fix(timer): address review findings on the group timer

- keep the pending and none phases when showing the group timer. These describe the playback state rather than a threshold, so collapsing them made roll standby render as a running countdown and silently dropped user styling keyed on the phase - only show the group indicator for timer types which render the running timer. It was labelling the wall clock, and the invisible display of the none timer type, as a group - accept useGroupTimer in the MCP group patch. It was documented in the group shape but dropped on write, which reported success without applying the change - narrow the timer preview tooltip, which claimed all views follow the group timer when only the timer views do Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01Kniqs443KUNCRABwVJwT7K
refactor(runtime): derive the group timer on the server
2026-08-18 13:44:12 +00:00 · 2026-08-07 19:32:16 +00:00 · 2026-07-26 15:46:58 +00:00 · 2026-07-26 06:24:15 +00:00 · 2026-07-25 14:28:45 +02:00 · 2026-07-25 14:28:45 +02:00
48 changed files with 1326 additions and 144 deletions
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 .wide {
  top: 4vh;
  min-width: min(1280px, 96vw);
-  max-width: min(1600px, 96vw);
+  max-width: min(1800px, 98vw);
  height: 88vh;
  max-height: 88vh;
  display: flex;
@@ -154,6 +154,9 @@ export const useTimer = createSelector((state: RuntimeStore) => ({
  ...state.timer,
 }));

+/** Shared timer for the running group, null unless the group opted in */
+export const useGroupTimer = createSelector((state: RuntimeStore) => state.groupTimer);
+
 export const useNextFlag = createSelector((state: RuntimeStore) => ({
  id: state.eventFlag?.id ?? null,
  expectedStart: state.offset.expectedFlagStart,
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import {
  MILLIS_PER_SECOND,
  dayInMs,
  formatFromMillis,
+  getExpectedEnd,
  getExpectedStart,
 } from 'ontime-utils';

@@ -186,15 +187,13 @@ export function getExpectedTimesFromExtendedEvent(
      ...state,
    },
  );
-
+  const expectedEnd = getExpectedEnd(event, expectedStart, state.currentDay);
  const plannedEnd = event.timeStart + event.duration + event.delay;

  return {
    expectedStart,
    timeToStart: expectedStart - state.clock,
-    expectedEnd: event.countToEnd
-      ? Math.max(expectedStart + event.duration, plannedEnd)
-      : expectedStart + event.duration,
+    expectedEnd,
    plannedEnd,
  };
 }
@@ -25,6 +25,13 @@
  margin-top: 1rem;
 }

+.finishActions {
+  display: flex;
+  flex-wrap: wrap;
+  justify-content: center;
+  gap: 0.5rem;
+}
+
 .sourceGrid {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: repeat(2, minmax(0, 1fr));
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import type {
 import { getErrorMessage, ImportMap } from 'ontime-utils';
 import { ChangeEvent, useCallback, useRef, useState } from 'react';
 import { IoCloudOutline, IoDownloadOutline } from 'react-icons/io5';
+import { useNavigate } from 'react-router';

 import {
  getWorksheetMetadata as getExcelWorksheetMetadata,
@@ -56,9 +57,11 @@ export default function SourcesPanel() {
  const [error, setError] = useState('');
  const [hasFile, setHasFile] = useState<'none' | 'loading' | 'done'>('none');
  const [activeSource, setActiveSource] = useState<ActiveSource | null>(null);
+  const [completedRundownTitle, setCompletedRundownTitle] = useState('');

  const { data: currentRundown } = useRundown();
  const { applyImport } = useSpreadsheetImport();
+  const navigate = useNavigate();

  const fileInputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null);

@@ -101,6 +104,7 @@ export default function SourcesPanel() {
    setHasFile('none');
    setActiveSource(null);
    setError('');
+    setCompletedRundownTitle('');
  };

  const openGSheetFlow = () => {
@@ -123,11 +127,12 @@ export default function SourcesPanel() {
    }
  };

-  const handleFinished = () => {
+  const handleFinished = (rundownTitle: string) => {
    setImportFlow('finished');
    setHasFile('none');
    setActiveSource(null);
    setError('');
+    setCompletedRundownTitle(rundownTitle);
  };

  const handleApplyImport = async (
@@ -139,7 +144,7 @@ export default function SourcesPanel() {
    if (mode === 'new') {
      const title = newRundownTitle.trim() || preview.rundown.title;
      await applyImport({ mode: 'new', rundown: { ...preview.rundown, title }, customFields: preview.customFields });
-      handleFinished();
+      handleFinished(title);
      return;
    }

@@ -156,7 +161,7 @@ export default function SourcesPanel() {
      customFields: preview.customFields,
      providedFields,
    });
-    handleFinished();
+    handleFinished(currentRundown.title);
  };

  const loadWorksheetMetadata = useCallback(
@@ -289,11 +294,20 @@ export default function SourcesPanel() {
        {showCompleted && (
          <div className={style.finishSection}>
            <span className={style.finishBadge}>Import complete</span>
-            <div className={style.finishTitle}>Spreadsheet data applied.</div>
-            <div className={style.finishDescription}>You can close this flow or start another import.</div>
-            <Button variant='subtle-white' onClick={resetFlow}>
-              Reset flow
-            </Button>
+            <div className={style.finishTitle}>
+              Spreadsheet data applied to {completedRundownTitle || 'your rundown'}.
+            </div>
+            <div className={style.finishDescription}>
+              Review the imported rundown in the editor or start another import.
+            </div>
+            <div className={style.finishActions}>
+              <Button variant='primary' onClick={() => navigate('/editor')}>
+                Open editor
+              </Button>
+              <Button variant='subtle-white' onClick={resetFlow}>
+                Import another
+              </Button>
+            </div>
          </div>
        )}
        {isGSheetFlow && (
@@ -92,6 +92,10 @@
  font-weight: 600;
 }

+.toolbarWarning {
+  color: $orange-400;
+}
+
 .mappingPaneTitle {
  align-self: center;
 }
@@ -132,7 +132,16 @@ export default function SheetImportEditor({
            }
          />
        </label>
-        {toolbarStatus && <Panel.Description>{toolbarStatus}</Panel.Description>}
+        {toolbarStatus && (
+          <Panel.Description>
+            {toolbarStatus.entries === '–'
+              ? 'No import preview yet'
+              : `${toolbarStatus.entries} entries · ${toolbarStatus.groups} groups · ${toolbarStatus.milestones} milestones · ${toolbarStatus.start}–${toolbarStatus.end} · ${toolbarStatus.duration}`}
+            {toolbarStatus.warnings > 0 && (
+              <span className={style.toolbarWarning}> · {toolbarStatus.warnings} warnings</span>
+            )}
+          </Panel.Description>
+        )}
      </Panel.InlineElements>

      <div className={style.editorBody}>
@@ -150,13 +159,19 @@ export default function SheetImportEditor({

        <section className={style.previewPane}>
          <div className={style.previewPaneHeader}>
-            <span className={style.previewPaneTitle}>Import preview</span>
+            <div className={style.previewPaneHeading}>
+              <span className={style.previewPaneTitle}>Import preview</span>
+            </div>
          </div>
          <div className={style.tableShell}>
            <PreviewTable
              preview={state.preview}
              columnLabels={columnLabels}
+              canRefresh={canPreview}
              isLoadingMetadata={isLoadingMetadata}
+              isRefreshing={state.loading === 'preview'}
+              needsPreviewRefresh={state.needsPreviewRefresh}
+              onRefresh={handlePreviewSubmit}
              worksheetHeaders={worksheetHeaders}
            />
          </div>
@@ -1,27 +1,35 @@
 .emptyState {
-  height: 100%;
-  min-height: 16rem;
-  display: grid;
-  place-content: center;
-  gap: 0.35rem;
-  padding: 1.5rem;
+  padding: 3rem 1.5rem;
  text-align: center;
 }

+.emptyMessage {
+  width: min(30rem, 100%);
+  margin-inline: auto;
+}
+
 .emptyTitle {
-  color: $ui-white;
-  font-size: 1rem;
-  font-weight: 600;
+  margin-bottom: 0.25rem;
+  color: rgba($gray-200, 0.72);
+  font-size: calc(1rem + 2px);
+  font-weight: 400;
 }

 .emptyBody {
-  color: $gray-400;
-  font-size: 0.95rem;
+  color: rgba($gray-200, 0.55);
+  font-size: calc(1rem - 3px);
+  line-height: 1.5;
+}
+
+.emptyAction {
+  margin: 1rem auto 0;
 }

 .table {
  width: 100%;
-  border-collapse: collapse;
+  border-collapse: separate;
+  border-spacing: 0;
+  color: $ui-white;
  font-size: calc(1rem - 2px);
  text-align: left;
  table-layout: auto;
@@ -34,31 +42,101 @@
  }

  th {
-    font-weight: 400;
-    color: $gray-400;
-    text-transform: capitalize;
-    vertical-align: top;
+    color: $gray-300;
+    font-size: 0.8rem;
+    font-weight: 600;
+    letter-spacing: 0.02em;
+    text-transform: uppercase;
+    vertical-align: bottom;
    white-space: normal;
  }

  th,
  td {
-    padding: 0.5rem;
+    box-sizing: border-box;
    min-width: 8rem;
-    vertical-align: top;
+    max-width: 20rem;
+    padding: 0.55rem 0.65rem;
+    border-bottom: 1px solid $white-10;
+    overflow: hidden;
+    text-overflow: ellipsis;
+    vertical-align: middle;
+    white-space: nowrap;
  }

-  tr:nth-child(even) {
-    background-color: $white-1;
+  tbody tr {
+    --entry-colour: transparent;
+    background-color: color-mix(in srgb, $gray-1300 96%, var(--entry-colour) 4%);
+    box-shadow: inset 3px 0 var(--entry-colour);
  }
+
+  td[data-empty='true'] {
+    color: $gray-600;
+  }
+}
+
+.rowNumber,
+.rowType {
+  position: sticky;
+  z-index: 1;
+  background-color: inherit;
 }

 .rowNumber {
-  width: 4.5rem;
-  min-width: 4.5rem;
+  left: 0;
+  width: 3.25rem;
+  min-width: 3.25rem !important;
+  color: $gray-400;
+  text-align: right;
 }

 .rowType {
-  width: 7rem;
-  min-width: 7rem;
+  left: 3.25rem;
+  width: 6.25rem;
+  min-width: 6.25rem !important;
+  color: $gray-400;
+  font-size: 0.8rem;
+  box-shadow: 1px 0 $white-10;
+}
+
+thead .rowNumber,
+thead .rowType {
+  z-index: 2;
+  background-color: $gray-1350;
+}
+
+.numericCell {
+  font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;
+  text-align: right;
+}
+
+.multilineCell {
+  max-width: 30rem !important;
+  overflow-wrap: anywhere;
+  text-overflow: clip !important;
+  white-space: pre-wrap !important;
+}
+
+.eventRow {
+  .rowNumber {
+    font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;
+  }
+}
+
+.groupRow {
+  background-color: color-mix(in srgb, $gray-1300 88%, var(--entry-colour) 12%) !important;
+  box-shadow: inset 4px 0 var(--entry-colour) !important;
+  font-weight: 600;
+
+  td {
+    min-height: 3.25rem;
+    border-top: 0.75rem solid $gray-1350;
+  }
+}
+
+.milestoneRow {
+  background-color: color-mix(in srgb, $gray-1300 93%, var(--entry-colour) 7%) !important;
+  box-shadow: inset 3px 0 var(--entry-colour) !important;
+  color: $gray-300;
+  font-style: italic;
 }
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
 import type { CustomField, CustomFieldKey, SpreadsheetPreviewResponse } from 'ontime-types';
-import { isOntimeEvent, isOntimeGroup, isOntimeMilestone } from 'ontime-types';
+import { isOntimeDelay, isOntimeEvent, isOntimeGroup, isOntimeMilestone } from 'ontime-types';
+import type { CSSProperties } from 'react';
 import { useMemo } from 'react';

