NovaStar Kompass FX3: the playback server for irregular screens and live events
Master Kompass FX3: projects, irregular screens, NDI sources, backup Link redundancy, output settings and external control for live event production.
Playback software — live events
Kompass FX3 is NovaStar's Windows playback server built for live-event content, irregular screen shapes and master/backup redundancy.
Kompass FX3 holds a particular place in the NovaStar software lineup: it is not a fleet-management tool for permanent signage like ViPlex Express, but a genuine playback server designed for event control rooms, broadcast sets, concerts and stage designs built on non-rectangular screens. The software runs on Windows and drives video outputs in real time, composed from a wide media library ranging from a simple local file to an NDI stream or a capture card.
Its defining feature is the ability to build irregular screens: unlike a standard rectangular LED matrix, an event installation often takes the shape of an arc, a cross, or a free arrangement of modules. Kompass FX3 provides the tools to declare this geometry, map video layers onto it and check the rendering before doors open. The Link function, with its backup and slave modes, completes the setup by keeping playback running if the main machine fails live.
This tutorial follows the logic of a Kompass FX3 project from installation to external control from a production desk, based on the official V3.10.0 manual. It also introduces Kompass FX3 Pro, the professional tier that adds edge blending, geometry correction, 3D editing and a cue-based timeline, without covering its full interface.
1. Installation and software license management
Kompass FX3 installs on a dedicated Windows playback PC, kept separate from the media-preparation machine whenever the project allows it. The official manual describes a standard installation followed by a software license activation, required to unlock the full set of playback and multi-screen output features.
The license governs the number of available outputs and access to certain advanced modules. On an event project, it is recommended to confirm license activation several days before the on-site build, since an emergency regularisation during load-in delays commissioning of the entire display chain.
- Dedicated Windows PC, isolated from the venue's office network.
- Kompass FX3 software license activated before travelling to site.
- Up-to-date graphics drivers for the cards driving the LED outputs.
Keep a backup copy of the license key on a USB drive separate from the playback PC: in an emergency machine swap, reactivation on site takes only a few minutes.
2. Getting to know the interface
The Kompass FX3 interface is made up of rearrangeable panels: media library, program timeline, output preview and layer properties. The software allows the layout of these panels to change to match the operator's workflow, then lets you lock the interface once the setup is confirmed, preventing accidental panel moves during a live show.
This lock matters at the control desk: an operator moving the mouse quickly during a show can shift a panel without noticing if the interface remains editable. Locking the layout before playback starts is one of the manufacturer's recommended practices.
Test the final interface layout during rehearsals, never after the show has started: a panel hidden mid-show costs the operator valuable time.
3. Creating and managing projects
A Kompass FX3 project groups the output configuration, the media library in use and the associated playback programs. Building a project starts with output editing: the number of video outputs, the resolution of each, then adding further outputs if the installation grows during preparation.
Two scenarios then apply to screen configuration: regular screens, whose geometry is a standard rectangular grid, are configured directly by setting the resolution and the output split; irregular screens, more common in event scenography, require manual construction where each module or display zone is positioned and sized individually before content is applied.
- Output editing: count, resolution and adding further outputs.
- Regular screen configuration for standard rectangular LED grids.
- Irregular screen construction for non-rectangular stage designs.
Any change to the screen geometry after layer mapping has started often forces a review of every layer already positioned: treat screen construction as a locked step before beginning the dressing work.
4. Media library: local, NDI and capture sources
The Kompass FX3 media library covers a far wider range of sources than a simple file player. It groups local files and folders, OSD overlays, digital clocks, sensors, image sequences, media copies used to secure content locally, and dynamic sources: NDI sources, capture cards, web sources, streaming feeds, media collections and control commands.
NDI sources and capture cards are particularly useful in live event control: they let you bring a stage camera, a vision-mixer return or an NDI network feed produced by another workstation straight into a program layer, on the same footing as a local video file.
- NDI sources to bring in a network feed produced by a third-party workstation.
- Capture cards for a physical camera or console input.
- Media copies to secure a critical piece of show content locally.
| Source type | Typical use |
|---|---|
| Local files and folders | Video or image content stored on the playback PC |
| OSD and digital clocks | On-screen overlays, time display |
| Sensors | Feeding measured data into the display |
| Image sequences | Frame-by-frame animation |
| NDI sources | Networked integration of cameras or production workstations |
| Capture cards | Physical video input (camera, mixer, console) |
| Web / streaming sources | Content delivered live from the Internet |
| Control commands | Triggering actions tied to the program |
5. Program and layer editing
Program editing relies on a stack of layers, each with its own properties: playback per screen, cropping, page-turn effects, opacity and colour. These settings let you compose a complex scene, for example a full-screen video topped by a semi-transparent OSD banner and a digital clock in a corner.
The software also handles more specialised settings: transition effects between pages, tabs dedicated to web pages embedded as a layer, audio channel mapping to tie a specific soundtrack to an output, graphics card mapping to spread rendering across several video cards, and scheduled programs to automatically trigger playback at a given time.
- Playback per screen to target a layer at a specific output.
- Cropping and page-turn effects for controlled transitions.
- Audio channel and graphics card mapping for multi-output installations.
- Scheduled programs to automate the trigger of a sequence.
Name every layer after its role rather than a generic number: on a ten-layer-plus program, a colleague picking up the project saves considerable time.
