# Add controls and sections to a position

> Place elements on a position canvas and choose between buttons, sections, shift, folder, popover, router, shared and role sections.

Build a position by placing elements on its canvas. Start with a section for one part of the job, then add buttons or more specialized sections. Open Position → Position , select the position, then select Open Editor . Create an element On the canvas, click an empty cell or drag across several cells to select the area the element should occupy. Right-click the selected area. Under Create... , choose an element type. Configure the new element in the inspector. Select Apply when you are ready to save the layout and configuration. The selection determines the initial location and size. You can move or resize the element later. For a first layout, create a Section large enough for a small group of related controls, then create a Button inside it. Choose the right element Button A Button is a control that can perform actions and display state. Use one for a direct task such as muting a channel, recalling a scene, starting playback, or taking a prepared route. A button can use: Actions that run when it's pressed or released ( Press , Release ), held for a set time ( Hold ), tapped once or twice ( Single click , Double click ), or turned as an encoder ( Left , Right , Encoder ). See Choose how the button reacts . Feedbacks that become active when a condition is true and can override its appearance. Variables that display values such as -12 dB , Camera 2 , or slide 7 of 24 . Use a connection preset when one provides a suitable ready-made button. Start with a direct button instead of a workflow when no additional logic is needed. Shortcut: B Section A Section groups related controls in one area of the position. Use sections to make the workspace match the work: for example, separate playback, monitoring, audio, and routing controls. A section can contain buttons and nested sections. If its contents exceed the visible area, configure independent scrolling so the additional controls remain reachable. See Organize controls in a section . Shortcut: S Shift Section A Shift Section provides alternate layers of controls in the same area. It starts with Main and Shift pages. For example, the main layer can recall PTZ camera presets while the shifted layer saves the current camera position to those presets. See Add secondary controls with a Shift Section . Shortcut: Shift + S Folder Section A Folder Section organizes controls into navigable pages. It starts with a Main page and child folders. Use it when operators need to browse categories in a fixed area: for example, choosing a studio and then a device within that studio. Always provide clear labels and a visible route back so the current location is not ambiguous. To turn a Folder Section into your own menu system: In the section's settings, turn off Folders/Shift Buttons and Return Button , so Buttons doesn't add its own navigation. Add your own buttons with the internal action Set Active Page . Point each one at the Folder Section and the page it should open. Place the menu buttons outside the Folder Section, for example in a row or a Section beside it. They stay on screen whichever page is open, so the menu is always available. Include a button that opens Main , so operators can always get back to the start. If you put navigation buttons inside the folder pages instead, add one to every page. See Use custom navigation . Shortcut: F Popover A Popover keeps additional controls behind one compact launcher. Pressing it opens a temporary panel that can contain buttons and nested sections. Use it for controls that should remain nearby but do not need permanent canvas space, such as confirmation choices or occasional adjustments. Configure its open direction and dismissal behavior so it does not obscure controls needed at the same time. The Popover's trigger button can also run actions when the Popover opens or closes. Besides Press and Release , it has an Open and a Close action handler: for example, recall a camera preset when the Popover opens, and return to the default when it closes. See Add a Popover Section . Shortcut: P Router A Router creates an XY-style routing interface from routing resources available to Buttons. Use it when people need to choose sources and destinations, inspect route state, and take routes from a position. The selected area must be at least 6 × 2 cells or 5 × 4 cells. Routing can change real signal paths immediately, so configure the available sources, destinations, levels, and take behavior before making the section available for production use. Note A Router generates a complete routing panel for you from the resources you pick. A Custom Router, described next, instead gives you an empty context that you populate yourself, button by button. Both are labeled Router in the inspector, so check which one you created if you're unsure. See Choose how to build a routing panel to decide which one fits, and Build a Router Section for the full configuration walkthrough. Shortcut: R Custom Router A Custom Router is an empty section that owns the current routing selections and displayed state for the controls inside it. Use it to mix and match source, destination, Preset, level, label, and utility controls in a routing panel you lay out yourself. See Understand Custom Routers for how that shared context, its take behavior, and its control modes work. Folders, popovers, and shared sections can organize the controls. As long as they remain inside the Custom Router, their routing buttons work with the state owned by that Custom Router. A routing button outside it has no Custom Router to operate on. See Build a focused routing panel with Custom Router for a complete example using sources, destinations, Take , Clear Selection , and nested navigation. See Custom Router button types for every button type available there. Routing can change real signal paths. Confirm the permitted sources, destinations, levels, and take behavior before testing the panel against production equipment. Shared Section A Shared Section inserts centrally maintained controls into a position. Choose an existing shared section or select Create New Master to create one. Use it when several positions need the same controls and future updates should be made once. Use an ordinary section when the controls belong only to this position or need to diverge independently. Role Section A Role Section automatically loads the controls and features appropriate to a user's role. It's available on Pro and Enterprise licenses only, because it depends on identity-based section authentication: on other tiers it doesn't appear in the Create... menu. For example, a person can scan an NFC card on a Stream Deck Studio. After Buttons identifies their role, the Role Section presents the controls configured for that role in the same area of the position. This lets several people use the same surface while each receives the features needed for their work. Use a Role Section when controls should follow the person who authenticates rather than remain fixed for the position. Use a regular, shift, or folder section when everyone at the position should see the same controls. See Show different controls by role to set one up. Shortcut: O Test changes safely The editor keeps its runtime state separate from the live position, and layout changes do not become saved configuration until you select Apply . Warning Holding Shift and pressing a button in the editor enters Execute Mode and performs its actions against connected equipment or software. Confirm that the action is safe before testing it. After testing pages, popovers, action steps, or local state in the editor, select Push State to Live only when the live position and its surfaces should adopt that runtime state. Push State to Live does not replace Apply . Where to go next Create your first button , with a harmless action and state feedback. Protect a section only when it has a genuine access or safety requirement. Create a shared section when the same controls are needed in another position.