How to use the Animation Tool in Nimbus808
The Nimbus Animation Tool lets you add movement and visual changes to individual widgets in the Nimbus808 Design Editor. Use the timeline to record keyframes, control timing, and preview your animation before publishing.
This guide explains the available tracks and walks you through a simple movement animation.
Understanding the Animation Timeline
A keyframe records a widget property at a specific time. For example, position keyframes define where a widget starts and ends. Nimbus808 uses those recorded positions to animate movement between them.
The playhead marks the current time on the timeline. Click the time ruler to move it. The track buttons show the time where you will add or update a keyframe.
Each track controls a different property. Combining tracks lets you build more complex effects.
| Animation track | Property |
|---|---|
| Position | Widget location on the canvas |
| Rotation | Widget angle |
| Scale | Widget size |
| Opacity | Widget transparency |
| Background Color | Widget background color |
| Border Color | Widget border color |
| Border Width | Widget border thickness |
Opacity uses percentages. A value of 100% means fully visible. A value of 0% means fully transparent.
The available animation properties depend on the widget type. For example, text widgets support all animation properties, while graph widgets support only Position, Rotation, Scale, and Opacity.
Open the Animation Tool
From the Designs dashboard, open your design and select Edit project.
Select the widget you want to animate. You can select it on the canvas or in the Layers panel.
Click Animate in the top toolbar. You can also use Animate under Appearance in the Properties panel.
The Animation Timeline opens below the canvas. The properties panel shows the selected widget’s settings.
Tip: Duplicate your design before experimenting. This gives you a separate copy for testing animation effects.
Create a Simple Movement Animation
In this example, a text widget moves from one position to another over approximately two seconds.
1 – Record the Starting Position
Select the text widget and open Animate mode.
Move the playhead to 0 seconds on the time ruler. It’s set to 0 by default.
Click the plus button beside Position to record the widget’s starting position.
A keyframe marker appears on the Position track. The button changes from Add Position keyframe to Update Position keyframe at that time.
2 – Record the Ending Position
Click near 2 seconds on the time ruler.
Drag the selected text widget to its ending position on the canvas.
Click the plus button beside Position to record the second keyframe.
You now have two position keyframes. The distance between them on the timeline determines how long the movement takes.
Check the time shown in the track button before recording. Clicking near a second marker may select a slightly different time.
3 – Preview the Movement
Click Restart to return to the beginning.
Click Play preview to watch the animation.
Use Pause preview to stop playback while reviewing the result.
You can also click different times on the ruler to inspect the widget during the movement.
The toolbar includes a Loop animation control for checking repeated playback. Review the result with other animations before publishing.
Edit or Remove Keyframes
When the playhead matches an existing keyframe, the track button changes to Update keyframe. Its label identifies the property and time.
To remove a keyframe, select its marker and click Delete selected in the Animation Timeline. Use the timeline’s delete control to remove a keyframe without deleting the widget.
The Add Default button adds a “back to normal” keyframe at the playhead. Use this control when you want an animation to return toward the widget’s normal appearance.
The All Tracks menu lists the available animation properties. Check the selected property when working with the timeline controls.
Review and Publish Your Animation
Click Done to exit Animate mode.
Use Preview all animations in the top toolbar to review the design’s animations together.
Check the editor’s save status before leaving the design.
When the design is ready, select Publish changes to publish your saved edits.
Saving and publishing are separate actions. A saved design can still show unpublished changes. After you click Publish changes, the status changes to Up to date.
Tips for Clear Digital Signage Animations
- Start with one widget and one animation track.
- Keep movement short and purposeful so viewers can read your message.
- Leave enough time for important information to remain readable.
- Preview multiple widgets together to check their timing.
- Use similar animation timing across related elements for a consistent appearance.
Conclusion
The Nimbus808 Animation Tool uses keyframes to control changes over time. Start with a simple movement animation, preview the result, and build additional effects as needed.
Contact us if you have questions or need assistance with Nimbus808. Our team is here to help.
