From improved control over media elements to a step forward into 3D effects and the potential for real-time interactivity. ProtoPie brings new improvements for your prototypes' media animations and more. Let's explore the new features in this latest release.

ProtoPie is proud to make available the ability to import self-hosted media via URL using the new Media response.

Incorporating self-hosted media into your prototypes ensures faster loading times, enhanced privacy, and a seamless user experience. Remember, these URLs must be self-hosted for compatibility.

This feature gains even greater versatility when combined with APIs. Integrating APIs into your design workflow allows you to dynamically incorporate images into your projects, obtaining a dynamic and flexible approach.

Furthermore, with certain straightforward image APIs, there's no need for an additional API plugin. Instead, you can effortlessly insert the API request URL directly into the Media response, making the process even more streamlined. For example, you can utilize 

 as an illustration of this convenient integration. Other common platforms that can be used here are Unsplash, Pexels, and Pixabay. Whether you opt for an image, video, or Lottie file, ProtoPie lets you seamlessly integrate it into your projects.

Here's a simple guide to using this feature:

Choose the media type to upload to your Pie in the "Source" option.

Opt for the "URL" option and enter your self-hosted URL.

Look for a validation check to ensure the URL is accurate and valid.

We are thrilled to introduce the latest enhancement to ProtoPie: the brand-new 

. With this powerful addition, you can now effortlessly modify the content of images, videos, or Lottie layers. Whether you wish to upload a video or image from your local files or if you are an Enterprise user and need to import media from a self-hosted URL, ProtoPie has you covered. 
Learn more about 

ProtoPie now boasts an array of new Time & Date functions, empowering you to create prototypes that interact with real time and dates. You can retrieve and display the current date, work with different timezones, calculate date differences, and transform time values into human-readable formats. This opens the door to creating dynamic prototypes, including clocks, calendars, date calculators, and time counters.

Time functions: timeNow(), time(), hour(), minute(), second(), diffTime(), formatTime()

Date functions: dateNow(), date(), year(), month(), day(), diffDate(), formatDate(), epochToDate()

ProtoPie takes a step forward into 3D by embracing videos with transparent backgrounds. Bid farewell to the slowdowns caused by bulky PNG sequences and usher in a new era of prototype performance with ProtoPie.

By supporting videos with transparent backgrounds, ProtoPie takes a pioneering step towards 3D while enhancing the performance of your prototypes.  

When incorporating transparent videos into your prototypes, it's important to consider specific conditions for these to perform optimally:

.webm), and Safari supports HEVC with alpha (

: It's recommended to use HEVC with alpha. Using an incorrect codec/format on iOS may result in the video not displaying correctly within the designated area.

: Android does not natively support video files with alpha channels.

Elevate your design projects with ProtoPie

ProtoPie stands as the ultimate solution to elevate your prototypes to unprecedented levels. Harness the full potential of your designs by integrating authentic interactions that will captivate both stakeholders and viewers.

Discover ProtoPie's innovative functionalities by giving it a free trial today.  

ProtoPie 7.9 introduces a range of exciting features designed to enhance the realism of your prototypes.

What’s New? Self-Hosted Media, Time & Date Functions, and More

We are thrilled to introduce an exciting feature in 

You can now easily connect your prototypes to databases and APIs, bringing real data into your ProtoPie projects and vice versa.

The best part? You don't need to worry about coding. Our API plugin does all the work for you—whether it's sending data to APIs or fetching data from them, and it seamlessly brings it into your prototypes.

The new API plugin is accessible for both Pro and Enterprise plan users. For teams on the 

, there's an extra benefit – you can connect to multiple APIs at the same time.

📣 Join us on Tuesday, September 19th, for an 

, where we'll guide you through the simple process of connecting your prototypes to databases and APIs.

By demonstrating a range of real-world examples, we'll unveil how the API plugin can elevate and energize your design process.

How the API plugin enhances your workflow

The API plugin enables design teams to easily initiate API requests, either 

, and establish two-way connections with any kind of API:

: This encompasses a wide range of popular services, including Spotify, OpenWeatherMap, YouTube,  ChatGPT, live scores, and many more.

: Connect seamlessly with your organization's internal systems and services.

For example, you can now connect your ProtoPie prototypes to any weather API and dynamically display accurate and real-time weather updates based on specific locations.

How to initiate API requests in ProtoPie 

Gone are the days when connecting to APIs was limited to the Enterprise plan and needed code writing and custom plugins in ProtoPie Connect. Now, with the API plugin, initiating API requests is a breeze for anyone on the Pro or Enterprise plan!

