Scenes

Scenes are the root container for all designs in CE.SDK. They hold pages, blocks, and the camera that controls what you see in the canvas—and the engine manages only one active scene at a time.

Scenes example showing a two-page design with different shapes on each page

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Every design you create starts with a scene. Scenes contain pages, and pages contain the visible design elements—text, images, shapes, and other blocks. Understanding how scenes work is essential for building, saving, and restoring user designs.

import type { EditorPlugin, EditorPluginContext } from '@cesdk/cesdk-js';
import packageJson from './package.json';

/**
 * CE.SDK Plugin: Scenes Guide
 *
 * Demonstrates the complete scene lifecycle in CE.SDK:
 * - Creating scenes with different layouts
 * - Managing pages within scenes
 * - Configuring scene properties
 * - Saving and loading scenes
 * - Camera control and zoom
 */
class Example implements EditorPlugin {
  name = packageJson.name;

  version = packageJson.version;

  async initialize({ cesdk }: EditorPluginContext): Promise<void> {
    if (!cesdk) {
      throw new Error('CE.SDK instance is required for this plugin');
    }

    // Initialize CE.SDK with Design mode and default assets
    await cesdk.addDefaultAssetSources();
    await cesdk.addDemoAssetSources({
      sceneMode: 'Design',
      withUploadAssetSources: true
    });

    const engine = cesdk.engine;

    // Create a new design scene with VerticalStack layout
    // The layout controls how pages are arranged in the canvas
    engine.scene.create('VerticalStack');

    // Get the stack container and add spacing between pages
    const stack = engine.block.findByType('stack')[0];
    engine.block.setFloat(stack, 'stack/spacing', 20);
    engine.block.setBool(stack, 'stack/spacingInScreenspace', true);

    // Create the first page
    const page1 = engine.block.create('page');
    engine.block.setWidth(page1, 800);
    engine.block.setHeight(page1, 600);
    engine.block.appendChild(stack, page1);

    // Create a second page
    const page2 = engine.block.create('page');
    engine.block.setWidth(page2, 800);
    engine.block.setHeight(page2, 600);
    engine.block.appendChild(stack, page2);

    // Add a shape to the first page
    const graphic1 = engine.block.create('graphic');
    engine.block.setShape(graphic1, engine.block.createShape('rect'));
    const fill1 = engine.block.createFill('color');
    engine.block.setColor(fill1, 'fill/color/value', {
      r: 0.2,
      g: 0.4,
      b: 0.9,
      a: 1
    });
    engine.block.setFill(graphic1, fill1);
    engine.block.setWidth(graphic1, 400);
    engine.block.setHeight(graphic1, 300);
    engine.block.setPositionX(graphic1, 200);
    engine.block.setPositionY(graphic1, 150);
    engine.block.appendChild(page1, graphic1);

    // Add a different shape to the second page
    const graphic2 = engine.block.create('graphic');
    engine.block.setShape(graphic2, engine.block.createShape('ellipse'));
    const fill2 = engine.block.createFill('color');
    engine.block.setColor(fill2, 'fill/color/value', {
      r: 0.9,
      g: 0.3,
      b: 0.2,
      a: 1
    });
    engine.block.setFill(graphic2, fill2);
    engine.block.setWidth(graphic2, 350);
    engine.block.setHeight(graphic2, 350);
    engine.block.setPositionX(graphic2, 225);
    engine.block.setPositionY(graphic2, 125);
    engine.block.appendChild(page2, graphic2);

    // Query scene properties
    const currentUnit = engine.scene.getDesignUnit();
    console.log('Scene design unit:', currentUnit);

    // Get the scene layout
    const layout = engine.scene.getLayout();
    console.log('Scene layout:', layout);

    // Check scene mode (Design or Video)
    const mode = engine.scene.getMode();
    console.log('Scene mode:', mode);

    // Access pages within the scene
    const pages = engine.scene.getPages();
    console.log('Number of pages:', pages.length);

    // Get the current page (nearest to viewport center)
    const currentPage = engine.scene.getCurrentPage();
    console.log('Current page ID:', currentPage);

