COBRA Show Creator Version 2.3 Release Notes

COBRA Show Creator version 2.3 introduces powerful new tools for building and managing more complex show scripts while reducing repetitive setup work. The new quantity column makes it easier to account for multiple fireworks on a single event, with quantities flowing directly into Event Labels and inventory tracking. Breakout Fireworks expand this further by allowing multiple individual fireworks to be assigned to a single event, making it easier to design cues using fused fireworks or COBRA breakout boards. Version 2.3 also introduces Auto Channel & Cue, which can automatically assign channels and cues across selected events, positions, or an entire show while respecting existing and locked addresses. Along with these major additions, this release includes improvements to export validation, event right click context menu, event editing, performance, and numerous usability fixes that make COBRA Show Creator faster, more flexible, and easier to manage.

Feature Improvements

New Quantity Column

• Quantity Column - The new Quantity column makes it easier to represent events that use more than one of the same firework. Users can enter a quantity directly in the events table, allowing a single event to represent multiple physical fireworks without needing to duplicate the event in the script.
• Inventory Management and Event Labels - Quantities are now used throughout COBRA Show Creator. Inventory Management uses the entered quantity when calculating how many fireworks are required for the show, while Event Labels automatically generate one label for each physical firework represented by the event.
• Quantity Label Placeholders - New Quantity and Quantity Index placeholders are available in the Event Label Designer, making it possible to create labels such as “1 of 3,” “2 of 3,” and “3 of 3.” Quantity is also available within the Report Designer for use in reports and other show documentation.
• Quantity Column Preference - The Quantity column can be hidden through Preferences when it is not being used, keeping the events table streamlined for users who do not need quantity tracking.

Breakout Fireworks

• Multiple Fireworks on a Single Event - Breakout Fireworks allow multiple individual fireworks to be assigned to a single event while sharing the same channel and cue. This is useful when multiple fireworks are fused together or connected through a COBRA breakout board and are intended to fire from the same cue.
• Independent Breakout Properties - Breakout fireworks appear directly beneath their parent event as expandable child rows. Each breakout can have its own firework, quantity, duration, pre-fire, lift time, and pulse, while automatically inheriting the parent event's channel, cue, position, and timing information.
• Quickly Add Breakout Fireworks - Breakout fireworks can be added using the event context menu, a keyboard shortcut, or by dragging a firework from My Fireworks directly onto an event. Multiple selected events can also have the same breakout firework added at once.
• Event Labels and Inventory Management - Breakout Fireworks are fully integrated with Event Labels and Inventory Management. Each breakout generates its own labels based on its quantity, and fireworks linked to My Fireworks are included when calculating inventory usage.
• Custom Breakout Fireworks - Users can also create custom breakout fireworks that are not linked to an existing My Fireworks entry when a one-off firework or configuration is needed.

Auto Channel & Cue

• Automatic Channel & Cue Assignment - The new Auto Channel & Cue feature can automatically assign channels and cues to pyro events, significantly reducing the amount of manual addressing required when building a show.
• Selected Events, Positions, or Entire Show - Auto Channel & Cue can be applied to Selected Events, an entire Position, or the Entire Show. Users can choose the channel to begin addressing from and specify how many cues should be filled on each channel before moving to the next available channel.
• Fill Blanks and Overwrite All Modes - Fill Blanks assigns addresses only to events that do not already have a complete channel and cue, while Overwrite All rebuilds the addresses for the selected scope.
• Defined Position Support - When Defined Positions are being used, Auto Channel & Cue keeps each position grouped onto its own channels. Once all available cues on a channel have been used, addressing automatically continues on the next available channel for that position.
• Existing Address Conflict Detection - Auto Channel & Cue accounts for existing addresses elsewhere in the show and detects situations where multiple positions are already using the same channel. Conflicting channels are identified before changes are applied and are skipped rather than automatically changing existing assignments.
• Script Export Integration - Auto Channel & Cue is also available directly from the script export validation screen when events are missing channels or cues, making it easier to resolve addressing issues before exporting a show.

Channel & Cue Locking

• Lock Channel & Cue - Individual event channel & cues can now be locked to prevent their values from being accidentally changed.
• Locked Address Protection - Locked events display a lock indicator in the Channel and Cue columns and cannot be edited directly. Auto Channel & Cue respects locked events, leaving them unchanged while also reserving their channel and cue so another event cannot be assigned to the same value.
• Clear Channel & Cue - A new Clear Channel & Cue option is available from the event context menu, allowing channels and cues to be quickly removed from one or more selected events. Locked events are automatically skipped when clearing addresses.

