back to VW on 100ms debounce.
- ✓Import VWX/SLData XML — supports modern SLData and all legacy LightingDevice formats
- ✓Auto-set show name from VWX filename on first import
- ✓Parse 25+ VectorWorks field names to BeamSync fields
- ✓Auto-watch VWX file — poll every 2 seconds for VW changes
- ✓Delta-patch writing: only changed UID blocks, not the full file
- ✓Surgical XML patch: all VW-internal data preserved exactly
- ✓Echo prevention: fingerprint check skips BeamSync's own writes
- ✓Flush pending writes immediately when focus leaves BeamSync
- ✓Conflict detection on import: merge or replace options
- ✓Force-push all instruments as "Entire Plot" when needed
- ✓Full baseline XML storage for correct incremental export handling
- ✓Mode and DMX Footprint read from VW fixture profiles (never written back — prevents VW freeze)
☁️
Cloud Collaboration
Every show automatically backs up to the cloud on save. Share with your crew, submit field-level change requests, and keep everyone working from the same data.
- ✓Auto-create cloud show on first save — no manual linking required
- ✓Auto-upload .bsshow on every save (dirty → clean transition)
- ✓Open .bsshow from cloud directly into the app
- ✓Upload and download .vwx files with signed URLs
- ✓Keep the 3 most recent file versions automatically
- ✓Invite collaborators by email or shareable link
- ✓Guest read-only instrument table — no account required for view access
- ✓Collaborators submit field-level edit requests with an optional message
- ✓Cell coloring: amber = unsent local changes, purple = pending owner review
- ✓Owner reviews requests field-by-field: approve or reject with a note
- ✓Email notifications to owner on submission, to collaborator on review
- ✓Pending edit count badge polled every 60 seconds
- ✓Cloud sync status indicator (syncing / idle / error) in status bar
📄
Paperwork & Reporting
Generate professional reports from your live instrument data in seconds. Every report respects your current column selection.
- ✓Channel Hookup — sorted by channel
- ✓Instrument Schedule — sorted by position → unit number
- ✓Dimmer Hookup — sorted by dimmer
- ✓Color Schedule — sorted by gel
- ✓Focus Chart — per-channel notes
- ✓Cheat Sheet — compact: channel, purpose, position, color
- ✓Color Count — gel cut list with quantities
- ✓Equipment Count — fixture type quantities
- ✓Cable Schedule — power and data cable counts
- ✓Position Summary — grouped by position
- ✓Master PDF — combine any reports into a single file
- ✓Save to user-selected location with pre-filled filename
🏷️
Label Printing
Design label templates, print to Avery sheets, or send directly to a Zebra printer on the network.
- ✓Create templates matched to Avery label codes
- ✓Data fields, static text, boxes, lines, and logo elements
- ✓Full font control: size, weight, style, color
- ✓Logo embedding with invert option for dark backgrounds
- ✓Print preview with copies-per-label control
- ✓Windows printer list via system integration
- ✓Raw ZPL output to Zebra thermal label printers
- ✓PNG/JPEG logo → 1-bit ZPL bitmap with dithering
⚡
Power Distribution
Design your distro layout before load-in. Know your phase loads before the dimmer racks arrive.
- ✓Create dimmer racks, relay racks, and distribution panels
- ✓Configure amperage, voltage (120/208/240V), and phase (1ph/3ph)
- ✓Breakout groups with connector types and phase assignment
- ✓Auto-generate circuit names from group prefix
- ✓Error checking flags overloaded dimmers against breaker amps
- ✓Save distro configurations as reusable templates
🗺️
Planning Canvas
A 2D spatial layout for documenting cable runs, connections, and rig topology. Calculate cable lengths from 3D VW coordinates.
- ✓Pan/zoom 2D canvas with grid snap (configurable 50–5000mm)
- ✓Load a background floor plan image and scale to mm
- ✓Fixture boxes with DMX and power ports
- ✓Draw DMX and power connections with waypoint routing
- ✓Auto-calculate cable length from VW X/Y/Z coordinates
- ✓Manual cable length override
- ✓Annotations: boxes, text labels, tritap diagrams
- ✓Device nodes: splitters, 2-fers, custom port counts
- ✓Color-coded fixture groups linked to worksheet filter
- ✓Groups saved and restored with view presets
🎛️
Smart DMX Assignment
Assign DMX addresses across your plot in one operation. Preview the result before applying.
- ✓Per-position universe and start-address configuration
- ✓Sort by unit number or current address within each position
- ✓Respects fixture DMX footprints from your library profiles
- ✓Universe wrapping at 512 addresses with overflow detection
- ✓Preview table before applying — no surprises
💡
Fixture Library
A searchable library of fixture profiles with 100+ pre-loaded entries and tools to build your own.
- ✓100+ pre-loaded fixture profiles with wattage, DMX footprint, modes, and power connectors
- ✓Create custom fixture profiles with barrel sizes and through-power flags
- ✓Auto-create profiles for fixture types found in the plot
- ✓Save show fixtures to your global library for reuse
- ✓Gear templates for planning canvas: nodes, splitters, distros
🔍
Error Checking
Configurable checks flag conflicts as you work. No need to run a separate report.
- ✓Duplicate channel, dimmer, and DMX address detection
- ✓Overloaded dimmer detection (respects breaker amp settings)
- ✓Missing channel, dimmer, focus notes, and color warnings
- ✓Per-check severity: error / warning / off
- ✓Red and yellow row outlines with hover tooltip
- ✓Error panel lists all issues by instrument
- ✓Error and warning count in status bar
📝
Rider Check
Paste in a rider, instantly see what you have, what you're short, and what's extra.
- ✓Parse rider text in multiple formats
- ✓Compare against show inventory by fixture type
- ✓Red for shortages, yellow for surpluses, green for exact matches
- ✓List show fixtures not mentioned in the rider
- ✓Exclude hidden instruments from count
📏
Truss Tape
One-page-per-position tape strips formatted for any tape width — from 2" to letter size.
- ✓Per-position strips with unit #, type, channel, dimmer, color, gobo, focus
- ✓Distance from previous fixture using VW coordinates when available
- ✓Width presets: 2", 2.25", 3.125", 4", Letter
- ✓Custom width input with automatic font scaling
- ✓Opens in browser for print or PDF save