Showfiles, saving and backups
Saving, opening, exporting, autosave and the backup rotation.
A show lives in a single .lmx file: the patch, groups, palettes, presets,
effects, frequencies, targets, cues, cue lists, faders, scene objects, custom
views and configuration. One file is the whole desk.
Saving and opening
| Menu | Command | Does |
|---|---|---|
| File → New | NEW | Empty show. Offers to save first if there is unsaved work |
| File → Open… | OPEN <path.lmx> | Load a show |
| File → Save | SAVE | Overwrite the current file (Save As if there isn’t one) |
| File → Save As… | SAVEAS <path.lmx> | Write to a new file and make it current |
Saving is atomic: the new file is written and then swapped into place, so an interrupted save cannot leave you with a half-written show.
Exporting parts of a show
File → Export writes a subset to a separate file without changing which file you are working on:
| Export | Command | Contains |
|---|---|---|
| Patch… | SAVE PATCH <path> | The rig only - fixtures, addresses, positions |
| Objects… | SAVE OBJECTS <path> | The stage, trusses and scene objects |
| Without Cues… | SAVE NOCUE <path> | Everything except the cues and cue lists |
SAVEAS <path> PATCH|OBJECTS|NOCUE does the same thing from the command line.
These are how you carry work between shows: the rig from last week’s build, the set design from the venue, or a full programming template with the cue stack stripped out.
Backups
Every save first moves the previous file aside as a timestamped backup beside it:
myshow.lmx
myshow.lmx.20260808T140312Z.bak
myshow.lmx.20260808T141905Z.bak
LMX keeps the most recent 5 by default and prunes the rest:
CONFIG BACKUPS 10
To recover one, rename it back to .lmx and open it.
Autosave
Autosave writes a sidecar file, myshow.lmx.autosave, a few seconds after a
change - it never touches your real showfile. Toggle it with the Autosave
button on the top toolbar or:
CONFIG AUTOSAVE ON|OFF
Two rules the button’s tooltip will remind you of:
- Autosave needs a saved showfile. An unsaved new show has nowhere to put a sidecar; save once first.
- You cannot autosave while working from an autosave. If you recovered from one, Save As to a real file first.
When LMX opens a show and finds a newer autosave beside it, it asks whether to recover. Saving normally deletes the sidecar, because it is no longer news.
Where LMX keeps its own files
| Path | Holds |
|---|---|
~/.lmx/fixture_library.json | Your writable fixture library |
~/.lmx/cli_logs/ | Per-session command-history logs |
~/.lmx/ | Licence and account state |
The factory fixture library ships beside the application and is copied into
~/.lmx/ on first run, so an update to LMX never overwrites your own profiles -
and deleting yours restores the factory one.
Unsaved changes
The window title shows the current file. Show-data edits - patching, storing, editing objects - mark the show dirty; playback actions do not, because running a cue is not a change to the show. New, Open and Exit all offer to save first.