Magic Shuffle: Waves and Formations

Shuffle gives captions motion and pacing in two layers. Waves decide how the captions are paced and broken up across an edit. Formations then arrange neighboring single-line blocks into short visual moments: a stack, a satellite cluster, a camera move. Neither layer changes the words.

Both layers are set on the Generate page, under Shuffle. Choose them before Start: Generate applies them to the captions it plans, and Ignite places the result on the timeline. There is no separate Shuffle page or step.

Waves and Formations are optional and independent. You can run Formations with every Wave off, or run Waves and leave Formations off.

A Wave is a run of captions between two strong stops. Within it, a Wave can split, merge or restyle blocks to change the rhythm. The styles it picks from are Regular styles: the ordinary caption looks in the Style picker.

Switch

Gives two or three neighboring blocks at a time a different Regular style from the ones you enabled for Switch, so the pacing changes without losing the thread.

Fuse

Joins neighboring blocks into one multiline caption when the edit is better served by a single held thought.

Detonate

Breaks longer blocks into one- or two-word bursts for a faster, punchier read.

Flow

Picks one Regular style from the enabled ones and applies it to every block in the Wave for a smooth, uninterrupted rhythm.

While Switch is on, the Ignite page's Subs > Style row is hidden: Switch chooses the styles, so one Style for every caption would undo it.

A strong stop always ends a Wave. Punctuation and long pauses are part of how Ember finds those stops, which is why the caption text you approve matters before Shuffle runs.

Formations scan the neighboring single-line blocks that survive the Waves and give a small group of them a shared arrangement. They do not require a Wave to be on, and they do not change the words.

Burst

Three neighboring blocks climb one lane each as a stack.

Depth

The same climb, but each covered block recedes: it blurs, dims and shrinks as the next one lands over it.

Satellites

A central hub block with smaller blocks around its corners.

Reveal

Three neighboring blocks build, with a camera slide on the last one.

Camera

Moves the camera in one direction across up to three blocks. Directions cycle across the run.

Focus

Moves forward through blocks in 3D, centering each arrival before moving to the next.

Wheel

Neighboring blocks sit on one tilted 3D drum that turns to each block as it is spoken. The blocks not being spoken blur and fade.

Mosaic

Compact word mosaics arranged around a larger hero word.

Slingshot

Three sequential base blocks followed by a satellite Burst. Its Length sets how many satellite blocks join.

Special

A block takes a Special style and overlaps its preceding neighbor one lane up.

Burst and Special are available on every plan. Depth, Satellites, Reveal, Camera, Focus, Wheel, Mosaic, Slingshot and the Background plate are part of Pro and Max.

Rarity decides how often a Formation may start: a Formation starts at most once per wave, every other wave, or every third wave. Every other wave is the default because it keeps the motion feeling intentional instead of constant.

• Raise Rarity on long edits where the same arrangement would become a tic.
• Lower it on short-form work where every second has to carry energy.
• Satellites, Reveal, Mosaic and Slingshot each have a Length that sets how many blocks they use; Burst is always three.
• Camera's direction cycles through up, down, left and right across the run before repeating.

Background is an independent switch that puts a plate beneath every active Formation. It stays off unless you turn it on.

• A solid fill, a gradient, or one of Ember's patterns: grid, paper, hexa, prism, metal, silk, sequin, mosaic, heated or kinetic.
• Primary and Accent colours control the plate. The default primary is chosen to contrast with the captions.
• Fill and Blur shape how present the plate is behind the text.
• Authored graphics on the same span win over a Formation plate, so a card you placed yourself is never covered.

• Formations only arrange single-line blocks. A multiline block is skipped and also splits the run of blocks a Formation can use.
• A clip-slot change or a long pause also splits the run; a Formation never bridges two unrelated moments.
• Formations cycle through the ones you enabled that fit the available blocks. A Formation that cannot fit does not force a break.
• Regular captions take the default Style. Hook lines and Special blocks keep their own styles.
• Multiline blocks are not restyled by a Formation. If a Formation should reach a moment, keep those captions single-line.

1. Finish the captions first

   In the caption editor on the Generate page, fix the words, line breaks and punctuation: they decide where Waves find their stops. A multiline block also splits the run a Formation can use.

2. Open Shuffle on the Generate page

   Turn Shuffle on. Waves and Formations sit indented under it, each with a chevron that opens its own popup.

3. Start with one Wave

   Flow is the calmest choice. Switch adds variation; Detonate is the most assertive. Add Fuse only where merging reads better than cutting.

4. Add two or three Formations

   Open the Formations popup and enable a small set. Rarity, the popup's first row, sets how often they land; enabling everything makes the edit compete with itself.

5. Press Start

   Start runs Generate, applies Shuffle to the captions it plans, and goes on to Ignite, which places them. Review the result on the Ignite page and set the final look there.

6. Check the placed captions and clips

   In the timeline or in Resolve, check the first and last block of every Formation and the places where a stack overlaps the caption above it.

• Styles and Sparks

  The Regular styles Waves pick from, and the Sparks that follow each caption.

• Ignite: captions and polish in one pass

  Where the captions Shuffle produced are placed, with the look around them.

• Captions: generate, verify and edit

  The words, line breaks and punctuation Shuffle reads.