> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://captivatehelp.newbluelive.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://captivatehelp.newbluelive.com/control-your-show/chapter-index-1/shot-launcher-panel.md).

# Shot Launcher panel

The **Shot Launcher** is a grid of buttons, one per shot, for putting graphics on air with a single click. It’s built for operating rather than building: large targets, no menus to open, no list to scroll.

Press **F9** to show or hide it, or use the **View** menu. On touch-driven shows it’s often the only panel an operator needs — see [Build a Shot Launcher-centered layout](/control-your-show/chapter-index-1/shot-launcher-mode.md).

For what a shot **is** and how to build one, see [Create Shot Layouts](/control-your-show/chapter-index-1/creating-shot-layouts.md).

## Play a shot

Click a tile. The shot goes to air, taking its layers with it. That’s the whole interaction during a show; everything below is setup you do beforehand.

## Add and remove shots

An empty launcher tells you how to start: *"Drop media here or double-click for a new shot"*.

* **Drop media onto the panel** — a video, image, or audio file becomes a shot.
* **Double-click the empty launcher** to create your first shot. This works only while the launcher is empty; once it holds a shot, use the add button.
* **Add button** — creates a new shot, and reports *"Adds a new shot to your project"*. This is how you add shots from then on.
* **Remove button** — removes what you have selected, and reports *"Remove the selected item(s) from your project"*. Right-clicking a tile offers **Delete shot**.
* **Tile size** — the slider in the footer scales the tiles, so you can trade how many fit on screen against how easily they’re hit.

**❗ IMPORTANT**\
Removing a shot removes the item from your project, not just from this panel. It is the same delete the Project List performs.

To put an existing Project List item **inside** a shot, open the configuration panel, right-click the shot’s contents, and choose **Add Existing Item**.

## Edit mode

The **Edit** button shows and hides the configuration panel, where you set a shot’s contents and appearance.

While that panel is open you can choose what clicking a tile does. Open the launcher’s options menu — the filter button at the bottom of the panel, or right-click an empty area of the grid — and choose **Edit Selection Behavior**:

* **Plays** — clicking a shot still puts it on air, so you can check your work as you build.
* **Selects for Editing** — clicking selects the shot without playing it.

**💡 TIP**\
**Shift-click** a tile to do the opposite of your current setting for that one click, opening the configuration panel as it goes. Useful when you’re set to **Plays** and want to edit one shot without airing it.

## Tile appearance

The options menu carries a **Label Display Options** submenu:

* **Show Labels** — puts each shot’s name on its tile.
* **Draw Bottom Aligned** — moves the label to the bottom of the tile.
* **Show Alpha Checkboard** — draws a checkerboard behind the tile image instead of black.

## Reordering

Dragging tiles into a new order is available only when **Sort By** is set to **Project Table Ordering**. Under any other sort, Captivate says so:

*"Reordering shots is only available when the Shot Launcher is organized by project table placement."*

Set **Sort By** to **Project Table Ordering**, drag your tiles, then switch back to the sort you prefer. Grouping tabs can stay on; they don’t affect this.

## Group and filter

On a busy show the launcher can split its shots into tabs — by design-intent tag, by color label, or not at all — and filter what’s shown. Both live in the options menu behind the filter button at the bottom of the panel, alongside **Sort By**.

See [Group and filter the Shot Launcher](https://github.com/NewBlueFX/help-docs/tree/gitbook-test/gitbook/control-your-show/shot-layouts/control-your-show/shot-layouts/creating-shot-layouts.adoc#group-and-filter-the-shot-launcher) for the full set of options.

Two messages explain an empty-looking grid:

* *"No shots are in this group."* — the tab you’re on holds nothing. Pick a different tab, or change how shots are grouped.
* *"Filter settings have hidden all … of your shots."* — a filter is active and nothing matches it. Clear it from the filter button.

The filter button reports its own state: *"Configure sorting and filtering options"* normally, and *"Filtering is enabled…"* while something is being hidden.

## See also

* [Create Shot Layouts](/control-your-show/chapter-index-1/creating-shot-layouts.md) — building shots, and the full grouping and filtering options
* [Build a Shot Launcher-centered layout](/control-your-show/chapter-index-1/shot-launcher-mode.md)
* [Recall Keypad](/control-your-show/chapter-index-1/recall-keypad.md) — the other way to fire an item without hunting for it
* [How Shot Layouts are structured](/control-your-show/chapter-index-1/shot-layouts-data-model.md)


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