remotion-interactivity

By writing Remotion markup in a specific way, the Remotion Studio is able to recognize the structure of the code and makes it interactive: - Allowing items to be selected by clicking on them - Allowing drag+drop, resizing and rotation - Editing the CSS styles - Making keyframes and easing values editable If the markup is too complex for the Studio to make it interactive, then the values become grayed out. ## Give every independently editable item its own JSX node The Studio edits the JSX source node that created an item. If multiple runtime items come from the same JSX node, they share one source-editing target. For every composition registration, clip, scene, layer or sequence that should be editable on its own, write a separate JSX node and keep its editable props on that node. This applies to `<Composition>`, `<Still>`, built-in media components, `<Sequence>`, `<Series.Sequence>`, `<TransitionSeries.Sequence>` and custom components. For example, author an editable timeline like this: ```tsx title="Separate source nodes" <Series> <Series.Sequence name="Introduction" durationInFrames={90}> <Introduction /> </Series.Sequence> <Series.Sequence name="Demo" durationInFrames={150}> <Demo /> </Series.Sequence> </Series> ``` A `.map()` or another programmatic loop would create multiple runtime items from one JSX source node. That is appropriate for repeated output that is intentionally controlled as one template, such as visualization bars or particles. It is not appropriate when the instances need independent IDs or names, props, metadata, timing, ordering, deletion or duplication in the Studio. ## Make an HTML element interactive using `Interactive` Every HTML and SVG element (except `<Img>`, it already is interactive) such as `<div>` can be turned interactive using `Interactive`: ```tsx title="Interactive elements" <Interactive.Div name="Greeting card" style={{fontSize: 80, padding: 24}} > Hello </Interactive.Div> ``` This allows styles and keyframes to be set in the Studio. Be sensible, if a component has many elements, the timeline might get messy. ## Prefer inline text If text is fixed and only used once, write it directly inside the interactive element instead of extracting it into a constant. ```tsx title="Inline text" // 👍 Fixed copy stays editable <Interactive.Div name="Title"> Remotion Best Practices </Interactive.Div> ``` Use a prop or variable only when the text is dynamic or reused. ## Give interactive elements a descriptive name Add a `name` prop to elements to make them easily identifyable. Avoid computed names, hardcode them. ```tsx title="Interactive names" <> <Interactive.Div name="Hero title" style={{fontSize: 80}}> Launch day </Interactive.Div> <Img name="Avatar" src="https://remotion.media/image.jpeg" /> <Video name="Background" src="https://remotion.media/video.mp4" /> <Sequence name="Title"> Launch day </Sequence> </> ``` ## Keep all CSS styles inline The best way is to just pass a plain object to `style` - no referring to constants, no object spreading, no math. ```tsx title="Interactive example" <Interactive.Div style={{ fontSize: 80, color: 'red', }} > Hello World! </Interactive.Div> ``` ```tsx title="❌ Bad for interactivity" const baseStyle = useMemo(() => { return { fontSize: 12 // ❌ Non-inline styles are not supported } }, []); <Interactive.Div style={{ ...baseStyle, // ❌ Spreading is not supported color: RED, // ❌ Referring to constants is not supported scale: frame * 10 // ❌ Math is not supported }} > Hello World! </Interactive.Div> ``` ## Animate using `interpolate()` Write animations as inline `interpolate()` calls on the property that changes. The output range, easing, extrapolation and `output` property should use hardcoded values. The input range may additionally use `durationInFrames`, `fps`, `width` and `height` destructured directly from `useVideoConfig()`. Bare identifiers such as `durationInFrames`, multiplication with a number such as `2 * fps` or `fps * 2`, and subtraction of a number such as `durationInFrames - 1` are supported. ```tsx title="Inline values" const {fps, durationInFrames} = useVideoConfig(); // 👍 Inline values can be standardized and keyframed <Interactive.Div name="Product card" style={{ color: 'white', fontSize: 80, scale: interpolate(frame, [0, fps], [0, 1], { easing: Easing.spring({damping: 200}), output: 'perceptual-scale', extrapolateLeft: 'clamp', extrapolateRight: 'clamp' }), rotate: interpolate(frame, [0, 1 * fps], ['0deg', '20deg'], { easing: Easing.spring({damping: 200}), extrapolateLeft: 'clamp', extrapolateRight: 'clamp' }), translate: interpolate( frame, [durationInFrames - 30, durationInFrames], ['0px 0px', '0px 120px'], { easing: Easing.spring({damping: 200}), output: 'perceptual-scale', extrapolateLeft: 'clamp', extrapolateRight: 'clamp' } ), }} /> ``` ```tsx title="❌ Bad interactivity" const translateY = interpolate(frame, [0, 30], [0, 120]); // ❌ Math should be directly in the markup <Interactive.Div name="Product card" style={{ translate: translateY, // ❌ Only inline interpolate() calls are