Linear animation has a clear limitation: it plays once (or loops) regardless of what the viewer does. The viewer is passive. Sequences changes that relationship.

A Sequence is a separate "state" of your artwork. Your artwork always starts in the Artwork Sequence — the idle state that plays by default when someone first scans your trigger image. You can leave this empty (showing a static image) or fill it with an animation.

From there, you can add as many additional sequences as you like. Each sequence is a fully independent animation timeline with its own layers, actions, and timing. Sequences can be triggered by viewer taps, by the completion of another sequence, or by a timer.

The conceptual shift: Instead of thinking "what happens when someone scans this artwork," start thinking "what are the different states this artwork can be in, and what moves it from one state to another." This is the same mental model used in game design and interactive media.

A simple example: an artwork starts in an idle state showing a gentle floating animation. When the viewer taps a specific element, a new sequence plays — perhaps a transformation, a reveal, or an entirely different visual world. When that sequence ends, the artwork returns to the idle state (or moves to another sequence, depending on your logic).

Adding sequences: Open the Timeline panel. You are currently in the Artwork Sequence. Click the + icon next to the Sequences title to add a new sequence. Name it something descriptive — "Intro," "Tap Reveal," "End State" — rather than leaving it as Sequence 1, Sequence 2.

Animating within sequences: Each sequence has its own timeline. The same five core actions from Timeline (Move To, Rotate To, Scale By, Transform To, Show/Hide) are available. Each sequence also has its own Duration, controlling how long it plays before it reaches its end.

Connecting sequences via interactions: To link one sequence to another, you need to create a tap interaction. Select the layer that should be tappable. In the layer settings, add an On Tap interaction and choose Trigger Sequence from the interaction options. Then select which sequence that layer should trigger.

That layer is now interactive. When a viewer taps it in the AR experience, the corresponding sequence begins playing.

Loop vs Reset: When a sequence ends, you choose what happens:

• Loop causes the sequence to replay continuously from the beginning.
• Reset returns all layers affected by that sequence to their original state (their appearance before the sequence began).

Choose Loop for ambient states that should continue until something else triggers a change. Choose Reset for one-shot effects that should leave the artwork clean afterward.

Beyond the core animation actions, Sequences introduces three additional actions designed specifically for managing complex interactive logic.

Manage Sequence acts as a flow controller. Rather than waiting for a sequence to run to completion, you can place a Manage Sequence action on any timeline to play or stop another sequence at a defined moment. This lets you chain sequences together, create interrupts, or build timed progressions. For example: Sequence A plays for 5 seconds, then a Manage Sequence action at second 5 triggers Sequence B to begin — creating a seamless multi-part narrative.

Change Interaction lets you modify what happens when a layer is tapped, mid-experience. A layer can start with no interaction, then become a button that opens a link, then transition to triggering a new sequence. This means a single visual element can change its function as the experience progresses, creating richer interactive logic without adding more layers.

Play Animation is specifically for 3D models with multiple embedded animation cycles. It lets you trigger different animations from the same model at specific moments — for example, a character that stands idle by default, then waves when tapped, then walks when tapped again. Each Play Animation action can wait for the previous animation to finish (for smooth transitions) or interrupt it immediately (for responsive, reactive behavior).

An important behavior to understand: When a new sequence is triggered, it does not automatically stop other sequences that are already running. Multiple sequences can play simultaneously, layering their effects on top of each other. This is powerful — it allows you to build complex, multi-dimensional experiences — but it also means you need to consciously manage what is playing. Use Manage Sequence to stop sequences that should not continue running when new ones begin.

Interactive logic is hard to reason about without being able to test it. Preview Mode is essential for Sequences work.

Access Preview Mode via its dedicated tab in the editor. You will see your artwork rendered exactly as a viewer would see it. You can tap elements, trigger sequences, and watch the experience unfold. A notification appears each time a sequence starts or stops, giving you a real-time log of what is happening.

What to check in Preview Mode:

Does each tappable layer respond correctly? Tap every interactive element and verify that the right sequence triggers.

Do sequences end as intended? Watch through each sequence to its completion and confirm it loops, resets, or chains as configured.

Are there unintended overlaps? If you tap something and notice an unexpected layering of animations, you likely have sequences running simultaneously when they shouldn't. Use Manage Sequence to add stop actions at the right moments.

Does the timing feel right? Something that looks correct in the editor configuration can feel too fast or too slow in the actual experience. Adjust action bar lengths and test again.

Iteration is normal. Complex Sequences projects often require many rounds of Preview, adjust, Preview again. Build one connection at a time, test it, confirm it works, then build the next. Do not try to configure the entire experience and test it all at once — debugging a complex web of sequences is much harder than catching individual issues early.

Sequences unlocks a category of AR experience that goes well beyond animation: interactive, reactive, multi-path experiences. Here is a survey of what creators are already building with this feature.

Games and playable experiences: Sequences supports tap-based game logic. Tic-tac-toe, reaction games, memory puzzles, and choice-based interactions are all achievable. The On Tap interaction combined with Manage Sequence and Change Interaction gives you the building blocks for turn-based logic.

Musical instruments: Create an AR piano, drum pad, or musical instrument by mapping each note or sound element to a layer. Each layer triggers a sequence that plays a sound when tapped. Combine with spatial positioning to lay elements out like a real instrument.

Interactive video storytelling: Build a main video sequence that plays when the artwork is scanned, then offer tappable details that open new scenes. A portrait that comes to life might have tappable objects in the background that reveal backstory. Tapping the character's hands might trigger a different narrative path than tapping their eyes.

Choose-your-own-path narratives: Design sequences as story branches. The Artwork Sequence introduces a scenario. Two tappable elements lead to Sequence A or Sequence B. Each ends with new choices. The viewer navigates the story through their decisions.

Guided exhibition experiences: In a gallery or museum context, use sequences to add optional depth. The default state is clean and unobtrusive. A "tap to learn more" element triggers additional information, contextual imagery, or artist commentary — available for viewers who want it, invisible to those who don't.

The constraint is not technical — it is creative. If you can draw the logic diagram, Artivive can build it.