Build common interactions with recipes
A recipe is a bundle that builds a common interaction for you in one piece. Choose one and apply it, and the sentences, animations, and variables it needs appear at once. One undo removes them all together.
Apply a recipe
Start in Interaction mode (⇧I). If this is your first time, follow Your first interaction first.
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Choose the target
Select one object on the canvas. For a recipe that goes on the scene, click an empty spot to clear the selection. The right side of the Interactions panel shows “What should it do?” and the recipes that fit that target.
Selecting the rectangle shows the object recipes, and clicking an empty spot shows the three scene recipes. Video: Selecting the rectangle shows the Recommended recipes and the others on the right side of the Interactions panel, and clicking an empty spot leaves only the three scene recipes. -
Choose a recipe
Choose a recipe. To narrow the list, type part of a name in the “Search actions” field above the recipes. A recipe with blanks opens as a form. A recipe with no blanks is built the moment you choose it.
Typing part of a name in the “Search actions” field leaves only the matching recipes, and choosing one opens its form. Video: Typing “effect” in the search field above the recipes leaves only Effect on click and Effect on hover, and choosing Effect on hover opens a form to pick the effect, how much, and how fast. -
Fill in the blanks and apply
Choose values in the form. “This is what happens” below shows the sentence it will make. Click Apply. The sentence appears in the list on the left. Nothing is made until you click Apply.
Choosing a value in the form and clicking Apply adds the sentence to the list on the left. Video: In the Effect on hover form, changing How much to Moderately and clicking Apply adds While hovering → Play Grow and a touch screen note to the list on the left. -
Try it in Preview
Click the triangle Preview button in the panel’s title bar. Click the object on the canvas or hover over it. Press esc to return to editing.
In Preview, the rectangle grows while the pointer is over it and returns when the pointer leaves. Video: Clicking the Preview button and hovering over the card makes it grow 6%, and it returns to its original size when the pointer leaves. Pressing Esc returns to editing.
Recipes for objects
These show when one object is selected. Under “Recommended” at the top, the two used most often with that object come first.
Go to a scene
Clicking the object goes to the scene you chose. Choose the destination from the scene thumbnails or from Next scene, Previous scene, and Back. Under “When?”, choose On click, On double click, or On long press. At first, the scene after the current one in the list is chosen. Back returns to the scene you were on before you jumped here by choosing a scene, not to the previous scene in the list. If there is nowhere to go back to, it does nothing.
Effect on click
Clicking makes the object move with Pop, Shake, Spin, or Fade out. Under “When?”, you can choose On click, On double click, or On long press. Applying it creates an animation named after the effect. The speeds are Fast 0.1 seconds, Moderate 0.2 seconds, and Slow 0.4 seconds. By default, the effect is Pop, “How much?” is Moderately, and “How fast?” is Moderate. Fade out leaves the object transparent.
Effect on hover
While the pointer is over the object, it holds Grow, Shrink, or Tilt, and it comes back on its own when the pointer leaves. By default, the effect is Grow, “How much?” is Slightly, and “How fast?” is Fast. It works only where a pointer can hover, so a note under its sentence in the list says touch screens do not run it.
Count clicks
Each click adds 1 to a number variable or subtracts 1 from it. If the project has a number variable, the first one is chosen. If not, a new variable named count is chosen. Turn on “Go to a scene when it reaches” and choose a number and a scene, and one more sentence is added that goes to that scene the moment the variable reaches that number.
Open a modal
Clicking shows the frame you chose with a dark backdrop, and clicking the backdrop hides both. You can choose a frame only if the scene has one. Applying it sets that frame’s opacity to 0 and adds a locked “Backdrop” layer behind it. A warning that starts with “open does not move” appears under the button’s sentence, but the modal still opens and closes.
Tab switch
Apply it once on each tab button, choosing the frame that tab shows. Go in order, starting with the leftmost tab. Only the clicked tab’s frame shows and the rest disappear, and the scene opens on the first tab each time you enter it. It uses a number variable named tab.
Button feedback
The object grows 3% while the pointer is over it and shrinks 3% while it is pressed. It has no blanks, so it is built the moment you choose it.
Correct answer
Clicking makes the object grow slightly and come back, adds 1 to the score variable, and moves to the next scene 0.6 seconds later. If there is no score variable, it is created as a number variable that starts at 0. It has no blanks.
Wrong answer
Clicking makes the object shake slightly. The score stays the same. It has no blanks.
Ignore clicks
A click on this object stops here. Clicking it on the presentation screen does not move to the next scene. It has no blanks.
Recipes for scenes
These show when nothing is selected.
Auto advance
Once the scene starts and the set number of seconds passes, it goes where you chose. The default is “After 5s → Next scene”.
Empty click goes to a scene
Clicking an empty spot goes to the scene you chose instead of the next scene.
Ignore empty clicks
Clicking an empty spot does nothing. Use it when clicks on the presentation screen should move on only through buttons. The arrow keys and the remote still move on as usual. It has no blanks.
Effect sizes
| Effect | Recipe | Slightly · Moderately · A lot |
|---|---|---|
| Pop | Effect on click | Grows 5% · 10% · 20% and comes back. |
| Shake | Effect on click | Shakes side to side about 2° · 3° · 7°. |
| Spin | Effect on click | Spins one full turn. There is no “How much?” field. |
| Fade out | Effect on click | Stays transparent. There is no “How much?” field. |
| Grow | Effect on hover | Stays 3% · 6% · 12% larger. |
| Shrink | Effect on hover | Stays 3% · 6% · 12% smaller. |
| Tilt | Effect on hover | Stays tilted about 5° · 10° · 20°. |
The Open a modal and Tab switch recipes hide frames on the canvas
The modal’s frame and the frames from the second tab on get an opacity of 0, so you can’t see them while editing either. Only their frame name labels stay on the canvas. To edit one, select the frame in the Objects list and temporarily raise Opacity in the right panel to 100. When you’re done, set it back to 0.
Deleting the sentences of Open a modal or Tab switch leaves the hidden frames and the modal’s “Backdrop” behind. Right after you apply one, press ⌘Z instead of deleting its sentences.
Copying an object with an effect doesn’t copy its motion
The animations of an object that isn’t a frame belong to the scene (or the frame that holds it), so copying or duplicating the object brings only its sentences. A “does not move” warning appears under the copy’s sentence, and clicking or hovering over the copy moves the original.
If you’ve already copied it, delete the copy’s sentence and apply the recipe again. For a button you’ll use many times, apply the recipe to a frame drawn with the Frame tool. A frame takes its animations with it.
Work with sentences made by recipes
Click one again to open its form. Click a sentence made by a recipe with blanks in the list, and its form opens again with its values. Change the values and click Apply to change the sentence and its animation together, or click Delete to delete them together. Sentences made by Open a modal and Tab switch open as plain sentences.
One undo removes the whole thing. The sentences, animations, variables, and backdrop that one recipe makes are recorded as one step. Press ⌘Z once to remove them all together.
Build what recipes don’t cover yourself. Click Make your own below the recipes and choose an action, and a sentence that starts with “On click” appears. To change a sentence by clicking its words, see Edit and preview.
Shortcuts on this page
| Turn Interaction mode on or off | ⇧I |
|---|---|
| Exit Preview | esc |
| Undo | ⌘Z |
Updated 10/15/2026 · The videos on this page were recorded in the current editor.