grandMA3 export
The export turns your timeline into a grandMA3 macro that builds the show's structure for you. Set the frame rate and offset, choose which cue types to export and where they land, then run the macro once in grandMA3 to scaffold everything but the lighting itself.
By Levyn Schneider, grandMA3 operator and creator of QTracks · Updated June 2026
QTracks exports a grandMA3 macro (XML) that scaffolds your show: it creates a timecode pool, one sequence per exported cue type, and an empty cue plus a timecode event for every marker. It contains no lighting data — you program the looks by hand in grandMA3 after running the macro once. Open the Export panel with Cmd/Ctrl+3.
Export settings
| Setting | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Frame rate | 24, 25, 29.97 drop-frame, 29.97 non-drop, or 30 fps. Must match the frame rate your grandMA3 timecode pool and the show's source use, or cues drift. |
| Timecode offset | An HH:MM:SS:FF offset applied to the track, so your events line up with where the band's SMPTE actually starts. |
| Cues to export | Pick which cue types to include. Each selected cue type becomes its own grandMA3 sequence; the preview shows the sequence ID each one will land on. |
| Sequence pool start | The first sequence ID to use. Cue types fill consecutive IDs from there, so the export drops into an empty range without overwriting existing sequences. |
The Export panel shows a live preview — the number of sequences and timecode events that will be created, and the sequence ID each cue type maps to — so you can confirm the layout before you export.
What the macro creates
- A timecode pool and timecode track for the song.
- One sequence per exported cue type, starting at your chosen sequence pool start.
- An empty cue for every marker, linked from a timecode eventat the marker’s frame.
- No fixture, colour, intensity, or effect data — that stays in grandMA3.
Running the macro in grandMA3
Import the exported macro into grandMA3 and run it once. The console builds the full structure, and your cues sit empty, waiting to be programmed. From there, use QTracks as the timecode playhead while you fill them in. For the exact grandMA3 commands each macro line emits, see the grandMA3 macro reference.
Try it on your next show.
QTracks is free for macOS, Windows, and Linux. No account, no licence key — download it and start programming.