> 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/set-up-your-production/chapter-index-3/stinger-setup.md).

# Set up a stinger

A **stinger** is a graphic title — a short animated logo, a branded wipe, a motion graphic with sound — that you promote to act as a transition between live video sources. When triggered, the stinger animates on top of the outgoing source, the source switch happens at a defined moment inside the stinger’s timeline (the **cut point**), and the stinger animates off over the new source.

A stinger is distinct from an FX transition. FX transitions are procedural pixel effects (dissolves, wipes, slides) computed live; stingers are pre-rendered graphic titles with embedded animation and audio. Both appear in the same Switcher dropdowns; the type used depends on which transition you pick. Captivate also offers per-layer FX transitions configured on the layer’s Properties panel — that’s a third, separate mechanism used at design time.

This article covers bringing the graphic into the project, marking it as a transition, **setting the cut point**, and using it from the Switcher, Instant Replay, and Shot Layouts.

## Before you start

* You need a graphic intended to act as a transition. Captivate ships a Stingers folder in the Library; you can also create your own in the [Designer](/design-and-customize-graphics/chapter-index-1/designer-workspace-overview.md).
* For a custom stinger, plan the cut point: the frame at which the underlying source switch should happen. A good cut point is the moment the stinger fully obscures the screen — the cut is invisible because the audience can’t see it.
* Keep stingers short; broadcast practice puts most in the 0.5-2 second range.

## Add the stinger to the project

1. From the Library, drag the stinger graphic into the **Project List**. Stinger graphics ship in the **Stingers** folder; custom graphics can come from any folder.
2. The graphic appears in the Project List like any other title.

At this point the graphic is a regular title, not yet a transition. The next step changes that.

## Mark the graphic as a transition

1. In the Project List, right-click the graphic.
2. Choose **Enable As Transition**.

The graphic is now flagged in the project as a transition. It appears in the Switcher’s Cut Default dropdowns and in the Instant Replay entry/exit transition lists alongside the FX transitions.

To reverse the promotion, right-click and choose **Disable As Transition**. The graphic returns to behaving as a regular title.

## Set the cut point in the Designer

The cut point is the moment within the stinger’s timeline when the source switch happens. Without one, the stinger plays but the switch happens at the timeline boundaries — usually visible to the audience.

1. Open the stinger in the [Designer Timeline](/design-and-customize-graphics/chapter-index-1/designer-timeline-overview.md).
2. Find the marker strip above the layer tracks.
3. Right-click the marker strip at the frame where you want the cut — usually the frame where the stinger fully covers the screen.
4. Choose **Add Transition Midpoint**.

The marker both **flags the title as a transition** and **sets the cut point** at that frame. Drag the marker to move the cut point; save the title.

{% hint style="info" %}
The marker-strip context menu also offers **Add Pause Point**, **Add Fade In Endpoint**, **Add Fade Out Startpoint**, and **Add Custom**. Pause points hold the timeline at a frame until the operator advances; fade endpoints bound animated fades; custom markers are user-named references. Only **Transition Midpoint** sets the stinger cut point.
{% endhint %}

To remove a marker, right-click it directly. The context menu’s first entry is **Delete** followed by the marker’s name (for a Transition Midpoint, that’s **Delete Transition**; for a Custom marker, it’s **Delete** plus the name you gave it).

## Use the stinger as a Switcher transition

1. Switch to the **Live** workspace layout. In the Switcher panel, find the **Cut Default** slots at the bottom right.
2. In one of the slot dropdowns, pick your stinger from the list. Stingers and FX transitions are shown together.
3. Click the slot so it has a blue border — that’s the active transition.
4. Cut between two live video sources. The stinger plays; at the cut point, the underlying source switches; the stinger animates off over the new source.

The stinger fires **immediately** on the cut command. FX transitions wait for any outgoing layer animations to finish before they begin.

## Use the stinger for Instant Replay and Shot Layouts

For **Instant Replay**: in the Switcher panel, click **Instant Replay**. In the **On Replay Start** and **On Replay Stop** dropdowns, pick your stinger. See [Set up Instant Replay](/set-up-your-production/chapter-index-4/instant-replay-configure.md).

For **Shot Layouts**: when a Shot’s background is a live video source, the Shot can carry its own transition. Select the Shot, open the **Shot Properties** tab, set the background, and pick the stinger from the transition dropdown. The stinger plays when the Shot is taken on or off air.

## Stinger audio

Stinger titles can carry embedded audio — the "whoosh" that goes with the wipe. The stinger’s audio plays through the Program mixer bus during the transition. This is one of the visible differences from FX transitions: stingers can include sound design, FX transitions cannot.

The mixer does not show the stinger as a separate channel. To adjust a stinger’s volume, edit the title’s audio in the Designer.

## Edge cases

* **No cut point = bad timing.** A stinger without a **Transition Midpoint** marker still plays, but the source switch happens at the timeline boundaries — usually visible to the audience. Always set the cut point.
* **No on-air preview.** Once the cut is given, the stinger plays through. There is no scrub or preview-while-running.
* **A slot holds one transition.** Stingers and FX transitions don’t stack at the Switcher level. Per-layer FX transitions (set on the layer’s Properties at design time) are a separate mechanism that can still apply to titles while a stinger transitions the source switch.

## Related

* [Set up transitions](/set-up-your-production/chapter-index-3/setting-up-transitions.md) — the broader transitions setup workflow, including FX transitions.
* [The Switcher panel](/set-up-your-production/chapter-index-4/the-switcher-panel.md) — the Cut Default slots that hold the active transition.
* [Set up Instant Replay](/set-up-your-production/chapter-index-4/instant-replay-configure.md) — picking entry and exit stingers for replay.
* [Designer Timeline](/design-and-customize-graphics/chapter-index-1/designer-timeline-overview.md) — where the cut point is set.


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