In this article, we will outline what's new in the Template Designer — nested Template previews, a redesigned media zone thumbnail, independent object timing via the new Timeline, and updated Template Properties.
Nested Templates now show a live preview
Previously, nesting a Template inside another Template's zone showed a static thumbnail placeholder on the canvas. This now shows a live, rendered preview of the nested Template's actual content instead.
Media zone thumbnails, redesigned
When you add multiple pieces of media to the same zone, the first item now displays at full size, with any additional items listed beneath it as a horizontal filmstrip — rather than every item appearing the same way in a flat list.
Building a Timeline for independent object timing
Previously, every object within a Template played for the Template's overall duration as a single block. You can now give each object its own independent Start and End time, so different elements can appear and disappear at different points rather than all playing for the same length of time.
Along the bottom of the Template Designer, the Layers panel lists every object added to your Template, each shown as a coloured bar against the timeline
Click on any layer (or select the object directly on the canvas) to bring up its Properties on the right-hand side
Set your object's Start and End time — its bar on the Layers panel will update to reflect the new timing
For more information on using the Timeline within the Template Designer, see this article.
Updated Template Properties: Duration, Auto save, and Background
With nothing selected on the canvas, your Template's Properties panel now includes three sections:
Duration — choose Manual (a fixed duration you set) or Automatic (calculated based on the content within your Template)
Auto save — tick Enable and set an Interval to automatically save your Template as you work
Background — choose a Type (e.g. Color) and use the colour picker, hue slider, hex code field, or preset swatches to set your background colour
Please Note
For uploading a background image instead of a colour, or for adding multiple images to your Top Layer, see our article on Top Layers and Template Backgrounds.
Choosing a font in the Template Designer
Select any text element within your Template or Ticker
Under Text, click the Font family dropdown
Any font uploaded at Domain or server level will automatically appear as the default font for text within the Designer. Clicking the dropdown shows every available font rendered in its own typeface, making it easy to see exactly what each one looks like before applying it.
Summary
With live previews for nested Templates, a clearer media zone thumbnail, independent object timing via the Timeline, and Duration, Auto save, and Background all configurable from one panel, the Template Designer gives you far more control over how your content looks and behaves — without needing to dig through the old manual's separate workflows to find it.