The SundaySky Video Platform has recently undergone a major enhancement with the release of the improved layout library. In this article, you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding this release.
If you have a question that is not covered below or for any assistance using layouts, reach out to SundaySky Support.
First things first, what is a layout?
Generally speaking, every scene in a video is a combination of one or more of the following components: text placeholder, media placeholder, logo placeholder, and button. A layout is the composition of these placeholders in a scene—the hierarchy of the placeholders and their arrangement. Here's an example of a SundaySky layout:
What is the improved layout library?
The improved layout library is the latest release from the SundaySky Video Platform. It represents a complete overhaul and enhancement of the previous layout library, offering you much more versatility and a streamlined workflow when creating scenes. Although this is a considerable change, most of the layouts that you are familiar with—just with slight enhancements—are still included in the layout library, waiting for your use.
What exactly has been improved in the new layout library?
1. Standardization
In the previous library, each theme and scene template had a different set of layouts with which you could create your video. If you decided to switch the video to a different theme, the same layout was not always available for some scenes, resulting in added work.
With the improved layout library, all themes now have the same scene templates and corresponding layouts based on the same set of compositions, for example: text left, text right, text bottom third, etc. Now, when switching to a different theme, the same layout is applied automatically and seamlessly. A layout availability is no longer dependent on the theme or scene template that you selected.
SundaySky designers have also reviewed, refined, and tested every layout to ensure both high quality and consistency across all themes.
2. More Layouts
In order to match scene layouts across all the themes, we added new horizontal layouts and doubled the number of vertical layouts.
3. Greater Variety
The new layouts that have been added provide even more versatility and flexibility for crafting videos that perfectly match your creative vision. Here are two examples:
▶ The Single Message with Media scene template now has six layouts, covering all the relevant options for message composition in such a scene: text left, text right, text bottom third, text top third, media focus, and text over media.
▶ The 3 Button CTA scene template has new layouts, covering all the relevant options for message composition. All these layouts also include a new media placeholder, to complement your call-to-action scenes.
How does the improved layout library streamline creative decision-making?
Previously, you needed to make layout decisions based on what was available for a specific scene template or theme. This often led to limitations and a lack of creative control. Now, with the improved layout library, you can freely explore various layouts without being limited by specific templates and themes, thus streamlining the creative decision-making process.
Are there other improvements besides the layouts themselves?
Yes, there are. The redesign of the layouts has also enabled the launch of the following new features, to provide even more creative flexibility:
▶ Alignment of buttons and logos: Buttons and logos can now be aligned according to your preference, just like text.
▶ Showing/hiding placeholders: Until now, you were able to show/hide only the logo placeholder.
With this release, you'll be able to do the same for text, media, and button placeholders, tailoring the content precisely to your needs.
Is there anything that I need to learn to work with the improved layout library?
Nothing at all. If you've switched layouts before in any of your scenes, you're good to go! The only things that you'll notice are more layouts and the same layouts for every theme. But just in case you need a refresher, here are some Help Center articles that will come in handy:
Working with Scene Layouts
Changing a Layout (Advanced Options)
Introduction to Scenes
Choosing a Scene Template
How do I access the new layout library in the SundaySky Video Platform?
How do I switch a video to the improved layout library?
It's simple!
When you open a video in the Studio that is using the old layout library, you'll see the following message at the top of the page. This message is persistent and is displayed until you switch to the improved layout library.
Here's what you need to do:
▶ Click Preview with Improved Layouts at the top right of the page.
Automatically, the Studio will be in preview mode, with all the scenes in the video updated with new layouts. The following message is now displayed at the top of the page:
This is only a preview and the layouts will not be changed until you explicitly confirm that you indeed want to switch to the improved layout library.
▶ If you would like to compare the old layout with the new one, click Continue Using Old Layouts to see the previous layout. You can toggle back and forth between this option and Preview with Improved Layouts.
While you are previewing the new layouts, the Studio is in view-only mode and you cannot edit the video.
We recommend previewing each scene in the video.
How can I try out the improved layout library before making the switch?
| 1. | Duplicate the video. Give the duplicated video a name that will indicate that this video is being used only for testing. |
| 2. | Switch to the improved layout library only in the duplicated video. |
| 3. | Explore the improved layout library. Record any changes you make to the duplicated version. Do this so that you'll remember what changes you need to make to the original version. |
| 4. | After deciding that you want to use the improved layouts, go back to the original video. |
| 5. | In the original video, switch to the improved layout library and repeat all the edits (if any) you made to the duplicated version. |
It is very important that permanent changes are made only to the original video. If this video is live and has been shared with your audience, you'll want to maintain continuity so that your audience sees all the changes that you have made. This will be possible only if changes are made to the original video.
I've reviewed all the scenes and I'm ready to make the switch. How do I do this?
| When you're ready to make the switch: | |
| 1. | Click Upgrade Layouts at the top right of the page. |
| 2. | Click Proceed to confirm that you want to switch to the improved layout library. |
| At the end of the process, a success message is displayed at the bottom of the page and the Studio returns to editing mode. | |
|
|
|
|
Note: |
|
How different will the new layout be compared to the old one?
In most cases, the changes are very subtle. SundaySky designers, through their creative expertise, have improved each layout with a more aesthetic design including better positioning of placeholders.
In some cases, a scene with a new layout will look remarkably different than it did with the old layout. But, as already mentioned, efforts have been made to create an improved design that we hope you will enjoy using. In a situation such as this, you may need to do some minor tweaking such as realigning text or buttons.
I like some of the new layouts that were applied but not all of them. What can I do?
No problem at all! After you make the switch, you can select a different layout from the improved layout library for the specific scene.
Will I lose any content when switching from the old layout library to the new one?
No content will be lost whatsoever.
What else do I need to do after switching to the new library?
Like with any edit that you make to a video, the video needs to be published and shared if you would like your viewers to see the updated version.
