Settings
Open Settings with SessionHUD ▸ Settings… (⌘,). It has three tabs: General, Browser & API and Virtual Camera. This page also covers the power buttons and the license. In the app, hover a setting or click its ⓘ for more.
Settings ▸ General
Appearance
System, Light or Dark (the default) — for SessionHUD’s own windows and menus. System follows macOS, including its automatic switch. Each layout keeps the profile you chose for it.
Keep running in the menu bar when quit with ⌘Q
Off by default. On, ⌘Q closes SessionHUD’s windows and its Dock icon and leaves every output running, with SessionHUD in the menu bar; the app menu names it Keep Running in Menu Bar. Choose Open SessionHUD in the menu bar to bring the windows back. To quit, choose Quit SessionHUD in the menu bar or press ⌥⌘Q.
Reading an output
Show sample values until Pro Tools connects (on by default) — lets you judge a layout at full size on its screen before Pro Tools connects. The browser viewer never shows sample values. More about sample values.
When Pro Tools disconnects (Keep Last Values by default) — what every output shows once Pro Tools quits, crashes or drops. Keep Last Values leaves the last values on screen, dimmed, so the take number is still readable. Show Dashes blanks every output and the API instead. Running timecode keeps going either way.
Recording
Read the last take from the record folder (on by default) — shows the last take already in the armed track’s folder before you record. Off, a newly opened session shows a dash until you record a take. More about reading the folder.
Background follows transport
The colors Background follows transport uses, for every output at once. Recording offers Deep Red, Signal Red (the default) and Bright Red; Playing offers Deep Green, Signal Green (the default) and Bright Green. The Bright shades use black text. A preview under the menus shows both.
Solid background while recording or playing (on by default) — draws the red or green at full strength, even on an output whose background opacity is lower. When stopped, the output’s own opacity applies.
Each layout turns Background follows transport on for itself, in the Inspector’s Appearance section (select Appearance at the top of the Elements list), or for a HUD on the camera, in that HUD’s Inspector. The ⓘ beside the heading says the same.
Timecode
Nothing to switch on here; the section shows the Pro Tools setup. In Pro Tools, open Setup ▸ Peripherals ▸ Synchronization and set MTC Generator Port to SessionHUD MTC (under Predefined), then press play. Diagnostics shows the frames as they arrive. See MTC timecode.
Updates
Check for updates automatically is on by default. SessionHUD always asks before installing anything, and the check sends nothing about your Mac, your sessions or your license. The Check for Updates… button under it looks now; the same item is in the SessionHUD menu.
Settings ▸ Browser & API
The browser page and the API share these settings. Turning the page on and off is the Browser power button, not a setting here. More in Features ▸ Browser Viewer and the API reference.
- Layout — the layout the browser page shows.
- Reachable from — Local network (the default) lets a phone, tablet or laptop on the same network open the page and the API. It applies only while the Browser button is on; with it off, the API answers on this Mac only. This Mac only keeps both on this Mac. Changing from This Mac only to Local network asks you to confirm.
- Port — 7373 unless you change it.
- Links — the Page and API addresses, each with a copy button. While the Browser button is off, the Page row says so instead of giving an address.
Settings ▸ Virtual Camera
Setup and day-to-day use are in the Virtual camera guide.
- Install Camera Extension… — shown until the camera is installed. macOS asks you to allow it in System Settings. To take it out again, use Remove Camera Extension… in File ▸ Diagnostics….
- Output format — 720p · 30 fps (the default) or 1080p · 30 fps. A change takes effect once the apps watching the camera let go of it.
- Name in other apps — what Zoom, Teams and other apps call the camera: SessionHUD.
- Standby Mode (on by default) — while the camera is off, an app that still has it open sees the Standby Layout, one of the Full-Screen Display’s layouts. Standby caption (on by default) puts a word of up to 16 characters above it, STANDBY unless you type another. More about Standby.
- Show elements while off (on by default, shown while Standby Mode is off) — keeps the camera layout’s elements over the Camera off card; off, the app sees the card alone.
Once the camera is installed, a Preview shows what apps using it see. The source camera is not chosen here: pick it on the Camera element in the camera’s designer, or in the Camera power button’s menu.
Power buttons
One button per output at the bottom of the main window. ⌃⌘1–⌃⌘4 turn them on and off; ⌘1–⌘4 open an output’s designer without changing what anyone sees. The arrow beside each button, or a right-click on it, opens that output’s menu:
- Layout — which layout the output shows. On the camera this is its Camera Layout, followed by Camera (which camera on the Mac shows the room, or None), Standby Mode and the Standby Layout.
- Display — Full-Screen only: which monitor it fills.
- Click-through — HUD Window only. Clicks pass through the HUD to Pro Tools underneath. Turn it off to drag the HUD. Full-Screen always lets clicks through.
- Show only while recording — HUD Window and Full-Screen. Hides the output between takes.
- Design… opens the output’s designer, and on Browser and Camera, Settings… opens its Settings tab.
Outputs menu
The same power switches are in the Outputs menu, with Turn Off Full-Screen Now (⇧⌘F) while Full-Screen is on. The View menu opens each output’s designer. Help ▸ SessionHUD Help (⌘?) opens this manual.
Elsewhere in the app
The license and the Dock icon are set outside the Settings window.
License
The license is in its own window, SessionHUD ▸ License….
- Moving to another Mac — choose Release This Mac… on the old Mac, then activate the new one with the same serial. A Mac is released from here, not from your account page; the account page revokes a lost or stolen Mac instead (once a year, and it replaces your serial).
- Releasing a Mac that is offline — on a subscription, if Release This Mac… cannot reach the license service, choose Release Offline. SessionHUD removes the license and shows a code; enter it on your account page, from any device, to free the Mac. A perpetual license is released online only: connect the Mac and try again, or, if it can’t go online again, revoke it from your account page.
- Working offline — a perpetual license keeps working offline. A subscription works offline for up to 30 days, and not past the month or year you have paid for (a few days more while a renewal goes through); it warns you in the last seven.
Show Dock Icon
In the status menu, not in Settings. Off, SessionHUD also has no app menus (File, Outputs, View…) at the top of the screen — turn the icon back on from the status menu.
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