PROFESSIONAL-GRADE CONFIGURATION – INTUITIVE CONTROL

A Elgato Stream Deck can provide tactile physical control of Aion timecode functions. The built-in integration employs a cross-platform application that manages the USB connection to Elgato Stream Deck hardware and renders dynamic button graphics in real-time. Buttons display live timecode, frame rate, and playback status while responding immediately to physical presses.

SD BRIDGE APPLICATION

The SD Bridge is an autonomous application that:

CONNECTION & DISCOVERY

  • Automatically discovers the Aion timecode server on your network
  • Establishes direct USB connection to Stream Deck hardware
  • Uses SignalR for bi-directional real-time communication with Aion
  • Reconnects automatically if connection is lost

BUTTON RENDERING & UPDATES

  • Renders dynamic button graphics showing live timecode, FPS, and status
  • Updates button displays frame-by-frame in real-time
  • Supports multiple Stream Deck models (Original, MK.2, XL, etc.)
  • Automatically adapts to your screen resolution settings

BUTTON PRESS HANDLING

  • Captures physical button presses instantly
  • Sends commands to Aion (transport, GOTO, rate changes)
  • Includes visual feedback – buttons highlight when pressed
  • Supports all transport and preset functions available in Aion’s UI

ENABLING SD BRIDGE

FROM AION UNIT ITSELF: Activates the pre-installed SD Bridge application running on the embedded system. Stream Deck automatically connects via USB - no additional setup needed.

FROM REMOTE BROWSER/WORKSTATION: Shows the Stream Deck Setup dialog where you can download SD Bridge for your operating system (Windows, macOS, Linux), then run it on your workstation. The bridge app will auto-discover the Aion unit on your network and establish connection)

DISPLAY CONFIGURATION

Display Time Show live timecode on Stream Deck buttons (When enabled, buttons display HH:MM:SS:FF in real-time. Useful for knowing exact position at a glance)

Stream Deck Toggle Enable or disable Stream Deck integration (Toggle on to activate the bridge connection. Different behavior depending on where you’re accessing Aion:

Show Frames Include frame count in timecode display (When enabled, timecode shows all four digits (HH:MM:SS:FF). When disabled, shows only HH:MM:SS. Saves button space on smaller decks)

Background Color behind button text (Default: black. Adjust for visibility based on your Stream Deck lighting)

Foreground Color Text color for timecode and labels (Default: white. Choose high-contrast color for readability)

Brightness Overall brightness of Stream Deck display (Slider 0-100%. Adjust for ambient light conditions in your control room)

BUTTON LAYOUT & FUNCTIONALITY

The bridge automatically creates a professional button layout based on Aion’s current mode:

ELAPSED TIME MODE:

  • Time display buttons (Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Frames)
  • Direction toggle (Elapsed/Countdown)
  • Loop toggle
  • GOTO preset buttons (quick jump to marked timecodes)
  • Transport controls (Play, Pause, Stop)
  • Step forward/backward (configurable increment)

SPEAKER TIMER MODE:

  • Time display buttons
  • Speaker preset buttons (quick selection of timed speakers)
  • Transport controls

BEAT CLOCK MODE:

  • Beat position indicators
  • BPM display and adjustment (+/- buttons)
  • Tap tempo button
  • Play/Stop control

All layouts update in real-time to show current state, active selection, and live timecode.

NETWORK & COMPATIBILITY

DISCOVERY:

  • Uses UDP broadcast and mDNS (Bonjour) to find Aion on your network
  • Works across wired or wireless networks
  • Handles network interruptions gracefully with automatic reconnection

SUPPORTED STREAM DECKS:

  • Elgato Stream Deck (Original, MK.2, +, XL)
  • Automatic detection and layout adaptation based on button count

TYPICAL LIVE EVENT WORKFLOW

Before Show:

  1. Connect Stream Deck to workstation or Aion unit
  2. Enable Stream Deck in Options – bridge auto-launches
  3. Verify buttons show correct timecode and FPS
  4. Test a few button presses (GOTO, Play/Stop)

During Live Event:

  1. Use physical Stream Deck buttons for immediate control
  2. Buttons provide tactile feedback for transport and presets
  3. Live timecode display helps coordinate with other systems
  4. All button presses sync instantly with Aion UI and TSL network

After Show:

  1. Shutdown bridge from Options dialog (or just disconnect Stream Deck)
  2. Bridge can be left running for next event, or shutdown completely