Broadcast banner

Broadcast mode puts an on-air banner in the corner of every map panel: a title, the valid time, the color legend and your logo, styled the way your station or stream looks. This guide covers every banner setting, from the title and fonts to separate cards, drop shadows, a lightning counter and saved looks you can switch between in one click.

20 topics · 24 min read

Download PDFBroadcast guide

Turn on the broadcast bannerCreator

Switch the banner from Default to Broadcast and every map panel gets an on-air header with a title, the valid time and the legend.

Show me in the app
  1. Click Settings on the toolbar.
  2. Click Appearance in the list on the left. The Banner tab is open.
  3. Next to Banner, click Broadcast. Each map panel now shows the banner in its top-left corner.
  4. Pick a Title: Default title, Custom title or Bundle title.
  5. Scroll down to set the Font, Text color, Background color and Header layout. The map and the example at the top update as you go.
  6. Close Settings. Your banner stays on until you switch back to Default.
Settings → Appearance → Banner, with the Default / Broadcast switch and the banner example.
Settings → Appearance → Banner, with the Default / Broadcast switch and the banner example.

Banner mode

Default
The usual map: layout text, legends, the layout watermark and any custom headers. This is the default.
Broadcast
The on-air banner with your title, date, legend and logo. Needs Creator; on other plans it opens an Upgrade to Creator dialog.

Tips

  • Banner mode is separate from the Alert header, Feature popups and NWS ticker tabs. You can use those in either mode.
  • In Default mode the Banner tab shows only the mode switch and Hidden legends. Every other banner setting appears once you pick Broadcast.
  • The example at the top says Switch Banner to Broadcast to show this on maps while you are still in Default mode.

What Broadcast mode changes on the map

The banner takes over the map text, so several Default-mode overlays step aside while it is on.

Each map panel draws its own banner in its top-left corner, 18 px in from the edges. At 100% size the banner is 72% of the panel’s width, and it shrinks to stay inside small panels. It shows that panel’s own layers, valid time and legends.

While the banner is on, these Default-mode overlays are hidden: the layout legend, the model and valid-time text, layer labels, the layout watermark, custom header layers, the viewport min/max readout and the standalone lightning counter.

Tips

  • The sidebar Layout tab is greyed out with Layout is unavailable in Broadcast mode. Layouts saved with bundles, workflows and scene steps are not applied either.
  • Add Layer → Custom Header says Custom headers are unavailable in Broadcast mode. Your custom header layers come back when you switch to Default.
  • The banner hides while a scene step is showing an image or video, and comes back on the next map step.
  • Switching back to Default restores everything. Your banner settings are kept for next time.
Broadcast banner over a GFS 2 m temperature map
A broadcast banner over a GFS 2 m temperature map.
Related guideLayouts and on-map textLayouts and on-map text: the Default-mode way to style map text.

Type a custom title on the map

With Custom title, double-click the banner title and type anything, such as “Futurecast: Saturday Morning”.

  1. In Settings → Appearance → Banner, set Title to Custom title.
  2. Close Settings. An empty custom title shows Double-click to edit title on the banner.
  3. Double-click the title on the banner. A text box opens with the current text selected.
  4. Type your title and press Enter, or click anywhere else, to save it. Press Escape to cancel.
  5. To keep the title with your data, save the bundle or workflow while the custom title is showing.

Shortcuts

Double-click
Edit the custom title on the banner
Enter
Save the title
Shift + Enter
Start a new line
Escape
Cancel without saving

Tips

  • Titles can be up to 160 characters. Long titles wrap to two lines.
  • Each panel keeps its own custom title, so a four-panel board can label each panel. A panel that has no title yet shows the last title you typed.
  • When you save a bundle or workflow in Broadcast mode with Custom title selected, the title is saved with it and comes back when you load it.
  • You can’t edit the title while an alert name is replacing it. Close the alert’s popup first.

Put alert names in the title

Click a warning, hurricane cone or outlook and its name becomes the banner title until you close it.