Improved Script Export Validation

• Improved Export Error Details - Script export errors have been redesigned to provide more useful information when a show cannot be exported. COBRA Show Creator now groups affected events by the type of error or warning and shows which events need attention.
• Error and Warning Identification - Errors and warnings are visually separated, making it easier to understand what must be corrected before exporting.
• Auto Channel & Cue Access - When events are missing channels or cues, the export window now provides direct access to Auto Channel & Cue, allowing those events to be addressed without first returning to the events table.

Event Table Improvements

• New Event Context Menu Actions - New context-menu actions provide quick access to Auto Channel & Cue, Clear Channel & Cue, Lock Channel & Cue, Set My Firework, and Add Breakout Firework. These actions work with multi-selected events where applicable, making it easier to apply changes across groups of events.
• New Keyboard Shortcuts - Additional keyboard shortcuts have been added for common channel & cue and breakout-firework actions.

Other Changes

• Improved performance when recalculating inventory quantities while saving a show. (EVS-987)

• Added a new Set My Firework option to the Event Table right-click context menu, making it faster to search for and assign a My Firework to an event.

• Improved performance when copying and pasting large numbers of event rows. (EVS-744)
• Added a visible loading indicator while events were being pasted. (EVS-744)
• Fixed selecting and pasting DMX events in shows using firmware version 6.0. (EVS-744)
• Added support for pasting data across multiple Event Table columns. (EVS-153)
• Fixed an issue that could cause a show’s audio track to be removed during saving or offline synchronization. (EVS-1058)
• Improved the Defined Position and Disable Firing Group controls and edit icons.
• Improved performance when adjusting Event Table columns. (EVS-530)
• Added configurable Event Label safe margins and an optional safe-area guide to help keep label content within printable boundaries for Dymo Labels. (EVS-1037)
• Fixed the label template window so its fields remained scrollable and its action buttons stayed visible on smaller screens. (EVS-1037)
• Added support for editing multiple selected Event Table rows at once. (EVS-1142)
• Fixed long audio filenames pushing waveform controls out of view. (EVS-1145)
• Fixed an issue where undoing changes to multiple rows could leave a Defined Position or Disable Firing Group assigned to the selected row.
• Updated recently used Defined Positions and Disable Firing Groups to scroll horizontally instead of wrapping onto multiple lines. (EVS-1157)
• Added support for closing Defined Position and Disable Firing Group popups with the Escape key. (EVS-1164)
• Fixed selected rows being overwritten when a cell was opened and closed without making a change. (EVS-1168)
• Fixed invalid hidden data being added when pasting rows containing an Event Type column. (EVS-1167)
• Validation warnings updated to correctly identify events with calculated times before zero.
• Automatic saves no longer run when no show data had changed, while all unsaved changes—including defined positions—were preserved correctly during conflicts and offline syncing. (EVS-915)
• Audio file selections, changes, and deletions were saved reliably, and editing unrelated audio files no longer changed the current show’s audio. (EVS-1108)
• A loading indicator now shows while audio is loading, preventing the waveform from briefly displaying “No Audio File.” (EVS-1108)
• A new preference allows the waveform to be hidden. (EVS-1131)
• Opening Defined Positions or Disable Firing Groups automatically closes the other popups. (EVS-1127)
• Search bars were added to the Defined Position and Disable Firing Group popups to make options easier to find. (EVS-1126)
• Fixed Offline-sync conflict message not displaying the correct number of locally saved events. (EVS-963) 
• Users are now asked to confirm their show settings before exporting, after export validation is completed. (EVS-1137)
• The maximum waveform zoom was increased 4x, making closely timed events easier to distinguish. (EVS-1132)
• The DMX section was updated to provide an experience consistent with the Fireworks section. (EVS-3)
• API connections were centralized to improve consistency and reliability across environments. (EVS-7) 
• Show events were filtered more efficiently based on the show type, improving performance. (EVS-1061)
• DMX effect descriptions were added to the main DMX Effect Name column in the DMX Effect sidebar. (EVS-5)
• Reports grouped by channel now sort channels 0–9 in the correct order. (EVS-1140)
• Event-label messages were updated to use clearer, more consistent on-screen confirmations and alerts via toasts. (EVS-1139)
• Actions for unlinking fireworks and assigning or removing defined positions and disable firing groups could now be undone reliably. (EVS-1146)
• Each time-shift, firework or DMX placement, and waveform drag now has better undo/redo support. (EVS-1147)
• A new preference allows the pulse event table column to be hidden. (EVS-1175)
• Implemented improvements/fixes for pasting data into the Event Table. (EVS-1167)