Organize explainer timing with StoryBeats
A finished explanation rarely lives on one timeline row. One idea can include a heading, an illustration, a Draw Step, several property keys, a camera move, and a line of narration. StoryBeats add a narrative timing layer above those existing authoring engines so you can keep the related work in context.
A StoryBeat is scene-local metadata. It is not a physical canvas group, and it does not copy animation values, drawing paths, camera poses, or audio into the beat. Your original objects and timing remain editable through their normal tools.
When should I use a StoryBeat?
Use one when a single narrative idea spans several authored elements and may need to move later. For example, “Problem,” “Insight,” and “Next step” can each become a beat even when their content is distributed across different rows.
Without StoryBeats, moving “Insight” three seconds later could require several careful selections. With a StoryBeat, a supported move translates the timing it owns while preserving authored durations, easing, relative key spacing, camera transitions, and intended staggering.
What can a StoryBeat reference?
| Reference | What remains authoritative |
|---|---|
| Objects | The scene's existing objects and their normal properties |
| Draw Steps | Draw order, path ranges, duration, hand, tool, and material settings |
| Property keys | Values, easing, tangents, track bounds, and key spacing |
| Camera keys | Authored poses and complete transitions |
| Narration segment | The existing audio clip and segment timing |
An object can be a context reference in more than one beat. Specific timing elements have at most one StoryBeat timing owner, which prevents two beats from silently moving the same authored timing in different directions.
1. Prepare one narrative idea
Author the scene normally first. Add the objects, animation, drawing reveal, camera movement, and narration needed for one clear idea. Preview the range and make sure its internal pacing works before adding the organizational layer.
2. Create a StoryBeat
Open the Story lane in the timeline, select the related content or set a meaningful time range, and choose Create StoryBeat. Extend the range rather than compressing it if Scribe reports that the authored content cannot fit.
- Selected StoryBeatThe named beat spans the authored narrative range on the Story lane.
- Linked timing detailThe inspector reports three objects, one Draw Step, property keys, and camera keys.
- Real scene contentThe heading, explanation, and named drawing remain normal editable objects.
3. Rename the beat
Give the beat a narrative label, not a technical object type. Problem → Insight, Why this matters, or Final call to action will be easier to scan than “Vector” or “Group 2.” Renaming changes only the beat label.
4. Move the beat on the Story lane
Drag the middle of the beat or edit its start time. Scribe computes one time delta and applies it to the timing relationships owned by that beat. Durations, easing, relative spacing, and the internal shape of complete camera transitions stay unchanged.
- Beat moved to 1–9 secondsThe complete narrative range translated one second later.
- Related camera timingThe owned camera keys translated with the beat while their internal spacing stayed intact.
5. Resize the available beat range
Drag a start or end handle, or edit the range fields.
- Moving the start of a visual-led beat translates its related timing.
- Extending the end adds available hold space; it does not stretch animation.
- Shortening the range stops with a pacing conflict when the existing motion cannot fit.
- Audio-led range changes belong to narration. Use Sync to Narration to align the visual timing deliberately.
6. Add or remove linked content
Use the membership controls to add or remove object references, individual Draw Steps, property keys, or camera keys. This changes what the beat knows about; it does not move anything until you perform a timing operation.
Complete camera transitions must be owned together. Scribe rejects partial camera ownership because moving only one endpoint would silently change the transition duration.
7. Link narration
Choose an existing narration segment for the beat. A dedicated audio clip can move with an audio-led beat. If the same clip is shared by several segments, split or reorganize the clip first; Scribe will not guess which segment should own the shared media.
8. Sync to Narration
Set timing authority to Audio, link the narration segment, then choose Sync to Narration. Scribe aligns the beat and translates its visual timing. A longer narration can add hold time. A narration range that is too short for the authored motion produces a pacing conflict instead of compressing it.
Existing direct audio bindings are not rewritten. If a linked object already has a direct binding that would make StoryBeat ownership ambiguous, unbind or reassign it explicitly before syncing.
9. Choose timing authority
| Authority | Use it when | Timing behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Visual | The authored motion defines the pace | Visual timing leads; narration sync does not replace it |
| Audio | A narration segment defines the available range | Sync to Narration aligns and translates visuals when it is safe |
| Locked | The beat is approved or must not move | Move, resize, and sync are rejected until authority changes explicitly |
10. Select linked content
Choose Select Linked Content to select the beat's related objects on the canvas. This is useful before inspecting properties or making a normal editor change outside StoryBeats.
- Linked objects selectedSelection handles identify the three real scene objects referenced by the beat.
- Beat remains selectedThe StoryBeat details stay visible while its linked content is inspected.
11. Undo or remove a beat
StoryBeat commands join Scribe's normal project history. Use Undo after an unwanted move, resize, membership change, or narration link.
Choose Delete Beat Metadata when the organizational layer is no longer needed. This removes the StoryBeat only. It does not delete linked objects, Draw Steps, property keys, camera keys, or narration content.
Understand conflict messages
| Message | What it protects | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Pacing conflict | Authored motion that cannot fit the requested range | Extend the beat or edit the underlying timing deliberately |
| Shared narration clip | Audio used by more than one segment | Split the clip or assign an unshared segment |
| Partial camera ownership | A camera transition whose endpoints would separate | Add the complete transition or remove camera ownership |
| Direct audio binding conflict | Existing object-to-audio timing with separate authority | Unbind, reassign, or leave that timing outside the beat |
Conflict messages leave the authored state intact. They are a request for an explicit creative decision, not a partial edit.
Limitations and safety boundaries
StoryBeats do not replace ordinary object, animation, audio, or camera editing. They do not stretch arbitrary motion, synthesize direct audio bindings, or guess ownership when narration or camera transitions are shared. The current verified authoring workflow is Desktop; do not depend on the Desktop Story lane being available in Mobile Lite without checking the running build.
Troubleshooting and recovery
If a timing command stops, read the reported conflict before changing membership. Extend an undersized range, split shared narration, include a complete camera transition, or resolve a direct audio binding deliberately. Use Undo after an unwanted successful change. If the relationship model itself is no longer useful, remove the beat metadata and continue editing the original scene content normally.
Expected result and verification
After a successful move, the beat range and owned timing should translate by the same delta while authored durations, easing, relative key spacing, camera transitions, and staggering remain intact. Select linked content to verify the expected scene objects, then preview before and after the beat boundary. Beat deletion should leave every linked object and timing engine present.