Data Lists

Data Lists let you load rows of data into a button and cycle through them automatically, updating your graphics one row at a time. They're ideal for player rosters, sponsor rotations, election results, leaderboards, or any scenario where you need to display a series of items sequentially.

How Data Lists work

A Data List is a special button type in Helmo Control. Instead of triggering a single action, it holds a table of data rows and sends them one by one to your connected graphic or integration.

When you run a Data List, Helmo Live:

1. Takes the first row of data
2. Sends it to your connected graphic (Helmo Graphics, Flowics, or any integration)
3. Triggers the IN animation
4. Waits for the duration you set
5. Triggers the OUT animation
6. Moves to the next row and repeats

This continues until all rows have been shown, or you can set it to loop continuously.

Creating a Data List

1. Open Control Builder and select a Control Page
2. Click Add Button and choose the type Data List
3. Give it a name (e.g., "Player Roster" or "Sponsor Rotation")

Adding data

You can populate a Data List from several sources:

• Manual entry: type rows directly in the editor. Great for quick setups or one-off shows.
• CSV / Excel import: upload a .csv or .xlsx file. The first row is used as column headers.
• Google Sheets: connect a Google Sheet and Helmo pulls the data live. Changes to the sheet are reflected automatically.
• REST API: point to any JSON endpoint. Helmo fetches and maps the data.

Each column in your data maps to a field in your graphic. For example, a "Name" column maps to the name text field, a "Title" column maps to the title field, and so on.

Connecting to a graphic

After adding your data:

1. Select the integration the Data List should control (Helmo Graphics, Flowics, etc.)
2. Map columns to fields: tell Helmo which data column goes to which graphic field
3. Set the IN action (how each row appears) and the OUT action (how it exits)

Playback settings

Data Lists give you fine control over how rows are displayed:

• Duration per row: how long each row stays visible (e.g., 5 seconds, 10 seconds)
• Loop: when enabled, the list repeats from the beginning after the last row
• Loop count: set a specific number of loops, or leave it on infinite
• Progress bar: shows a visual indicator of how far through the list you are
• Action Sequences: you can attach a full Action Sequence to each row transition, adding PATCH steps, WAITs, or multi-integration triggers between rows

Operating a Data List

From the Control Client:

1. Tap the Data List button to start playback
2. The list cycles through rows automatically based on your duration settings
3. Use the pause control to hold on the current row
4. Use skip to jump to the next row manually
5. Use stop to end playback and trigger the OUT animation

You can also trigger Data Lists from Helmo Rundown: add a Data List as an Element inside a Story, and it will execute automatically as part of your show flow.

Use cases

• Sports: cycle through a starting lineup with player name, number, and position
• Elections / Voting: show candidate results one by one with vote counts
• Sponsors: rotate sponsor logos and messages during commercial breaks
• Esports: display team rosters, match stats, or tournament brackets
• Church / Events: cycle through announcements, song lyrics, or schedule items
• News: rotate headlines, weather forecasts, or stock tickers

Tips

• Google Sheets as a live source: if you're running a sports broadcast, have a stats operator update the Google Sheet in real time while the Data List cycles on air.
• Action Sequences per row: for maximum impact, attach an Action Sequence that does IN, PATCH all fields, WAIT, OUT for each row. This ensures clean transitions.
• Test with 2-3 rows first: before loading a 50-row roster, test your timing and field mapping with a small dataset.
• Progress bar for producers: enable the progress bar so your control room knows how far through the list you are.