'Action: Scene Switch'
The Scene Switch action moves participants to a different scene. Scenes are like pages or slides in your Ripple — each one can have its own layout, background, and elements. Scene switching is how you create multi-page experiences, presentations, guided tours, and branching paths.
How It Works
When the action fires, the viewer transitions to the target scene. All elements belonging to the new scene become visible, and elements exclusive to the old scene disappear.
You have two ways to specify the target:
Specific Scene
Choose a scene by name from the dropdown. The viewer goes directly to that scene, regardless of where they currently are.
Next / Previous (Sequential Navigation)
Use the special Next (__next__) or Previous (__prev__) targets for sequential flow:
- Next: Advances to the next scene in order. If the viewer is on the last scene, it wraps around to the first.
- Previous: Goes back to the previous scene. If the viewer is on the first scene, it wraps around to the last.
This is ideal for presentation-style Ripples where you want forward/back buttons without hardcoding scene names.
Scope: Local vs Global
Scene Switch has a scope setting:
- Local (default): Only the person who triggered the action moves to the new scene. Everyone else stays where they are. This is useful for self-paced content — each participant navigates at their own speed.
- Global: Everyone in the Ripple moves to the new scene simultaneously. This is presentation mode — the host clicks "Next Slide" and all participants follow. Requires moderator or higher permissions.
Common Patterns
Presentation with Forward/Back Buttons
Place two buttons on every scene (or on a global layer visible across all scenes):
- "Next" button → Scene Switch with target Next
- "Back" button → Scene Switch with target Previous
Set scope to global if the host should control navigation for everyone.
Branching Paths
Create multiple buttons that each go to a different scene:
- "Option A" → Scene Switch to "Results A"
- "Option B" → Scene Switch to "Results B"
This creates choose-your-own-adventure or branching quiz experiences.
Conditional Scene Switch
Add a condition to the action. For example:
- Switch to "Quiz Complete" scene only if
$score >= 8 - Switch to "Try Again" scene only if
$score < 8
Auto-Advance After a Delay
Use an Activation trigger with a delay. When the scene loads, wait 5 seconds, then automatically switch to the next scene. This creates timed slideshows.
Tips
- Global navigation for hosts: If you want the host to control scene flow but let participants explore freely, create two sets of navigation buttons — one visible only to moderators (global scope) and one visible to everyone (local scope).
- Combine with sounds: Chain a scene switch after a sound action to play a transition sound before moving to the next scene.
- Swipe navigation on mobile: Add Swipe Left and Swipe Right triggers with Next/Previous scene switches for touch-friendly navigation.