To connect to APIs via the API plugin, you need to enter a valid API URL. This URL serves as the gateway to the API's services.

If the API needs more information to handle requests, you can include a Header and Body along with the API URL. Think of these as additional notes you send with your request. 

To find the right API URL and any required parameters, you can refer to your chosen API's online documentation. It will guide you on how to properly set things up for successful communication.

In ProtoPie, API requests are initiated through Send messages that you configure in 

When you open prototypes in ProtoPie Connect, the API plugin automatically detects the messages within them. These messages will be displayed in the menu “Message from Pie”, allowing you to easily select them within the API plugin.

Learn more about setting up Send & Receive messages in ProtoPie Connect through our 

The activated API returns a response that is sent back to the prototype, where it can be used to trigger actions. To utilize the output from an API in your prototypes, you need to use the Receive trigger and assign the value to a 

The information obtained from APIs, stored in 

, can be reused through responses in ProtoPie Studio. The 

, is usually the best way to leverage API outputs, which are very often generated in JSON format. 

 in ProtoPie Connect and set up the API plugin as detailed in its Information section, you'll notice that the prototype triggers an API request to 

 when you select an option using the toggle switch. As a result, the prototype displays the information retrieved from the Useless Facts API on the screen.

 on initiating API requests using the API plugin in ProtoPie Connect.

Overriding parameters with message values

override API URL/Header/Body with message value

” allows you to dynamically override the API’s URL or Header/Body parameters with the value of the message sent from the prototype.

This functionality comes in handy when you need to make multiple calls to the same API but with varying URLs or Header/Body values.

, we used this feature to override the API URL with the value from the message sent in the Pie file. As a result, when you type a city into the search box, you'll see the precise weather information for that city.

Running multiple API requests simultaneously

 have the flexibility to execute multiple API requests simultaneously within the API plugin. This capability allows you to enhance your real data prototyping by connecting your prototype to various APIs at once.

The ProtoPie API Plugin empowers you to infuse your designs with real, dynamic data, taking your prototypes to a whole new level of realism and functionality. Create interactive and data-driven prototypes that showcase your vision in its truest form.

Elevate your designs with ProtoPie’s powerful prototyping capabilities

ProtoPie is the ultimate tool that will propel your prototypes to new heights. Unleash the potential of your designs by incorporating real interactions that will leave stakeholders and viewers in awe.

Experience the cutting-edge features of ProtoPie by trying it for free today.

Connect to databases and APIs. Bring real data into your ProtoPie prototypes!

What’s New? API Plugin in ProtoPie Connect

We are excited to announce the release of ProtoPie's newest features, designed to enhance your prototyping experience, and empower you to create even more interactive and dynamic prototypes. With the latest update, ProtoPie introduces custom easing presets, barcode scanner, a revamped Learn tab, the ability to record audio in the preview window, and more.

Let's dive into the details of these exciting additions.

ProtoPie understands the importance of consistent font display in prototypes, which is why we're excited to introduce the highly anticipated custom fonts feature. Gone are the days of worrying about stakeholders needing to install specific fonts before reviewing your prototypes.

ProtoPie Enterprise plan users now can share their Pies throughout the entire ProtoPie ecosystem, knowing that fonts will display as expected.

Furthermore, we are thrilled to announce that Google fonts will be available to Pro & Enterprise plan users late 2023.

Personalize your motion: Custom easing presets

ProtoPie is taking easing presets a step further by introducing the possibility to customize them. This allows you to save & reuse custom easing without having to set them from scratch every time.

Also, you can easily export and import customized easing presets, enabling seamless collaboration with your team or ensuring continuity when switching devices.

Select a standard easing option from the provided list.

Click the + icon to create a new easing preset.

Adjust the duration and default values by entering new values or manipulating the control points.

Double-click above the input area to assign a name to your custom easing preset.

The newly created easing preset will be saved in the custom easing list for future use.

Importing and exporting custom easing presets

Once you've created a custom easing preset, you have the option to export it as a .json file. This file would contain all your custom easing presets.

This way, you can share your custom easing presets with others, or retain them for future projects especially if you switch computers.

We expanded the scanner feature, previously limited to QR codes only, to supporting barcodes.

It’s possible to scan both QR codes and barcodes directly within your prototype. Supported barcode subtypes include CODE39, CODE128, EAN13_UPCA, EAN8, and UPCE, in addition to QR codes.

