Replace an Asset in an existing Installation

Last updated 7 August 2026

Swap a video or audio asset in a running installation — a new audio mix, or a re-graded version of the same shot — without rebuilding the show around it.

Before you start

The replacement has to match the original, or the sequence timing and routing no longer fit it:

  • Video — same format, duration, resolution, colour space and frame rate.

  • Audio — same format, duration, channel count and sample rate.

A different duration is the one that bites hardest: the event keeps its length on the timeline, so a longer file is cut short and a shorter one leaves a gap.

Steps

1. Copy the new files to the server

  • Connect a drive to the server, use the file transfer built into the VNC viewer, or open the server's file share from the Brainsalt Hub Desktop App — it mounts the share and opens it in the file browser, so you can copy files across from your own machine.

  • Put content on drive D: (DATA).

  • Follow whatever folder structure the system already uses — often media is split into separate folders for video and audio.

  • If the file name does not already carry a date, name the folder after the revision date. It is what tells the next person which version is current.

2. Import the assets

Import them as usual — see Import Video & Audio Assets. Importing does not affect what is playing; the new asset simply joins the library.

3. Stop the sequence

  1. Open the Sequencer and select the sequence from the list on the left.

  2. If it is running, stop it with the Stop button at the top of the window, or press Shift+Space.

If the sequence starts again by itself, something is triggering it. Check the Node Editor Window for automation — an autostart or a stepper — and disable it while you work.

4. Point the event at the new asset

  1. Click the asset selection button on the event you want to change.

  2. Choose the newly imported asset.

  3. Save the project.

  4. Start the sequence and check the result.

Common Mistakes

  • The replacement is short or runs past the end — the event length on the timeline is unchanged by swapping the asset. Match the duration, or adjust the event afterwards.

  • The sequence restarts as soon as it is stopped — an automation is driving it. Disable that first; otherwise you are editing a moving target.

  • The old version still plays after the swap — the same asset is used by more than one event, or the project was not saved. Check every event that referenced it.

  • Audio is quieter or wider than before — the channel count differs, so channels no longer land on the same outputs. Confirm the count before importing.

Tips

  • Keep the previous version on the server rather than overwriting it. Rolling back is then a two-click change instead of another file copy.

  • Replace the asset on the event rather than overwriting the file on disk. The library keeps both versions, and the change is visible in the project instead of hidden in the file system.

Import Video & Audio Assets — importing media into Backstage

Sequencer — the timeline events sit on

Get Started with Backstage — full walkthrough from an empty project to content on screen

Node Editor Window — where the automation that restarts a sequence lives