supported, rotate: interpolate(frame, [start, start + 10], [0, Math.PI]), // ❌ Cannot use math with arbitrary variables, cannot use constants scale: interpolate(anyVariable, [0, 30], [0, 1]) // ❌ Can only interpret the `frame` variable. }} /> ``` ## Keep SVG paths editable with `Interactive.Path` Use `<Interactive.Path>` from `remotion` instead of `<path>` inside an SVG to make the path visually editable. Install `@remotion/paths` for path interpolation and Studio path keyframes: ```sh bunx remotion add @remotion/paths ``` If the geometry is meant to be static, put the path string directly in the `d` prop. Do not extract it into a constant. ```tsx title="Editable static path" import {Interactive} from 'remotion'; <Interactive.Svg width={300} height={300} viewBox="0 0 300 300"> <Interactive.Path name="Triangle" d="M 40 40 L 260 40 L 150 260 Z" fill="#0b84f3" /> </Interactive.Svg> ``` ### Morph paths using inline `interpolatePaths()` Use `interpolatePaths()` from `@remotion/paths` directly in `d`. It accepts a frame, an input range, an equally sized array of path strings, and options for easing, extrapolation, and posterization. Keep the output paths, ranges, and options inline, following the same input-range rules as `interpolate()` above. Do not use `interpolatePath()` API or extract the interpolated result into a variable when the path keyframes should remain editable in Studio. ```tsx title="Editable path keyframes" import {interpolatePaths} from '@remotion/paths'; import {Easing, Interactive, useCurrentFrame} from 'remotion'; export const MorphingPath = () => { const frame = useCurrentFrame(); return ( <Interactive.Svg width={300} height={300} viewBox="0 0 300 300"> <Interactive.Path name="Morphing triangle" d={interpolatePaths( frame, [0, 30, 60], [ 'M 40 40 L 260 40 L 150 260 Z', 'M 40 150 L 150 40 L 260 150 Z', 'M 40 260 L 150 40 L 260 260 Z', ], { easing: Easing.bezier(0.42, 0, 0.58, 1), extrapolateLeft: 'clamp', extrapolateRight: 'clamp', }, )} fill="#0b84f3" /> </Interactive.Svg> ); }; ``` Studio can edit the path at the current frame, add or move keyframes, and adjust their easing. Use `strokeDasharray` and `strokeDashoffset` to evolve paths. ## Use `scale`, `translate`, `rotate` CSS properties Avoid the `transform` CSS property. If possible, use `scale`, `rotate` and `translate` instead because only they are interactively editable. ## Keep composition metadata inline When scaffolding a composition, use a JSX string literal for `id`, keep `width`, `height`, `fps`, `durationInFrames` and `defaultProps` inline and make no type assertions. The Props editor can save visual edits back to your code when `defaultProps` is an inline object literal on `<Composition>` or `<Still>`. ```tsx // 👍 Static values are in <Composition>, dynamic values are in calculateMetadata() const calculateMetadata = useMemo(async () => { const dimensions = await getDimensions(); // just an example return {width: dimensions.width, height: dimensions.height}; }); <Composition id="my-video" component={MyComponent} durationInFrames={150} fps={30} calculateMetadata={calculateMetadata} defaultProps={{title: 'Hello', color: '#0b84ff'}} /> ``` ```tsx title="Negative examples" const defaultProps = {title: 'Hello', color: '#0b84ff'}; // ❌ Don't extract defaultProps, must be inline const calculateMetadata = useMemo(() => { // ❌ Unnecessary because no calculation is being done, return {durationInFrames: 150, fps: 30, width: 1920, height: 1080}; }); <Composition id="my-video" component={MyComponent} calculateMetadata={calculateMetadata} defaultProps={{ title: 'Hello', } as Props} // ❌ Don't have type assertions, instead type MyComponent correctly /> ``` Use only `calculateMetadata()` for the part of the metadata that is dynamic. ## Effects should be inline too The effects array should not be computed. The same rules for setting keyframes as `interpolate()` apply too here: All values should also be hardcoded: Input range, output range, easing, extrapolation, `output` property. ```tsx title="Effects" // 👍 Parameters are inline and the array shape is stable <CanvasImage src={src} width={1280} height={720} effects={[ radialProgressiveBlur({ center: [0.5, 0.5], width: 1.2, height: 0.8, start: 0.2, disabled: true, rotation: interpolate(frame, [0, 120], [0, 180]), }), ]} /> const center = [0.5, 0.5] as const; const rotation = frame * 1.5; <CanvasImage src={src} width={1280} height={720} // ❌ Conditional effect is not animateable effects={enabled ? [ radialProgressiveBlur({ // ❌ Not inline center, rotation, }), ] : []} /> ``` Render separate elements if one version should have effects and another should not. ## Making your own component interactive To make a custom userland component interactive, use: [Make a component interactive](https://www.remotion.dev/docs/studio/make-component-interactive.md) ## Video editing If a Remotion component mainly consists of video and audio clips, see [Video editing](../remotion-markup/video-editing.md) for best practices on how to structure Remotion markup so the clips are interactively editable in the timeline.