+import Button from '../../../../../../../common/components/buttons/Button';
+import Tag from '../../../../../../../common/components/tag/Tag';
+import { getRundownMetadata } from '../../../../../../../common/utils/rundownMetadata';
 import { getCellValue } from './previewTableUtils';

 import style from './PreviewTable.module.scss';
@@ -9,14 +13,85 @@ import style from './PreviewTable.module.scss';
 interface PreviewTableProps {
  preview: SpreadsheetPreviewResponse | null;
  columnLabels: string[];
+  canRefresh: boolean;
  isLoadingMetadata: boolean;
+  isRefreshing: boolean;
+  needsPreviewRefresh: boolean;
+  onRefresh: () => void;
  worksheetHeaders: string[];
 }

+const priorityColumns = ['Title', 'Cue', 'Start', 'End', 'Duration'];
+const numericColumns = new Set(['Start', 'End', 'Duration', 'Time warning', 'Time danger']);
+const transparentColour = 'transparent';
+
+type PreviewEntry = SpreadsheetPreviewResponse['rundown']['entries'][string];
+
+function getEntryDisplay(entry: PreviewEntry, groupColour?: string) {
+  if (isOntimeGroup(entry)) {
+    return {
+      rowClassName: style.groupRow,
+      entryColour: entry.colour,
+      entryType: 'Group',
+    };
+  }
+
+  const entryColour = groupColour ?? transparentColour;
+
+  if (isOntimeMilestone(entry)) {
+    return {
+      rowClassName: style.milestoneRow,
+      entryColour,
+      entryType: 'Milestone',
+    };
+  }
+
+  if (isOntimeDelay(entry)) {
+    return {
+      rowClassName: style.eventRow,
+      entryColour,
+      entryType: 'Delay',
+    };
+  }
+
+  return {
+    rowClassName: style.eventRow,
+    entryColour,
+    entryType: 'Event',
+  };
+}
+
+function getCellClassName(label: string, value: string) {
+  if (value.includes('\n')) {
+    return style.multilineCell;
+  }
+
+  if (numericColumns.has(label)) {
+    return style.numericCell;
+  }
+
+  return undefined;
+}
+
+function getDisplayColumns(columnLabels: string[]) {
+  return [...columnLabels].sort((left, right) => {
+    const leftPriority = priorityColumns.indexOf(left);
+    const rightPriority = priorityColumns.indexOf(right);
+    return (
+      (leftPriority === -1 ? priorityColumns.length : leftPriority) -
+      (rightPriority === -1 ? priorityColumns.length : rightPriority)
+    );
+  });
+}
+
 export default function PreviewTable({
  preview,
  columnLabels,
+  canRefresh,
  isLoadingMetadata,
+  isRefreshing,
+  needsPreviewRefresh,
+  onRefresh,
  worksheetHeaders,
 }: PreviewTableProps) {
  const customFieldKeyByLabel = useMemo(() => {
@@ -24,33 +99,57 @@ export default function PreviewTable({
    return new Map(Object.entries(preview.customFields).map(([fieldId, field]) => [field.label, fieldId]));
  }, [preview]);

+  const displayColumns = useMemo(() => getDisplayColumns(columnLabels), [columnLabels]);
+
+  const previewMetadata = useMemo(() => {
+    if (!preview) return null;
+    return getRundownMetadata(preview.rundown, null);
+  }, [preview]);
+
  if (!preview) {
+    let emptyTitle = 'Preview not generated';
    let emptyContent = 'Select the fields you want to import, then click Preview import.';

    if (isLoadingMetadata) {
+      emptyTitle = 'Loading worksheet';
      emptyContent = 'Loading worksheet metadata...';
    } else if (worksheetHeaders.length === 0) {
+      emptyTitle = 'No headers found';
      emptyContent =
        'No column headers detected in this worksheet. Try a different worksheet or ensure the first row contains column headers.';
+    } else if (needsPreviewRefresh) {
+      emptyTitle = 'Preview needs updating';
+      emptyContent = 'Your column mapping changed. Preview the import again to update this table.';
    }

    return (
      <div className={style.emptyState}>
-        <div className={style.emptyTitle}>Preview not generated</div>
-        <div className={style.emptyBody}>{emptyContent}</div>
+        <div className={style.emptyMessage}>
+          <div className={style.emptyTitle}>{emptyTitle}</div>
+          <div className={style.emptyBody}>{emptyContent}</div>
+          {needsPreviewRefresh && (
+            <Button
+              className={style.emptyAction}
+              variant='primary'
+              onClick={onRefresh}
+              disabled={!canRefresh}
+              loading={isRefreshing}
+            >
+              Refresh preview
+            </Button>
+          )}
+        </div>
      </div>
    );
  }

-  let eventIndex = 0;
-
  return (
    <table className={style.table}>
      <thead>
        <tr>
          <th className={style.rowNumber}>#</th>
          <th className={style.rowType}>Type</th>
-          {columnLabels.map((label, index) => (
+          {displayColumns.map((label, index) => (
            <th key={`${label}-${index}`}>{label}</th>
          ))}
        </tr>
@@ -59,16 +158,29 @@ export default function PreviewTable({
        {preview.rundown.flatOrder.map((entryId) => {
          const entry = preview.rundown.entries[entryId];
          const isEvent = isOntimeEvent(entry);
-          if (isEvent) eventIndex++;
-          const hasType = isEvent || isOntimeGroup(entry) || isOntimeMilestone(entry);
+          const entryMetadata = previewMetadata?.[entryId];
+          const { rowClassName, entryColour, entryType } = getEntryDisplay(entry, entryMetadata?.groupColour);

          return (
-            <tr key={entryId}>
-              <td className={style.rowNumber}>{isEvent ? eventIndex : ''}</td>
-              <td className={style.rowType}>{hasType ? entry.type : ''}</td>
-              {columnLabels.map((label, colIndex) => (
-                <td key={`${entryId}-${colIndex}`}>{getCellValue(label, entry, customFieldKeyByLabel)}</td>
-              ))}
+            <tr key={entryId} className={rowClassName} style={{ '--entry-colour': entryColour } as CSSProperties}>
+              <td className={style.rowNumber}>{isEvent ? entryMetadata?.eventIndex : ''}</td>
+              <td className={style.rowType}>
+                <Tag>{entryType}</Tag>
+              </td>
+              {displayColumns.map((label, colIndex) => {
+                const value = getCellValue(label, entry, customFieldKeyByLabel);
+                const cellClassName = getCellClassName(label, value);
+                return (
+                  <td
+                    key={`${entryId}-${colIndex}`}
+                    className={cellClassName}
+                    data-empty={value === ''}
+                    title={value || undefined}
+                  >
+                    {value}
+                  </td>
+                );
+              })}
            </tr>
          );
        })}
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ import type {
  SpreadsheetPreviewResponse,
  SpreadsheetWorksheetMetadata,
 } from 'ontime-types';
-import { millisToString } from 'ontime-utils';
+import { isOntimeGroup, isOntimeMilestone } from 'ontime-types';
+import { millisToString, removeTrailingZero } from 'ontime-utils';
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useReducer, useRef, useState } from 'react';
 import { useFieldArray, useForm } from 'react-hook-form';

@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@ type ImportAction =
  | { type: 'previewSuccess'; preview: SpreadsheetPreviewResponse }
  | { type: 'applySuccess' }
  | { type: 'exportSuccess' }
-  | { type: 'clearPreview'; error?: string }
+  | { type: 'clearPreview'; error?: string; needsRefresh?: boolean }
  | { type: 'failure'; error: string }
  | { type: 'reset' };

@@ -40,12 +41,14 @@ type ImportState = {
  loading: '' | 'preview' | 'apply' | 'export';
  error: string;
  preview: SpreadsheetPreviewResponse | null;
+  needsPreviewRefresh: boolean;
 };

 const initialImportState: ImportState = {
  loading: '',
  error: '',
  preview: null,
+  needsPreviewRefresh: false,
 };

 function importReducer(state: ImportState, action: ImportAction): ImportState {
@@ -57,15 +60,15 @@ function importReducer(state: ImportState, action: ImportAction): ImportState {
    case 'startExport':
      return { ...state, loading: 'export', error: '' };
    case 'previewSuccess':
-      return { loading: '', error: '', preview: action.preview };
+      return { loading: '', error: '', preview: action.preview, needsPreviewRefresh: false };
    case 'applySuccess':
    case 'exportSuccess':
      return { ...state, loading: '' };
    case 'clearPreview':
-      return { ...state, error: action.error ?? '', preview: null };
+      return { ...state, error: action.error ?? '', preview: null, needsPreviewRefresh: action.needsRefresh ?? false };
    case 'failure': {
      if (state.loading === 'preview') {
-        return { loading: '', error: action.error, preview: null };
+        return { loading: '', error: action.error, preview: null, needsPreviewRefresh: false };
      }
      return { ...state, loading: '', error: action.error };
    }
@@ -221,7 +224,7 @@ export function useSheetImportForm({
    const sub = watch(() => {
      if (!previewRef.current) return;
      previewRef.current = null;
-      dispatch({ type: 'clearPreview' });
+      dispatch({ type: 'clearPreview', needsRefresh: true });
    });
    return () => sub.unsubscribe();
  }, [watch]);
@@ -297,15 +300,37 @@ export function useSheetImportForm({
  }, [append]);

  const toolbarStatus = (() => {
-    const warningText = warningCount > 0 ? ` | warnings: ${warningCount}` : '';
-
    if (!state.preview) {
-      return `entries: – | start: – | end: – | duration: –${warningText}`;
+      return {
+        entries: '–',
+        groups: '–',
+        milestones: '–',
+        start: '–',
+        end: '–',
+        duration: '–',
+        warnings: warningCount,
+      };
    }

-    const { flatOrder } = state.preview.rundown;
+    const { entries, flatOrder } = state.preview.rundown;
    const { start, end, duration } = state.preview.summary;
-    return `entries: ${flatOrder.length} | start: ${millisToString(start)} | end: ${millisToString(end)} | duration: ${formatDuration(duration)}${warningText}`;
+    let groups = 0;
+    let milestones = 0;
+    for (const entryId of flatOrder) {
+      const entry = entries[entryId];
+      if (isOntimeGroup(entry)) groups++;
+      else if (isOntimeMilestone(entry)) milestones++;
+    }
+
+    return {
+      entries: flatOrder.length,
+      groups,
+      milestones,
+      start: removeTrailingZero(millisToString(start)),
+      end: removeTrailingZero(millisToString(end)),
+      duration: formatDuration(duration),
+      warnings: warningCount,
+    };
  })();

  return {
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 import { TimerPhase, TimerType } from 'ontime-types';
-import { IoArrowDown, IoArrowUp, IoBan, IoTime } from 'react-icons/io5';
+import { IoArrowDown, IoArrowUp, IoBan, IoFolderOutline, IoTime } from 'react-icons/io5';
 import { LuArrowDownToLine } from 'react-icons/lu';

 import { CornerWithPip } from '../../../common/components/editor-utils/EditorUtils';
 import Tooltip from '../../../common/components/tooltip/Tooltip';
 import useViewSettings from '../../../common/hooks-query/useViewSettings';
-import { useMessagePreview } from '../../../common/hooks/useSocket';
+import { useGroupTimer, useMessagePreview } from '../../../common/hooks/useSocket';
 import { handleLinks } from '../../../common/utils/linkUtils';
 import { cx, timerPlaceholder } from '../../../common/utils/styleUtils';
 import PipRoot from '../../../views/editor/pip-timer/PipRoot';
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ const secondarySourceLabels: Record<string, string> = {
 export default function TimerPreview() {
  const { blink, blackout, countToEnd, phase, secondarySource, showTimerMessage, timerType } = useMessagePreview();
  const { data } = useViewSettings();
+  const isGroupTimerActive = useGroupTimer() !== null;

  const main = (() => {
    if (showTimerMessage) return 'Message';
@@ -105,6 +106,14 @@ export default function TimerPreview() {
        >
          <LuArrowDownToLine />
        </Tooltip>
+        <Tooltip
+          text={`Timer views are showing the ${isGroupTimerActive ? 'shared group timer' : 'event timer'}`}
+          render={<span />}
+          className={style.statusIcon}
+          data-active={isGroupTimerActive}
+        >
+          <IoFolderOutline />
+        </Tooltip>
      </div>
    </div>
  );
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import { useCallback } from 'react';
 import * as Editor from '../../../common/components/editor-utils/EditorUtils';
 import SwatchSelect from '../../../common/components/input/colour-input/SwatchSelect';
 import AppLink from '../../../common/components/link/app-link/AppLink';
+import Switch from '../../../common/components/switch/Switch';
+import Tooltip from '../../../common/components/tooltip/Tooltip';
 import { useEntryActionsContext } from '../../../common/context/EntryActionsContext';
 import useCustomFields from '../../../common/hooks-query/useCustomFields';
 import { getOffsetState } from '../../../common/utils/offset';
@@ -95,6 +97,22 @@ export default function GroupEditor({ group }: GroupEditorProps) {
            submitHandler={handleSubmit}
          />
        </div>
+        <div>
+          <Tooltip
+            text='Timer views count the scheduled duration of the whole group instead of the running event'
+            render={<Editor.Label htmlFor='useGroupTimer' />}
+          >
+            Group timer
+          </Tooltip>
+          <Editor.Label className={style.switchLabel}>
+            <Switch
+              id='useGroupTimer'
+              checked={group.useGroupTimer}
+              onCheckedChange={(value) => updateEntry({ id: group.id, useGroupTimer: value })}
+            />
+            {group.useGroupTimer ? 'On' : 'Off'}
+          </Editor.Label>
+        </div>
      </div>

