Use camera moves and path following

The camera controls what the viewer sees. Path Follow controls where an object moves. They are separate systems: a follower can move while the camera stays fixed, or the camera can follow an object whose movement comes from a path binding.

Activeuserdesktopmobile45–70 minutes

Verified against frontend@2.0.0

Product UI verification

The Desktop camera states on this page were created and verified in the real local editor at 1440 × 1000 on 27 July 2026. The fixture includes a manual key, an Object Camera action, a Draw-step Camera action, and a reproduced blocking overlap. Mobile Lite uses a focused camera sheet over the same scene data. No documentation-only canvas is used in this guide.

Choose a scene camera mode

Mode	Use it when	Main limitation
Fixed Scene Camera	One saved view should frame the entire scene	It does not move during the scene
Track	You need manual, object-driven, or draw-step camera actions at exact times	Requires timing and overlap review
Follow Hand	The view should stay with the active drawing hand	Requires a valid hand-draw sequence
Follow Object	The view should track a moving subject	Requires an eligible target object

Use the least complex mode that communicates the idea. Fixed framing is usually more readable for text-heavy scenes.

Camera Mode decides what runs

A scene has one active mode: Fixed Scene Camera, Track, Follow Hand, or Follow Object. Object Camera and Draw-step Camera are not additional scene modes. They create timed actions inside the shared Track. Switching to Fixed or either Follow mode keeps those actions saved but makes them inactive; switching back to Track activates them again.

How the camera systems interact

There are three camera authoring surfaces, but only one camera is evaluated during playback and export:

Surface or feature	What it owns	Where you edit it	Target and timing	When it runs	Choose it when
CAMERA drawer	Scene mode, manual Track keys, status, bookmarks, and scene-entry transitions	Timeline → CAMERA	The whole scene and shared playhead	The selected scene mode always decides the runtime source; manual keys run only in Track	You need a fixed shot, an exact manual move, a live follow mode, or an overview of all camera sources
Object Camera	A generated Track action owned by one eligible object	Select the object → Properties → Object Camera	Captured object bounds plus an explicit start and move duration	Track only	A text, image, static SVG, or shape needs one timed close-up or wider shot
Draw-step Camera	A generated Track action owned by one drawing step	Timeline → DRAW → expand the step → Camera	That step's path/reveal bounds and step-constrained timing	Track only	The framing should change for a particular vector drawing step

The CAMERA drawer is the coordinator, not a fourth competing editor. It reports how many manual, Object Camera, and Draw-step Camera actions exist and compiles them into one time-ordered camera track.

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One Track contains all three authored sources. The selected text owns the Object Camera action; the drawable object's step owns the Draw-step Camera action.

Screenshot callouts

1. 1
   Object-owned action

   The selected text exposes its editable Object Camera controls in Properties.
2. 2
   Track is active

   Manual, Object Camera, and Draw-step Camera actions are evaluated only in Track mode.
3. 3
   Three source counts

   Camera Summary independently reports manual keys, object actions, and draw-step actions.
4. 4
   One shared timeline

   All camera actions resolve against the scene-local ruler and playhead.

Object Camera: a timed shot, not a live follower

Object Camera captures the selected object's current approximate bounds when you choose Add Camera or Update Camera. It changes the viewer's framing; it does not move, scale, or animate the object itself.

1. Select an eligible text, image, static SVG, or shape with usable bounds.
2. Switch the scene to Track.
3. Open Properties → Object Camera.
4. Set:
   • Framing: Tight, Medium, or Wide;
   • Camera starts at: scene-local start time;
   • Move duration: 0.1 to 2 seconds;
   • After move: Continue or Revert; and
   • Hold when Revert is selected.
5. Choose Add Camera. Later changes require Update Camera.

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Object Camera is authored on the selected object. The Camera drawer confirms the action and keeps the scene in Track mode.

Screenshot callouts

1. 1
   Object Camera editor

   Framing, start time, move duration, Continue/Revert, and Add/Update/Remove belong to the selected object.
2. 2
   Camera enabled

   This badge confirms that the selected object owns a saved camera action.
3. 3
   Scene mode

   The generated action runs because the scene Camera Mode is Track.
4. 4
   Object action count

   Camera Summary reports one Object Camera action and links editing back to Properties.

