---
title: Routing Diff
description: Compare two WING snapshots to identify routing changes
---

# Routing Diff

Routing Diff compares two WING snapshot files and identifies what changed in the routing configuration. Instantly see which channels were modified, which sends changed levels, and which routes were added or removed.

## Overview

### What Routing Diff Does

Routing Diff analyzes two snapshots and shows:

- **Channel changes**: Input source modifications, name changes
- **Routing changes**: Send level adjustments, pre/post fader changes
- **Added/removed routes**: New sends or deleted connections
- **Bus, Main, and Matrix routing** (Premium)
- **Direct output patches**: Physical input-to-output connections

### Common Use Cases

**Soundcheck Comparison**:
Compare your pre-soundcheck snapshot with post-soundcheck to see exactly what the engineer changed.

**Festival Patches**:
Compare your "home" patch with a festival's provided patch to identify differences before the show.

**Troubleshooting**:
Compare a "known good" snapshot with a problematic one to find the issue.

**Version Control**:
Track changes between snapshot versions over the course of a production.

**Show Restoration**:
Verify a restored snapshot matches the original by comparing them.

## Getting Started

### Uploading Two Snapshots

1. Navigate to **Routing Diff** from the main menu
2. Upload your "Before" snapshot (the older/reference file)
3. Upload your "After" snapshot (the newer file to compare)
4. Click **Compare**

### Using Files from Your Library

If you have files stored in My Files:

1. Click **Browse Library** for the "Before" file
2. Select your reference snapshot
3. Click **Browse Library** for the "After" file
4. Select your comparison snapshot
5. Click **Compare**

> **Tip**: Using library files is faster than re-uploading, and keeps your snapshots organized.

## Understanding Results

### Summary Card

At the top of the results, you'll see a summary showing:

- **Total changes**: Overall count of all detected changes
- **Channels changed**: How many channels have differences
- **Routing changes**: Number of send level or routing modifications
- **Source changes**: Input source assignment modifications

If the files are identical, you'll see "No changes detected."

### File Information

Both files are displayed with their details:

- **Filename**: Original file name
- **Mixer name and model**: From the snapshot metadata
- **Firmware version**: Snapshot format version
- **Creation timestamp**: When the snapshot was saved

**Warnings**: If the mixer models or firmware versions differ between files, a warning banner appears. While you can still compare, differences may include format changes rather than actual routing changes.

### Change Types

Changes are color-coded for easy identification:

| Badge | Meaning | Description |
|-------|---------|-------------|
| **Green (Added)** | New | Route, channel, or setting that exists in "After" but not "Before" |
| **Red (Removed)** | Deleted | Route, channel, or setting that existed in "Before" but not "After" |
| **Yellow (Modified)** | Changed | Route or setting that exists in both but has different values |
| **Gray (Unchanged)** | Same | No difference between files (hidden by default) |

## View Modes

Routing Diff offers three ways to view your comparison results.

### List View

The default view shows changes in expandable, collapsible sections:

**Channels Section**:
Shows all channel-level changes including:
- Input source changes (MAIN/ALT source assignments)
- Channel name changes
- Routing changes to buses, mains, and matrices

Each channel row can be expanded to see detailed changes.

**Buses Section (Premium)**:
Shows changes to bus routing:
- Bus-to-matrix sends
- Bus-to-main sends
- Bus name changes

**Mains Section (Premium)**:
Shows changes to main outputs:
- Main-to-matrix sends
- Main name changes

**Matrices Section (Premium)**:
Shows changes to matrix outputs:
- Matrix name changes
- Matrix routing modifications

**Outputs Section**:
Shows changes to physical output patching:
- Mixer output assignments
- Direct patch changes

### Matrix View

Matrix view displays changes as visual grids, similar to the Routing Matrix in the Routing Generator.

**Four matrices are available**:

1. **Channel Matrix**: Channels as rows, Buses/Mains/Matrices as columns
   - See which channel sends changed
   - Identify new or removed sends at a glance

2. **Source to Channel**: Physical inputs as rows, Channels as columns
   - See input assignment changes
   - Identify re-patched channels

3. **Mixer to Output**: Mixer outputs as rows, Physical outputs as columns
   - See output patch changes
   - Identify reassigned physical outputs

4. **Direct Routes**: Physical inputs as rows, Physical outputs as columns
   - See direct patch changes
   - Identify bypass routing modifications

**Matrix cell indicators**:
- **Green highlight**: Added connection
- **Red highlight**: Removed connection
- **Yellow highlight**: Modified level or setting
- **Dot**: Connection exists
- **Empty**: No connection

### Side-by-Side View

Shows both snapshots in parallel with synchronized scrolling:

- **Left panel**: "Before" snapshot data
- **Right panel**: "After" snapshot data
- **Highlighting**: Differences are highlighted in both panels
- **Synchronized scroll**: Both panels scroll together for easy comparison

This view is helpful when you want to see the actual values in both snapshots simultaneously.

## Filtering Options

Refine your view with filtering options in the toolbar:

### Change Type Filters

Toggle which change types to show:

- **Added**: Show new routes/settings
- **Removed**: Show deleted routes/settings
- **Modified**: Show changed values
- **Unchanged**: Show items with no changes (off by default)

### Level Threshold

Adjust sensitivity for detecting level changes:

| Threshold | Description |
|-----------|-------------|
| **0 dB** | Show any level change, even tiny |
| **0.5 dB** | Default - ignore very small changes |
| **1 dB** | Only show noticeable changes |
| **3 dB** | Only show significant changes |
| **6 dB** | Only show major level changes |

Higher thresholds filter out minor level adjustments that may not be meaningful.

### Show Level-Only Changes

Toggle whether to show changes where only the send level changed:

- **On**: Show all level changes
- **Off**: Hide changes that are only level adjustments

Useful when you only care about routing changes, not level tweaks.

### Collapse Empty Rows/Columns (Matrix View)

In Matrix view, toggle whether to collapse rows and columns with no changes:

- **On**: Hide empty rows/columns for a compact view
- **Off**: Show all rows/columns for full context

## Tier-Based Features

Routing Diff requires a **Premium** or **Pro** subscription.

### Premium Tier

- All channels and aux channels
- **Bus routing** (BUS 1-16)
- **Main routing** (MAIN 1-4)
- **Matrix routing** (MTX 1-8)
- Physical outputs and direct patches
- All matrix view types

### Pro Tier

Pro adds:
- **FX unit changes**
- **Hardware insert changes**

## Tips for Effective Comparisons

### Choose Your Reference Carefully

The "Before" file should be your baseline or "known good" state. This makes the comparison read naturally:

- Green = something was added since the baseline
- Red = something was removed since the baseline

### Use Meaningful Thresholds

If you're seeing too many minor changes, increase the level threshold. A 0.5 dB change is rarely intentional or noticeable.

### Focus with Filters

When troubleshooting:
1. Start with only "Modified" changes visible
2. Look for unexpected changes
3. Then check "Added" and "Removed" if needed

### Compare Similar Snapshots

Comparing vastly different snapshots (e.g., different shows, different mixer models) will show many changes. For best results, compare:
- Same show, different versions
- Same base patch, different venues
- Pre/post soundcheck snapshots

## Next Steps

- **[Routing Generator](04-routing-generator.md)**: Generate complete routing documentation
- **[Signal Flow](05-signal-flow.md)**: Visualize your routing interactively
- **[My Files](02-my-files.md)**: Store snapshots for easy comparison

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**Questions?** Check the [Reference section](09-reference.md) for troubleshooting tips.