Scene & Snapshot Control

scenessnapshotslive-controllayoutshufflepresentation

Scenes and snapshots let you change the look and feel of your Ripple during a live session. Switch between pre-designed layouts, apply saved arrangements, and shuffle participants — all in real time.

Switching Scenes

A Ripple can have multiple scenes — each with its own layout, elements, and drops. Switching scenes changes what everyone sees instantly.

By Name or Number

:s <name or #number>

Type enough of the scene name for a match, or use #1, #2, etc. for position-based switching.

Next and Previous

:sn    — next scene (editor order)
:sp    — previous scene

These follow the order your scenes appear in the editor, wrapping around at the ends.

Browsing the Scene List

:sl

This opens a navigable list of all scenes. Use arrow keys or j/k to browse, then press Enter to switch.

You can also switch scenes from the creator toolbar by clicking the scenes section.

Applying Snapshots

Snapshots save a specific arrangement of elements and participants within a scene. Applying a snapshot restores that arrangement.

By Name or Number

:ss <name or #number>

Next and Previous

:ssn    — next snapshot (wraps around)
:ssp    — previous snapshot (wraps around)

Browsing the Snapshot List

:ssl

Navigable list of all snapshots for the current scene.

Shuffling Participants

Shuffling randomly reassigns seated participants to different drops. This is great for icebreakers, networking events, or any session where you want people to mix.

From the creator toolbar, click the shuffle button (available when at least two participants are seated).

The shuffle uses a fair algorithm (Fisher-Yates) and tracks pairing history to avoid putting the same people together repeatedly. Participants see a smooth animation as they move to their new seats.

How These Affect Participants

All scene, snapshot, and shuffle changes happen in real time for every connected participant:

  • Scene switches — the entire view transitions to the new scene. Participants who were in drops may be repositioned or sent to gallery depending on the new scene's layout.
  • Snapshot applications — element positions and states update. Participant positions may change if the snapshot includes drop assignments.
  • Shuffles — participants see a FLIP animation (500ms) as they smoothly move to their new seats.

Tips

  • Pre-design your flow — create scenes for each phase of your session (welcome, presentation, breakout, Q&A, wrap-up) and switch between them as you go
  • Use :sn/:sp for linear presentations — step through scenes like slides
  • Combine snapshots with variables — use snapshots to reset a scene to a known state, and variables to track progress through an activity
  • Shuffle regularly in networking — use shuffle every few minutes during networking segments to ensure people meet different participants

Resetting the Ripple

To return the Ripple to its initial start state (the first scene, all variables reset):

:rr

This is useful when you want to run the same session again from the beginning.