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evmux Knowledge Base

How to Switch Between Scenes

This guide shows you how to switch between different scenes during your broadcast for dynamic, professional productions.

Quick Steps

  1. Look at the Scenes panel (thumbnails at bottom or side)
  2. Click on the scene you want to switch to
  3. The scene changes (with transition if configured)

Understanding Scenes

Scenes are pre-configured layouts. The system includes:

Dynamic Scene

The Dynamic Scene (first item in scenes panel) automatically adjusts layout based on active participants. Great for:

  • Auto-arranging multiple speakers
  • Automatic grid layouts
  • Quick setup without manual positioning

Pro Scenes

Custom scenes you create with specific layouts:

  • Scene 1: Host only
  • Scene 2: Host + Guest side-by-side
  • Scene 3: Full-screen presentation
  • Scene 4: Discussion panel (multiple guests)
  • Scene 5: Outro/End screen

Method 1: Click to Switch

From the scenes column

  1. Find the scenes column on the left of the editor: the Dynamic Scene on top, your Pro Scenes below it
  2. Each scene is a tile with a thumbnail of its content
  3. Click any tile
  4. That scene becomes active

The evmux studio with a Pro Scene tile highlighted in the scenes column on the left

Visual Indicators

  • Current scene in editor has a highlighted border
  • “Playing” label appears on the scene that’s currently live/broadcasting
  • Scene thumbnails show preview of scene content
  • During transition, a circular progress indicator shows transition progress

Method 2: Keyboard Shortcuts

Fast switching with hotkeys:

Default Keys (Mac / Windows)Action
Option + 1 / Alt + 1Play scene 1 (the Dynamic Scene)
Option + 2 to Option + 9Play scenes 2 to 9
Option + NPlay next scene
Option + PPlay previous scene
Option + LTransition from Edit to Live (Studio mode)

Configure custom shortcuts: Settings > Hotkeys

Scene Transitions

When switching scenes, a transition animation can play. Transitions are configured per scene - each scene can have its own transition.

Transition Types

TypeDescription
Default (Fade in)The standard fade
CutInstant switch, no visible animation
Fade Down / Fade UpFades while sliding down or up
Roll In/OutRolls the scene out
Zoom In/OutZooms the scene out
Slide Down / Slide UpSlides the scene away
Flip In/OutFlips the scene
Video stingerA short video that plays over the switch. Eight system stingers are built in, or upload your own WEBM

How to Disable / Change Scene Transition

To disable the transition animation on a scene (or change it to a different one):

  1. Right-click the scene tile in the scenes column
  2. Select “Stinger / Transition” from the menu

The scene right-click menu with Stinger / Transition highlighted, among Rename, Duplicate, Background Color, Share scene and Remove

  1. The picker opens: system stingers on top, the plain transitions below them, and an Add button for your own WEBM video

The Choose a video to be used as stinger dialog: Default (Fade in), eight animated stingers, then Cut, Fade Down, Fade Up, Roll In/Out, Zoom In/Out, Slide Down, Slide Up and Flip In/Out, with a Save button 4. Choose your option:

  • Cut - Instant switch with no visible animation
  • Default - Remove any custom transition (uses default fade)
  • Any other transition - Select it from the list
  1. Click Save

Important: Transitions are per-scene, not global. You need to set the transition for each scene individually. To disable animations on ALL scenes, repeat the steps above for each scene and select Cut on each one.

Video Stinger Transitions

Stingers are custom video overlays that play during scene switches:

  1. Right-click on a scene → “Stinger / Transition”
  2. In the picker, select a built-in stinger or upload your own
  3. Set the cue point (the moment in the video when the scene should switch)
  4. Adjust volume and mute settings
  5. Save

Scene Preview Mode

Preview scenes before switching live:

  1. Enable Preview Mode if available
  2. Click a scene to load it in preview
  3. Review the layout
  4. Click Take or Go Live to switch

Auto-Scene Switching

Some setups support automatic switching:

Timer-Based

  • Set a scene to auto-switch after X seconds
  • Good for rotating content

Trigger-Based

  • Switch when someone starts talking
  • Switch when screen share starts

Best Practices

Before Going Live

  • Test all scene switches
  • Verify transitions look good
  • Check keyboard shortcuts work
  • Have scenes in logical order

During Broadcast

  • Plan your scene switches
  • Don’t switch too frequently (jarring)
  • Use transitions for smoothness
  • Have a “safe” scene to fall back to

Scene Organization

  • Number scenes logically (1, 2, 3…)
  • Name scenes descriptively
  • Keep frequently-used scenes accessible
  • Group similar scenes together

Multi-Scene Workflow

For Interviews

  1. Scene 1: Intro/Welcome
  2. Scene 2: Host introduction
  3. Scene 3: Guest introduction
  4. Scene 4: Both on screen (main interview)
  5. Scene 5: Full-screen for key moments
  6. Scene 6: Outro/Goodbye

For Presentations

  1. Scene 1: Title slide
  2. Scene 2: Presenter + slides
  3. Scene 3: Full-screen slides
  4. Scene 4: Q&A layout
  5. Scene 5: End screen

Troubleshooting

Scene won’t switch?

  • Check if you’re clicking the right thumbnail
  • Verify you’re not in edit mode
  • Try keyboard shortcut instead

Transition not playing?

  • Check transition settings
  • Verify transition duration isn’t 0
  • Try a different transition type

Wrong scene shows?

  • Verify scene order matches expectations
  • Check keyboard shortcut assignments
  • Rename scenes to avoid confusion

Scene looks different than expected?

  • Preview the scene before going live
  • Check if layers are configured correctly
  • Verify participant feeds are connected