Version snapshots and merging
A snapshot is the whole show as it stood at a moment β songs, cues, departments, members, stage positions, lyrics, and sections. LTCast takes them automatically at the points where work is easiest to lose, such as before you switch or create a show, and you can save your own whenever you want a checkpoint you can name.
Opening the snapshot list
Click Version snapshots in the show bar at the top of the window. Snapshots are listed newest first, each with a one-line summary of how many cues, departments, and songs it holds. Turn on Named only to hide the automatic ones.
Saving, comparing, restoring
- Save snapshot β checkpoints the show as it stands. The name is optional, but name the ones you will want to find again: after production meeting, as handed to lighting.
- Compare β shows what changed between a snapshot and the show as it is now, grouped by Songs, Departments, Members, Positions, Cues, Lyrics, Sections, and the transition and status fields. Each entry is marked added, removed, or changed.
- Restore β rolls the show back to that snapshot. Your current show is auto-saved first, so a restore is not a one-way door.
Merging another operator's version
When two people have been working on the same show on different machines, Merge a version at the top of the snapshot dialog brings their file into yours.
- Choose their
.ltcastfile. - Pick the Base β the snapshot you both started from. A three-way merge needs it: without a common ancestor there is no way to tell which side changed what, and LTCast will ask you to save one first.
- Review. Conflicts are counted and can be read By song or By dept. Resolve them in bulk with All mine, All theirs, or Auto, or go through them one at a time with Each.
- Apply.
Songs the other side added or removed are listed for you to handle by hand rather than appearing or disappearing on their own.
Merging only some departments
The merge dialog has an Only depts mode: tick the departments to take from their file, and everything else β other departments, lyrics, sections, the member and position rosters β stays exactly as it is in your copy. This is the mode to use when one person owns lighting and another owns video.
Snapshots protect you from an edit. For protection from a crash or a power cut, see Auto-save and backups; to hand a show to someone else in the first place, see Sharing projects.