Appearance
Beat Shelf
The Beat Shelf is a temporary storage area for beats you want to keep but not show in the timeline.
What is the Beat Shelf?
Located at the top of the screen, the Beat Shelf stores beats that are:
- Not in the active timeline
- Excluded from playback
- Excluded from exports
- Still fully editable
Think of it as a "parking lot" for beats.
Moving Beats to Shelf
Method 1: Double-Click
- Double-click any beat in Node View
- It moves to the shelf automatically
Method 2: Properties Panel
- Select a beat
- Check "On Shelf" checkbox in Properties Panel
- Beat moves to shelf
Restoring from Shelf
Method 1: Double-Click
- Double-click any beat in the shelf
- It returns to timeline after the currently selected beat
Method 2: Arrow Button
- Click the ↓ button on shelf item
- Beat returns to timeline
Use Cases
Alternate Versions
- Try different approaches
- Park the version you're not using
- Easy to swap back
Deleted Scenes
- Don't permanently delete
- Keep for reference or future use
- Restore if you change your mind
Future Beats
- Plan ahead without cluttering timeline
- Sketch ideas for later scenes
- Pull in when ready
Backup Copies
- Duplicate a beat (Alt + Drag)
- Move copy to shelf
- Safe backup before making changes
Shelf Features
Compact Display
- Smaller beat cards
- Shows title and thumbnail
- Takes minimal screen space
Still Editable
- Select shelf beat to edit in Properties Panel
- Update script, images, colors
- Ready to use when you pull it back
Persistent Storage
- Shelf beats saved with project
- Included in auto-save
- Included in manual save
Best Practices
Color Code Shelf Beats
- Orange = Alternate versions
- Red = Cut scenes
- Yellow = Future beats
Makes it easy to see what's parked and why.
Regular Cleanup
Periodically review shelf beats:
- Delete truly unwanted ones
- Restore beats you want to use
- Keep shelf organized
Use for Experimentation
- Duplicate beat (Alt + Drag)
- Move original to shelf
- Experiment with duplicate
- Compare or restore as needed