Continue reaches the generated shot and leaves that framing active until a later Track action changes it. Revert reaches the shot, holds for the configured range, and returns toward the prior framing over the move duration.

Object Camera is intentionally not shown for drawable vector paths. If text is converted to outlines, or the selection otherwise contains drawable paths, Properties switches to a Draw-step Camera summary.

Draw-step Camera: framing owned by one drawing step

Draw-step Camera uses the selected step's path or revealed path range when available, rather than always framing the whole drawable object. It is useful when a large diagram should move through several local drawing areas.

1. Create or import a drawable vector.
2. Use DRAW → AUTO-PLAN, or add a Draw step manually.
3. Switch CAMERA → Camera Mode to Track.
4. Return to DRAW and expand the intended step.
5. In that step's Camera area, set framing, start offset, move duration, Continue/Revert, and hold.
6. Choose Add Camera.
7. Open CAMERA and confirm a D source appears.

Auto-plan does not add cameras

AUTO-PLAN creates Draw steps. It does not automatically enable a camera for every step. Add only the step cameras that improve the explanation.

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The editable Draw-step Camera lives inside the owning DRAW step. Properties only provides a read-only summary for the selected drawable.

Screenshot callouts

1. 1
   DRAW drawer

   Open the DRAW drawer, then expand the owning step to reach its Camera controls.
2. 2
   Step-owned Camera

   This editor belongs to one Draw step, not to the whole drawable object.
3. 3
   Camera enabled

   The step recipe is saved and has generated Track keys.
4. 4
   Update or remove

   Edit the source recipe here so generated keys stay consistent.

The start and return timing is constrained by the Draw step, the next configured step-camera action, and the scene end. If the requested timing no longer fits, shorten the move or hold, retime the step, or move the next camera action.

The source badges in the CAMERA drawer

The Track key table labels provenance so you can tell what created each camera key:

• M — a manual camera key added from CAMERA;
• O — a generated Object Camera key whose source editor is Properties;
• D — a generated Draw-step Camera key whose source editor is the expanded DRAW step.

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The runtime samples one final Track. M, D, and O explain where its authored keys came from.

Screenshot callouts

1. 1
   CAMERA drawer

   The shared Track is inspected from the scene-level Camera drawer.
2. 2
   M, D, and O rows

   Manual, Draw-step, and Object keys are time-sorted into one camera track.
3. 3
   Edit O at the source

   Generated Object Camera rows should be changed from the selected object’s Properties panel.
4. 4
   Shared playhead

   Every source uses the same scene-local time.

Edit generated actions at their source. Use Properties for O, the owning DRAW step for D, and the Camera key table primarily for M plus inspection. Deleting a generated row without removing its source recipe can allow that row to be generated again.

Conflict and precedence rules

Situation	What Scribe does	What you should do
Scene mode is Fixed, Follow Hand, or Follow Object	Manual, Object Camera, and Draw-step Camera actions stay saved but are inactive	Switch back to Track when those actions should run
Object Camera overlaps Draw-step Camera	The conflict is blocking; neither generated action wins and Add/Update is disabled	Separate their time ranges, shorten a move/hold, or remove one action
One action ends exactly when the other starts	Boundary contact is allowed; it is not treated as an overlap	Preview the cut or transition for visual continuity
A manual key timestamp falls inside a generated action	Scribe warns, preserves the manual key, and the affected generated interval can be skipped	Move the manual key or generated range unless the override is intentional
Multiple Object Camera actions overlap each other	Compatible object actions can be grouped into a wider union shot; a grouped Revert request makes the group revert	Preview the resulting composition and separate actions when a wide union is not intended
Draw-step actions are close together	Each step action is ordered and constrained by the next configured action	Shorten the earlier move/hold or retime the Draw steps
A camera transition enters the scene	When both endpoint poses resolve, the entry blend temporarily takes precedence over the active mode	Preview across the scene boundary, not only inside the scene

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Generated Object and Draw-step actions do not silently fight. Scribe blocks the update and identifies the overlapping source and time.

Screenshot callouts

1. 1
   Read-only Properties summary

   For a drawable selection, Properties points camera editing back to Draw Steps.
2. 2
   Proposed Draw-step action

   The expanded step owns this framing and timing recipe.
3. 3
   Blocking overlap

   An Object Camera action already occupies this range, so the Draw-step action cannot be added.