      <div className={style.column}>
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import {

 import IconButton from '../../../common/components/buttons/IconButton';
 import Tag from '../../../common/components/tag/Tag';
+import Tooltip from '../../../common/components/tooltip/Tooltip';
 import { useEntryActionsContext } from '../../../common/context/EntryActionsContext';
 import { useContextMenu } from '../../../common/hooks/useContextMenu';
 import { useEntryCopy } from '../../../common/stores/entryCopyStore';
@@ -189,6 +190,13 @@ export default function RundownGroup({ data, hasCursor, collapsed, onCollapse }:
              {data.targetDuration !== null && <IoLockClosed className={style.lockIcon} />}
            </div>
          </div>
+          {data.useGroupTimer && (
+            <div className={style.metaEntry}>
+              <Tooltip text='Views show a shared timer for this group instead of the event timer'>
+                <Tag>Group timer</Tag>
+              </Tooltip>
+            </div>
+          )}
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ type ScheduleTimeProps = {
 //TODO: consider relative mode
 export function ScheduleTime(props: ScheduleTimeProps) {
  const { event, showExpected } = props;
-  const { timeStart, duration, delay, expectedStart, countToEnd } = event;
+  const { timeStart, duration, delay, expectedStart, expectedEnd } = event;

  const plannedStart = timeStart + delay + event.dayOffset * dayInMs;

@@ -164,7 +164,6 @@ export function ScheduleTime(props: ScheduleTimeProps) {

  const expectedStateClass = `sub__schedule--${getOffsetState(expectedStart - plannedStart)}`;
  const plannedEnd = plannedStart + duration + delay;
-  const expectedEnd = countToEnd ? Math.max(expectedStart + duration, plannedEnd) : expectedStart + duration;
  const expectedEndClass = `sub__schedule--${getOffsetState(expectedEnd - plannedEnd)}`;

  return (
@@ -1,17 +1,15 @@
-import { MaybeNumber, OntimeEvent } from 'ontime-types';
-import { getExpectedStart } from 'ontime-utils';
+import { getExpectedEnd, getExpectedStart } from 'ontime-utils';
 import { IoPencil } from 'react-icons/io5';

 import Button from '../../common/components/buttons/Button';
 import useReport from '../../common/hooks-query/useReport';
 import { useFadeOutOnInactivity } from '../../common/hooks/useFadeOutOnInactivity';
 import { useExpectedStartData } from '../../common/hooks/useSocket';
-import { ExtendedEntry } from '../../common/utils/rundownMetadata';
 import { cx } from '../../common/utils/styleUtils';
 import SuperscriptTime from '../common/superscript-time/SuperscriptTime';
 import { getPropertyValue } from '../common/viewUtils';
 import { useCountdownOptions } from './countdown.options';
-import { CountdownTarget, useSubscriptionDisplayData } from './countdown.utils';
+import { CountdownEvent, CountdownTarget, useSubscriptionDisplayData } from './countdown.utils';
 import { ScheduleTime } from './CountdownSubscriptions';

 import './SingleEventCountdown.scss';
@@ -38,8 +36,10 @@ export default function SingleEventCountdown({ subscribedEvent, goToEditMode }:
    mode,
  });

+  const expectedEnd = getExpectedEnd(subscribedEvent, expectedStart, currentDay);
+
  const { endedAt } = reportData[subscribedEvent.reportId ?? subscribedEvent.id] ?? { endedAt: null };
-  const countdownEvent = { ...subscribedEvent, expectedStart, endedAt };
+  const countdownEvent = { ...subscribedEvent, expectedStart, endedAt, expectedEnd };
  const titleTmp = getPropertyValue(subscribedEvent, mainSource ?? 'title');
  const title = titleTmp?.length ? titleTmp : ' '; // insert utf-8 empty space to avoid the line collapsing;
  // while a group is live, surface the running event's title as the secondary line
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ export default function SingleEventCountdown({ subscribedEvent, goToEditMode }:
 }

 interface SubscriptionStatusProps {
-  event: ExtendedEntry<OntimeEvent> & { endedAt: MaybeNumber; expectedStart: number };
+  event: CountdownEvent;
 }

 function SubscriptionStatus({ event }: SubscriptionStatusProps) {
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import {
  isOntimeGroup,
  isPlayableEvent,
 } from 'ontime-types';
-import { MILLIS_PER_MINUTE, getExpectedStart, millisToString, removeLeadingZero } from 'ontime-utils';
+import { MILLIS_PER_MINUTE, getExpectedEnd, getExpectedStart, millisToString, removeLeadingZero } from 'ontime-utils';

 import { useCountdownSocket } from '../../common/hooks/useSocket';
 import { ExtendedEntry } from '../../common/utils/rundownMetadata';
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ export type CountdownTarget = ExtendedEntry<OntimeEvent> & {
  liveEntry?: ExtendedEntry<OntimeEvent> | null; // the running child while a group is live
 };

-export type CountdownEvent = CountdownTarget & { expectedStart: number; endedAt: MaybeNumber };
+export type CountdownEvent = CountdownTarget & { expectedStart: number; endedAt: MaybeNumber; expectedEnd: number };

 /**
 * Resolves a subscription (event or group) into an event-shaped countdown target.
@@ -271,6 +271,7 @@ export function extendEventData(
    offset,
    mode,
  });
+  const expectedEnd = getExpectedEnd(event, expectedStart, currentDay);
  const { endedAt } = reportData[event.reportId ?? event.id] ?? { endedAt: null };
-  return { ...event, expectedStart, endedAt };
+  return { ...event, expectedStart, endedAt, expectedEnd };
 }
@@ -68,6 +68,18 @@
        opacity: 0;
      }
    }
+
+    // signals that the displayed timer belongs to the group, not to the running event
+    .group-indicator {
+      text-align: center;
+      text-transform: uppercase;
+      letter-spacing: 0.25em;
+      font-weight: 600;
+      font-size: 2.5vw;
+      line-height: 1;
+      opacity: 0.7;
+      color: var(--timer-colour, $ui-white);
+    }
  }

  .secondary {
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { ViewSettings } from 'ontime-types';

 import { FitText } from '../../../common/components/fit-text/FitText';
 import MultiPartProgressBar from '../../../common/components/multi-part-progress-bar/MultiPartProgressBar';
-import { useTimerSocket } from '../../../common/hooks/useSocket';
+import { useGroupTimer, useTimerSocket } from '../../../common/hooks/useSocket';
 import { cx } from '../../../common/utils/styleUtils';
 import { getFormattedTimer, getTimerByType } from '../../common/viewUtils';
 import {
@@ -10,9 +10,8 @@ import {
  getIsPlaying,
  getSecondaryDisplay,
  getShowMessage,
-  getShowModifiers,
-  getShowProgressBar,
-  getTotalTime,
+  getShowsTimerValue,
+  resolveTimerDisplay,
 } from '../../timer/timer.utils';
 import { getTimerColour } from '../../utils/presentation.utils';

@@ -24,23 +23,28 @@ interface PipTimerProps {

 export function PipTimer({ viewSettings }: PipTimerProps) {
  const { eventNow, message, time, clock, timerTypeNow, countToEndNow, auxTimer } = useTimerSocket();
+  const groupTimer = useGroupTimer();

  // gather modifiers
  const showOverlay = getShowMessage(message.timer);
-  const { showFinished, showWarning, showDanger } = getShowModifiers(
-    timerTypeNow,
-    countToEndNow,
-    time.phase,
-    false,
-    '',
-    false,
-  );
+  const timerDisplay = resolveTimerDisplay({
+    time,
+    groupTimer,
+    event: eventNow,
+    timerType: timerTypeNow,
+    countToEnd: countToEndNow,
+    freezeOvertime: false,
+    freezeMessage: '',
+    hidePhase: false,
+  });
+  const { showFinished, showWarning, showDanger } = timerDisplay;
+
  const isPlaying = getIsPlaying(time.playback);
-  const showProgressBar = getShowProgressBar(timerTypeNow);
+  const showsTimerValue = getShowsTimerValue(timerTypeNow);
+  const showProgressBar = showsTimerValue;

  // gather timer data
-  const totalTime = getTotalTime(time.duration, time.addedTime);
-  const stageTimer = getTimerByType(false, timerTypeNow, clock, time, timerTypeNow);
+  const stageTimer = getTimerByType(false, timerTypeNow, clock, timerDisplay.source, timerTypeNow);
  const display = getFormattedTimer(stageTimer, timerTypeNow, 'min', {
    removeSeconds: false,
    removeLeadingZero: false,
@@ -80,10 +84,11 @@ export function PipTimer({ viewSettings }: PipTimerProps) {
        <div
          className={cx(['timer', !isPlaying && 'timer--paused', showFinished && 'timer--finished'])}
          style={{ fontSize: `${timerFontSize}vw` }}
-          data-phase={time.phase}
+          data-phase={timerDisplay.phase}
        >
          {display}
        </div>
+        {timerDisplay.isGroup && showsTimerValue && <div className='group-indicator'>group</div>}
        <div className={cx(['secondary', !secondaryContent && 'secondary--hidden'])}>
          <FitText mode='multi' min={12} max={256}>
            {secondaryContent}
@@ -94,12 +99,12 @@ export function PipTimer({ viewSettings }: PipTimerProps) {
      {showProgressBar && (
        <MultiPartProgressBar
          className={cx(['progress-container', !isPlaying && 'progress-container--paused'])}
-          now={time.current}
-          complete={totalTime}
+          now={timerDisplay.source.current}
+          complete={timerDisplay.total}
          normalColor={viewSettings.normalColor}
-          warning={eventNow?.timeWarning}
+          warning={timerDisplay.warning}
          warningColor={viewSettings.warningColor}
-          danger={eventNow?.timeDanger}
+          danger={timerDisplay.danger}
          dangerColor={viewSettings.dangerColor}
          hideOvertime={!showFinished}
        />
@@ -131,6 +131,18 @@
        opacity: 0;
      }
    }
+
+    // signals that the displayed timer belongs to the group, not to the running event
+    .group-indicator {
+      text-align: center;
+      text-transform: uppercase;
+      letter-spacing: 0.25em;
+      font-weight: 600;
+      font-size: 1.5vw;
+      line-height: 1;
+      opacity: 0.7;
+      color: var(--timer-colour, var(--timer-color-override, $ui-white));
+    }
  }

