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Workspace Layouts

FXCanvas has a dockable, panel-based interface you can arrange to suit your workflow — then save those arrangements as layout presets and recall them instantly. Layouts even remember panels you've torn off onto a second monitor.

What is a Layout?​

A layout is a saved arrangement of the application's panels. Internally it's organized as:

  • Columns arranged left to right, each taking a proportion of the window width
  • Slots stacked top to bottom within each column, each taking a proportion of the column height
  • Panels docked into slots — multiple panels in one slot appear as tabs

Because positions are stored as proportions rather than fixed pixels, a layout keeps its arrangement when you resize the window or move to a different-resolution display.

Panels can be shown, hidden, dragged to new positions, and docked together from the application menu bar. The main dockable panels include Source Presets, Source Parameters, Effect Presets, Effects Chain, Palettes, Palette Editor, Cues, Output Preview, Output Mapping, Live, BPM Sync, Color, Fixture Mapping, and Log Viewer.

Managing Layouts​

Open Edit → Settings → Layouts. The tab has a list of layouts on the left (built-in and your own) and action buttons on the right.

ButtonAction
ApplyLoad the selected layout (or double-click it in the list)
SaveOverwrite the selected layout with the current window arrangement (user layouts only)
Save AsSave the current arrangement as a new layout
RenameRename a user layout
DeleteDelete a user layout
Set as DefaultLoad the selected layout automatically on startup (Clear Default removes it)

Built-in layouts are read-only — they can't be overwritten, renamed, or deleted. Use Save As to capture your own.

Saving your own layout​

  1. Arrange the panels the way you want them
  2. Open Edit → Settings → Layouts
  3. Click Save As, give the layout a name, and confirm

Your layout appears in the list under your user layouts, ready to apply anytime.

Loading a layout automatically on startup​

Select a layout and click Set as Default. FXCanvas applies it each time it launches. This is the fastest way to always start a session in your preferred working arrangement.

note

Applying a layout opens and docks any panels it references. Panels the layout doesn't mention are left where they are — applying a layout won't close panels you've opened separately.

Multi-Monitor Layouts​

Drag a panel out of the main window to float it, then move it onto a second monitor — useful for putting the Output Preview on a confidence monitor while you work on the main display.

When you Save or Save As, floating panels are stored with their screen position, size, and which monitor they're on. Applying that layout later restores them to the same place, so a two-screen performance setup comes back exactly as you left it.

tip

Save a dedicated performance layout with Output Preview, Live, and Cues prominent (and Output Preview floated to your second screen), and a separate design layout with the parameter and preset panels in reach. Switch between them with a double-click.

Resetting the Layout​

If panels get moved around mid-session, press Ctrl+Shift+L to reset to your current layout (or the default if none is active). This re-applies the arrangement without restarting.

Troubleshooting​

A panel is missing​

  • Re-open it from the application menu bar, or
  • Apply a layout (or press Ctrl+Shift+L) — applying a layout opens any panels it includes

The arrangement looks wrong after resizing​

Layouts use proportional sizing, so panels keep their relative sizes. If a slot looks too small, adjust the dividers and Save the layout to capture the new proportions.

A floating panel didn't return to my second monitor​

If your monitor arrangement changed (a display was disconnected or rearranged), a floating panel may reappear on the primary monitor. Move it back and re-save the layout.