Clear All is not a source reset

CAMERA → Clear All clears the current camera Track keys. It does not necessarily remove the saved Object Camera recipes in Properties or Draw-step Camera recipes in DRAW. Remove generated actions from their source editors when you want them gone permanently.

Similar names that mean different behavior

Do not confuse	Difference
Object Camera vs Follow Object	Object Camera is a bounded, timed Track action around captured object bounds. Follow Object is a scene-wide live mode that continuously samples the target's evaluated animated position.
Draw-step Camera vs Follow Hand	Draw-step Camera generates a shot for one configured Draw step. Follow Hand is a scene-wide live mode that continuously samples the active drawing hand.
Apply bookmark vs Add as Track key	Apply changes the saved scene pose; it does not switch modes. + KF inserts the bookmark pose into Track at the playhead.

When Follow Hand or Follow Object is active, the saved scene pose remains available as the zoom/rotation reference and fallback. The saved Track actions are not deleted.

Quick choice guide

Goal	Choose
One stable composition for the whole scene	Fixed Scene Camera
Exact pan/zoom/rotation at authored times	Track with manual M keys
One timed close-up around text, image, static SVG, or shape	Object Camera in Properties
A camera move tied to one vector drawing step	Draw-step Camera in DRAW
Keep the active drawing hand on screen continuously	Follow Hand
Keep following an animated subject continuously	Follow Object

Before you frame

1. Set the final project aspect ratio and canvas dimensions.
2. Place critical text away from the frame edges.
3. Finish major object layout and draw planning.
4. Select the intended scene.
5. Stop playback.
6. Open the timeline and choose CAMERA.
7. Export a .scribe backup before replacing a long camera track.

The editor viewport is an authoring view. A saved scene camera is project data. Panning the editor does not automatically save a viewer-facing camera pose.

Camera drawer anatomy

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The Camera drawer keeps scene mode, authored actions, status, and the shared timeline together.

Screenshot callouts

1. 1
   CAMERA tab

   Opens scene camera authoring beside KEYFRAMES, CURVES, and DRAW.
2. 2
   Camera Mode

   Choose Fixed Scene Camera, Track, Follow Hand, or Follow Object.
3. 3
   Camera Summary

   Reports active modes, keys, object/draw-step actions, overlaps, bookmarks, and transitions.
4. 4
   Mode-specific controls

   Fixed mode saves the current view; other modes expose keys or follow targets.
5. 5
   Playhead

   Track-mode camera keys are captured at this shared time.

Tutorial 1: save a fixed scene view

Use fixed mode for a stable scene or a fast, safe first framing pass.

1. Choose Fixed Scene Camera from Camera Mode.
2. Pan and zoom the editor view until the entire intended frame is visible.
3. Choose Save View.
4. Read Camera Summary and confirm a fixed scene camera is active.
5. Use Jump to View to return the editor viewport to the saved pose.
6. Adjust the viewport and choose Update View when the framing changes.
7. Press Play from the scene start.

Expected result: playback uses one saved position, zoom, and rotation for the complete scene.

Use Remove to delete the scene's fixed pose. Removing camera data does not delete scene objects.

Tutorial 2: animate a camera track

Use Track mode for a planned pan, zoom, or rotation.

1. Choose Track.
2. Move the playhead to the first camera moment.
3. Position and zoom the editor view.
4. Choose + Add @ Playhead.
5. Move the playhead later.
6. Set the next view and add another key.
7. Inspect Current at Playhead:
   • active source;
   • current segment;
   • X/Y position;
   • zoom;
   • rotation;
   • easing; and
   • next key.
8. Edit a key's time, position, zoom, rotation, or easing in the key table.
9. Preview through the complete segment.

Expected result: the camera interpolates between authored poses while canvas objects keep their own geometry.

Track controls

Control	Behavior
+ Add @ Playhead	Captures the current pan/zoom, or the supported current pose, at the playhead
Zoom Only Mode	Keeps the focal point stable while authoring zoom-only keys
Clear All	Clears the current Track key array after confirmation; generated Object/Draw-step source recipes can rebuild their keys
Key source	Identifies manual (M), Object Camera (O), or Draw-step Camera (D) provenance
Time	Scene-local key time
Pos (X, Y)	Camera center/translation values
Zoom	Magnification; verify edge clipping after changes
Rot	Camera rotation
Easing	Linear, Ease In, Ease Out, Ease In-Out, and cubic variants

Do not place two incompatible camera actions over the same time without reading the overlap warning. Blocking overlaps should be resolved before export.