  .secondary {
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import TitleCard from '../../common/components/title-card/TitleCard';
 import ViewLogo from '../../common/components/view-logo/ViewLogo';
 import ViewParamsEditor from '../../common/components/view-params-editor/ViewParamsEditor';
 import { useAutoTickingClock } from '../../common/hooks/useAutoTickingClock';
-import { useTimerSocket } from '../../common/hooks/useSocket';
+import { useGroupTimer, useTimerSocket } from '../../common/hooks/useSocket';
 import { useWindowTitle } from '../../common/hooks/useWindowTitle';
 import { cx } from '../../common/utils/styleUtils';
 import { formatTime, getDefaultFormat } from '../../common/utils/time';
@@ -25,9 +25,8 @@ import {
  getSecondaryDisplay,
  getShowClock,
  getShowMessage,
-  getShowModifiers,
-  getShowProgressBar,
-  getTotalTime,
+  getShowsTimerValue,
+  resolveTimerDisplay,
 } from './timer.utils';
 import { TimerData, useTimerData } from './useTimerData';

@@ -72,23 +71,29 @@ function Timer({ customFields, projectData, isMirrored, settings, viewSettings,
    timeformat,
  } = useTimerOptions();

+  const groupTimer = useGroupTimer();
+
  const { getLocalizedString } = useTranslation();
  const localisedMinutes = getLocalizedString('common.minutes');

  // gather modifiers
  const viewTimerType = timerType ?? timerTypeNow;
  const showOverlay = getShowMessage(message.timer);
-  const { showEndMessage, showFinished, showWarning, showDanger } = getShowModifiers(
-    timerTypeNow,
-    countToEndNow,
-    time.phase,
+  const timerDisplay = resolveTimerDisplay({
+    time,
+    groupTimer,
+    event: eventNow,
+    timerType: timerTypeNow,
+    countToEnd: countToEndNow,
    freezeOvertime,
    freezeMessage,
    hidePhase,
-  );
+  });
+  const { showEndMessage, showFinished, showWarning, showDanger } = timerDisplay;
  const isPlaying = getIsPlaying(time.playback);
  const showClock = !hideClock && getShowClock(viewTimerType);
-  const showProgressBar = !hideProgress && getShowProgressBar(viewTimerType);
+  const showsTimerValue = getShowsTimerValue(viewTimerType);
+  const showProgressBar = !hideProgress && showsTimerValue;

  // gather card data
  const { showNow, nowMain, nowSecondary, showNext, nextMain, nextSecondary } = getCardData(
@@ -102,8 +107,7 @@ function Timer({ customFields, projectData, isMirrored, settings, viewSettings,
  );

  // gather timer data
-  const totalTime = getTotalTime(time.duration, time.addedTime);
-  const stageTimer = getTimerByType(freezeOvertime, timerTypeNow, clock, time, timerType);
+  const stageTimer = getTimerByType(freezeOvertime, timerTypeNow, clock, timerDisplay.source, timerType);
  const display = getFormattedTimer(stageTimer, viewTimerType, localisedMinutes, {
    removeSeconds: hideTimerSeconds,
    removeLeadingZero: removeLeadingZeros,
@@ -178,11 +182,14 @@ function Timer({ customFields, projectData, isMirrored, settings, viewSettings,
            className={cx(['timer', subduePaused && 'timer--paused', showFinished && 'timer--finished'])}
            style={{ fontSize: `${timerFontSize}vw` }}
            data-type={viewTimerType}
-            data-phase={time.phase}
+            data-phase={timerDisplay.phase}
          >
            {display}
          </div>
        )}
+        {timerDisplay.isGroup && showsTimerValue && !showEndMessage && (
+          <div className='group-indicator'>group</div>
+        )}
        <div className={cx(['secondary', !secondaryContent && 'secondary--hidden'])}>
          <FitText mode='multi' min={64} max={256}>
            {secondaryContent}
@@ -193,12 +200,12 @@ function Timer({ customFields, projectData, isMirrored, settings, viewSettings,
      {showProgressBar && (
        <MultiPartProgressBar
          className={cx(['progress-container', !isPlaying && 'progress-container--paused'])}
-          now={time.current}
-          complete={totalTime}
+          now={timerDisplay.source.current}
+          complete={timerDisplay.total}
          normalColor={viewSettings.normalColor}
-          warning={eventNow?.timeWarning}
+          warning={timerDisplay.warning}
          warningColor={viewSettings.warningColor}
-          danger={eventNow?.timeDanger}
+          danger={timerDisplay.danger}
          dangerColor={viewSettings.dangerColor}
          hideOvertime={!showFinished}
        />
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+import { GroupTimerState, Playback, TimerPhase, TimerState, TimerType } from 'ontime-types';
+
+import { getShowsTimerValue, resolveTimerDisplay } from '../timer.utils';
+
+const makeTime = (patch: Partial<TimerState> = {}): TimerState => ({
+  addedTime: 0,
+  current: 10000,
+  duration: 60000,
+  elapsed: 50000,
+  expectedFinish: null,
+  phase: TimerPhase.Default,
+  playback: Playback.Play,
+  secondaryTimer: null,
+  startedAt: null,
+  ...patch,
+});
+
+const makeGroupTimer = (patch: Partial<GroupTimerState> = {}): GroupTimerState => ({
+  current: 100000,
+  elapsed: 80000,
+  duration: 180000,
+  ...patch,
+});
+
+const resolve = (time: TimerState, groupTimer: GroupTimerState | null) =>
+  resolveTimerDisplay({
+    time,
+    groupTimer,
+    event: { timeWarning: 120000, timeDanger: 60000 },
+    timerType: TimerType.CountDown,
+    countToEnd: false,
+    freezeOvertime: false,
+    freezeMessage: '',
+    hidePhase: false,
+  });
+
+describe('resolveTimerDisplay()', () => {
+  it('uses the event timer when there is no group timer', () => {
+    const time = makeTime();
+    const result = resolve(time, null);
+
+    expect(result.isGroup).toBe(false);
+    expect(result.source).toBe(time);
+    expect(result.total).toBe(60000);
+    expect(result.warning).toBe(120000);
+    expect(result.danger).toBe(60000);
+  });
+
+  it('adds the time added to an event into the event total', () => {
+    expect(resolve(makeTime({ addedTime: 30000 }), null).total).toBe(90000);
+  });
+
+  it('uses the group timer when one is present', () => {
+    const groupTimer = makeGroupTimer();
+    const result = resolve(makeTime(), groupTimer);
+
+    expect(result.isGroup).toBe(true);
+    expect(result.source).toBe(groupTimer);
+    expect(result.total).toBe(180000);
+  });
+
+  it('drops the event thresholds while showing the group', () => {
+    const result = resolve(makeTime({ phase: TimerPhase.Danger }), makeGroupTimer());
+
+    expect(result.warning).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(result.danger).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it.each([TimerPhase.Warning, TimerPhase.Danger])(
+    'reports the group as running while the event is in %s',
+    (phase) => {
+      const result = resolve(makeTime({ phase }), makeGroupTimer());
+
+      expect(result.phase).toBe(TimerPhase.Default);
+      expect(result.showWarning).toBe(false);
+      expect(result.showDanger).toBe(false);
+      expect(result.showFinished).toBe(false);
+    },
+  );
+
+  it('reports overtime only once the group itself has run out of time', () => {
+    const overrunningEvent = makeTime({ current: -5000, phase: TimerPhase.Overtime });
+
+    // the event is over, but the group still has time left
+    const stillRunning = resolve(overrunningEvent, makeGroupTimer({ current: 60000 }));
+    expect(stillRunning.phase).toBe(TimerPhase.Default);
+    expect(stillRunning.showFinished).toBe(false);
+
+    const overtime = resolve(overrunningEvent, makeGroupTimer({ current: -1000 }));
+    expect(overtime.phase).toBe(TimerPhase.Overtime);
+    expect(overtime.showFinished).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it.each([TimerPhase.Pending, TimerPhase.None])('keeps the %s playback phase on the group', (phase) => {
+    // these describe the playback state rather than a threshold, so they are true of the group too
+    expect(resolve(makeTime({ phase }), makeGroupTimer()).phase).toBe(phase);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('getShowsTimerValue()', () => {
+  it('is true for timer types which render the running timer', () => {
+    expect(getShowsTimerValue(TimerType.CountDown)).toBe(true);
+    expect(getShowsTimerValue(TimerType.CountUp)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('is false for timer types which do not reflect what is loaded', () => {
+    expect(getShowsTimerValue(TimerType.Clock)).toBe(false);
+    expect(getShowsTimerValue(TimerType.None)).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import {
+  GroupTimerState,
  MaybeNumber,
  MessageState,
  OntimeEvent,
@@ -6,6 +7,7 @@ import {
  RundownEntries,
  TimerMessage,
  TimerPhase,
+  TimerState,
  TimerType,
 } from 'ontime-types';
 import { isPlaybackActive } from 'ontime-utils';
@@ -34,9 +36,11 @@ export function getTotalTime(duration: MaybeNumber, addedTime: MaybeNumber): num
 }

 /**
- * Whether the progress bar should be shown for this timer type
+ * Whether this timer type renders a value derived from the running timer.
+ * Clock shows the time of day and none shows nothing, so neither reflects what is loaded,
+ * which also means neither can carry a progress bar or a group timer indicator
 */
-export function getShowProgressBar(timerType: TimerType) {
+export function getShowsTimerValue(timerType: TimerType) {
  return timerType !== TimerType.None && timerType !== TimerType.Clock;
 }

@@ -114,6 +118,59 @@ export function getShowModifiers(
  };
 }

+interface ResolveTimerDisplayOptions {
+  time: TimerState;
+  /** when present, views show the group instead of the running event */
+  groupTimer: GroupTimerState | null;
+  event: Pick<OntimeEvent, 'timeWarning' | 'timeDanger'> | null;
+  timerType: TimerType;
+  countToEnd: boolean;
+  freezeOvertime: boolean;
+  freezeMessage: string;
+  hidePhase: boolean;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Resolves which timer a view should display, and the modifiers that go with it.
+ *
+ * A group has no warning or danger thresholds of its own, so it only ever reports as
+ * running or overtime. Feeding that phase through `getShowModifiers` means the warning
+ * and danger states are suppressed as a consequence of what a group is, rather than
+ * every view having to remember to special case them.
+ */
+export function resolveTimerDisplay({
+  time,
+  groupTimer,
+  event,
+  timerType,
+  countToEnd,
+  freezeOvertime,
+  freezeMessage,
+  hidePhase,
+}: ResolveTimerDisplayOptions) {
+  const isGroup = groupTimer !== null;
+  const phase = (() => {
+    if (!isGroup) return time.phase;
+    // pending and none describe the playback state rather than a threshold,
+    // they are just as true of the group as they are of the event
+    if (time.phase === TimerPhase.Pending || time.phase === TimerPhase.None) return time.phase;
+    return groupTimer.current <= 0 ? TimerPhase.Overtime : TimerPhase.Default;
+  })();
+
+  return {
+    isGroup,
+    phase,
+    /** the values to render, shaped for getTimerByType */
+    source: isGroup ? groupTimer : time,
+    /** the target of a progress bar */
+    total: isGroup ? groupTimer.duration : getTotalTime(time.duration, time.addedTime),
+    // thresholds belong to the event, they carry no meaning against a group duration
+    warning: isGroup ? undefined : event?.timeWarning,
+    danger: isGroup ? undefined : event?.timeDanger,
+    ...getShowModifiers(timerType, countToEnd, phase, freezeOvertime, freezeMessage, hidePhase),
+  };
+}
+
 /**
 * What, if anything, should be displayed in the secondary field
 */
@@ -411,6 +411,7 @@ export function migrateRundown(
          targetDuration: null,
          colour: '', //leave default colour
          custom: {}, // leave empty
+          useGroupTimer: false, // opt-in feature, off for migrated projects
          // !==== RUNTIME METADATA ====! //
          revision: -1,
          timeStart: null,
@@ -316,6 +316,7 @@ describe('v3 to v4', () => {
          targetDuration: null,
          timeEnd: null,
          timeStart: null,
+          useGroupTimer: false,
        },
        event2: {
          id: 'event2',
@@ -392,6 +393,7 @@ describe('v3 to v4', () => {
          targetDuration: null,
          timeEnd: null,
          timeStart: null,
+          useGroupTimer: false,
        },
        delay: {
          type: SupportedEntry.Delay,
@@ -301,6 +301,23 @@ describe('parseRundown()', () => {
    expect(parsedRundown.entries.group).toMatchObject({ entries: ['1', '2'] });
    expect(Object.keys(parsedRundown.entries).length).toEqual(3);
  });
+
+  it('normalises groups from projects made before the group timer existed', () => {
+    const rundown = {
+      id: 'test',
+      title: '',
+      order: ['group'],
+      flatOrder: ['group'],
+      entries: {
+        // a group as it would have been persisted by a previous version
+        group: { id: 'group', type: SupportedEntry.Group, title: 'legacy', entries: [] },
+      },
+      revision: 1,
+    } as unknown as Rundown;
+
+    const parsedRundown = parseRundown(rundown, {});
+    expect(parsedRundown.entries.group).toMatchObject({ id: 'group', useGroupTimer: false });
+  });
 });