    // Zoom to show all pages in the scene
    const scene = engine.scene.get();
    if (scene) {
      await engine.scene.zoomToBlock(scene, { padding: 50 });
    }

    // Get the current zoom level
    const zoomLevel = engine.scene.getZoomLevel();
    console.log('Current zoom level:', zoomLevel);

    // Save the scene to a string for persistence
    const sceneString = await engine.scene.saveToString();
    console.log('Scene saved successfully. String length:', sceneString.length);

    // Demonstrate loading the scene from the saved string
    // This replaces the current scene with the saved version
    await engine.scene.loadFromString(sceneString);
    console.log('Scene loaded from saved string');

    // Zoom to show all loaded pages
    const loadedScene = engine.scene.get();
    if (loadedScene) {
      await engine.scene.zoomToBlock(loadedScene, { padding: 50 });
    }

    console.log('Scenes guide initialized successfully.');
  }
}

export default Example;

This guide covers how to create scenes from scratch, manage pages within scenes, configure scene properties, save and load designs, and control the camera’s zoom and position.

Scene Hierarchy#

Scenes form the root of CE.SDK’s design structure. The hierarchy works as follows:

Scene — The root container holding all design content
Pages — Direct children of scenes, arranged according to the scene’s layout
Blocks — Design elements (text, images, shapes) that belong to pages

Only blocks attached to pages within the active scene are rendered in the canvas. Use engine.scene.get() to retrieve the current scene and engine.scene.getPages() to access its pages.

Creating Scenes#

Creating an Empty Scene#

Use engine.scene.create() to create a new design scene with a configurable page layout. The layout parameter controls how pages are arranged in the canvas.

// Create a new design scene with VerticalStack layout
// The layout controls how pages are arranged in the canvas
engine.scene.create('VerticalStack');

// Get the stack container and add spacing between pages
const stack = engine.block.findByType('stack')[0];
engine.block.setFloat(stack, 'stack/spacing', 20);
engine.block.setBool(stack, 'stack/spacingInScreenspace', true);

Available layouts include:

VerticalStack — Pages stacked vertically
HorizontalStack — Pages arranged horizontally
DepthStack — Pages layered on top of each other
Free — Manual positioning

Creating for Video Editing#

For video projects, use engine.scene.createVideo() which configures the scene for timeline-based editing:

const videoScene = engine.scene.createVideo({
  page: { size: { width: 1920, height: 1080 } }
});

Adding Pages#

After creating a scene, add pages using engine.block.create('page'). Configure the page dimensions and append it to the scene’s stack container.

// Create the first page
const page1 = engine.block.create('page');
engine.block.setWidth(page1, 800);
engine.block.setHeight(page1, 600);
engine.block.appendChild(stack, page1);

// Create a second page
const page2 = engine.block.create('page');
engine.block.setWidth(page2, 800);
engine.block.setHeight(page2, 600);
engine.block.appendChild(stack, page2);

Adding Blocks#

With pages in place, add design elements like shapes, text, or images. Create a graphic block, configure its shape and fill, then append it to a page.

// Add a shape to the first page
const graphic1 = engine.block.create('graphic');
engine.block.setShape(graphic1, engine.block.createShape('rect'));
const fill1 = engine.block.createFill('color');
engine.block.setColor(fill1, 'fill/color/value', {
  r: 0.2,
  g: 0.4,
  b: 0.9,
  a: 1
});
engine.block.setFill(graphic1, fill1);
engine.block.setWidth(graphic1, 400);
engine.block.setHeight(graphic1, 300);
engine.block.setPositionX(graphic1, 200);
engine.block.setPositionY(graphic1, 150);
engine.block.appendChild(page1, graphic1);

// Add a different shape to the second page
const graphic2 = engine.block.create('graphic');
engine.block.setShape(graphic2, engine.block.createShape('ellipse'));
const fill2 = engine.block.createFill('color');
engine.block.setColor(fill2, 'fill/color/value', {
  r: 0.9,
  g: 0.3,
  b: 0.2,
  a: 1
});
engine.block.setFill(graphic2, fill2);
engine.block.setWidth(graphic2, 350);
engine.block.setHeight(graphic2, 350);
engine.block.setPositionX(graphic2, 225);
engine.block.setPositionY(graphic2, 125);
engine.block.appendChild(page2, graphic2);

Scene Properties#

Design Units#

Query or configure how measurements are interpreted using engine.scene.getDesignUnit() and engine.scene.setDesignUnit(). This is useful for print workflows where precise physical dimensions matter.