Enhance the interactivity of your prototypes by incorporating barcode-enabled interactions. Thanks to the new barcode scanner in ProtoPie 7.8, you can bring your designs to life with real barcode scanning capabilities. For instance, you can scan a barcode to retrieve a product's full description.

Utilize your smart device's native camera as a layer within your prototype, enabling seamless scanning of QR codes and barcodes.

Activate the QR & Barcode scanner option within either the 

Select "Keep Tracking" from the available options.

By utilizing the "Keep Tracking" option, you can retrieve the values stored within QR codes and barcodes. This includes the ability to store barcode values in predefined variables to be used in dynamic interactions using formulas.

Below is a list of newly supported predefined variables specifically designed for barcode tracking:

For more information, refer to the documentation on 

For an enhanced user experience, we recommend utilizing ProtoPie Connect to fully explore and enjoy this new feature.

Our latest release introduces a seamless solution by enabling audio recording directly within the preview window. You will no longer need external tools to record audio in your prototypes. Now you can effortlessly include sound from media files, e.g., audio & video, and even audio input using a microphone.

During the preview, users have the flexibility to select a microphone for audio input. By choosing an audio input device, ProtoPie records both the audio from a prototype and audio from an input device simultaneously.

This feature comes in handy when you're showcasing your prototypes to stakeholders. If you need to explain certain interactions with narration, you can do it all in one go hassle-free.

Enhanced learning experience: The new Learn tab

At ProtoPie, we understand that mastering a powerful high-fidelity prototyping tool can be challenging. That's why we continuously strive to provide our users with effective resources to enhance their prototyping skills efficiently and effortlessly.

We’d like to introduce the revamped Learn tab in ProtoPie Studio, where we have consolidated all the best learning materials for ProtoPie. Once you log in, you'll gain access to a wealth of valuable resources, including example prototypes, interaction templates, courses, videos, and more, to kickstart your prototyping journey.

Discover the resources that best cater to your needs and embark on an enriching ProtoPie experience. Furthermore, you can directly access our free learning platform, 

,    where you'll have the opportunity to learn from industry experts in the field of prototyping. Upon completion of the course, you will also receive a valuable certification, validating your newfound expertise.  

We recognize the significance of smooth interaction handoff in your workflow here at ProtoPie. That's why we are dedicated to making this process effortless and efficient. With ProtoPie’s 

 directly visible within ProtoPie Studio, we want all ProtoPie users to bridge the gap between themselves & developers.

To streamline the sharing of your prototypes and their interaction specs, we placed the Handoff button in the upper right corner. This intuitive placement ensures easy access, allowing you to initiate the interaction recording process right away. 

ProtoPie 7.8 comes jam-packed with exciting features to prototype faster, better, and with more fidelity.

What’s New? Custom Easing Presets, Barcode Scanner & Much More 

We are excited to announce a highly anticipated feature that will redefine the way you create and showcase prototypes in ProtoPie. Say hello to 

 user, you now have the ability to flawlessly share your Pies across the entire ProtoPie ecosystem. Whether it’s ProtoPie Cloud, ProtoPie Player, or ProtoPie Connect, ProtoPie will display your fonts without any compromises or the need for cumbersome local font installations.

This means no worrying about stakeholders needing to install specific fonts before reviewing your prototypes on their computer or smart devices. With custom fonts, your prototypes will stay true to your creative vision, regardless of the platform anyone uses.

Support for Google fonts will be introduced to both Enterprise and Pro plan users late 2023, enhancing our font capabilities even further.

Custom fonts are only available as part of the Enterprise plan.

Gone are the days of time-consuming font installations on multiple devices. Custom fonts bring a range of benefits that shine in various scenarios:

 Share your prototypes with testers, knowing they can instantly interact with them without any friction or font-related problems.

: Present your prototypes during internal or external meetings with complete peace of mind, as custom fonts will display flawlessly across all devices.

: Make specific fonts accessible to all editors in your ProtoPie Enterprise environment, fostering seamless collaboration across teams.

By utilizing custom fonts in your prototypes, you can empower collaboration, streamline workflows, and ensure a seamless user experience throughout your ProtoPie journey. The custom fonts in your prototypes will consistently appear as intended across our entire ecosystem:

 (through ProtoPie Cloud and ProtoPie Connect)

To ensure a seamless font management experience, it's important to understand the role-based permissions associated with custom fonts within your organization. Here's a breakdown:

, and team admins have full control over font management at the organization level. They can upload and delete custom font files that any editor member can use across the organization.

: Editors can utilize their organization's custom fonts in ProtoPie Studio when creating or modifying prototypes. 

 about the differences between editors and viewers in ProtoPie Enterprise.

