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Position Presets

Learn how to create, manage, and use position presets for PTZ cameras in Studio to efficiently navigate through your production setups.

Updated over 2 weeks ago

Position Presets let you save specific camera positions — pan, tilt, and zoom — so you can recall them instantly with a single click. Instead of manually adjusting your camera every time you need a particular shot, you save the position once and jump back to it whenever you need it.

Preset Groups let you organize your presets into named categories. For example, you might create a group called "Wide Shots" and another called "Close-ups," each with its own set of saved positions. Groups appear as tabs above your presets, making it easy to switch between different shot sets during a production.


What You'll Need

  • A PTZ camera (supports at least pan, tilt, or zoom) added to your room and connected.

  • The camera must not be calibrating — you can't add or select presets during calibration.


Position Presets

Adding a Preset

With a group selected, click the + button at the end of the preset list (or use the + dropdown and select "Add preset"). The preset captures your camera's current pan, tilt, and zoom position at the moment you click. A thumbnail is automatically taken from the camera's current view, and a default name is assigned (e.g., "Preset 1").

You can also add a preset using a keyboard shortcut.

If the group has no presets yet, you'll see a placeholder card that says "Add a position preset" — click it to create your first one.

Recalling a Preset

Click on a preset card and the camera moves to that saved position — the exact pan, tilt, and zoom values stored in the preset. You can also recall presets 1 through 10 directly using keyboard shortcuts, which makes switching between shots during a live production much faster.

How You Know a Preset Is Active

When the camera's current position matches a saved preset, that preset card is visually highlighted. The system checks the camera's position roughly once per second, so there's minimal delay in the highlight updating.

After the camera reaches a preset position, the thumbnail automatically refreshes after a few seconds to show the current view.

Renaming a Preset

Right-click on a preset card and select "Rename preset." The name field becomes editable.

Deleting a Preset

Right-click on a preset card and select "Delete preset."

Reordering Presets

Drag and drop preset cards horizontally within a group to rearrange their order.


Preset Groups

Creating a Group

In the bottom tray, click the + button to the right of the group tabs and select "Add preset group." A new group is created with a default name (e.g., "Group 1").

Selecting a Group

Click on a group tab to switch to it. The active group is highlighted with bold text and an underline. You can also use keyboard or controller shortcuts to cycle through groups (next group / previous group).

Renaming a Group

Double-click on a group name to enter edit mode. Type the new name and press Enter to confirm, or Escape to cancel. You can also right-click the group and select "Rename group."

Deleting a Group

Right-click the group name and select "Delete group." A confirmation dialog asks: "Are you sure you want to delete the preset group [name]?" Click "Delete Group" to confirm. When you delete a group, all presets inside it are deleted too. And you can't delete the last remaining group — there must always be at least one.

Reordering Groups

Drag and drop group tabs horizontally to rearrange them in your preferred order.


Limits

What

Limit

Groups per device

10

Presets per group

25

Name length (presets and groups)

30 characters

Minimum groups

1 (last group can't be deleted)


What Happens If…

…you try to add a preset while the camera is calibrating? You'll see a notification: "You cannot add a position preset while the camera is calibrating."

…you try to recall a preset while calibrating? You'll see: "You cannot select a position preset while the camera is calibrating."

…you try to delete the last group? The "Delete group" option is grayed out. There must always be at least one group.

…your camera doesn't support PTZ? You'll see: "The video source you've selected doesn't support this functionality."

…you haven't added a video source? You'll see: "You must first add a video source in order to define position presets."

…a group is deleted? All presets inside it are deleted with the group.

…you select a group that no longer exists? The system automatically falls back to the first available group.

…Auto-Tracking is active and you try to use a keyboard shortcut to recall a preset? If control protection is enabled, preset selection via keyboard is blocked. You'll need to either disable tracking or its control protection first.


Tips and Best Practices

  • Name presets descriptively — "Wide Shot - Stage Left" is much more useful than "Preset 3" during a live production.

  • Group by scene or segment — Create groups for different parts of your show (e.g., "Opening," "Interviews," "Closing") and switch between them as the production progresses.

  • Use keyboard shortcuts for the fastest preset recall during live events. Presets 1–10 in the current group can be recalled directly.

  • Organize presets in sequence of use — drag them into the order you'll need them during the show.

  • Thumbnails update automatically — after recalling a preset, the thumbnail refreshes to show the current camera view. This keeps your preset cards visually accurate.


Troubleshooting

What's happening

Likely cause

What to do

"Doesn't support this functionality"

Camera doesn't support PTZ

Use a PTZ camera, or verify correct brand/model is selected

"Must first add a video source"

No video source selected

Add and select a video source

Can't add or select presets

Camera is calibrating

Wait for calibration to complete

Preset doesn't move the camera

Preset created at same position, or connection issue

Verify the camera is connected. Try moving manually first.

Thumbnail doesn't update

Camera moved away before thumbnail could capture

Recall the preset again and wait a few seconds

Keyboard shortcut doesn't recall preset

Auto-tracking control protection is active

Disable tracking or its control protection


FAQs

What is a position preset? It saves the exact pan, tilt, and zoom position of your camera so you can recall it instantly.

What is a preset group? A named container for organizing presets. You can have up to 10 groups per device, each holding up to 25 presets.

How do I quickly switch presets during a live production? Use keyboard shortcuts for presets 1–10 in the current group. You can also use shortcuts to cycle between groups.

Can I use presets with any camera? Only PTZ cameras with at least one movement axis. Non-PTZ cameras show an unsupported message.

What position gets saved when I create a preset? The camera's current pan, tilt, and zoom at the exact moment you click.

Can I update a preset's saved position? Not directly — this feature isn't available yet. To update, delete the old preset and create a new one at the desired position.

Do thumbnails update automatically? Yes. When you recall a preset and the camera reaches the position, the thumbnail refreshes after a few seconds.

Can I have the same preset in multiple groups? No. Each preset belongs to one group.

What happens to presets when I delete a group? They're deleted along with the group.

How long can preset and group names be? Up to 30 characters.

Do presets save focus or image settings? No — only Pan, Tilt, and Zoom. For image settings, see Image Presets.


Use Cases

  • Live events — Pre-save key camera positions (stage left, stage right, podium, audience) and switch between them instantly.

  • Worship services — Group presets by service segments: "Pre-service," "Worship," "Message," "Closing."

  • Interviews — Save positions for each participant and switch between them with keyboard shortcuts for clean cuts.

  • Multi-camera productions — Use groups to organize presets per scene, then cycle through groups as the show progresses.

  • Setup efficiency — Save your standard camera positions once and recall them at the start of every session.

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