// Query scene properties
const currentUnit = engine.scene.getDesignUnit();
console.log('Scene design unit:', currentUnit);

// Get the scene layout
const layout = engine.scene.getLayout();
console.log('Scene layout:', layout);

// Check scene mode (Design or Video)
const mode = engine.scene.getMode();
console.log('Scene mode:', mode);

Supported units are 'Pixel', 'Millimeter', and 'Inch'. For more details, see the Design Units guide.

Scene Mode#

Scenes operate in either Design mode or Video mode, determined at creation time. Use engine.scene.getMode() to check which mode is active:

Design — For static designs like posters, social media graphics, and print materials
Video — For timeline-based editing with animations and video clips

Scene Layout#

Control how pages are arranged using engine.scene.getLayout() and engine.scene.setLayout(). The layout affects how users navigate between pages in multi-page designs.

Access pages within your scene using these methods:

// Access pages within the scene
const pages = engine.scene.getPages();
console.log('Number of pages:', pages.length);

// Get the current page (nearest to viewport center)
const currentPage = engine.scene.getCurrentPage();
console.log('Current page ID:', currentPage);

The getCurrentPage() method returns the page nearest to the viewport center—useful for determining which page the user is currently viewing.

Camera and Zoom#

Zoom to Block#

Use engine.scene.zoomToBlock() to frame a specific block in the viewport with padding. Pass the scene block to show all pages:

// Zoom to show all pages in the scene
const scene = engine.scene.get();
if (scene) {
  await engine.scene.zoomToBlock(scene, { padding: 50 });
}

// Get the current zoom level
const zoomLevel = engine.scene.getZoomLevel();
console.log('Current zoom level:', zoomLevel);

Zoom Level#

Get and set the zoom level directly with engine.scene.getZoomLevel() and engine.scene.setZoomLevel(). A zoom level of 1.0 means one design unit equals one screen pixel.

Auto-Fit Zoom#

For continuous auto-framing, use engine.scene.enableZoomAutoFit() to automatically keep a block centered as the viewport resizes.

Saving Scenes#

Saving to String#

Use engine.scene.saveToString() to serialize the current scene. This captures the complete scene structure—pages, blocks, and their properties—as a string you can store.

// Save the scene to a string for persistence
const sceneString = await engine.scene.saveToString();
console.log('Scene saved successfully. String length:', sceneString.length);

The serialized string references external assets by URL rather than embedding them. For complete portability including assets, use engine.scene.saveToArchive().

Loading Scenes#

Loading from String#

Use engine.scene.loadFromString() to restore a scene from a saved string:

// Demonstrate loading the scene from the saved string
// This replaces the current scene with the saved version
await engine.scene.loadFromString(sceneString);
console.log('Scene loaded from saved string');

// Zoom to show all loaded pages
const loadedScene = engine.scene.get();
if (loadedScene) {
  await engine.scene.zoomToBlock(loadedScene, { padding: 50 });
}

Loading a new scene replaces any existing scene. The engine only holds one active scene at a time.

Loading from URL#

Use engine.scene.loadFromURL() to load a scene directly from a remote location:

await engine.scene.loadFromURL('https://example.com/design.scene');

Troubleshooting#

Blocks Not Visible#

Ensure blocks are attached to pages, and pages are attached to the scene. Orphaned blocks that aren’t part of the scene hierarchy won’t render.

Scene Not Loading#

Check that the scene URL or string is valid. If assets fail to load, consider using the waitForResources option to ensure everything loads before rendering.

Zoom Not Working#

Verify the scene has a valid camera. Some UI configurations may override programmatic zoom controls.