Tutorial 3: add an Object Camera action

Use this workflow for a timed shot around one eligible, non-drawable object.

1. Switch CAMERA → Camera Mode to Track.
2. Select the intended text, image, static SVG, or shape.
3. Expand Properties → Object Camera.
4. Choose Tight, Medium, or Wide framing.
5. Enter the scene-local start time and a move duration between 0.1 and 2 seconds.
6. Choose Continue to keep the new framing, or Revert and set a hold before returning.
7. Resolve any blocking overlap named below the controls.
8. Choose Add Camera.
9. Open CAMERA and confirm Object camera actions: 1 plus O source rows.
10. Preview from before the action starts.

Expected result: the camera moves to the generated framing at the requested time without changing the object's own transform.

If the object's geometry or timing changes later, return to Properties and choose Update Camera. Use Remove Camera there instead of deleting only generated rows.

Tutorial 4: add a Draw-step Camera action

Use this workflow to frame one path range while it is being drawn.

1. Select a drawable vector and create Draw steps with AUTO-PLAN or + STEP.
2. Switch CAMERA → Camera Mode to Track.
3. Open DRAW and expand the intended step.
4. Find that step's Camera area.
5. Choose Tight, Medium, or Wide framing.
6. Set the start offset and move duration so they fit inside the step.
7. Choose Continue or Revert; for Revert, set a hold that leaves enough time to return before the next action or scene end.
8. Resolve any blocking Object Camera overlap.
9. Choose Add Camera.
10. Confirm D source rows in CAMERA, then preview the complete step.

Expected result: the camera frames that step's path/reveal bounds where available, rather than blindly fitting the complete drawable.

The Draw-step Camera card in Properties is read-only by design. It confirms how many step cameras exist and points you back to DRAW for editing.

Tutorial 5: follow the drawing hand

1. Prepare valid Draw steps and a hand/tool.
2. Open CAMERA.
3. Choose Follow Hand.
4. Preview from before the first draw step.
5. Check fast corners, long moves, and scene edges.
6. If the view feels nervous, simplify the draw plan or use fixed/track framing instead.

Expected result: the camera smoothly follows the active hand position during drawable steps.

Follow Hand cannot invent a hand position for raster content or a scene with no active draw step.

Tutorial 6: follow an object

1. Add and name the subject object.
2. Open CAMERA and choose Follow Object.
3. Choose the object in Target Object.
4. Confirm the success message identifies the target.
5. Animate the object or bind it to a path.
6. Preview through its complete movement.

Expected result: the camera tracks the target's evaluated position. If the object follows a path, the camera uses that runtime position.

If the target is missing, the camera falls back to a static position. Rebind after deleting or replacing a target.

Tutorial 7: save and reuse camera bookmarks

Bookmarks preserve useful shots without adding movement by themselves.

1. Position the editor view.
2. Enter a bookmark name.
3. Save the bookmark.
4. Use the bookmark action to apply it to the scene.
5. In Track mode, apply it as a keyframe at the playhead when needed.
6. Mark a bookmark as home/default when appropriate.
7. Rename or delete obsolete bookmarks.

Use names such as Wide context, Title close-up, or Diagram detail, not Camera 1.

Tutorial 8: transition from the previous scene camera

1. Give the previous and current scenes valid camera views.
2. Open the current scene's camera transition section.
3. Enable Camera Transition from Previous Scene.
4. Set duration and easing.
5. Preview across the scene boundary.

Expected result: the current scene begins from the previous scene's camera view, then moves to the current scene view.

A camera transition does not replace a scene visual transition. Review both together when both are enabled.

Tutorial 9: bind an object to a path

Path Follow authoring is in the selected object's Preset Animation/animation properties and its timeline track.

