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Save and Export Buttons

This guide shows how to add save and export action buttons to your CE.SDK navigation bar using the Navigation Bar Order API.

Quick Start#

Add save and export buttons to your navigation bar:

import CreativeEditorSDK from '@cesdk/cesdk-js';


const cesdk = await CreativeEditorSDK.create(container, {
  license: 'YOUR_CESDK_LICENSE_KEY'
});


// Add save and export buttons
cesdk.ui.insertNavigationBarOrderComponent('last', {
  id: 'ly.img.actions.navigationBar',
  children: [
    'ly.img.saveScene.navigationBar',         // Save scene
    'ly.img.exportImage.navigationBar',  // Export as image
    'ly.img.exportPDF.navigationBar'     // Export as PDF
  ]
});

Save Button#

The save button (ly.img.saveScene.navigationBar) persists the current scene state. You can use the default behavior or customize it.

Default Behavior#

// Adds a save button that downloads the scene file
cesdk.ui.insertNavigationBarOrderComponent('last', {
  id: 'ly.img.actions.navigationBar',
  children: ['ly.img.saveScene.navigationBar']
});

Custom Save with Notification#

// Register custom save callback
cesdk.actions.register('saveScene', async () => {
  const scene = await cesdk.engine.scene.saveToString();
  await cesdk.utils.downloadFile(scene, 'text/plain;charset=UTF-8');
  cesdk.ui.showNotification('Scene saved successfully');
});


// Add save button that uses registered callback
cesdk.ui.insertNavigationBarOrderComponent('last', {
  id: 'ly.img.actions.navigationBar',
  children: ['ly.img.saveScene.navigationBar']
});

Save to Backend#

// Register save callback that uploads to backend
cesdk.actions.register('saveScene', async () => {
  const scene = await cesdk.engine.scene.saveToString();


  try {
    console.log('Scene ready to save:', scene.length, 'characters');


    // Production:
    // const { id } = await saveProjectToBackend(scene);
    // cesdk.ui.showNotification(`Saved (ID: ${id})`);


    cesdk.ui.showNotification('Scene saved successfully');
  } catch (error) {
    cesdk.ui.showNotification('Save failed', 'error');
  }
});


// Add save button that uses registered callback
cesdk.ui.insertNavigationBarOrderComponent('last', {
  id: 'ly.img.actions.navigationBar',
  children: ['ly.img.saveScene.navigationBar']
});

Export Buttons#

Export buttons convert your design to different output formats. CE.SDK provides three default export buttons that all trigger the exportDesign callback with different MIME types:

  • Image Export (ly.img.exportImage.navigationBar) - passes { mimeType: 'image/png' }
  • PDF Export (ly.img.exportPDF.navigationBar) - passes { mimeType: 'application/pdf' }
  • Video Export (ly.img.exportVideo.navigationBar) - passes { mimeType: 'video/mp4' }

The exportDesign callback receives the export options including the MIME type, allowing you to handle different export formats appropriately.

Image Export#

The image export button (ly.img.exportImage.navigationBar) exports the design as PNG.

Default Behavior (Download)#

Using just the string ID will download the exported PNG file to the user’s device:

// Default behavior: downloads PNG to user's device
cesdk.ui.insertNavigationBarOrderComponent('last', {
  id: 'ly.img.actions.navigationBar',
  children: ['ly.img.exportImage.navigationBar']
});

Upload to CDN#

// Register export callback that uploads to CDN
cesdk.actions.register('exportDesign', async (options) => {
  // The options will include { mimeType: 'image/png' } from the button
  const { blobs } = await cesdk.utils.export({
    pngCompressionLevel: 7,
    ...options // This already contains mimeType: 'image/png'
  });


  console.log('Image ready for upload:', blobs[0].size, 'bytes');


  // Production:
  // const url = await uploadToCDN(blobs[0]);


  cesdk.ui.showNotification('Image uploaded successfully');
});


// Add export button that uses registered callback
cesdk.ui.insertNavigationBarOrderComponent('last', {
  id: 'ly.img.actions.navigationBar',
  children: ['ly.img.exportImage.navigationBar']
});

PDF Export#

The PDF export button (ly.img.exportPDF.navigationBar) exports all pages as a PDF.

Default Behavior (Download)#

Using just the string ID will download the PDF file to the user’s device:

// Default behavior: downloads PDF to user's device
cesdk.ui.insertNavigationBarOrderComponent('last', {
  id: 'ly.img.actions.navigationBar',
  children: ['ly.img.exportPDF.navigationBar']
});

Upload to CDN#

// Register export callback that uploads PDFs to CDN
cesdk.actions.register('exportDesign', async (options) => {
  // The options will include { mimeType: 'application/pdf' } from the button
  const { blobs } = await cesdk.utils.export({
    targetDPI: 300,
    ...options // This already contains mimeType: 'application/pdf'
  });


  console.log('PDF ready for upload:', blobs[0].size, 'bytes');


  // Production:
  // const url = await uploadToCDN(blobs[0]);


  cesdk.ui.showNotification('PDF uploaded successfully');
});


// Add export button that uses registered callback
cesdk.ui.insertNavigationBarOrderComponent('last', {
  id: 'ly.img.actions.navigationBar',
  children: ['ly.img.exportPDF.navigationBar']
});

Video Export#

The video export button (ly.img.exportVideo.navigationBar) exports animations as MP4.