Settings

Alert name as title
When the Alert header tab is off, clicking an NWS alert, hurricane cone or outlook puts that product’s name in the banner title. Closing the popup brings your title back. On by default for Default title and Bundle title, off for Custom title; picking a title mode resets it to that default. Greyed out while Alert header is on, because that tab controls the title then.

For more control, turn on the Alert header tab and choose Replace banner title. That keeps the banner and swaps its text for the warning name, with your choice of custom text, severity tags and capitals, and it can hide the legend while the alert shows.

Broadcast header over radar for a convective Special Weather Statement
A broadcast header over radar for a convective Special Weather Statement.
Related guideAlert headers, ticker and on-air popupsAlert headers: a separate title pill or a replaced banner title.

Style the title and text

Pick the font, alignment, weight and color for the banner text.

Text

Font
The typeface for the whole banner: title, time and legend names. Lists the built-in fonts plus any you added in Settings → Fonts. Default IBM Plex Sans.
Title align
Left, Center or Right. Default Left.
Title style
Bold (on by default), Italic and All caps for the title.
Title size
Scales the title and source list. 70–160%, default 100%.
Text color
Color for all banner text. Click the swatch for a color picker or type a hex code such as #f8fafc. Default #f8fafc (near white).

Tips

  • Hex fields take #rgb or #rrggbb. Anything else resets that color to its default, so paste a full code.
  • Settings → Appearance → Default font → Apply pushes one font onto the banner, ticker, alert headers and popups at once.
  • Time and date styling has its own row under Date/time style.

Set the size, padding and corners

Scale the whole banner, then fine-tune its padding, rounded corners and outline.

Settings

Banner size
Scales the whole banner. The width stays proportional to the map panel on every screen. 70–135%, default 100%.
Time size
Scales the date and time. 70–160%, default 100%.
Padding
Space inside the header and time box. 60–180%, default 100%.
Corner radius
Rounds the banner corners. 0–28 px, default 12 px. 0 gives square corners.
Border width
Width of the thin outline around the banner. 0–6 px, default 1 px.

Tips

  • Sliders preview on the map while you drag and save when you let go.
  • The banner never grows past the panel. On small panels it is capped to the panel width minus 36 px.

Color the background and gradient

Use a solid fill or a three-color gradient at any angle.

Settings

Background color
The solid fill when the gradient is off, and the start color when it is on. Default #0a101c (deep navy).
Background gradient
On by default. Off uses a solid fill. On shows the angle, midpoint and extra colors below.
Gradient angle
Direction of the gradient. 0° is up and 90° is right. 0–360°, default 145°.
Gradient midpoint
Where the middle color sits between the start and end. 5–95%, default 55%.
Gradient middle color
The middle stop. Default #101828.
Gradient end color
The last stop. Default #0c1220.

Tips

  • On the live map the fill is slightly see-through (about 94%) with a blur behind it. Exported images and videos paint it fully solid.
  • With Separate boxes on, every box uses this fill unless you turn off Use banner fill for that box.

Arrange the time, legend and boxes

Keep the time in the header row, or move it into its own box under the title and choose where the legend goes.

Header layout presets

Classic
Time on the right of the title row, one card, legend underneath. This is the starting layout.
Time below left
Time moves into its own box under the title, sized to the text and aligned left, with separate boxes and the legend below.
Time below full
Like Time below left, but the time box stretches to the header’s width.
Time below right
The time box hugs the text and sits on the right.
Time + legend
The time box and the color bars share one row, with the legend on the right of the time, like a lower third.

A preset sets several of the rows below at once. Change any row afterwards to make your own mix.

