Appearance
File formats and compatibility
Every kind of file airZ Editor reads and writes, what each is for, and what to expect when a file moves between versions or to another player.
At a glance
| File | What it is | Open | Import | Save or export |
|---|---|---|---|---|
.airz | An airZ Editor document | Open… | Merge artboard from file… | Save, Save As…, Export artboard… |
.airzscene | An airZ Editor document with the earlier file name | Open… | Merge artboard from file… | Saved as it is when you save it |
.riv | The playout file | Open…, Import .riv file… | Merge artboard from file… | Export .riv…, Sync to controllers… |
.bindings.json | What the graphic lets someone change | — | — | Written with every Export .riv… |
.airzversions | A folder of kept versions, beside the document | File › Versions… | — | Keep this state |
| PNG, JPEG | Pictures | — | + › Image, drop on the stage, paste | Export frame as PNG…, Export PNG sequence… |
| WebP | A reference picture to trace over | — | View aids › Reference underlay | — |
| SVG | Vector artwork | — | + › Artwork (SVG) | — |
| PSD | Layered artwork | — | + › Layered artwork (PSD) | — |
Lottie (.json, .lottie) | An animation | — | + › Animation (Lottie) | — |
| TTF, OTF | Typefaces | — | + › Font | Carried inside the document |
glTF (.glb, .gltf), OBJ, FBX, DAE, 3DS, STL, PLY | 3D models | — | Import Model…: see 3D objects | — |
| HDR, or a PNG or JPEG panorama | A sky that lights the 3D scene | — | Import… in the sky library: see Sky and environment | — |
| MP4, MOV, M4V, MXF, WMV, AVI, MKV, WebM | A clip for a live video slot | — | Clip › Choose…: see Live video slots | — |
The document: .airz
Everything you made: every artboard, timeline, Animation States and view model, and the fonts, pictures and scripts they use. One file, so it can be sent to someone as it is.
- It keeps what only the editor needs: folders in the panels, the default source of a live slot, the reference picture. Undo history is not kept: it starts again each time the document is opened.
- A document from a newer editor does not open in an older one. The editor says: "Saved by a newer build … this build reads up to format …". Update the editor.
- A damaged file says "The file is damaged (unreadable header)." Look for a version or an autosave: see Recovering a document.
The playout file: .riv
What goes to air. Export .riv… writes it, with its bindings.json beside it.
It is a standard .riv file. Other players that read the format play it, with two exceptions they cannot know about:
| What | In airZ Editor, the controller and airZ Engine | In another player |
|---|---|---|
| Live video slots | Play their camera, clip or channel | Show the placeholder |
| Scripts written in the editor | Run | Do nothing: they carry no signature other players accept |
Everything else — artwork, timelines, Animation States, data, layouts, converters — plays the same everywhere.
Opening a .riv made elsewhere
Open… or File › Import .riv file… reads a .riv from any source into a new, untitled document. The import report then lists anything the editor has no place for, and any value it could not carry. Scripts that arrive compiled travel on untouched: their inputs can be changed, their code cannot.
A picture a script asks for by name is kept in the file on export, even when no Image object shows it. A layer a script draws inside a group keeps its place in the stacking order through import and export.
Import and export again, and the file you get is a new file written by this editor. For a file you only want to play, there is no need to import it at all: send it to the playout server as it is.
The scene compiler
Some features — the assistant, custom 3D materials — use the scene compiler, which comes with airZ Editor. Designing and exporting do not need it. Settings › Scene compiler says it is there, and its version. See Settings.
Pictures
| Format | Where |
|---|---|
| PNG, JPEG | Import with + › Image in the Assets panel, drop onto the stage, or paste with Ctrl+V |
| PNG, JPEG, WebP | As the reference picture to trace over, under View aids — never part of the graphic. See View aids and zoom |
A picture keeps its own pixel size. Import it at the size it is shown: a 4000-pixel photograph in a 400-pixel box costs memory on every playout server that plays it.
Export frame as PNG… writes the stage as it is now; Export PNG sequence… writes one PNG per frame, with transparency. See Export PNG and sequence.
Artwork and animation from other tools
| Format | Comes in as |
|---|---|
| SVG | Editable shapes and paths |
| PSD | A group per layer |
| Lottie | Shapes and a timeline |
Each is imported from the + menu of the Assets panel. Anything the editor has no equivalent for is left out, and named: one thing in the notice, two or more in the import report.
Fonts
TTF and OTF. A document carries the fonts it uses, so it opens and plays the same on any machine. Check a commercial typeface's licence before a document leaves your facility: see Licensing and Fonts.