Portfolio motion settings
Configure Motion presentation per collection under Portfolio → Motion—pick a cinematic template, set intensity and aspect ratio, and wire click behavior to photo pages or the lightbox without touching standard Public page layout controls.
Motion settings live on the Motion tab inside Manage portfolio. They are separate from Settings → Public page, which only applies when the collection uses the standard track (Portfolio layout settings).
Start with Motion portfolio pages for the visitor experience and template families. This page documents every control on the Motion tab.
Prerequisites
- Public portfolio pages — Public gallery enabled
- Subscription with Motion presentation
- Images added and ordered on the collection Media tab
Presentation track
| Control | Effect |
|---|---|
| Motion presentation (toggle) | On — public URL uses your motion template. Off — standard layout from Public page applies. |
Saving motion settings does not change grid columns, timeline grouping, or hero options on Public page — those values stay stored for when you switch back to standard.
Template picker
Templates are grouped into three families. Only one template is active per collection.
Path carousel
| Template | When to use it |
|---|---|
| Axis carousel | Classic horizontal carousel — center hero, rotating side previews |
| 3D carousel | Neighbors stacked behind the active image |
| Wheel carousel | Images sweep along a curved wheel |
Template traits (path carousel family)
| Trait | Options | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Flank count | 1–4 images per side | More flanks = wider stage (3, 5, 7, or 9 visible slides). 3D carousel may show fewer side previews on narrow viewports while keeping the same hero frame size. |
| Flank blur | 0–100% | Simulates depth of field — outer previews soften, center stays sharp |
| Rotate Y preset (axis only) | Subtle / Bold | How much side images angle in 3D |
| Wheel span (wheel only) | Tight / Wide | How much horizontal space the wheel occupies |
| Perspective (wheel only) | Outside / Inside | Outside — convex rim, center slide largest. Inside — concave bowl toward the viewer; outer rim slides are largest; ring may tighten on wide landscapes so edges do not clip |
Arch spotlight
| Template | When to use it |
|---|---|
| Arch carousel | Curved path of images with a featured spotlight |
Template traits
| Trait | Options |
|---|---|
| Spotlight mode | On arch — all cards follow the curve. Center detach — active image moves to a larger center spotlight. |
| Arch side | Left / Right — which side of the stage the arch occupies |
Arch carousel uses horizontal aspect ratios only (4×3, 7×5, 16×9).
Pipeline rail
| Template | When to use it |
|---|---|
| Pipeline rail | Compressed thumbnails expand into the hero (best with five or more images) |
Pipeline rail is not intended to show every work equally. It presents one hero image and a visible train of supporting works. Large collections continue through navigation rather than expanding the train indefinitely.
Template traits
| Trait | Options | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Stage span | Tight / Wide | Tight — contained width; best for smaller collections (up to 20 visible pack strips). Wide — full gallery content width; best for larger collections (up to 40 visible pack strips). Hero expand and pack taper are the same; span sets canvas width and visible train size. |
| Rail side | Left / Right | Pack on the left or right — active hero expands on the opposite side |
Hero frame and aspect ratio (path carousel)
Axis carousel, 3D carousel, and Wheel carousel share one hero slide box per collection:
| Input | Effect |
|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | Frame shape for the active slide (and matching scale for side previews) |
| Viewport width | Caps how large the hero can grow before the layout must shrink the frame |
Templates only change how neighbors are arranged — arc, stack depth, wheel ring, flank scales, blur. Switching from Axis to Wheel or 3D carousel should not change the hero print size for the same aspect ratio.
3D carousel may reduce visible flank count on smaller screens so side stacks still fit without shrinking the hero below what Axis and Wheel use.
Video in motion galleries
| Collection | On the stage | Deeper navigation |
|---|---|---|
| Mixed photos and videos | Video slides show a poster and play badge | Lightbox click behavior plays the clip in the overlay. Photo detail pages are for stills only. |
| Video-only (every item is a clip) | Active slide plays inline — muted autoplay with compact controls | Inactive slides stay on poster until focused. Lightbox still applies on second click when enabled. |
Configure autoplay, mute, and loop for lightbox playback under Portfolio lightbox settings.