Layout rows

Time position
In header keeps the time beside the title (default). Below header moves it into its own row so long titles don’t crowd the clock.
Time align
Below header only. Left (default), Center or Right for the time box, or for the text inside a stretched time box.
Time width
Below header only. Hug text sizes the time box to the text (default). Match header stretches it to the header’s width.
Legend row
Below header only. Below time stacks the color bars under the time (default). Above time puts the bars first. Beside time puts the clock and legend on one row; it is greyed out until Time width is Hug text.
Legend side
Beside time only. Left or Right (default) of the time.
Multiple legends
When two or more color bars are on the banner: Rows stacks them (default), Side by side puts them in one row.
Boxes
Single card draws one banner (default). Separate boxes gives the header, time, legend and lightning counter their own cards, like a stacked on-air look.

Tips

  • Pair Below header with Separate boxes for the classic “title card over time card” look.
  • With Time position set to In header, the time has no box of its own, so Time align, Time width and Legend row are hidden.

Style each card on its own

With Separate boxes, give the header, time, legend and lightning cards their own fill, outline, corners, size and drop shadow.

  1. Set Boxes to Separate boxes. The Box gap and Customize box rows appear.
  2. Under Customize box, pick Header, Time, Legend or Lightning.
  3. Change that card’s settings. Each card keeps its own values.
  4. Pick another card and repeat.
Separate boxes with the Customize box picker and its card settings.
Separate boxes with the Customize box picker and its card settings.

Card size

Box gap
Space between the cards. 0–20 px, default 6 px.
Customize box
Which card the settings below change: Header, Time, Legend or Lightning. Lightning appears only when the lightning counter is on.
Box width
Not shown for Header. Time: Hug text or Match header (the same setting as Time width). Legend: Hug content or Match header (default Match header). Lightning: Hug content (default) or Match header.
Extra width
Adds width beyond the hugged or stretched size. 0–120 px, default 0.
Extra height
Adds height and vertical padding. 0–80 px, default 0.

Card fill, corners and outline

Use banner fill
On by default: the card uses the banner background. Turn it off to give this card its own color.
Box color
The card’s fill, or its gradient start. Default #0a101c.
Box gradient
On by default when the card has its own fill. The angle stays at 145° with the middle color at 55%.
Gradient middle
Middle color of the card gradient. Default #101828.
Gradient end
End color of the card gradient. Default #0c1220.
Use banner corners
On by default: the card uses Corner radius. Turn it off to set Box corners for this card.
Box corners
This card’s corner radius. 0–28 px, default 12 px.
Use banner outline
On by default: the card uses Border width. Turn it off to set Outline width for this card.
Outline width
This card’s outline. 0–6 px, default 1 px.
Outline color
Color of the card outline. Default #ffffff.
Outline opacity
0–100%, default 10%, a faint white edge.

Card drop shadow

Drop shadow
On by default for every card.
Shadow color
Default #000000.
Shadow opacity
0–100%, default 38%.
Shadow offset X
Moves the shadow left or right. −48 to 48 px, default 0.
Shadow offset Y
Moves the shadow up or down. −48 to 48 px, default 14 px.
Shadow blur
Softness. 0–80 px, default 36 px. 0 gives a hard shadow.
Shadow spread
Grows or shrinks the shadow. −24 to 48 px, default 0.

Tips

  • A hard, offset shadow (blur 0, offset X 6, offset Y 6) gives a flat TV-graphics look.
  • Give only the Time card a bright Box color to make the clock pop under a dark header.

Show the valid time and date

The banner clock shows the valid time of the frame on screen. Choose the date format, 12 or 24 hours, and which parts appear.

The clock follows the time slider, so it changes as the loop plays. It uses the time zone picked in the time bar; UTC times end in “z”. When only SPC outlooks are on the map, the banner shows the date without a time, because those are daily products. Monthly climate models show the lead month instead of a clock.

