Software

Compose

The Electron desktop app for authoring shows. The only tool that writes nodes.json. Run offline on a laptop — no Helm needed — and export when you're ready to upload.

Electron Windows + macOS Offline-first Mock simulator
Download Compose Read the Docs
Compose — Eastside Maze.compose
Project
▼ Buildings (3)
Queue
Maze
Finale
▼ Nodes (12)
▶ Groups (5)
▶ Sequences (8)
▶ Schedules (3)
"sequences": [{
  "id": "kitchen-scare",
  "loop": false,
  "steps": [
    { "delayMs": 0,    "node": "012", "ch": 1 },
    { "delayMs": 0,    "group": "uplights" },
    { "delayMs": 8000, "node": "013", "ch": 1 },
    { "delayMs": 10500,"node": "012", "ch": 2 },
    { "delayMs": 11800,"node": "015", "ch": 1 }
  ]
}]
✓ Schema valid · 12 nodes · 64 channels
What it does

Author the Show on a Laptop. Anywhere.

Compose is offline-first by design. It never talks to a Helm. Show designers work on planes, in coffee shops, on long flights to install sites. Validate locally. Simulate with mock mode. Export when ready.

Visual Editor

Add buildings, drop in nodes, configure channels, build groups, sequence steps. Every nodes.json field exposed as a labeled form input.

Mock-Mode Simulator

Press play and watch the timeline run with a visual playhead. Every trigger logs as if it were going to a real node. Cooldowns enforced.

Schema Validation

Compose blocks export on invalid configurations. Duplicate IPs, missing channels, broken group references, invalid cron — caught before they reach Helm.

Project Bundles

Compose projects are a folder: nodes.json plus media files, plus an editor history. Version-control the folder. Diff between revisions.

Media Upload

For Polaris A and V channels, drop in audio/video files. Compose stages them for upload to node flash during the next OTA flash window.

Three Export Paths

File save for hand-delivery. USB drive export for walking it to Helm. Direct POST /api/config to Cuemaster when you're on TrueNorth.

The workflow

From Blank Project to Production File.

1

New Project

Compose creates a starter nodes.json with venue name, timezone, empty arrays, and a sample bootSequence pointer.

2

Author

Add buildings, then nodes inside them, then channels on each node. Define groups for reusable target bundles. Build sequences. Wire up schedules.

3

Simulate

Hit play. Watch the timeline. Catch a cooldown violation on step 14 before it ships. Iterate.

4

Export

File → Export Show. Compose validates one more time, refuses if invalid, writes nodes.json. Hand it to the venue tech or upload it directly.

Validation up front

Schema Errors Caught Before They Reach a Venue.

The most expensive bug is one that lands at a live venue. Compose blocks export on every known schema error — so the only thing reaching Helm is a config that already passed the same validation HelmOS will run.

  • Duplicate node IDs or IPs
  • Channels referenced by sequences that do not exist
  • Groups referenced by sequences that do not exist
  • pulseMs > cooldownMs
  • Sequence step delayMs not monotonically non-decreasing
  • Invalid cron expressions
  • Media files referenced but not in the project bundle
  • Node IPs outside 10.0.0.0/24
▸ Validating project…

✗ PULSE_EXCEEDS_COOLDOWN
  at nodes.002.channels.4
  pulseMs (5000) > cooldownMs (2000)

✗ CHANNEL_NOT_FOUND
  at sequences.intro.steps[3]
  node 003 has no channel 7

  Fix these two issues before export

// after fix:

✓ Schema valid
  12 nodes · 64 channels · 8 sequences
  3 schedules · 5 groups · ready to ship
Cross-platform

Native Installers for Windows and macOS.

WindowsCompose-Setup-1.0.0.exe — Windows 10 64-bit or later
macOSCompose-1.0.0.dmg — macOS 12 Monterey or later, universal Intel + Apple Silicon
RuntimeElectron — Chromium + Node.js bundled
Install size~92 MB
Storage per projectVariable — nodes.json is small, media files dominate
Internet requiredNo — fully offline after install
Auto-updateManual download from downloads

Author your first show.

Compose is a free download. Start a new project, drop in a sample nodes.json from our downloads page, and you're authoring in under five minutes.

Download Compose Show Designer Training