 describe('sanitiseCustomFields()', () => {
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import { makeOntimeEvent, makeOntimeGroup, makeOntimeMilestone, makeRundown } fr
 import { parseRundown } from '../rundown.parser.js';
 import {
  calculateDayOffset,
+  createGroupPatch,
  deleteById,
  doesInvalidateMetadata,
  getIntegerAndFraction,
@@ -610,3 +611,25 @@ describe('isLoadedPlayable()', () => {
    expect(isLoadedPlayable('keynote', rundown)).toBe(false);
  });
 });
+
+describe('createGroupPatch()', () => {
+  it('preserves useGroupTimer when it is not part of the patch', () => {
+    const original = makeOntimeGroup({ id: 'group', useGroupTimer: true });
+    const patched = createGroupPatch(original, { title: 'Morning sessions' });
+
+    expect(patched.title).toBe('Morning sessions');
+    expect(patched.useGroupTimer).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('updates useGroupTimer when it is part of the patch', () => {
+    const original = makeOntimeGroup({ id: 'group', useGroupTimer: false });
+    expect(createGroupPatch(original, { useGroupTimer: true }).useGroupTimer).toBe(true);
+    expect(createGroupPatch(original, { useGroupTimer: false }).useGroupTimer).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('ignores non boolean values for useGroupTimer', () => {
+    const original = makeOntimeGroup({ id: 'group', useGroupTimer: true });
+    // @ts-expect-error -- testing a value coming from an unvalidated request
+    expect(createGroupPatch(original, { useGroupTimer: 'nope' }).useGroupTimer).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
@@ -179,6 +179,8 @@ export function createGroupPatch(originalGroup: OntimeGroup, patchGroup: Partial
    entries: patchGroup.entries ?? originalGroup.entries,
    targetDuration: maybeTargetDuration(),
    colour: makeString(patchGroup.colour, originalGroup.colour),
+    useGroupTimer:
+      typeof patchGroup.useGroupTimer === 'boolean' ? patchGroup.useGroupTimer : originalGroup.useGroupTimer,
    revision: originalGroup.revision,
    timeStart: originalGroup.timeStart,
    timeEnd: originalGroup.timeEnd,
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ There are four entry types discriminated by \`type\`:
  note: string
  entries: EntryId[]
  targetDuration: number | null
+  useGroupTimer: boolean       // views show a shared timer for the whole group
  custom: { [key: string]: string }
  timeStart: number | null     // calculated from nested entries (runtime)
  timeEnd: number | null       // calculated from nested entries (runtime)
@@ -54,7 +54,9 @@ export type EventFieldArgs = Partial<
 >;
 export type MilestoneFieldArgs = Partial<Pick<OntimeMilestone, 'cue' | 'title' | 'note' | 'colour' | 'custom'>>;
 export type DelayFieldArgs = Partial<Pick<OntimeDelay, 'duration'>>;
-export type GroupFieldArgs = Partial<Pick<OntimeGroup, 'title' | 'note' | 'colour' | 'targetDuration' | 'custom'>>;
+export type GroupFieldArgs = Partial<
+  Pick<OntimeGroup, 'title' | 'note' | 'colour' | 'targetDuration' | 'custom' | 'useGroupTimer'>
+>;

 export type EntryFieldArgs = EventFieldArgs & MilestoneFieldArgs & DelayFieldArgs & GroupFieldArgs;
 export type TargetRundownArgs = { rundownId?: string };
@@ -170,6 +172,7 @@ function toGroupPatch(args: CreateEntryArgs, id: EntryId): PatchWithId<OntimeGro
  if (args.colour !== undefined) patch.colour = args.colour;
  if (args.targetDuration !== undefined) patch.targetDuration = args.targetDuration;
  if (args.custom !== undefined) patch.custom = args.custom;
+  if (args.useGroupTimer !== undefined) patch.useGroupTimer = args.useGroupTimer;

  return Object.keys(patch).length > 1 ? patch : null;
 }
@@ -207,6 +207,7 @@ export const startServer = async (): Promise<{ message: string; serverPort: numb
  eventStore.init({
    clock: state.clock,
    timer: state.timer,
+    groupTimer: state.groupTimer,
    message: { ...runtimeStorePlaceholder.message },
    offset: state.offset,
    rundown: state.rundown,
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ export const stageRundown: Rundown = {
      note: '',
      entries: ['9bf60f', 'bf71a2', 'c2697f', 'fa593e', 'a8b0b3'],
      targetDuration: null,
+      useGroupTimer: false,
      colour: '#339E4E',
      custom: {},
      revision: 0,
@@ -172,6 +173,7 @@ export const stageRundown: Rundown = {
      note: '',
      entries: ['0aaa7d'],
      targetDuration: null,
+      useGroupTimer: false,
      colour: '#3E75E8',
      custom: {},
      revision: 0,
@@ -219,6 +221,7 @@ export const stageRundown: Rundown = {
      note: '',
      entries: ['02afca', '75ce86', 'e10ed9', '07df89'],
      targetDuration: null,
+      useGroupTimer: false,
      colour: '#339E4E',
      custom: {},
      revision: 0,
@@ -360,6 +363,7 @@ export const backstageRundown: Rundown = {
      note: '',
      entries: ['bs0101', 'bs0102', 'bs0103', 'bs0104'],
      targetDuration: null,
+      useGroupTimer: false,
      colour: '#A790F5',
      custom: {},
      revision: 0,
@@ -476,6 +480,7 @@ export const backstageRundown: Rundown = {
      note: '',
      entries: ['bs0201', 'bs0202', 'bs0203', 'bs0204'],
      targetDuration: null,
+      useGroupTimer: false,
      colour: '#339E4E',
      custom: {},
      revision: 0,
@@ -588,6 +593,7 @@ export const backstageRundown: Rundown = {
      note: '',
      entries: ['bs0301'],
      targetDuration: null,
+      useGroupTimer: false,
      colour: '#3E75E8',
      custom: {},
      revision: 0,
@@ -634,6 +640,7 @@ export const backstageRundown: Rundown = {
      note: '',
      entries: ['bs0401', 'bs0402', 'bs0403', 'bs0404'],
      targetDuration: null,
+      useGroupTimer: false,
      colour: '#339E4E',
      custom: {},
      revision: 0,
@@ -768,6 +775,7 @@ export const broadcastRundown: Rundown = {
      note: '',
      entries: ['br0101', 'br0102', 'br0103'],
      targetDuration: null,
+      useGroupTimer: false,
      colour: '#ED3333',
      custom: {},
      revision: 0,
@@ -851,6 +859,7 @@ export const broadcastRundown: Rundown = {
      note: '',
      entries: ['br0201', 'br0202', 'br0203', 'br0204'],
      targetDuration: null,
+      useGroupTimer: false,
      colour: '#339E4E',
      custom: {},
      revision: 0,
@@ -959,6 +968,7 @@ export const broadcastRundown: Rundown = {
      note: '',
      entries: ['br0301', 'br0302'],
      targetDuration: null,
+      useGroupTimer: false,
      colour: '#3E75E8',
      custom: {},
      revision: 0,
@@ -1029,6 +1039,7 @@ export const broadcastRundown: Rundown = {
      note: '',
      entries: ['br0401', 'br0402', 'br0403'],
      targetDuration: null,
+      useGroupTimer: false,
      colour: '#339E4E',
      custom: {},
      revision: 0,
@@ -1,4 +1,16 @@
-import { EndAction, Playback, TimeOfDay, TimeStrategy, TimerPhase, TimerType } from 'ontime-types';
+import {
+  EndAction,
+  MaybeNumber,
+  OntimeEvent,
+  OntimeGroup,
+  Playback,
+  Rundown,
+  SupportedEntry,
+  TimeOfDay,
+  TimeStrategy,
+  TimerPhase,
+  TimerType,
+} from 'ontime-types';
 import { MILLIS_PER_HOUR, MILLIS_PER_MINUTE, MILLIS_PER_SECOND, dayInMs, millisToString } from 'ontime-utils';

 import type { RuntimeState } from '../../stores/runtimeState.js';
@@ -7,6 +19,8 @@ import {
  getCurrent,
  getElapsed,
  getExpectedFinish,
+  getGroupTimer,
+  getGroupTiming,
  getRuntimeOffset,
  getTimerPhase,
  hasCrossedMidnight,
@@ -1126,7 +1140,7 @@ describe('getRuntimeOffset()', () => {
    } as RuntimeState;

    const { absolute } = getRuntimeOffset(state);
-    expect(absolute).toBe(400000); // <--- offset is always the overtime
+    expect(absolute).toBe(400000 - 200000); // <--- offset is always the overtime + added time
  });