Common settings (all templates)
These apply to whichever template you select.
| Setting | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Autoplay | Automatically advance slides |
| Autoplay interval | 5, 8, or 12 seconds between slides when autoplay is on |
| Intensity | Subtle, Balanced, or Dramatic — controls overall motion energy (transitions, depth, and emphasis) without exposing raw animation sliders |
| Transition duration | 300, 500, or 800 ms between slides |
| Aspect ratio | Frame shape for slides — Auto, Square, landscape, wide, portrait options (template may limit choices) |
| Metadata display | Caption, Title, Description, Caption + description, or Hidden — which fields from Media appear on the stage (placement varies by template; see below) |
| Background theme | Inherit site, Light, Dark, or Muted — gallery backdrop behind the template |
| Click behavior | Photo page, Lightbox, or None — see below |
Toggles
| Toggle | Effect |
|---|---|
| Show controls | Chevron previous / next on the stage |
| Show counter | Stepper dots below the stage |
| Show progress | Active dot fills over time when autoplay is on |
| Loop | After the last slide, return to the first |
| Enable swipe | Touch drag on mobile |
| Enable wheel | Horizontal scroll advances slides on desktop |
Metadata placement (by template)
Metadata display chooses what to show (caption, title, description, or combinations). Each template places copy in a fixed region so long text does not break the 3D layout:
| Template family | Title / caption | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Axis, 3D carousel, Wheel (outside), Pipeline rail | On the active slide (overlay) | Below the stage, under stepper dots |
| Wheel (inside) | Below the stage | Below the stage |
| Arch carousel | Side column beside the spotlight; also on the active tile overlay for stills (not videos) | Side column beside the spotlight — scrolls inside the column when long; does not resize the gallery |
| Pipeline rail (thumbnail strips) | Hidden on strips | Below the stage only |
Long copy: For path carousel and Pipeline rail, descriptions sit in a fixed band below the stepper dots. Long text scrolls inside that band (no line clamp) so the stage height stays predictable. Arch carousel keeps the stage height fixed to the image canvas — overflow description scrolls in the side column.
Populate Caption, Title, and Description on each file under Media → edit asset so motion templates have text to display.
Click behavior and commerce
Motion respects collection-level flags you set elsewhere:
| Click behavior | Requires |
|---|---|
| Photo page | Enable Page View on Settings → Visibility (Photo detail pages) |
| Lightbox | Lightbox enabled for the collection (Portfolio lightbox settings) |
| None | Focus and browse only — no second-click navigation |
Interaction model: first click on a side image focuses it; click again on the active image (or press Enter) runs the click behavior above.
Videos: still images can open a photo detail page when enabled. Video clips never use photo detail pages — use Lightbox for mixed sets, or rely on inline playback when the collection is video-only.
What is not in the dashboard
To keep layouts reliable across real portfolio sizes, ArtInStack does not expose low-level animation sliders. Intensity and the discrete traits above are the supported controls — they map to tested presets tuned for photography collections, mixed aspect ratios, and typical image counts.
Suggested combinations
| Goal | Template | Also set |
|---|---|---|
| Wedding highlights reel | Axis carousel | Balanced intensity; portrait or auto aspect; photo page clicks |
| Fine-art exhibition | Arch carousel | Center detach; caption metadata; subtle intensity |
| Lookbook with long captions | Pipeline rail | Landscape or portrait aspect; description visible; autoplay off |
| Campaign landing hero | Wheel carousel | Wide span; Outside or Inside perspective; dramatic intensity; inherit site background |
| Client review session | 3D carousel | Flank blur for depth; lightbox click behavior; loop off |
| Wedding reel (clips only) | Axis carousel | Video-only inline playback on the active slide; lightbox optional for fullscreen |
Implementation steps
- Open Portfolio → collection → Motion tab.
- Turn on Motion presentation.
- Select a template from the picker.
- Set Intensity, aspect ratio, metadata display, and click behavior.
- Adjust template traits for that layout only.
- Save, then Preview from the portfolio hub header.
- Confirm Photo detail pages or Portfolio lightbox settings match your click behavior.
What your visitors see
The saved template, traits, and common settings on the public /portfolio/{slug} page — with your site branding, ordered media, and accessibility fallbacks when reduced motion is requested.
Verifying your setup
- Motion presentation is on and the correct template is selected.
- Preview matches live behavior after save.
- Aspect ratio suits your dominant orientation (portrait series versus wide landscapes).
- Path carousel templates (Axis, 3D, Wheel) show the same hero frame size when you switch templates without changing aspect ratio.
- Click behavior opens photo page or lightbox only when those features are enabled on Settings / Lightbox.
- Autoplay and progress dots behave as expected on desktop and phone.