GafferPlot

Plot it.
Patch it.
Fly it.

GafferPlot is lighting-plot software for gaffers, DPs and lighting designers. Draw the plot, patch the DMX, check your rigging load, and export a PDF your rigger can actually use — from a phone, on set.

14-day free trial · no card required

Draw plots
Patch DMX
Rig & load-check
Build stages
Export PDF
How it works

From empty stage to a rigger-ready PDF

Fast on a phone, honest about load, printable when the truck arrives.

01

Draw the plot

Set the room, then drop fixtures from a library with real DMX footprints. Snap them to trusses and they move as a rig.

02

Patch the DMX

Auto-address every fixture across universes, tape the addresses onto the lamps, and export a patch your console reads — including straight to Blackout.

03

Rig & load-check

Draw trusses and pipes, pick your hoists, and GafferPlot checks the load per span and per winch — a first-pass sanity check, not a substitute for your own maths. Need risers? Lay out stage platforms with leg heights and railings, and get the parts list for free.

04

Export to PDF

Plot, equipment list, DMX patch, rigging and stage schedules, cable summary — one clean document, ready to send to crew.

Common questions

Questions

Does GafferPlot cost anything?

Every account starts with a 14-day free trial of everything. After that you can keep a free account — design plots, patch DMX, sync across devices, and one PDF export a day — or upgrade to Pro for unlimited exports, the rigging load-check, the stage platform builder, project file sharing, and every future feature. Pro is €4.99/month or €49.99/year.

Does it work offline?

Yes. Once loaded, the app installs to your home screen and keeps working without a connection — you can plot on location with no signal. Anything you change offline syncs automatically the next time you're online. Exports are never blocked offline.

Do I need an account?

You can explore a read-only sample without one. To create and save your own projects — and to sync them across devices — you sign in with a free account. Google or email; it takes a few seconds.

Can I export to PDF?

Yes. The PDF includes the plot, equipment list, DMX patch, cable summary and — on the trial or Pro — the rigging schedule, all on professional A4 pages, ready to send to crew.

Does it check rigging loads?

Yes. Draw trusses and pipes, hang fixtures on them, choose your hoist type, and GafferPlot checks the load per span and per winch — and won't give you a verdict until you've selected a motor. The load-check is included in the free trial and with Pro. It's a first-pass check; always verify against manufacturer data before rigging.

Can it plan stage decks and risers?

Yes. The Stage view lays out modular platforms on the same plan as your lights — pick a deck size, click to place (decks snap edge-to-edge into clean grids), set leg heights from 20 to 140 cm and add railings per edge. Legs on shared corners are counted once, and the full parts breakdown — platforms, legs, railing metres, weight — appears in the equipment list and the PDF. The stage builder is included in the free trial and with Pro.

Ready to plot?

Start with a 14-day free trial. No card required.

Start free →