Variables

Variables turn static text into living content. Define a value in the Variables panel, then drop it into any text object with {{token}} syntax. Update the variable once and every place it appears updates with it — perfect for names, dates, prices, or page numbers.

Why variables

They keep repeated content consistent and let you build templates you can reskin in seconds.

• Change a value in one place and it updates across every scene at once.
• Build a deck once, then swap a client name or date to reuse it.
• Combine variables with system values like the current page number.

Variable types

Each variable has a type so the editor can validate and format its value.

String

Any text — names, titles, labels, captions.

Number

Numeric values for counts, prices, or measurements.

Color

A reusable color you can reference across your design.

Boolean

A true/false value you insert as a token that reads 'true' or 'false'.

Note Each variable can also hold a Description — double-click its description field in the panel to jot down what it's for and keep your templates self-documenting.

Using tokens in text

Reference a variable inside any text object by wrapping its name in double braces.

1. 1

   Open the Variables panel from the toolbar, then on the User tab create a variable and give it a name like price. (Built-in variables live on the System tab.)

2. 2

   Select a text object and type the token where you want the value, e.g. {{price}} — or just click Insert on the variable's row to drop it in for you.

3. 3

   The canvas shows the resolved value live; change the variable and the text follows.

Tip Tokens resolve everywhere the text appears — including exports and presentation mode — so your numbers always stay in sync.

Tip The Insert button drops a String or Number variable's {{token}} straight into the text you're editing — or into a new text object if none is selected. System variables get an Insert button too; Color and Boolean tokens are typed by hand.

Note Need literal braces in your text? Type \{\{ and \}\} and they render as {{ and }} without being read as a token.

Color variables in fills & strokes

Color variables aren't just for text. Bind any fill or stroke — even a scene background or a single gradient stop — to a color variable, and every object that references it restyles the instant you change the value, the foundation of reusable design tokens.

1. 1

   Create a Color variable in the Variables panel — say, brand for your primary color.

2. 2

   Select an object, open its Fill or Stroke, and point the color at that variable instead of a fixed value.

3. 3

   Change the variable once, and every linked fill and stroke across all scenes updates with it.

Tip Define your whole palette as Color variables, then reskin an entire story — or trial a new brand color — by editing just those few values.

Renaming & deleting

Variables are safe to reorganize — renaming and deleting both keep your scenes looking exactly the same.

Rename

Renaming a variable rewrites every {{token}} that points to it — in text and in fill, stroke, and effect colors across every scene — and the change is undoable.

Delete

Deleting a variable bakes its current value into everything that used it: text keeps the last value and color tokens turn into their exact hex, so nothing breaks or shows a raw token. System variables can't be deleted.

Built-in system variables

SSHOW ships read-only variables that reflect the project state. Use them like any other token.

{{projectName}}

The project's name.

{{sceneName}}

The name of the active scene.

{{pageNo}}

The current visible page number, starting at 1.

{{totalPageNo}}

The total number of visible pages — pair with pageNo for "3 / 12" slide numbers.

Note System variables count only visible scenes, so page numbers match exactly what your audience sees.