How to Enable or Disable an Output

Last updated 15 June 2026

How to Enable or Disable an Output

Each output in Backstage has an Enable toggle that controls whether it transmits a signal. Disable outputs you are not actively using to stop unnecessary network traffic, free adapter resources, or black out individual projectors during setup.

New in June 2026. The per-output Enable toggle and runtime override were added in the June 2026 release.

Before you start

  • At least one output exists in your project (GPU output, NDI, ArtNet, etc.)
  • The output is routed to at least one projector or display (see Video Routing)

Steps

1. Select the output

Open the Outputs tab in the left panel. Expand the relevant category (Devices > Video, NDI, Artnet, etc.) and click the output you want to control. Its properties appear in the Inspector.

[USER-ACTION-REQUIRED: Attach a screenshot of the Output Inspector showing the Enable checkbox in the Properties section]

2. Toggle the Enable checkbox

In the Properties section of the Inspector, find the Enable checkbox. It appears below the output resolution.

  • Checked — the output transmits its signal normally.

  • Unchecked — the output stops transmitting. For network outputs (NDI, ArtNet, ST 2110, Shared Memory, Shared Texture), no data is sent. For GPU outputs and DeckLink, the output renders black.

This setting is saved with the project. When you save and reload, the output remembers whether it was enabled or disabled.

3. Toggle from the Video Routing matrix (alternative)

You can also toggle the Enable state from the Video Routing tab. Each output column header has an eye icon. Click the eye icon to toggle Enable on or off for that output. The tooltip reads "Enable" or "Disable" to confirm the next action.

4. Understand the runtime override (show automation)

In addition to the persistent Enable toggle, outputs have a runtime override that can temporarily disable them without changing the saved project state. The runtime override can be driven from the Node Editor (for example, to black out outputs between show segments). It is not saved with the project — outputs always start in their persistent state on project load.

An output only transmits when both the persistent Enable toggle is checked and no runtime override is active. When the runtime override is holding an output off, the Inspector shows the Enable checkbox as greyed out (locked) with the hint (temporarily disabled) next to it.

Options explained

Setting

Description

Values / Range

Enable

Persistent on/off toggle for this output. Saved with the project. When unchecked, the output stops transmitting (network outputs) or renders black (GPU/DeckLink outputs).

Checkbox. Default: checked.

Runtime override

Temporary disable driven from the Node Editor. Not saved with the project. When active, the Enable checkbox appears greyed out and the hint "(temporarily disabled)" is shown.

Not directly editable in the Inspector. Controlled via nodes.

How the Enable state affects each output type

Output type

Behavior when disabled

ArtNet

Stops sending DMX data entirely. The change-tracking cache is cleared so that re-enabling forces a fresh send.

NDI

Stops transmitting NDI frames.

ST 2110 (Rivermax Networking)

Stops transmitting ST 2110 frames.

Shared Memory

Stops writing to the shared memory buffer.

Shared Texture

Stops sharing the GPU texture.

GPU display

Content rendering is skipped. The output renders black (the display signal stays active).

DeckLink

Content rendering is skipped, but the SDI/HDMI link continues outputting black. The hardware scheduled playback is kept running to avoid genlock sync loss.

Common Mistakes

  • Enable checkbox is greyed out and cannot be changed. — A runtime override from the Node Editor is holding the output off. Look for the (temporarily disabled) hint next to the checkbox. Remove or deactivate the node that is driving the override.

  • Output stays black after re-enabling. — Check that the output is still routed to a projector or display in Video Routing. Also verify that a Sequence is playing content on a Channel that targets the routed surface.

  • DeckLink output shows black but the SDI link is still active. — This is expected. Disabling a DeckLink output stops rendering content but keeps the scheduled playback running to maintain genlock synchronization. The hardware outputs a black frame rather than dropping the signal.

Tips

  • Use the eye icon in the Video Routing column headers for quick toggling during setup — faster than selecting each output individually.

  • Disable unused network outputs (NDI, ArtNet) to avoid sending traffic to devices that are not connected. This is especially useful during rehearsals with partial hardware.

  • For show automation, use the runtime override from the Node Editor to temporarily black out outputs between show segments. The persistent Enable state is not changed, so the outputs return to their saved configuration when the node graph stops.

  • The Enable toggle defaults to checked (enabled) for all new outputs. You do not need to enable outputs manually after creating them.

Route Projectors and Displays to Outputs (Video Routing) — How to route projectors and displays to physical outputs.

How to Set Up ArtNet and sACN Pixel Output — Set up ArtNet and sACN pixel output.

Receive an NDI Stream — Receive an NDI stream into Backstage.

Outputs — Outputs reference (BAC space).