Settings

Date and time
Shows the date and time on the banner. On by default. Off removes the clock entirely.
Date format
MM/DD/YY (08/25/26, default), MM/DD/YYYY (08/25/2026), DD/MM/YY (25/08/26) or DD/MM/YYYY (25/08/2026).
Weekday
Shown while the Weekday part is ticked. Abbreviated (Wed, default) or Full (Wednesday). The weekday follows the app language.
24-hour time
Off by default (10:13 PM). On shows 22:13.
Show in display
Quick buttons Time only, Date only and Full, plus tick boxes for Weekday, Year, Month, Day, Time and Time zone. All are on by default.
Day / date side
After time gives “10:13 PM CDT · Thu” (default). Before time gives “Thu 10:13 PM CDT”.
Date/time style
Bold (on by default), Italic and All caps for the clock.
The banner on the map, with the time zone picker in the time bar that sets its clock.
The banner on the map, with the time zone picker in the time bar that sets its clock.

Tips

  • Change the time zone from the time bar at the bottom of the screen. The banner, the ticker clock and alert-header times in My timezone all follow it.
  • For a model run where only the forecast day matters, click Date only.

Show legends on the banner

The banner draws a color bar for each product on the map. Choose labels, names and placement, or hide some products’ bars entirely.

Banner legends

Show legends
Turns every color bar on the banner on or off. Map legends are not affected. On by default.
Legend labels
Shows numbers on continuous color bars, or words on category legends, like map legends do. Off by default.
Legend numbers
Shown with Legend labels on. Inside legend puts values on the bar (default). Below legend moves them under it so the bar stays clear.
Use full legend names
Full product names such as “2m Temperature” instead of short ones such as “2m Temp.”. Off by default.
Legend name
Where the variable name sits: Left of the bar (default), Right, Above or Below. Above and Below add Left, Center and Right alignment.

Hidden legends

Hidden legends
A block list of products whose color bar never shows on the map legend or the banner, even while the product fills the map. Works in Default mode too, and applies to every bundle. The count of hidden products shows next to the title.
Search variables…
Type a product name to find it, then tick it to hide its legend.
All
Source filters: All, Hidden (only what you hid), Radar, Satellite, Model, MRMS, RTMA, Mesoscale Analysis, Stage IV, NDFD, CRW, CDAS, ARMOR3D, Outlooks and Other.

Tips

  • Hide the legend for a reference layer, such as a temperature contour under radar, so the banner shows only the main product’s bar.
  • Untick a product under the Hidden filter to bring its legend back.

Add a lightning counter

Show a running strike count on the banner, styled to match, whenever lightning is on the map.

  1. Add a lightning layer to the panel and make sure it is visible.
  2. In Settings → Appearance → Banner, turn on Lightning counter.
  3. Pick a Position, Layout and Parts, then style the colors.

Settings

Lightning counter
Shows the strike count on the banner. Off by default. It appears only on panels with a visible lightning layer, and lightning is then left out of the banner title.
Position
In header puts the counter beside the time (default). Below header gives it its own row, or its own card with Separate boxes.
Align
Below header only. Left (default), Center or Right.
Width
Below header only. Hug content (default) or Match header.
Layout
Stacked puts the label under the count (default). Inline keeps them on one line.
Parts
Tick boxes: Icon (on), Label (on), Bold (on), Italic (off) and All caps (on).
Label text
The word after the count. Up to 24 characters, default “strikes”. An empty box goes back to “strikes”.
Size
70–160%, default 100%.
Icon color
The bolt. Default #fbbf24.
Count color
The number. Default #fef3c7.
Label color
The label. Default #fde68a.
Gold pill fill
On by default: the built-in gold pill behind the counter. Turn it off to set your own fill and outline.
Fill color
Pill fill when Gold pill fill is off. Default #facc15.
Fill opacity
0–100%, default 16%.
Outline color
Pill outline. Default #facc15.
Outline opacity
0–100%, default 28%.

In Broadcast mode the standalone on-map lightning counter is hidden. Turn on this banner counter to keep a strike count on screen.

Related guideSatellite and lightningGLM lightning: load lightning and set the time window the counter uses.

Remove the Aguacero logo or watermarkCommercial

Commercial accounts can run a clean banner with no Aguacero branding. Other plans keep the logo or the AGUACEROWX.COM watermark.

