Companion module for Dataton Watchout 7

This module connects to Dataton Watchout 7 Director via HTTP API and Server-Sent Events (SSE) to provide real-time control and feedback for timeline management, cue control, input management, and show loading.

Because Watchout 7 works with ID's, it is possible to use the same buttons in different shows, the timeline names will update on your buttons, because the ID's are re-used by Watchout.

Configuration

• IP address: The IP address of the Watchout Director
• Port: The HTTP API port (default: 3019)
• Sort timelines on name: When enabled, timeline dropdowns are sorted alphabetically by name. When disabled (default), they are sorted by ID preserving Watchout's native order.
• Default toggle behavior: Choose the default action for timeline toggle when timeline is stopped. Options are "Play" (default) or "Pause".

Connection Method

The module uses a dual update system:

• Real-time updates (SSE): Instant feedback for playback states, input changes, and media presets
• Periodic polling (30s): Detects timeline structure changes, new cues, and show updates

Actions

Timeline Control

• Timeline Action: Play, pause, or stop a specific timeline
• Timeline Toggle: Toggle between play and pause for a timeline (smart detection of current state)
• Only play timeline if: Conditional playback - play a timeline only if it's in a specific state
• Only play timeline if other timeline condition is met: Play timeline A when timeline B is in a specific state

Timeline Navigation

• Jump to Time: Jump to a specific time (in milliseconds) with play or pause state
• Jump to Cue: Jump to a specific cue with play or pause state

Input Management

• Send Input Value: Send a single value to a show input/variable (supports interpolation duration)
• Send Multiple Inputs: Send multiple input values at once using JSON format (supports interpolation duration per item)
  • Format: [{"key": "InputName", "value": 0.5, "duration": 1000}]

Important: For inputs to work via the HTTP API, you must manually set the Key field in the variable properties in Watchout Producer. The API matches on the Key property, not the Name.

Show Management

• Load Show from JSON: Load a complete show from JSON data
• Load Show from File: Load a show from a .watch file path on the Watchout system
  • Supports optional show name parameter
• Show information: Manually refresh timeline and show information

Cue Set Control

• Set group state by with variant: Set a single cue group to a specific variant
• Set Multiple Cue Groups: Set multiple cue group variants simultaneously using JSON
  • Format: {"GroupName1": "VariantName1", "GroupName2": "VariantName2"}
• Reset all cue groups by Name: Reset all cue groups to their default state

Node Management

• Shutdown node: Shutdown a Watchout node by IP address
• Restart Services: Restart services on a Watchout node by IP address

Variables

The module provides dynamic variables that update automatically:

• $(companion-module-name:director): Name of the Watchout Director
• $(companion-module-name:asset_manager): Name of the Asset Manager
• $(companion-module-name:heartbeat): Last reply from Watchout
• $(companion-module-name:show_name): show_name
• $(companion-module-name:TIMELINE_ID): Name of each timeline
• $(companion-module-name:TIMELINE_ID_CUE_ID): When a CUE has a name, it will be shown. If its a timer the value will be the timer value, otherwise it will show the name of the cue

Variables update in real-time via SSE and are refreshed every 30 seconds via polling to catch structural changes.

Feedbacks

Timeline Status

• Timeline Running: Indicates if a timeline is currently playing
• Timeline Paused: Indicates if a timeline is paused
• Timeline Stopped: Indicates if a timeline is stopped

Cue Set Status

• Cue Set Active: Indicates if a specific cue group variant is active

All feedbacks update in real-time via the SSE connection for instant visual feedback.

Presets

The module includes comprehensive presets organized by category:

Basic Category

• Update timeline info: Manual refresh of show information

Timeline Control (Per Timeline)

• Play [Timeline Name]: Play button with green play icon
• Pause [Timeline Name]: Pause button
• Stop [Timeline Name]: Stop button
• Toggle [Timeline Name]: Smart play/pause toggle

Show Management

• Send Input Value: Template for sending single input values
• Send Multiple Inputs: Template for sending multiple inputs via JSON
• Load Show from JSON: Template for loading shows from JSON data
• Load Show from File: Template for loading shows from file paths

Cue Sets

• Set Cue Group Variant: Template for setting single cue group variants
• Set Multiple Cue Groups: Template for setting multiple cue groups via JSON
• Reset All Cue Groups: Reset all cue groups to default

Node Management

• Shutdown Node: Template for node shutdown
• Restart Services: Template for service restart

Timeline Navigation (Per Timeline with Cues)

• Jump to [Cue Name]: Direct cue navigation buttons

All presets are generated dynamically based on your show structure and update automatically when timelines or cues change.

Advanced Features

Input System Integration

The module supports Watchout's input system for dynamic show control:

• Send real-time values to show variables
• Batch input updates for synchronized changes
• Variable parsing support for dynamic values

Show Loading Automation

Automate show loading workflows:

• Load shows from JSON data for backup/restore
• Load shows from file paths for playlist automation
• Automatic refresh of module state after show changes

Enhanced Cue Set Control

Advanced cue set management:

• Single and batch cue group updates
• JSON-based configuration for complex setups
• Real-time feedback for cue set states

Conditional Timeline Control

Smart timeline automation:

• Conditional playback based on timeline states
• Cross-timeline dependencies
• State-aware toggle operations

Limitations

• The module requires Watchout 7 with HTTP API enabled (port 3019)
• SSE connection provides real-time updates but polling is still needed for structural changes
• Cue information is read-only (names, times, states cannot be modified via API)
• Node management requires direct IP access to individual nodes (port 3017)
• Input management requires appropriate input variables to be defined in the Watchout show

Troubleshooting

• No timeline updates: Check if both HTTP API (port 3019) and SSE are accessible
• Missing cues: Cues only appear if they have valid names and start times in Watchout
• Connection issues: Verify IP address, port accessibility, and Watchout Director is running
• Input errors: Ensure input keys match exactly with show variable names
• Show loading failures: Verify file paths are accessible from the Watchout Director system

For detailed API documentation, refer to the Watchout 7 External Protocol Documentation.

Be aware this module is tested on Watchout version 7.5.1 Older versions might not work correctly because of newer API