1. Create or import a suitable path.
2. Add the follower object.
3. Select the follower, not the path.
4. Expand Preset Animation and find Path Follow.
5. Choose Bind path or begin the binding interaction.
6. Select the intended path on the canvas, or choose it from Bound path.
7. Configure:
   • Enabled to turn evaluation on or off without discarding the binding;
   • Rotate with path to align the follower with the path tangent;
   • Reverse to traverse in the opposite direction;
   • Rotation (deg) for an orientation correction;
   • Offset X and Offset Y for visual alignment.
8. Set the object's visible animation timing.
9. Preview from start to end.

Expected result: the follower moves along the selected path during its authored range. The source path remains independently selectable.

Use Clear binding when the association is no longer needed. Disabling is better when you may restore the same path later.

Camera and path-follow coordination

1. Make the path-follow motion correct before configuring Follow Object.
2. Preview the follower without camera motion.
3. Add the camera mode.
4. Check rotation and offsets at the start, middle, and end.
5. Verify smart connectors after moving targets.
6. Export a short test to confirm runtime parity.

Limitations and safety

• Export aspect ratio defines the final frame; the surrounding editor viewport is not exported.
• Track mode requires at least two meaningful poses to create visible movement.
• Follow Hand requires drawable steps and a valid hand position.
• Follow Object requires an existing eligible target.
• Object Camera captures approximate bounds when it is added or updated; update the action after materially changing the owner's geometry or timing.
• Object Camera is edited in Properties; Draw-step Camera is edited inside the owning Draw step. Drawable vectors do not use the Properties Object Camera editor.
• Draw-step Camera timing is constrained by its Draw step, the next configured camera action, and the scene end.
• Manual/Object/Draw actions remain stored but inactive when the scene uses Fixed, Follow Hand, or Follow Object.
• Object-versus-Draw-step overlap is blocking; manual overlap is warning-only because a manual key can take priority.
• A camera transition needs both endpoint poses before an entry blend can be resolved.
• Path Follow authoring is currently richer on Desktop; Mobile Lite can preserve and preview project data while exposing a constrained camera interface.
• Deleting a followed object or bound path can invalidate the relationship.
• Extreme camera zoom or rapid movement can make text unreadable or induce motion discomfort.
• Static SVG export does not preserve camera motion or path-follow animation.

Troubleshooting and recovery

Problem	Recovery
Playback ignores the editor view	Save/update the Fixed Scene Camera or add Track keys; viewport changes alone are not project camera data
+ Add @ Playhead is disabled	Switch to Track mode
Camera does not move	Confirm at least two keys with different poses and valid timing
Saved Object/Draw actions do not run	Switch the scene back to Track; Fixed and Follow modes preserve those actions but do not evaluate them
Add Camera or Update Camera is disabled	Confirm Track mode, an eligible owner with usable bounds, valid timing, and no blocking generated overlap
Object Camera disappeared after converting text to outlines	The object became drawable; use the Properties summary to find its editable Draw-step Camera in DRAW
Draw-step Camera is read-only in Properties	Expand the owning step in the DRAW drawer; Properties intentionally reports status only
Auto-plan created steps but no camera movement	Auto-plan does not enable step cameras; add the required cameras inside individual steps
A generated action returned after Clear All	Remove its saved recipe from Properties or the owning Draw step, then rebuild/inspect the Track
Object and Draw-step actions block each other	Separate start/move/hold ranges, retime the Draw step, or remove one generated action
Manual key overrides part of an automatic shot	Move the manual key or the automatic range unless the override is intentional
Camera jumps	Look for duplicate-time keys, blocking overlaps, or a very short transition
Follow Hand has no target	Verify Draw steps and active hand/tool data
Follow Object says no target	Add an eligible object or reselect one that still exists
Object Camera does not continuously follow movement	Use Follow Object for live scene-wide tracking; Object Camera is a bounded Track action
Scene-entry transition does not blend	Verify that both previous-end and current-start camera poses resolve
Subject drifts during zoom	Try Zoom Only Mode or correct the authored X/Y pose
Follower points sideways	Enable Rotate with path and adjust Rotation (deg)
Follower is offset	Correct Offset X/Y rather than moving the source path blindly
Binding overlay blocks normal selection	Finish or cancel binding mode with Escape
Export framing differs	Confirm project aspect ratio, preview camera mode, and test the actual exporter

Related workflows

• Animate with the timeline
• Create drawing-hand reveals
• Select, arrange, and connect objects
• Camera System reference