In the Video Switcher, Layouts are used to switch and manipulate composite sources during a live production.
A Layout can combine up to four layers plus a background, but from a switching point of view the important part is that the finished Layout becomes a source that can be taken to Program or Preview like any other source.
This allows a Layout to behave as a prepared composite shot. For example, a side-by-side interview, picture-in-picture composition, or presenter-and-graphic arrangement can be built in advance, then cut live as a single source.
Layouts also go further than that. In Mavis Studio, the selection control at the lower right of the Home screen can be used to choose not only Program or Preview, but also a specific Layout layer or Layout background.
This means it is possible to leave a Layout on Program and change one of its internal layers live. For example, a Layout might stay on air while a single layer inside it is changed from one camera input to another.
This is one of the more powerful parts of the switcher. It allows a Layout to behave like a live compositing space rather than just a static preset.
Tally also reflects Layout use. If a Layout is live, the Layout itself shows tally, and the sources being used inside it also show tally. This makes it easier to understand which elements are currently contributing to the live output.