# Choose a routing panel

> Compare a generated Router Section, a hand-built Custom Router, buttons with internal routing actions, and plain module actions, and pick the one that fits the panel you need.

There are four ways to put routing controls on a position. Three of them use Buttons' routing system: the Router Section , the Custom Router , and your own buttons with Buttons' internal routing actions. The fourth, plain buttons with the router module's own actions and feedbacks, works but isn't recommended. This page explains the differences so you can pick the right one before you build. Before you begin A router-aware connection, such as an ATEM, a VideoHub or a SW-P-08 router. See Check what a router integration supports . A basic idea of sources, destinations and levels. See Understand physical routing . The four approaches Router Section: a ready-made panel A Router Section generates a complete routing panel for you. You choose which sources and destinations it covers and a layout, and Buttons builds the lists, filters and take controls. It handles large routers well: the lists scroll, operators can filter by tags and collections, and Smart Navigation groups long lists into folders. It also has locking controls, sorting and several layouts ( Duo , Duo Vertical , Quad , Mono and Locked Destination ). The trade-off is layout freedom. The panel looks the way its layout and settings make it look, and it needs an area of at least 6 × 2 or 5 × 4 cells. Custom Router: a panel you build yourself A Custom Router starts as an empty section. You place every source, destination and utility button yourself, exactly where you want it, and they all share the same selection. That makes it the choice for focused panels: a handful of sources on a small surface, one-press Direct Take sources, routing buttons mixed with other controls, or groups of sources in folders and popovers. You also choose how each button looks and behaves. The trade-off is effort. Every button is placed by hand, so a Custom Router is best for a known, limited set of sources and destinations rather than a whole large router. Your own buttons with internal routing actions Buttons has three internal actions for routing, which you add to any button like any other action. Unlike a module's actions, they go through Buttons' routing system: Take Route takes one or more fixed source and destination pairs in one press. It works on any button, with no Custom Router needed: for example, a "Studio to air" button that routes several signals at once. Execute Routing Preset runs a saved routing Preset , also from any button. Router Context Action performs one of the Custom Router's own actions, such as selecting a source, taking, changing levels or labels, or clearing the selection. It needs a Custom Router around the button, and it's the same set of actions the Custom Router's generated buttons use. Use these when a button should do more than a generated routing button can: a fixed route on a button that also triggers a camera move, a routing button with your own design and feedback, or a single press that changes several routes. See the Routing section of Internal actions reference . The trade-off is that you set up each button's actions, appearance and feedback yourself. Module actions and feedbacks: not recommended A router module's own actions, feedbacks and variables can route too: one button per crosspoint, each sending a command. Avoid this for routing. You miss out on what the routing features give you, and you take on the risk of preventing mistakes yourself that the routing features would otherwise catch. See Check what a router integration supports . Compare them Router Section Custom Router Internal routing actions Module actions and feedbacks How you build it Choose resources and a layout; Buttons generates the panel Place each button yourself Add actions to your own buttons One button per action, set up by hand Layout Set by the layout and its options Anything you like Anything you like Anything you like Effort for a large router Low High Very high Very high Filtering and long lists Built in (filters, Smart Navigation, sorting) Through folders and popovers you build Through folders and popovers you build None Mix with other controls No, it's a self-contained panel Yes Yes, even on the same button Yes One-press routing With Auto Take With Direct Take sources or an Auto Take Mode Yes, with Take Route or Execute Routing Preset Yes Uses Buttons' routing features Yes Yes Yes No Recommended for routing Yes Yes Yes No Which one to pick Use a Router Section when operators need access to a large part of a router, such as a full source and destination list for a master control or engineering position. It's the quickest way to a complete panel. Use a Custom Router when the panel should be small and focused, when it shares a surface with other controls, or when you want one-press source buttons. A camera operator's sources to a monitor, or a presenter's handful of inputs to Program, are typical examples. Use internal routing actions for fixed routes and special buttons: a button that takes several routes at once, runs a routing Preset, or combines routing with other actions. Combine them when it helps: a position can have a Router Section for the full router, a Custom Router for the few routes that are taken all the time, and a couple of Take Route buttons for fixed setups. Where to go next Build a Router Section Understand Custom Routers Build a focused routing panel with Custom Router Internal actions reference , for Take Route , Execute Routing Preset and Router Context Action . Choose a control method , for when routing itself is one of several options.