Countdown Timers

Countdown timers display a counting-down value on screen — useful for pre-show countdowns, segment timers, break timers, and game clocks.

Adding a countdown

  1. Add a Countdown source to a slot (tap + → Countdown)
  2. Set the start value (where the countdown begins)
  3. Set the end value (where the countdown stops, usually 0)
  4. Choose the display mode
  5. Position and style the timer

Display modes

Mode Description Example
Timer Displays as MM:SS or HH:MM:SS 05:00, 1:30:00
Whole Numbers Displays as an integer count 300, 90, 5

Timer mode is best for time-based countdowns (e.g., “5 minutes until we go live”). Whole Numbers is useful for generic counts.

Styling

Countdown timers share the same styling properties as text overlays:

Property Description
Font Any installed font
Font size Size in points
Text color RGBA color
Background color RGBA color
Bold / Italic Style options
Uppercase Force uppercase (mainly affects timer mode, e.g., AM/PM)
Corner radius Rounded background corners
Padding Horizontal and vertical padding

Editing a countdown

Tap a countdown source in the grid to open its dedicated editor panel. The editor provides:

  • Time picker — Set start and end values
  • Display mode — Switch between Timer and Whole Numbers
  • Styling controls — Font, size, color, background, padding, corner radius
  • Position and scale — Numeric controls or direct gestures on the preview
  • Progress bar — Toggle a progress bar that appears on the thumbnail during countdown
  • Auto-dismiss — When enabled, the overlay is automatically hidden when the countdown reaches zero
  • Reset Count — Restart the countdown from the start value

Positioning with gestures

When editing a countdown, you can reposition and resize it directly on the preview monitor:

  • Drag — Move the countdown to a new position
  • Pinch — Scale the countdown up or down

The preview shows a checkerboard background behind transparent areas, making it easy to see the overlay boundaries.

Controlling the countdown

  • Restart — Reset and restart the countdown from the start value (or tap Reset Count in the editor)
  • The countdown runs automatically once started
  • When it reaches the end value, it stops (and auto-dismisses if that option is enabled)

OSC control

Countdowns can be created and controlled via OSC:

Creating a countdown:

Address Args Description
/pmix/slot/{n}/countdown float, float Assign countdown (startValue, endValue)
/pmix/slot/{n}/countdown float, float, string With display mode (timer or wholeNumbers)

Controlling a countdown:

Address Args Description
/pmix/countdown/{n}/values float, float Set start and end values
/pmix/countdown/{n}/mode string Set display mode
/pmix/countdown/{n}/restart — Restart the countdown

Styling via OSC:

Address Args Description
/pmix/countdown/{n}/fontSize float Font size
/pmix/countdown/{n}/fontName string Font name
/pmix/countdown/{n}/textColor float x4 RGBA text color
/pmix/countdown/{n}/bgColor float x4 RGBA background color
/pmix/countdown/{n}/position float, float X, Y position (0–1)
/pmix/countdown/{n}/scale float Scale (0.1–10)

Use cases

  • Pre-show countdown — “Going live in 5:00” displayed on a holding slate
  • Segment timer — Track how long a segment has been running
  • Break timer — Show the audience when you’ll be back
  • Game clock — Count down a round or period