6. Saving and packaging the project
Once the project is finished, Kompass FX3 offers a standard save as well as a packaging function that bundles the project and its associated media into a portable archive. This packaging is especially useful for event production, where the same show sometimes needs to run again on another machine or be handed to a remote technical crew.
Packaging reduces the risk of a missing media file at deployment time: a project opened without its source files shows empty layers, which, in a live control room, means a black screen that is hard to diagnose under pressure.
Always verify the package's integrity on a separate machine before the event day: a missing file discovered during load-in costs far more time than an earlier check in the workshop.
7. Link function: master/backup redundancy
The Link function is one of Kompass FX3's standout features for live events: it connects two instances of the software so a backup machine can take over if the main machine fails during playback. The manual describes three roles for this connection: backup mode, in which the second machine monitors the first and resumes playback on failure, slave mode, in which a machine faithfully follows the commands of the master machine, and disconnection handling, which defines system behaviour when the network link between the two machines is interrupted.
For a high-stakes concert or conference, this redundancy changes the nature of the risk: a hardware failure during playback no longer interrupts the display if the backup has been correctly configured and tested before the event.
- Backup mode: automatic switchover if the main machine fails.
- Slave mode: replication of commands sent by the master machine.
- Disconnection handling: defined behaviour on a network break between the two machines.
Test the Link switchover under real conditions before the event, by deliberately unplugging the network cable: redundancy never tested in practice is a false sense of security.
8. System, output and multi-screen settings
Kompass FX3's system settings cover the general parameters of the playback machine, while output settings adjust the resolution, refresh rate and behaviour of each video output. On a multi-screen installation, these settings must stay consistent across all outputs to avoid any visible mismatch between zones of the same irregular screen.
Audio settings complete the picture: they determine the sound output device used and the mapping between program tracks and the physical channels available on the machine, a point worth checking especially when several speakers or sound zones are spread across the venue.
- Output settings kept consistent across all outputs of the same irregular screen.
- Audio settings matched to the number of physical channels available on the machine.
9. External control from a production desk
Kompass FX3 accepts external control over the network, through a serial port, or from a dedicated application, which allows the software to be integrated into a larger control room driven by a third-party show-control system. This openness is a strong argument for event production companies who need to synchronise LED playback with lighting, sound or a staging console.
Network control suits complex automation triggered from a central control-room computer, while the serial port remains relevant for integrations with older stage equipment that has no network interface.
Document the table of network or serial commands used on each show: a substitute operator picking up the desk mid-tour must be able to quickly match each command to its effect on screen.
10. Transcoding assistant and the Kompass FX3 Pro tier
Kompass FX3 includes a transcoding and encryption assistant that converts media into compatible formats and can protect sensitive content before playback. This tool avoids codec incompatibilities discovered too late, a classic problem in event builds put together under time pressure.
For integrators who need to go further, NovaStar offers Kompass FX3 Pro, a professional edition documented in a separate manual (V2.4.0, November 2025). It adds edge blending to smooth overlaps between several projectors, geometry correction and 3D editing for complex projection surfaces, a timeline with a cue system for precise theatrical sequences, and an EDID Quick Tool to speed up output recognition by connected display devices.
- Transcoding assistant to standardise media formats before playback.
- Encryption of sensitive content built into the same assistant.
- Kompass FX3 Pro: edge blending, geometry correction, 3D editing, cue-based timeline, EDID Quick Tool.
Run your media through the transcoding assistant as soon as it is received rather than the night before the show: batch transcoding in advance avoids a bottleneck during load-in night.
Commissioning procedure
Install the software and activate the license
Install Kompass FX3 on the dedicated playback PC, then activate the software license before travelling to site.
Create the project and edit outputs
Create a new project, set the number and resolution of the video outputs, then add further outputs if needed.
Configure the screen
Configure a regular screen for a standard rectangular grid, or build an irregular screen by positioning each stage-design module.
Populate the media library
Add the local files, NDI sources, capture cards and streaming feeds required for the program.
Build the program layers
Stack the layers, set playback per screen, cropping, opacity and page transition effects.
Configure the Link function
Connect a backup machine, choose backup or slave mode, define behaviour on disconnection and test the switchover.
Save and package the project
Save the project, generate the portable package with its associated media, then verify its integrity on a separate machine.
Enable external control
Configure network, serial-port or dedicated application control to integrate Kompass FX3 into the overall show control room.
Frequently asked questions
Does Kompass FX3 replace ViPlex Express?
No. ViPlex Express manages permanent playback on Taurus-series players, while Kompass FX3 is a Windows playback server built for live events, irregular screens and multi-layer program composition.
Can a live camera feed be brought into Kompass FX3?
Yes, either through an NDI source received over the network or through a capture card connected directly to the playback PC, both available in the media library.
What does the Link function do on failure?
In backup mode, the second machine automatically takes over playback if the main machine fails. In slave mode, it continuously replicates the commands sent by the master machine.
What is the difference with Kompass FX3 Pro?
Kompass FX3 Pro adds advanced professional features: edge blending, geometry correction, 3D editing, a cue-based timeline and an EDID Quick Tool, documented in a separate manual.
How is a project moved to another machine?
Use the project's packaging function, which bundles the project and all associated media into a portable archive, then verify its integrity before deployment.
Can Kompass FX3 be controlled from a third-party desk?
Yes, the software accepts external control over the network, through a serial port, or from a dedicated application, allowing it to be synchronised with a show's lighting or sound.
Official documentation
Related tutorials
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