: Viewers and other stakeholders can preview prototypes that incorporate custom fonts, without any missing font issues. This applies to cloud-stored Pies opened in web browsers and ProtoPie Player alike.

Uploading and removing custom fonts on ProtoPie Cloud is a straightforward process for service admins, team owners and team admins.

Team owners and admins can easily upload custom fonts by accessing the Fonts section within 

. Service admins can conveniently manage fonts through 

The same interface is used for both uploading and removing fonts.

You can find step-by-step instructions on how to remove and upload custom fonts in our 

. It’s important to bear in mind that Enterprise plan users are responsible for ensuring that they possess the necessary licenses for any custom fonts used.

When you remove a custom font from the Fonts page, ProtoPie replaces it according to the following 

If the removed custom font also exists locally, the locally installed font will automatically replace the removed font in the prototypes where it is used.

If the removed custom font does not exist locally, the system default font will automatically replace the removed font in the prototypes where it was originally used.

Utilizing custom fonts in ProtoPie Studio

Custom fonts that have been successfully uploaded to Team Settings and/or Organization Settings are accessible to all editors creating and editing Pies in ProtoPie Studio.

Editors can apply custom fonts to text, input layers and Text responses in ProtoPie Studio from within their property panel. 

Looking to replace a font with a custom one throughout your entire prototype? You can achieve this in ProtoPie Studio with just a few simple steps. Simply click on "Edit" in the app menu, and then "Replace Fonts".

You can find step-by-step instructions on how to apply custom fonts in our 

Upgrade your prototyping experience and embark on a new level of efficiency and collaboration with custom fonts in ProtoPie.

We value your feedback and would love to hear your thoughts on this exciting feature. Share your insights and suggestions in 

, a ProtoPie community. We're always eager to listen and learn from our users 🙂 

The Enterprise plan is ProtoPie's comprehensive enterprise-grade offering designed for organizations leading the way in innovation. With this plan, your design teams will have the tools they need to create realistic prototypes, including the ability to utilize custom plugins and connect prototypes seamlessly with any hardware, API, or Socket.IO-supported apps. Also, get access to single sign-on (SSO), expiring links, custom fonts, and user testing (currently in closed beta).

Discover custom fonts, a much-awaited feature exclusive to our Enterprise plan. Display the fonts in your Pies flawlessly and consistently across all devices.

What's New? Introducing Custom Fonts

ProtoPie 7.7 is now available for download! This new version introduces a feature that has been heavily 

volume control for audio and video files.

Take your prototyping game to the next level by adjusting the volume of audio and video files in your prototypes. Mute, lower, or increase the volume as needed!

This volume control functionality is now available to all ProtoPie users, regardless of their plan.

Controlling the Volume of Audio and Video Files in ProtoPie 7.7

You can adjust the volume of audio or video files in two ways:

Let's take a closer look at what each option enables.

A "volume" property has been added to the property panel of video and audio layers. This allows you to set a default volume for an audio or video file.

You can also set it to play automatically, with or without a looping effect.

As it exists as a property, “volume” can be used within the 

, allowing you to trigger actions based on the volume property of an audio or video file.

ProtoPie 7.7 comes with a new response type: Volume.

Use the Volume response to adjust the volume of your video and audio layers based on one or multiple triggers.

ProtoPie 7.7's volume control features unlock many creative possibilities in your prototypes. No matter what you create in ProtoPie, the new volume property and response will bring even more freedom and expressiveness to your projects! Get creative and use them to simulate a range of experiences, from common music player apps to 

 or sophisticated volume control gestures!

Background Blur was only available on iOS devices before ProtoPie 7.7. With this latest update, you can now add Background Blur layers to your prototypes in the Studio app, and test the effect in the Player app on both Android and iOS devices.

The following default effects are supported for Android:

Try them out to make your mobile prototypes even more realistic!

If you have any feedback or questions about ProtoPie 7.7 and its features, feel free to leave a message in our 

. We’d be happy to hear your thoughts on it!

Unleash your creative potential with ProtoPie

ProtoPie is a high-fidelity prototyping tool that integrates seamlessly with your designer workflow. Transform your interaction design ideas into high-fidelity prototypes for any digital product imaginable!

Freely adjust the volume of your video and audio files from within ProtoPie. Add background blur effects for Android.

What’s New? Volume Control for Audio & Video Files 

Our new release ProtoPie 7.6 brings in an exciting feature: QR code scanner.

 feature and unlock a wealth of smart interactions. For example, you can scan a QR code to open a webpage or trigger a wide range of other actions in your prototype.