Show me in the app

Settings

Show Aguacero logo
Shown when you have not uploaded a logo. On by default. Turning it off needs Commercial.
Show AguaceroWx watermark
Shown once you upload a logo. Draws AGUACEROWX.COM next to the date and time. On by default. Turning it off needs Commercial.
  1. On a Commercial account, open Settings → Appearance → Banner.
  2. Turn off Show Aguacero logo, or Show AguaceroWx watermark if you uploaded a logo.
  3. In Default mode the watermark comes from your layout: open the sidebar Layout tab, then Watermark, and turn off Show watermark.

On other plans these switches open a Commercial feature notice. Click Email us to ask about a commercial account, or Cancel.

Related guideLayouts and on-map textLayouts: the Default-mode watermark and on-map text.

Save banner looks and switch between them

Save the current banner as a named look, build another and swap between them in one click. Here is also where every banner setting is stored.

  1. Style the banner the way you want it.
  2. Under Saved banners, type a name in Name this preset… (it suggests “Banner look”) and click Save current.
  3. Change the banner for another show and save that too.
  4. Click a saved name to apply it. The applied look shows an Active badge.

Saved banners

Save current
Saves everything on the Banner tab except the logo, the logo and watermark switches, and the Default / Broadcast switch. That includes the title mode, custom title, clock, lightning counter, layout, colors and the Hidden legends list.
Update
The save icon on a row overwrites that look with the current settings (tooltip Overwrite with current settings).
Rename
The pencil icon. Press Enter or click Save to keep the new name, or Escape to cancel.
Delete
The trash icon. Asks you to confirm, and can’t be undone.
Reset banner
Reset to defaults restores size, layout, colors, gradient, title, clock, lightning counter and text styles. The logo and Hidden legends list stay as they are.

Saved banners shows only when you are signed in and the banner is in Broadcast mode. You can keep up to 40 looks; saving a 41st removes the one updated longest ago. The list is sorted by name.

Where things are saved: every banner setting, your saved looks, your logo and the Default / Broadcast choice save to your account as you change them, so they follow you to other browsers and the desktop app. A copy is kept in this browser so the banner draws right away on reload. Custom titles also save onto a bundle or workflow when you save it with Custom title on.

Banners on boards, exports and alerts

How the banner behaves with multi-panel boards, image and video exports, alert headers and scenes.

Tips

  • Boards: every map panel gets its own banner with its own title, time and legend. The look is shared across all panels and boards.
  • Exports: images, GIFs, MP4s, scene and tour exports draw the banner as you see it, fully solid, with the same title, time and legend. The layout watermark is not drawn in Broadcast mode.
  • Alert headers: with a Separate header and Hide broadcast banner on, the banner hides while an alert is selected, live and in exports. Replace banner title keeps the banner and swaps only its title.
  • Ticker: the NWS ticker runs across the whole board. Set its Position to Bottom so it doesn’t cover the banners at the top.
  • Canvas aspect: lock the map to 16:9 or 9:16 in Settings → Media export so the banner sits in the same place in every export.
Related guideImages, animations and video exportImages, animations and video export.Related guideScenes, viewpoints and toursScenes, viewpoints and tours: play a show with the banner on.

Recipe: a TV-style forecast banner with stacked cards

A bold custom title card, a bright time card underneath and a full-width legend, like a station’s forecast graphic.

  1. Load a model bundle, for example GFS 2 m temperature.
  2. Open Settings → Appearance → Banner and click Broadcast.
  3. Set Title to Custom title, Title style to Bold and All caps, and Title size to 120%.
  4. Under Header layout, click Time below left.
  5. Turn off Background gradient and set Background color to #0b2545.
  6. Set Corner radius to 4 px and Box gap to 4 px.
  7. Under Customize box, pick Time, turn off Use banner fill and Box gradient, and set Box color to #c2410c, a dark orange that keeps white text readable.
  8. Pick Header, then set Shadow blur to 0, Shadow offset X to 6 and Shadow offset Y to 6 for a hard shadow. Repeat for Time and Legend.
  9. Under Show in display, untick Year and set Weekday to Full.
  10. Turn on Legend labels and set Legend numbers to Below legend.
  11. Close Settings, double-click the title and type “7-DAY TEMPERATURE OUTLOOK”.
  12. Back in Saved banners, name it “Forecast cards” and click Save current.