  it('handles time-to-end started after the end time', () => {
@@ -1452,3 +1466,138 @@ describe('findDay()', () => {
    expect(findDayOffset(22 * MILLIS_PER_HOUR, 23 * MILLIS_PER_HOUR)).toBe(0); //   -> 1
  });
 });
+
+describe('getGroupTiming()', () => {
+  const makeEvent = (id: string, duration: number, patch: object = {}) =>
+    ({ id, type: SupportedEntry.Event, duration, gap: 0, skip: false, parent: 'group', ...patch }) as OntimeEvent;
+
+  const makeGroup = (entries: string[]) => ({ id: 'group', type: SupportedEntry.Group, entries }) as OntimeGroup;
+
+  const makeEntries = (...entries: OntimeEvent[]) =>
+    Object.fromEntries(entries.map((entry) => [entry.id, entry])) as Rundown['entries'];
+
+  it('splits the scheduled content around the loaded event', () => {
+    const group = makeGroup(['1', '2', '3']);
+    const entries = makeEntries(makeEvent('1', 10), makeEvent('2', 20), makeEvent('3', 30));
+
+    expect(getGroupTiming(group, entries, '1')).toStrictEqual({ before: 0, after: 50 });
+    expect(getGroupTiming(group, entries, '2')).toStrictEqual({ before: 10, after: 30 });
+    expect(getGroupTiming(group, entries, '3')).toStrictEqual({ before: 30, after: 0 });
+  });
+
+  it('accounts for the gaps between events', () => {
+    const group = makeGroup(['1', '2', '3']);
+    const entries = makeEntries(makeEvent('1', 10), makeEvent('2', 20, { gap: 5 }), makeEvent('3', 30, { gap: 7 }));
+
+    expect(getGroupTiming(group, entries, '1')).toStrictEqual({ before: 0, after: 20 + 5 + 30 + 7 });
+    // the gap before the loaded event has already passed, so it counts as time spent
+    expect(getGroupTiming(group, entries, '2')).toStrictEqual({ before: 10 + 5, after: 30 + 7 });
+  });
+
+  it('splits into values which add up to the group duration', () => {
+    const group = makeGroup(['1', '2', '3']);
+    const entries = makeEntries(makeEvent('1', 10), makeEvent('2', 20, { gap: 5 }), makeEvent('3', 30));
+    const groupDuration = 10 + 20 + 5 + 30;
+
+    for (const id of ['1', '2', '3']) {
+      const timing = getGroupTiming(group, entries, id)!;
+      expect(timing.before + entries[id].duration + timing.after).toBe(groupDuration);
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('skips entries which are not playable events', () => {
+    const group = makeGroup(['1', '2', '3', '4']);
+    const entries = {
+      ...makeEntries(makeEvent('1', 10), makeEvent('2', 20, { skip: true }), makeEvent('4', 40)),
+      '3': { id: '3', type: SupportedEntry.Milestone, parent: 'group' },
+    } as Rundown['entries'];
+
+    expect(getGroupTiming(group, entries, '1')).toStrictEqual({ before: 0, after: 40 });
+  });
+
+  it('returns null when the loaded event is not part of the group', () => {
+    const group = makeGroup(['1', '2']);
+    const entries = makeEntries(makeEvent('1', 10), makeEvent('2', 20));
+
+    expect(getGroupTiming(group, entries, 'elsewhere')).toBeNull();
+  });
+});
+
+describe('getGroupTimer()', () => {
+  const makeState = (patch: {
+    useGroupTimer?: boolean;
+    duration?: number;
+    timing?: { before: number; after: number } | null;
+    current?: MaybeNumber;
+    elapsed?: MaybeNumber;
+    addedTime?: number;
+  }) =>
+    ({
+      groupNow: { duration: patch.duration ?? 100, useGroupTimer: patch.useGroupTimer ?? true },
+      _groupTiming: patch.timing === undefined ? { before: 0, after: 0 } : patch.timing,
+      timer: {
+        current: patch.current ?? null,
+        elapsed: patch.elapsed ?? null,
+        addedTime: patch.addedTime ?? 0,
+      },
+    }) as RuntimeState;
+
+  it('is null when there is no group running', () => {
+    expect(getGroupTimer({ groupNow: null, _groupTiming: null } as RuntimeState)).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('is null when the group has not opted in', () => {
+    expect(getGroupTimer(makeState({ useGroupTimer: false, current: 10 }))).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('is null when the loaded event is not part of the group', () => {
+    expect(getGroupTimer(makeState({ timing: null, current: 10 }))).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('offsets the event timer by the content scheduled around it', () => {
+    const state = makeState({ duration: 100, timing: { before: 30, after: 50 }, current: 20, elapsed: 0 });
+
+    expect(getGroupTimer(state)).toStrictEqual({ current: 70, elapsed: 30, duration: 100 });
+  });
+
+  it('keeps elapsed and current adding up to the total', () => {
+    const state = makeState({ duration: 100, timing: { before: 30, after: 50 }, current: 12, elapsed: 8 });
+    const groupTimer = getGroupTimer(state)!;
+
+    expect(groupTimer.elapsed + groupTimer.current).toBe(groupTimer.duration);
+  });
+
+  it('grows the total with the time added to the running event', () => {
+    const state = makeState({
+      duration: 100,
+      timing: { before: 0, after: 0 },
+      current: 160,
+      elapsed: 0,
+      addedTime: 60,
+    });
+    const groupTimer = getGroupTimer(state)!;
+
+    expect(groupTimer.duration).toBe(160);
+    // elapsed keeps counting up rather than clamping at zero once time is added
+    expect(groupTimer.elapsed).toBe(0);
+    expect(groupTimer.elapsed + groupTimer.current).toBe(groupTimer.duration);
+  });
+
+  it('reports elapsed time while the group is in credit from added time', () => {
+    const state = makeState({
+      duration: 100,
+      timing: { before: 0, after: 0 },
+      current: 150,
+      elapsed: 10,
+      addedTime: 60,
+    });
+
+    expect(getGroupTimer(state)).toStrictEqual({ current: 150, elapsed: 10, duration: 160 });
+  });
+
+  it('goes negative when the group runs into overtime', () => {
+    const state = makeState({ duration: 100, timing: { before: 90, after: 0 }, current: -15, elapsed: 25 });
+
+    expect(getGroupTimer(state)?.current).toBe(-15);
+  });
+});
@@ -709,6 +709,18 @@ function broadcastResult(_target: any, _propertyKey: string, descriptor: Propert
      RuntimeService.previousState.timer = { ...state.timer };
    }

+    /**
+     * the group timer is the event timer offset by a constant, so it changes exactly when
+     * the event timer does and can share its throttling.
+     * entry changes are also considered since loading an event can move us between groups
+     */
+    if (updateTimer || entryChanged) {
+      if (!deepEqual(RuntimeService.previousState.groupTimer, state.groupTimer)) {
+        batch.add('groupTimer', state.groupTimer);
+        RuntimeService.previousState.groupTimer = state.groupTimer ? { ...state.groupTimer } : null;
+      }
+    }
+
    /**
     * clock has changed by a second or more.
     * or the timer updated so we ensure that the timer and clock ticks are in sync
@@ -1,7 +1,18 @@
-import { Day, MaybeNumber, TimeOfDay, TimerPhase } from 'ontime-types';
+import {
+  Day,
+  EntryId,
+  GroupTimerState,
+  MaybeNumber,
+  OntimeGroup,
+  Rundown,
+  TimeOfDay,
+  TimerPhase,
+  isOntimeEvent,
+  isPlayableEvent,
+} from 'ontime-types';
 import { MILLIS_PER_HOUR, checkIsNow, dayInMs, isPlaybackActive } from 'ontime-utils';

-import type { RuntimeState } from '../stores/runtimeState.js';
+import type { GroupTiming, RuntimeState } from '../stores/runtimeState.js';

 /**
 * handle events that span over midnight
@@ -180,13 +191,13 @@ export function getRuntimeOffset(state: RuntimeState): { absolute: number; relat
  const pausedTime = state._timer.pausedAt === null ? 0 : clock - state._timer.pausedAt;

  // absolute offset is difference between schedule and playback time
-  const absolute = eventStartOffset + overtime + pausedTime + addedTime;
+  // in case of count to end, the absolute offset is overtime and added time
+  const absolute = countToEnd ? overtime + addedTime : eventStartOffset + overtime + pausedTime + addedTime;

  // the relative offset is the same as the absolute but adjusted relative to the actual start time
  const relative = absolute + plannedStart - actualStart - _startDayOffset * dayInMs;

-  // in case of count to end, the absolute offset is just the overtime
-  return countToEnd ? { absolute: overtime, relative } : { absolute, relative };
+  return { absolute, relative };
 }

 /**
@@ -231,3 +242,76 @@ export function findDayOffset(plannedStart: number, clock: number): Day {
  if (distance < -12 * MILLIS_PER_HOUR) return 1 as Day;
  return 0 as Day;
 }
+
+/**
+ * Splits a group's scheduled content around the loaded event.
+ *
+ * The result is stable for as long as the same event is loaded, so it is calculated
+ * when the group is loaded rather than on every update.
+ * The aggregation mirrors the group duration calculated in the rundown
+ * (see rundown.dao.ts): non playable entries are skipped and the gap is
+ * accounted for in every entry other than the first.
+ */
+export function getGroupTiming(
+  group: OntimeGroup,
+  entries: Rundown['entries'],
+  currentEventId: EntryId,
+): GroupTiming | null {
+  const currentIndex = group.entries.indexOf(currentEventId);
+  if (currentIndex === -1) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  let before = 0;
+  let after = 0;
+
+  for (let i = 0; i < group.entries.length; i++) {
+    const entry = entries[group.entries[i]];
+    if (!isOntimeEvent(entry) || !isPlayableEvent(entry)) {
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    // the first entry of the group has no gap to account for,
+    // any other entry could be preceded by idle time
+    const gap = i > 0 ? entry.gap : 0;
+
+    if (i < currentIndex) {
+      before += gap + entry.duration;
+    } else if (i === currentIndex) {
+      // the loaded event contributes its own duration through the event timer,
+      // but the idle time before it has already passed
+      before += gap;
+    } else {
+      after += gap + entry.duration;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return { before, after };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Derives the shared group timer from the event timer.
+ *
+ * Keeping this relative to the event timer is what makes the group behave as if it were
+ * a single event containing all its children: pause, added time, overtime, roll and
+ * midnight rollovers are all inherited instead of being recalculated.
+ */
+export function getGroupTimer(state: RuntimeState): GroupTimerState | null {
+  const { groupNow, _groupTiming } = state;
+
+  if (groupNow === null || !groupNow.useGroupTimer || _groupTiming === null) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  const { current, elapsed, addedTime } = state.timer;
+  if (current === null) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  return {
+    current: current + _groupTiming.after,
+    elapsed: (elapsed ?? 0) + _groupTiming.before,
+    // mirrors the total time of an event, which grows with the time added to it
+    duration: groupNow.duration + addedTime,
+  };
+}
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ const baseState: RuntimeState = {
  eventNext: null,
  eventFlag: null,
  groupNow: null,
+  groupTimer: null,
+  _groupTiming: null,
  rundown: {
    selectedEventIndex: null,
    numEvents: 0,
@@ -1036,4 +1036,167 @@ describe('loadGroupFlagAndEnd()', () => {
      eventNow: rundown.entries[0],
    });
  });
+
+  test('countToEnd entries decouple the link chain for subsequent events', () => {
+    // Event 0 (loaded): no countToEnd, linkStart=true
+    // Event 1: countToEnd=true           → breaks the link chain
+    // Event 2: linkStart=true           → unlinked (chain broken by event 1)
+    // Event 3: flag event               → also unlinked
+    const rundown = makeRundown({
+      entries: {
+        group: makeOntimeGroup({ id: 'group', entries: ['0', '1', '2'] }),
+        0: makeOntimeEvent({
+          id: '0',
+          parent: 'group',
+          timeStart: 0,
+          duration: 3600000,
+          countToEnd: false,
+          linkStart: true,
+          gap: 0,
+        } as any),
+        1: makeOntimeEvent({
+          id: '1',
+          parent: 'group',
+          timeStart: 3600000,
+          duration: 3600000,
+          countToEnd: true,
+          linkStart: true,
+          gap: 0,
+        } as any),
+        2: makeOntimeEvent({
+          id: '2',
+          parent: 'group',
+          timeStart: 7200000,
+          duration: 3600000,
+          linkStart: true,
+          gap: 0,
+        } as any),
+        3: makeOntimeEvent({
+          id: '3',
+          parent: null,
+          timeStart: 10800000,
+          duration: 3600000,
+          linkStart: true,
+          gap: 0,
+        } as any),
+      },
+      order: ['group', '0', '1', '2', '3'],
+    });
+
+    const state = {
+      groupNow: null,
+      eventNow: rundown.entries[0],
+      rundown: { actualGroupStart: null },
+    } as RuntimeState;
+
+    const metadata = { playableEventOrder: ['0', '1', '2', '3'], flags: ['3'] } as RundownMetadata;
+
+    loadGroupFlagAndEnd(rundown, metadata, 0, state);
+
+    // _group is the last event in the group (event 2)
+    // isLinkedToLoaded is false because event 1 (between loaded and group end) has countToEnd=true
+    // accumulatedGap includes event 1's duration carried forward to event 2
+    // (the countToEnd duration is applied to the next event, not the countToEnd event itself)
+    expect(state._group).toMatchObject({
+      event: rundown.entries[2],
+      isLinkedToLoaded: false,
+      accumulatedGap: 3600000,
+    });
+
+    // _flag (event 3): isLinkedToLoaded is false because chain was broken by event 1
+    // accumulatedGap is still 3600000 because event 2 is not countToEnd,
+    // so previousWasCountToEnd is null and no further duration is carried forward
+    expect(state._flag).toMatchObject({
+      event: rundown.entries[3],
+      isLinkedToLoaded: false,
+      accumulatedGap: 3600000,
+    });
+
+    // _end (event 3): also unlinked because the chain was broken at event 1
+    expect(state._end).toMatchObject({
+      event: rundown.entries[3],
+      isLinkedToLoaded: false,
+    });
+  });
+
+  test('countToEnd in the middle of the chain breaks links for downstream events', () => {
+    // Event 0 (loaded): no countToEnd, linkStart=true
+    // Event 1: linkStart=true           → linked to loaded
+    // Event 2: countToEnd=true          → breaks the chain (also last in group)
+    // Event 3: linkStart=true           → unlinked (chain broken by event 2)
+    const rundown = makeRundown({
+      entries: {
+        group: makeOntimeGroup({ id: 'group', entries: ['0', '1', '2'] }),
+        0: makeOntimeEvent({
+          id: '0',
+          parent: 'group',
+          timeStart: 0,
+          duration: 3600000,
+          countToEnd: false,
+          linkStart: true,
+          gap: 0,
+        } as any),
+        1: makeOntimeEvent({
+          id: '1',
+          parent: 'group',
+          timeStart: 3600000,
+          duration: 3600000,
+          linkStart: true,
+          gap: 0,
+        } as any),
+        2: makeOntimeEvent({
+          id: '2',
+          parent: 'group',
+          timeStart: 7200000,
+          duration: 3600000,
+          countToEnd: true,
+          linkStart: true,
+          gap: 0,
+        } as any),
+        3: makeOntimeEvent({
+          id: '3',
+          parent: null,
+          timeStart: 10800000,
+          duration: 3600000,
+          linkStart: true,
+          gap: 0,
+        } as any),
+      },
+      order: ['group', '0', '1', '2', '3'],
+    });
+
+    const state = {
+      groupNow: null,
+      eventNow: rundown.entries[0],
+      rundown: { actualGroupStart: null },
+    } as RuntimeState;
+
+    const metadata = { playableEventOrder: ['0', '1', '2', '3'], flags: ['3'] } as RundownMetadata;
+
+    loadGroupFlagAndEnd(rundown, metadata, 0, state);
+
+    // _group is the last event in the group (event 2)
+    // isLinkedToLoaded is true because no preceding event had countToEnd
+    // accumulatedGap is 0 because no preceding event was countToEnd
+    // (the countToEnd duration is carried forward to the next event, not added to the countToEnd event itself)
+    expect(state._group).toMatchObject({
+      event: rundown.entries[2],
+      isLinkedToLoaded: true,
+      accumulatedGap: 0,
+    });
+
+    // _flag (event 3): isLinkedToLoaded is false because chain was broken by count-to-end event 2
+    // accumulatedGap includes event 2's duration carried forward
+    expect(state._flag).toMatchObject({
+      event: rundown.entries[3],
+      isLinkedToLoaded: false,
+      accumulatedGap: 3600000,
+    });
+
+    // _end (event 3): unlinked because event 2 has countToEnd=true
+    expect(state._end).toMatchObject({
+      event: rundown.entries[3],
+      isLinkedToLoaded: false,
+    });
+  });
 });
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import {
  TimeOfDay,
  TimerPhase,
  TimerState,
+  GroupTimerState,
  isOntimeEvent,
  runtimeStorePlaceholder,
 } from 'ontime-types';
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ import {
  calculateDuration,
  checkIsNow,
  dayInMs,
+  getExpectedEnd,
  getExpectedStart,
  getLastEventNormal,
  isPlaybackActive,
@@ -38,6 +40,8 @@ import {
  getCurrent,
  getElapsed,
  getExpectedFinish,
+  getGroupTimer,
+  getGroupTiming,
  getRuntimeOffset,
  getTimerPhase,
  hasCrossedMidnight,
@@ -50,6 +54,12 @@ type ExpectedMetadata = {
  isLinkedToLoaded: boolean;
 } | null;

