The canvas & button indicators
Every button's stack of elements sits on top of a special Canvas layer, right at the bottom of the elements list. Unlike the other elements, the Canvas is always present and can't be deleted or reordered — it's the surface your design is drawn onto, and it controls the "chrome" around the button: the topbar and the status icons.
Don't confuse the Canvas with the Background element. The Background is just an ordinary Box that new buttons start with, sitting just above the Canvas — you can recolour, move or delete it like any other element. The Canvas is the fixed layer underneath it.
Decoration (the topbar)
Select the Canvas layer and you'll find a Decoration dropdown. This controls the bar along the top of the button:
- Follow default — use the global setting from Settings. This is the default, so you can flip the topbar on or off everywhere from one place.
- Top bar — always show the topbar. The topbar shows the button's location (page/row/column) and, for multi-step buttons, the current step.
- Border when pressed — hide the topbar, but draw a coloured border around the button while it's pressed, so you still get visual confirmation of a press.
- None — no topbar and no pressed border.
The topbar takes up space at the top of the button. If you're placing an image or text right to the edges, turning the topbar off (here or globally) gives you the full button area to work with.
While a button is held down it shows a pressed appearance — the topbar fills with colour (in Top bar mode) or a coloured border is drawn (in Border when pressed mode). This is normally brief, but it stays on if a button is pressed without being released — for example if an action used Button Trigger Press without a matching Button Trigger Release.
Status icons
The Show status icons dropdown controls the small icons drawn in the top-right corner:
- Follow default — use the global setting.
- Show all — always show the status icons.
- None — never show them.
These icons tell you, at a glance, when something needs attention. You'll see them appear automatically:
| Indicator | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Red triangle | One or more connections used by this button's actions are in an error state. |
| Orange triangle | A connection used by this button is in a warning state. |
| Green play arrow | Actions on this button are currently running or queued — for example a delayed sequence from an internal: Wait action or a Sequential Action Group. |
Empty buttons
A button with no actions and no elements is drawn in a muted grey style. This is just Companion's way of showing the button is empty and available — as soon as you add an element or an action it draws normally.