Recipe: a live radar banner with a strike count

A compact severe-weather banner: radar site and product in the title, time and legend on one row, and a running lightning count.

  1. Load a NEXRAD reflectivity layer and add a lightning layer to the same panel.
  2. In Settings → Appearance → Banner, click Broadcast and keep Title on Default title. The title shows the radar site and product.
  3. Under Header layout, click Time + legend.
  4. Turn on Lightning counter, set Position to In header and Layout to Inline.
  5. Under Show in display, click Time only, so the banner reads like “10:13 PM CDT”.
  6. Set Banner size to 85% so the banner leaves room for the storm.
  7. Open the Alert header tab, turn it on and choose Replace banner title, so clicking a warning puts its name in the title.
  8. Save it under Saved banners as “Severe radar”.
Related guideAlert headers, ticker and on-air popupsAdd the ticker and on-air popups for a full severe weather wall.

Common questions

Answers to the questions we hear most about the broadcast banner.

Why does clicking Broadcast open an upgrade window?

Broadcast mode needs Creator. Commercial, Lifetime, Partner and University accounts include it. If your plan lapses, the banner switches back to Default until you renew; your settings are kept.

I turned on Broadcast but I don’t see a banner. Why?

Check that you are on a desktop-sized screen; phones don’t draw the banner. It also hides while a scene step shows an image or video, and while a separate alert header is showing with Hide broadcast banner on. Close the alert’s popup to bring it back.

Why is the Layout tab greyed out?

The banner replaces the layout’s map text in Broadcast mode, so the tab shows Layout is unavailable in Broadcast mode. Switch Banner back to Default to edit layouts.

Where did my custom headers, legend and valid-time text go?

Broadcast mode hides custom header layers, the layout legend, map text, layer labels and the layout watermark. They come back when you switch to Default.

Why does my banner say “No data”?

Nothing visible is on that panel, or every visible layer is set to Not in title. Turn a layer on, or click Not in title on its card to include it again.

Why can’t I double-click the title to edit it?

Editing works only with Title set to Custom title, and not while an alert name is replacing the title. Close the alert popup and try again.

My custom title changed when I loaded a bundle. Why?

Custom titles are saved per bundle and workflow. Load the bundle, type its title, and save the bundle again with Custom title on. Bundles without a saved title show the last title you typed.

Why can’t I turn off the Aguacero logo or the watermark?

Removing Aguacero branding needs a Commercial account. On other plans the switch opens a Commercial feature notice with an Email us button.

What logo files can I upload?

PNG only, 8 MB or smaller. Other files show Only PNG images are supported. and larger ones show PNG must be 8MB or smaller. You must be signed in.

Why isn’t the lightning counter showing?

The counter appears only on panels with a visible lightning layer, and only after you turn on Lightning counter on the Banner tab. The standalone map counter is hidden in Broadcast mode.

Why is Beside time greyed out?

The legend can sit beside the clock only when the time box hugs its text. Set Time width to Hug text.

Why is there no time on my banner?

Check that Date and time is on and Time is ticked under Show in display. When only SPC outlooks are on the map, the banner shows the date only.

I typed a color and it jumped back to the default. Why?

The color boxes take hex codes only, such as #1e3a8a or #fff. Anything else resets that color. Click the swatch to use the color picker instead.

Why does the banner look more solid in my exported video?

On screen the banner is slightly see-through with a blur behind it. Exports paint it fully solid so it reads cleanly on any background.

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