+/** scheduled content of the running group, split around the loaded event */
+export type GroupTiming = {
+  before: number;
+  after: number;
+};
+
 export type RuntimeState = {
  clock: TimeOfDay;
  groupNow: OntimeGroup | null;
@@ -58,6 +68,8 @@ export type RuntimeState = {
  eventFlag: PlayableEvent | null;
  offset: Offset;
  timer: TimerState;
+  /** derived from the timer, only refreshed on the getState() projection */
+  groupTimer: GroupTimerState | null;
  rundown: RundownState;
  // private properties of the timer calculations
  _timer: {
@@ -71,6 +83,7 @@ export type RuntimeState = {
    totalDelay: number; // this value comes from rundown service
  };
  _group: ExpectedMetadata;
+  _groupTiming: GroupTiming | null;
  _flag: ExpectedMetadata;
  _end: ExpectedMetadata;
  _startEpoch: Maybe<Instant>;
@@ -85,6 +98,7 @@ const runtimeState: RuntimeState = {
  eventFlag: null,
  offset: { ...runtimeStorePlaceholder.offset },
  timer: { ...runtimeStorePlaceholder.timer },
+  groupTimer: null,
  rundown: { ...runtimeStorePlaceholder.rundown },
  _timer: {
    forceFinish: null,
@@ -97,6 +111,7 @@ const runtimeState: RuntimeState = {
    totalDelay: 0,
  },
  _group: null,
+  _groupTiming: null,
  _flag: null,
  _end: null,
  _startEpoch: null,
@@ -114,6 +129,8 @@ export function getState(): Readonly<RuntimeState> {
    offset: { ...runtimeState.offset },
    rundown: { ...runtimeState.rundown },
    timer: { ...runtimeState.timer },
+    // derived here so it can never drift from the timer values it is built on
+    groupTimer: getGroupTimer(runtimeState),
    _timer: { ...runtimeState._timer },
    _rundown: { ...runtimeState._rundown },
  };
@@ -155,6 +172,7 @@ export function clearState() {

  runtimeState.groupNow = null;
  runtimeState._group = null;
+  runtimeState._groupTiming = null;

  runtimeState.rundown.actualStart = null;
  runtimeState.rundown.selectedEventIndex = null;
@@ -831,7 +849,6 @@ function getExpectedTimes(state = runtimeState) {
  state.offset.expectedRundownEnd = null;
  state.offset.expectedGroupEnd = null;
  state.offset.expectedFlagStart = null;
-  state.offset.expectedRundownEnd = null;

  const { offset } = state;
  const { plannedStart, actualStart } = state.rundown;
@@ -852,7 +869,7 @@ function getExpectedTimes(state = runtimeState) {
        plannedStart,
        actualStart,
      });
-      state.offset.expectedGroupEnd = lastEventExpectedStart + lastEvent.duration;
+      state.offset.expectedGroupEnd = getExpectedEnd(lastEvent, lastEventExpectedStart, state.rundown.currentDay!);
    }
  }

@@ -884,7 +901,7 @@ function getExpectedTimes(state = runtimeState) {
      plannedStart,
      actualStart,
    });
-    state.offset.expectedRundownEnd = expectedStart + event.duration;
+    state.offset.expectedRundownEnd = getExpectedEnd(event, expectedStart, state.rundown.currentDay!);
  }
 }

@@ -897,6 +914,7 @@ export function loadGroupFlagAndEnd(
  const previousGroup = state.groupNow?.id;
  state.groupNow = null;
  state._group = null;
+  state._groupTiming = null;
  state.eventFlag = null;
  state._flag = null;
  state._end = null;
@@ -920,6 +938,11 @@ export function loadGroupFlagAndEnd(
    state.rundown.actualGroupStart = null;
  }

+  // the split is stable while the same event is loaded, so we only calculate it here
+  if (state.groupNow !== null) {
+    state._groupTiming = getGroupTiming(state.groupNow, rundown.entries, state.eventNow.id);
+  }
+
  // if we don't have a any flags in the rundown then no need to look for it
  let foundFlag = !flagsPresent;
  // if we don't have a last event for the group there is no need to find its end time
@@ -927,6 +950,7 @@ export function loadGroupFlagAndEnd(

  let accumulatedGap = 0;
  let isLinkedToLoaded = true;
+  let previousWasCountToEnd: Maybe<number> = null;

  for (let idx = currentIndex; idx < playableEventOrder.length; idx++) {
    const entry = entries[playableEventOrder[idx]];
@@ -934,8 +958,23 @@ export function loadGroupFlagAndEnd(
    if (isOntimeEvent(entry)) {
      if (idx !== currentIndex) {
        // we only accumulate data after the loaded event
-        accumulatedGap += entry.gap;
-        isLinkedToLoaded = isLinkedToLoaded && entry.linkStart;
+
+        if (previousWasCountToEnd !== null) {
+          /** previous event was countToEnd: add its duration as a positive gap (it "gives back" time downstream)
+           *   and break the link to the loaded event since countToEnd events reset the schedule
+           */
+          accumulatedGap += entry.gap + previousWasCountToEnd;
+          isLinkedToLoaded = false;
+        } else {
+          accumulatedGap += entry.gap;
+          isLinkedToLoaded = isLinkedToLoaded && entry.linkStart;
+        }
+
+        if (entry.countToEnd) {
+          previousWasCountToEnd = entry.duration;
+        } else {
+          previousWasCountToEnd = null;
+        }

        // and the loaded event is not allowed to be the next flag
        if (!foundFlag && metadata.flags.includes(entry.id)) {
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ test('imports spreadsheet and applies imported rundown to editor', async ({ page
  await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Preview import' }).click();
  await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Apply import' }).click();
  await expect(page.getByText('Import complete')).toBeVisible();
-  await expect(page.getByText('Spreadsheet data applied.')).toBeVisible();
-  await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Reset flow' }).click();
+  await expect(page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Open editor' })).toBeVisible();
+  await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Import another' }).click();

  // verify the data in the rundown
  await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Close settings' }).scrollIntoViewIfNeeded();
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ export type OntimeGroup = OntimeBaseEvent & {
  targetDuration: MaybeNumber;
  colour: string;
  custom: EntryCustomFields;
+  /** whether views should display a shared timer for the group instead of the event timer */
+  useGroupTimer: boolean;
  // !==== RUNTIME METADATA ====! //
  revision: number;
  timeStart: MaybeNumber; // calculated at runtime
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ export const runtimeStorePlaceholder: Readonly<RuntimeStore> = {
    secondaryTimer: null, // change on every update
    startedAt: null, // change can only be initiated by user
  },
+  groupTimer: null, // derived from the timer, null unless the running group opted in
  message: {
    timer: {
      text: '',
@@ -3,12 +3,14 @@ import type { SimpleTimerState } from './AuxTimer.type.js';
 import type { MessageState } from './MessageControl.type.js';
 import type { Offset } from './Offset.type.js';
 import type { RundownState } from './RundownState.type.js';
-import type { TimerState } from './TimerState.type.js';
+import type { GroupTimerState, TimerState } from './TimerState.type.js';

 export type RuntimeStore = {
  // timer data
  clock: number;
  timer: TimerState;
+  /** shared timer for the running group, null unless the group opted in */
+  groupTimer: GroupTimerState | null;

  // messages service
  message: MessageState;
@@ -11,6 +11,22 @@ export enum TimerPhase {
  Pending = 'pending',
 }

+/**
+ * Timer for the running group, present when the group opted into a shared timer.
+ *
+ * The group is treated as a single event containing all its children: the values are
+ * derived from the running event timer plus the content scheduled around it, so pause,
+ * added time, overtime and roll are inherited from the event timer rather than recalculated.
+ */
+export type GroupTimerState = {
+  /** Time remaining in the group */
+  current: number;
+  /** Time elapsed since the group started */
+  elapsed: number;
+  /** Total time in the group, includes time added to the running event */
+  duration: number;
+};
+
 /**
 * Gathers the current running timer state
 */
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ export type { Offset } from './definitions/runtime/Offset.type.js';
 export { OffsetMode } from './definitions/runtime/Offset.type.js';
 export type { RuntimeStore } from './definitions/runtime/RuntimeStore.type.js';
 export { runtimeStorePlaceholder } from './definitions/runtime/RuntimeStore.js';
-export { type TimerState, TimerPhase } from './definitions/runtime/TimerState.type.js';
+export { type GroupTimerState, type TimerState, TimerPhase } from './definitions/runtime/TimerState.type.js';

 // ---> Extra Timer
 export { type SimpleTimerState, SimplePlayback, SimpleDirection } from './definitions/runtime/AuxTimer.type.js';
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ export { validateEndAction, validateTimerType } from './src/validate-events/vali

 // feature business logic

-export { getExpectedStart } from './src/date-utils/getExpectedStart.js';
+export { getExpectedStart, getExpectedEnd } from './src/date-utils/getExpected.js';

