cues.json

The cue file names the spoken phrase that each visual lands on. It is optional, and a project without one plays every page with its built-in timing. This is the scaffold’s file, shortened.

cues.json

{
  "_comment": "Which spoken phrase each visual lands on.",
  "sections": {
    "2": {
      "cues": [
        { "cue": "2.1a", "on": "First" },
        { "cue": "2.1b", "on": "Second" },
        { "cue": "2.2", "on": "one take" }
      ]
    },
    "3": {
      "min_seconds": 30,
      "cues": [
        { "cue": "3.1", "on": "$start" },
        { "cue": "3.1eq", "on": "learning rate" },
        { "cue": "3.1min", "on": "settle", "offset": 0.2 }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Shape

The file is one object with a sections key. Every other top-level key, such as _comment, is ignored. Each key of sections is a section number as a string, and it must name a [[section]] in decktalk.toml. Each section is an object with an optional min_seconds and a cues list.

Keys of a cue

Key	Required	Meaning
`cue`	yes	A cue id the page understands. `step` is accepted as a synonym, and `cue` wins when both are present. The id may not contain `@` or a comma.
`on`	yes	A word or short phrase from that section’s narration, or `$start`, or `$end`.
`offset`	no	Seconds added to the match. It may be negative, except that `$start` never goes below zero.
`occurrence`	no	Which repeat of the phrase to use. The default is 1, the first.
`case_sensitive`	no	Match case as written. The default is false.

Keys of a section

Key	Required	Meaning
`cues`	no	The list above. A section may have none.
`min_seconds`	no	`beats` warns when the section’s speech is shorter than this, so you learn early that the visuals will not fit.

What beats writes

decktalk beats resolves every cue and writes build/audio/beats.json, one string per section in the form the page receives as ?beats=.

build/audio/beats.json

{
  "01": "1.1a@0.0,1.1b@1.13,1.1c@6.77",
  "03": "3.1@0.0,3.1bowl@7.37,3.1p0@11.3,3.1p1@18.18,3.1eq@21.63,3.1p2@25.56,3.1p3@26.54,3.1think@32.44,3.1over@38.83,3.1min@44.43"
}

Cues has the matching rules, what happens to an unresolved cue, and how to choose a phrase.

Get started

Guides

Concepts

Reference

Help

Shape

Keys of a cue

Keys of a section

What beats writes

​Shape

​Keys of a cue

​Keys of a section

​What beats writes

Shape

Keys of a cue

Keys of a section

What beats writes