With the new QR code scanner, you can unleash your creativity and make your ProtoPie prototypes even more expressive and realistic!

The QR code scanner feature is available to all ProtoPie users, regardless of their plan.

You can create your own QR codes for free on 

How to Enable the QR Code Scanner in ProtoPie

Activate the QR code scanner option in either:

You can overlay an image on your QR code by placing it on top of the Camera layer.

The QR code scanner has two capabilities:

Let's examine in detail what each option enables.

The "Open URL Immediately" option in ProtoPie allows you to scan a QR code and open a link directly in a web browser.

Use this feature creatively to prototype popular mobile interactions, such as scanning a QR code to open a video or initiate a payment transaction.

The "Keep Tracking" option enables you to monitor values stored in your QR code.

ProtoPie lets you store QR code values in 

Here is a list of the QR code predefined variables that we currently support:

Storing QR code values in predefined variables opens up many interaction design possibilities! For example, you can store a QR value and display the information it contains in another scene. Or you can animate layers based on the QR code’s position and size, as in this prototype example here below.

In this prototype, the overlay icon scales and moves based on the X/Y coordinates and width/height of the QR code. To see how this effect was created using the new QR code predefined variables, download the prototype 

Make your prototypes even more expressive by adding QR code-enabled interactions. This is now possible in ProtoPie 7.6, thanks to the new QR Code Scanner. 

What’s New? QR Code Scanner  

 is a crucial aspect of product design that helps ensure that a product is user-friendly and meets the needs of its target audience. By observing how users interact with a product, designers can identify pain points and areas for improvement, leading to greater customer satisfaction and loyalty. User testing can provide valuable feedback that can be used to refine a product before implementation, ultimately saving time and resources in the product development cycle.

The new User Testing features empower designers & product managers to do moderated user testing (remotely and in-person) with prototypes made with ProtoPie, all within ProtoPie’s own secure ecosystem.

To start, create a test room and invite your participants. Then observe how test participants—your end users—interact with your high-fidelity prototypes in real-time, and collect valuable, meaningful feedback to lead future product development decisions.

These features are currently in closed beta, available to select ProtoPie Enterprise customers. 

You can invite users to test your prototype on their phone, tablet, or desktop. There are two ways for participants to join the test room:

By opening a link in their desktop browser.

Whether using a link or scanning a QR code, participants need to input an interim code to access the test room. This ensures that only the intended participants can access the testing environment and, consequently, the prototype.

During user testing, moderators must ensure that the feedback they receive from participants is accurate and reflects their actual experiences with the product. This can be difficult, as participants may not always be forthcoming with their opinions or may be influenced by the testing environment itself.

Within ProtoPie's secure environment, moderators can conduct live user testing sessions to observe how participants interact with the product in real time. This allows them to not only identify pain points or areas for improvement, but also receive and give feedback immediately.

Aside from the new User Testing features, you can still use prototypes created with ProtoPie with user testing tools such as 

 has seamless integration with ProtoPie. Check out 

 to see our top 5 usability testing tools in 2023.

Get started with ProtoPie Enterprise today

User testing is an essential part of product design & the product development cycle. ProtoPie's new User Testing features provide a secure, easy-to-use environment for testing prototypes with real users.

These features are currently in closed beta and are only available to select ProtoPie Enterprise customers. If your organization or company is interested, please 

Discover how to get even more value out of your prototypes in ProtoPie with the User Testing features. Now in closed beta for ProtoPie Enterprise customers.

Releases

What’s New? Self-Hosted Media, Time & Date Functions, and More

What’s New? API Plugin in ProtoPie Connect

What’s New? Custom Easing Presets, Barcode Scanner & Much More

What's New? Introducing Custom Fonts

What’s New? Volume Control for Audio & Video Files

What’s New? QR Code Scanner

What’s New? ProtoPie User Testing

What’s New in ProtoPie? Discover ProtoPie Labs

What’s New in ProtoPie? Prototypes' Expiring Links

What’s New in ProtoPie? Overwriting Cloud Pies from Local Pies and Bitmap Mask Support

ProtoPie 5.0: You Won’t Miss Misunderstandings with Interaction Recordings & Libraries

What's New in ProtoPie? A Revamped, Cleaner Design for Pie Pages on ProtoPie Cloud

What's New in ProtoPie? Animate Transitions Automatically with Smart Jumps

Introducing the ProtoPie Smartwatch Solution

ProtoPie + Useberry: Valuable Insights From Your Prototypes