 // feature business logic - rundown
 export { checkIsNow } from './src/date-utils/checkIsNow.js';
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { Day, OffsetMode } from 'ontime-types';

 import { MILLIS_PER_HOUR, dayInMs } from './conversionUtils';
-import { getExpectedStart } from './getExpectedStart';
+import { getExpectedEnd, getExpectedStart } from './getExpected';

 describe('getExpectedStart()', () => {
  describe('Absolute offset mode', () => {
@@ -315,3 +315,144 @@ describe('getExpectedStart()', () => {
    expect(getExpectedStart(testEvent, { ...testState, currentDay: 0 })).toBe(23 * MILLIS_PER_HOUR + 5);
  });
 });
+
+describe('getExpectedEnd()', () => {
+  const baseState = {
+    currentDay: 0,
+    totalGap: 0,
+    mode: OffsetMode.Absolute,
+    actualStart: null,
+    plannedStart: null,
+    isLinkedToLoaded: true,
+  };
+
+  test('a regular event ends at its expected start plus duration', () => {
+    const testEvent = {
+      timeStart: 100,
+      duration: 50,
+      delay: 0,
+      dayOffset: 0 as Day,
+      countToEnd: false,
+    };
+
+    // on schedule
+    const expectedStart0 = getExpectedStart(testEvent, { ...baseState, offset: 0 });
+    expect(getExpectedEnd(testEvent, expectedStart0, baseState.currentDay)).toBe(150);
+
+    // running 20 behind pushes the end out
+    const expectedStart20 = getExpectedStart(testEvent, { ...baseState, offset: 20 });
+    expect(getExpectedEnd(testEvent, expectedStart20, baseState.currentDay)).toBe(170);
+  });
+
+  test('a countToEnd event pins to the planned end while in overtime', () => {
+    const testEvent = {
+      timeStart: 100,
+      duration: 50,
+      delay: 0,
+      dayOffset: 0 as Day,
+      countToEnd: true,
+    };
+
+    // overtime would otherwise push the end to 170, but countToEnd absorbs it and pins to 150
+    const expectedStart = getExpectedStart(testEvent, { ...baseState, offset: 20 });
+    expect(getExpectedEnd(testEvent, expectedStart, baseState.currentDay)).toBe(150);
+  });
+
+  test('an overnight countToEnd event returns a normalised end', () => {
+    // event starts at 23:00 and counts to 01:00 the next day -> duration spans midnight
+    const timeStart = 23 * MILLIS_PER_HOUR;
+    const duration = 2 * MILLIS_PER_HOUR;
+    const testEvent = {
+      timeStart,
+      duration,
+      delay: 0,
+      dayOffset: 0 as Day,
+      countToEnd: true,
+    };
+
+    const expectedStart = getExpectedStart(testEvent, { ...baseState, offset: 0 });
+    expect(getExpectedEnd(testEvent, expectedStart, baseState.currentDay)).toBe(timeStart + duration);
+  });
+
+  test('a countToEnd event ignores upstream delays and stays pinned to its fixed end', () => {
+    const testEvent = {
+      timeStart: 100,
+      duration: 50,
+      delay: 20,
+      dayOffset: 0 as Day,
+    };
+
+    // events shift their schedule based on delay...
+    const expectedStart = getExpectedStart({ ...testEvent }, { ...baseState, offset: 0 });
+    expect(getExpectedEnd({ ...testEvent, countToEnd: false }, expectedStart, baseState.currentDay)).toBe(170);
+
+    // ... but count to end events stay pinned to the scheduled end
+    const expectedStartCountToEnd = getExpectedStart({ ...testEvent }, { ...baseState, offset: 0 });
+    expect(getExpectedEnd({ ...testEvent, countToEnd: true }, expectedStartCountToEnd, baseState.currentDay)).toBe(150);
+  });
+
+  test('a countToEnd event drifts when a delay pushes its start past the fixed end', () => {
+    const testEvent = {
+      timeStart: 100,
+      duration: 50,
+      delay: 60,
+      dayOffset: 0 as Day,
+      countToEnd: true,
+    };
+
+    // the delayed start (160) is past the fixed end (150), so the event can no longer
+    // finish on time and the end follows the compromised start
+    const expectedStart = getExpectedStart(testEvent, { ...baseState, offset: 0 });
+    expect(getExpectedEnd(testEvent, expectedStart, baseState.currentDay)).toBe(160);
+  });
+
+  test('a countToEnd event on a later day keeps the day offset on the end', () => {
+    const testEvent = {
+      timeStart: 100,
+      duration: 50,
+      delay: 0,
+      dayOffset: 1 as Day,
+      countToEnd: true,
+    };
+
+    // the scheduled end must include the day offset (timeStart + dayInMs + duration),
+    // not collapse to the day-shifted start
+    const expectedStart = getExpectedStart(testEvent, { ...baseState, currentDay: 0, offset: 0 });
+    expect(getExpectedEnd(testEvent, expectedStart, baseState.currentDay)).toBe(150 + dayInMs);
+
+    // when the running event is already on the same day, no extra day is added
+    const expectedStartSameDay = getExpectedStart(
+      { ...testEvent, dayOffset: 0 as Day },
+      { ...baseState, currentDay: 0, offset: 0 },
+    );
+    expect(getExpectedEnd({ ...testEvent, dayOffset: 0 as Day }, expectedStartSameDay, baseState.currentDay)).toBe(150);
+  });
+
+  test('a countToEnd event is anchored to its wall-clock end in relative mode', () => {
+    const testEvent = {
+      timeStart: 100,
+      duration: 50,
+      delay: 0,
+      dayOffset: 0 as Day,
+      countToEnd: true,
+    };
+
+    const relativeState = {
+      ...baseState,
+      mode: OffsetMode.Relative,
+      actualStart: 30,
+      plannedStart: 0,
+      offset: 0,
+    };
+
+    // a regular event in the same state is shifted by the relative-start offset to 180
+    const expectedStartRegular = getExpectedStart({ ...testEvent }, relativeState);
+    expect(getExpectedEnd({ ...testEvent, countToEnd: false }, expectedStartRegular, relativeState.currentDay)).toBe(
+      180,
+    );
+
+    // the countToEnd event stays pinned to its wall-clock end (150), not shifted
+    const expectedStartCountToEnd = getExpectedStart(testEvent, relativeState);
+    expect(getExpectedEnd(testEvent, expectedStartCountToEnd, relativeState.currentDay)).toBe(150);
+  });
+});
@@ -3,15 +3,6 @@ import { OffsetMode } from 'ontime-types';

 import { dayInMs } from './conversionUtils.js';

-/**
- * @param event the event that we are counting to
- * @param currentDay the day offset of the currently running event
- * @param totalGap accumulated gap from the current event
- * @param isLinkedToLoaded is this event part of a chain linking back to the current loaded event
- * @param clock
- * @param offset
- * @returns
- */
 export function getExpectedStart(
  event: Pick<OntimeEvent, 'timeStart' | 'dayOffset' | 'delay'>,
  state: {
@@ -60,3 +51,25 @@ export function getExpectedStart(
  const offsetStartTimeBufferedByGaps = offsetStartTime - totalGap;
  return offsetStartTimeBufferedByGaps;
 }
+
+export function getExpectedEnd(
+  event: Pick<OntimeEvent, 'timeStart' | 'dayOffset' | 'duration' | 'countToEnd'>,
+  expectedStart: number,
+  currentRuntimeDay: number,
+): number {
+  /**
+   * Count to end events are a special case
+   * - the end time is always the wall clock
+   */
+  if (event.countToEnd) {
+    // account for day offset
+    const relativeDayOffset = event.dayOffset - currentRuntimeDay;
+    const plannedEnd = event.timeStart + event.duration + relativeDayOffset * dayInMs;
+
+    // count to end should finish on the planned time or on start
+    return Math.max(expectedStart, plannedEnd);
+  }
+
+  // for normal events, the expected end is when we would start + its duration
+  return expectedStart + event.duration;
+}
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ export const group: Omit<OntimeGroup, 'id'> = {
  targetDuration: null,
  colour: '',
  custom: {},
+  useGroupTimer: false,
  // !==== RUNTIME METADATA ====! //
  revision: 0, // calculated at runtime
  timeStart: null, // calculated at runtime
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ export function createGroup(patch?: Partial<OntimeGroup>): OntimeGroup {
    targetDuration: patch.targetDuration ?? null,
    colour: makeString(patch.colour, ''),
    custom: patch.custom ?? {},
+    useGroupTimer: typeof patch.useGroupTimer === 'boolean' ? patch.useGroupTimer : false,
    revision: 0,
    timeStart: null,
    timeEnd: null,
Author	SHA1	Message	Date
Claude	fec1651e39	fix(timer): address review findings on the group timer - keep the pending and none phases when showing the group timer. These describe the playback state rather than a threshold, so collapsing them made roll standby render as a running countdown and silently dropped user styling keyed on the phase - only show the group indicator for timer types which render the running timer. It was labelling the wall clock, and the invisible display of the none timer type, as a group - accept useGroupTimer in the MCP group patch. It was documented in the group shape but dropped on write, which reported success without applying the change - narrow the timer preview tooltip, which claimed all views follow the group timer when only the timer views do Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01Kniqs443KUNCRABwVJwT7K	2026-08-07 19:32:16 +00:00
Claude	1fad99f505	refactor(runtime): derive the group timer on the server The group timer was derived in the client, which meant every view that wanted it had to depend on the rundown query. That coupling was already awkward for the PiP timer, whose separate react root needed its own query client, and it would have spread to every remaining view. Moving the derivation to the server removes the coupling. The value is still the running event timer offset by the content scheduled around it, so the group keeps behaving as if it were a single event containing all its children. Because the group timer is the event timer offset by a constant, it changes exactly when the event timer does and can share its broadcast throttling. - add RuntimeStore.groupTimer, null unless the running group opted in - split the group around the loaded event when the group is loaded, so the per tick cost is an addition rather than a walk of the rundown - derive on the getState() projection so it cannot drift from the timer it is built on - reduce the client to a plain selector, dropping the PiP query client workaround Also fixes elapsed time, which was calculated from the group duration and so clamped to zero for as long as time added to an event kept the group in credit. It is now derived symmetrically with the remaining time, and the two always add up to the total. Timer and PiP shared eight identical branches for choosing between the two timers. These now go through a single resolver. A group has no warning or danger thresholds, so it only reports as running or overtime, and feeding that phase through the existing modifiers makes the suppression of warning and danger a consequence of what a group is rather than something each view has to remember. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01Kniqs443KUNCRABwVJwT7K	2026-07-26 15:46:58 +00:00
Claude	636b2e7c3e	feat(rundown): add opt-in shared group timer Groups can now opt into a shared timer, so stage outputs show how much time the whole block has left instead of only the running event. The value is derived in the client from the running event timer plus the content still scheduled after it, which makes the group behave as if it were a single event containing all its children. Keeping it relative to the event timer (rather than recalculating from the clock) means pause, added time, overtime, roll and midnight rollovers are all inherited, and moving between events inside a group cannot introduce a discontinuity. The remainder aggregation mirrors the server side group duration calculation: non playable entries are skipped and gaps are accounted for. Warning and danger thresholds belong to the event and carry no meaning against a group duration, so they are suppressed while the group timer is showing. Overtime is kept, but only once the group itself has run out of time. - add OntimeGroup.useGroupTimer, defaulting to false - show the group timer in the timer view and the PiP timer - indicate the override in the timer view, PiP, group header and timer preview - add a switch to the group editor The PiP window mounts its own react root, which had no query client and could therefore not read the rundown. It is now wrapped in a provider, which also means its view settings are no longer frozen at the moment the window opened. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01Kniqs443KUNCRABwVJwT7K	2026-07-26 06:24:15 +00:00
Carlos Valente	5cf36f049a	refactor(modal): allow wider modals	2026-07-25 14:28:45 +02:00
Carlos Valente	c6248b0c72	refactor(import): improve preview UI	2026-07-25 14:28:45 +02:00
Alex Christoffer Rasmussen	2a890cf2b3	fix: issue where a countToEnd would lead to incorrect expected times (#2149 ) * fix: issue where a count-to-end would lead to incorrect expected times * fix: include add time in overtime when countToEnd * fix: ui and server use same calculation for expected end	2026-07-25 11:22:24 +02:00