A surface is an interface, such as a hardware panel, browser session, or iPad, attached to a Position. The Position defines the operator workspace; its attached surfaces make that workspace's buttons and displayed state available on the interfaces the operator uses.
This guide follows the shortest hardware path: discover a Stream Deck Studio, adopt it, and attach it to an existing Position. It also explains how to create an iPad or custom browser surface when no discoverable panel is involved.
Select Discovered surfaces at the bottom of the Surfaces list.
Find the panel by its model, hostname, network address, or serial number. A recently discovered device can display a New indicator.
Select the panel.
Select Adopt.
Buttons adds the panel to Surfaces and opens its settings. A discovered device marked Not supported cannot be adopted; do not substitute a different model manually.
You can select and adopt several supported panels together. Adopt → Create Position is useful when the Position does not exist yet, but this guide attaches one panel to the Position you prepared earlier.
In the adopted surface's settings, select Identify.
Confirm that the intended physical panel identifies itself.
Enter a Label that distinguishes the panel by its location or use.
Identification is available only for surface models that support it. If several similar panels were discovered, confirm the physical device before changing its assignment.
Under Assigned to Position, select the Position the surface should use.
Select Save.
The surface is now attached to the Position. Buttons automatically places a newly attached surface on that Position's canvas; open the Position editor when you need to adjust how multiple surfaces are arranged around the same workspace.
Tip
If you want to mount the unit at an angle or upside down, use Device orientation and, on a Stream Deck Studio, Viewing Angle to make its layout match the installation, see Set device orientation and verify button placement.
Browser surfaces are created rather than discovered. Before opening one on another device, configure the packaged Buttons Watchdog to accept network connections:
Warning
All interfaces (0.0.0.0) makes the Editor listen on every network interface. Use it only on a network where access to Buttons is appropriately restricted.
In Buttons Watchdog, open the secondary menu beside Launch Editor UI, then choose Environment Settings.
Set Editor Listen Address to All interfaces (0.0.0.0).
Select Save and restart.
Open Connect → Surface.
Select Add.
Choose iPad Mini, or choose Custom Web View for a browser-based surface with your own grid and button dimensions.
Enter a Label.
For a Custom Web View surface, configure its Grid, button Resolution, Gap, Border Radius, and surface Padding.
Select Create surface.
Under Assigned to Position, choose the Position, then select Save.
Select Open iPad view or Open device web UI. You can also scan the displayed QR code or open the displayed URL on the intended device.
The displayed address uses the Buttons address from your current browser. If it contains localhost, it refers to the device on which the URL is opened and will not reach a Buttons server on another computer. Open Buttons through a server name or IP address reachable from the iPad or browser device before copying the URL or scanning the QR code.
A Custom Web View surface's grid determines how many buttons it displays, while its dimensions and spacing determine how those buttons fit the browser area. Return to the surface settings if the rendered layout does not fit the intended touchscreen.