Default Behavior (Download)#

Using just the string ID will download the MP4 file to the user’s device:

// Default behavior: downloads MP4 to user's device
cesdk.ui.insertNavigationBarOrderComponent('last', {
  id: 'ly.img.actions.navigationBar',
  children: ['ly.img.exportVideo.navigationBar']
});

Upload to CDN#

// Register video export callback that uploads to CDN
cesdk.actions.register('exportDesign', async (options) => {
  // The options will include { mimeType: 'video/mp4' } from the button
  // Export video (utils.export handles its own loading dialog)
  const { blobs } = await cesdk.utils.export({
    framerate: 30,
    ...options // This already contains mimeType: 'video/mp4'
  });


  console.log('Video ready for upload:', blobs[0].size, 'bytes');


  // Production:
  // const url = await uploadToCDN(blobs[0]);


  cesdk.ui.showNotification('Video uploaded successfully');
});


// Add export button that uses registered callback
cesdk.ui.insertNavigationBarOrderComponent('last', {
  id: 'ly.img.actions.navigationBar',
  children: ['ly.img.exportVideo.navigationBar']
});

Handling Multiple Export Types#

Since all export buttons trigger the same exportDesign callback with different MIME types, you can handle multiple export formats in a single callback:

// Register a unified export handler for all formats
cesdk.actions.register('exportDesign', async (exportOptions) => {
  // The cesdk.utils.export automatically adapts based on the MIME type
  const { blobs, options } = await cesdk.utils.export(exportOptions);


  // Handle different formats using the returned options
  if (options.mimeType?.startsWith('video/')) {
    console.log('Video ready:', blobs[0].size, 'bytes');


    // Production:
    // await uploadVideoToCDN(blobs[0]);


    cesdk.ui.showNotification('Video uploaded successfully');
  } else if (options.mimeType === 'application/pdf') {
    console.log('PDF ready:', blobs[0].size, 'bytes');


    // Production:
    // await uploadPDFToStorage(blobs[0]);


    cesdk.ui.showNotification('PDF saved to storage');
  } else {
    console.log('Image ready:', blobs[0].size, 'bytes');


    // Production:
    // await uploadImageToCDN(blobs[0]);


    cesdk.ui.showNotification('Image uploaded successfully');
  }
});


// Add all export buttons - they'll all use the same callback
cesdk.ui.insertNavigationBarOrderComponent('last', {
  id: 'ly.img.actions.navigationBar',
  children: [
    'ly.img.exportImage.navigationBar',  // Passes { mimeType: 'image/png' }
    'ly.img.exportPDF.navigationBar',    // Passes { mimeType: 'application/pdf' }
    'ly.img.exportVideo.navigationBar'   // Passes { mimeType: 'video/mp4' }
  ]
});

Custom Export with Loading Dialogs#

When using the engine APIs directly instead of cesdk.utils.export, you need to:

  1. Create your own loading dialog using cesdk.utils.showLoadingDialog
  2. Handle the export type detection yourself based on the MIME type
  3. Manage progress updates manually

Complete Custom Export Implementation#

Use the engine API directly when you need fine-grained control over the export process. This example shows how to handle all export types (image, PDF, video) using only engine APIs:

// Register custom export using only engine APIs for full control
cesdk.actions.register('exportDesign', async (options) => {
  // Create loading dialog for all export types
  const dialogController = cesdk.utils.showLoadingDialog({
    title: 'Exporting',
    message: 'Processing your design...',
    progress: 'indeterminate',
    abortLabel: 'Cancel',
    onAbort: () => console.log('Export cancelled')
  });


  try {
    const page = cesdk.engine.scene.getCurrentPage();
    if (page === null) {
      throw new Error('No page selected for export');
    }


    let blob;


    // Handle different export types with engine APIs
    if (options?.mimeType?.startsWith('video/')) {
      // Video export with progress
      blob = await cesdk.engine.block.exportVideo(page, {
        mimeType: options.mimeType,
        targetWidth: 1920,
        targetHeight: 1080,
        framerate: 30,
        onProgress: (rendered, encoded, total) => {
          dialogController.updateProgress({
            value: rendered,
            max: total
          });
        }
      });
    } else {
      // Static export (image, PDF)
      blob = await cesdk.engine.block.export(page, {
        mimeType: options?.mimeType || 'image/png',
        pngCompressionLevel: 7,
        targetWidth: 1920,
        targetHeight: 1080
      });
    }


    console.log('Export ready:', blob.size, 'bytes');


    // Production:
    // const url = await uploadToCDN(blob);
    // await navigator.clipboard.writeText(url);


    // Show success
    dialogController.showSuccess({
      message: 'Export successful'
    });




  } catch (error) {
    // Show error
    dialogController.showError({
      message: 'Export failed. Please try again.'
    });
  }
});


// Add export button that uses registered callback
cesdk.ui.insertNavigationBarOrderComponent('last', {
  id: 'ly.img.actions.navigationBar',
  children: ['ly.img.exportImage.navigationBar']
});