How long an element lasts: for a set time or until the story ends
Durations, clip modes, breathing room and the warnings worth reading when you set how long an element holds the air.
The second question every element answers is how long it holds the air. You set it in the Inspector, under Stays on air.
For a set duration
The element takes itself off air after the length you type. If nobody types one and the element has content, the length is filled in from that content: a clip's own duration, or the chain of clips and field changes inside it. Type over it to set your own.
An element with no declared length and nothing to measure gets a 5-second default.
Until the end of the block
The element stays on air until its story block finishes, and comes off with it, the way a lower third or a score bug holds a whole item. It has no OUT of its own.
Only elements that have something to take off air can hold: graphics overlays from Helmo Graphics, Viz Flowics and Singular.live. An OBS, vMix, CasparCG, MeldStudio or streaming action is fire-and-forget (there is nothing to take down), so those always run for a set time.
Where the time is counted from
Durations are counted from the moment the element goes on air, and starts are counted from the beginning of the story. Both are typed as time (mm:ss), not milliseconds.
Breathing room between clips
An element that carries several clips can have breathing room before each one. Set it once at the end of the element to apply to every piece, or type it on a single clip to override that one.
Breathing room is not dead air: the clip that just ended holds its last frame through it.
How a clip fills its window
Each clip inside an element has a duration mode:
- Fixed: the seconds you type.
- Full length: exactly as long as the file runs.
- Loop: the clip repeats to fill the window. A 15-second sting can cover a two-minute break.
Anything but Loop plays once and then freezes on its last frame.
Two warnings worth reading
- "It never reaches the screen." The element enters at the exact instant its block ends, so it airs for zero seconds. Either give the block a set length, or give the element one of its own.
- "The file actually runs…" The clip's real duration does not match what was loaded. Loaded longer freezes the last frame on air; loaded shorter cuts the clip.
Use the Time toggle in the toolbar to show the scheduled clock next to every segment and story. It is the fastest way to see whether your durations add up to the show you planned.