Why ProtoPie Genie is a must-try for designers

Great news for Figma users! If you've ever felt that your design prototypes lacked dynamic interactions, our new beta plugin, ProtoPie Genie, is here to help.

 is designed for designers who use Figma to prototype their work and want to add more realistic interactions. As a beta version, ProtoPie Genie offers an early glimpse into its powerful features, allowing you to enhance your prototypes with advanced interactivity directly within Figma.

In the initial release of ProtoPie Genie, the "Interactive Input Field" feature allows you to seamlessly input text into your Figma prototype using the device keyboard.

Here’s how to add an interactive input field to your Figma design:

Select a text object to designate as the input field.

Add the object to the "Interactive Input Field" interaction.

Assign text objects as output fields to display the entered text.

For more details on using the ProtoPie Genie plugin and exploring its features, refer to our 

Static prototypes can limit creativity, but ProtoPie Genie changes that. ProtoPie Genie makes adding dynamic interactions to Figma prototypes easy, creating a more realistic and engaging experience without limiting creativity or compromising tight deadlines.

Here’s why ProtoPie Genie should be a key part of your 

: With ProtoPie Genie, you can easily create advanced prototypes directly in Figma, saving time and eliminating the need to learn new tools.

: ProtoPie Genie allows for dynamic engagement with your prototype, enabling rapid testing and iteration of user experiences.

 ProtoPie Genie can boost efficiency by simplifying the creation of interactive prototypes.

: With ProtoPie Genie, you can deliver standout, interactive presentations that captivate your audience and impress stakeholders.

More than a plugin, ProtoPie Genie is a game-changing tool for Figma users who want to improve their designs.

Our team is dedicated to enhancing your design experience and making it more magical. Apart from the interactive input field, ProtoPie Genie will also support camera integration, speech-to-text functionality, and map integration in the near future.

If you have any feedback or want to suggest new features, let us know via the 

Experience the magic of ProtoPie Genie—where your Figma designs come to life, easy as Pie!

Static prototypes can limit creativity, but ProtoPie Genie changes that. Dive into the article to discover how.

What’s New? ProtoPie Genie Plugin for Figma

beta version of the ProtoPie Genie Figma plugin

, empowering designers to enhance their prototypes with advanced interactivity directly within Figma.

Since then, we've received invaluable feedback from our user community, which has guided us in refining the Figma Genie plugin.

Enhanced UX flow for a more intuitive experience

Check out the demo below to see these new features in action.

1. Improved UX flow for a more seamless experience

We've significantly improved this version to enhance the user experience with a more intuitive UX flow. Now, you can filter and apply interactions from a list and preview the interaction flows directly in the browser.

This update gives clear instructions on how interactions work, making the user experience smoother.

2. Add camera interactions for more realistic interactions

Take your prototypes to the next level by incorporating camera interactions using your mobile device's camera. When previewing the prototype on mobile devices with the Genie Player app, you can select the front or rear camera view. Also, you can include a shutter button to start and stop the camera view, adding a realistic touch to your prototypes.

3. Create voice interactions with Speech-to-Text

This feature allows your prototype to listen and transcribe spoken words using a listening button. Genie supports over 50 languages for Speech-to-Text, offering the same language options available in ProtoPie Studio for creating 

4. Integrate web-embedded content into your prototype

Enhance your design prototypes by including web-embedded content, such as videos from YouTube and Vimeo. Make sure the URL starts with "https://".

When embedding content from YouTube or Vimeo, you'll have extra control over video settings like Autoplay and Loop, which creates a more dynamic and interactive experience.

5. Add live Google Maps to your prototype for more usability

Incorporate live Google Maps into your prototype for real-time geographic context to enhance user interaction and usability.

You can customize the map's location, interact directly with the map, zoom in and out, and drag to explore different areas, making your prototype more engaging and functional.

6. Preview interactions on mobile devices with the ProtoPie Genie Player app

We're excited to introduce a major update in this new version: the ability to preview and test interactions directly on your mobile devices using the ProtoPie Genie Player app.

In the beta version, users could only test interactions in a web browser. With the new update, you can experience your prototypes on 

ProtoPie Genie 2.0 enables designers to create more engaging and realistic prototypes through camera and voice interactions, seamless web embeds, and live maps. The new Genie Player app allows for easy on-device testing, making it simpler to refine and showcase designs. 

 and take your Figma prototypes to the next level!

ProtoPie Genie 2.0 comes with exciting new features, including camera and voice interactions, web embeds, live maps, and the ProtoPie Genie Player app for mobile user testing.

What’s New in ProtoPie Genie 2.0? Camera, Voice, Web Embeds, and More

You asked, and we listened! After hearing your requests loud and clear, we’re thrilled to finally introduce one of our community's most highly requested features—

This marks the beginning of a multi-stage rollout of Auto Layout, with this first release launching in 

. In this phase, we focus on applying auto layout to design elements and importing auto layout properties from Figma. This addresses a significant user pain point, boosting productivity and enabling a more seamless Figma-to-ProtoPie export for a faster, more efficient design workflow.

Looking ahead, future releases launching next year will expand Auto Layout to 

, providing a fully integrated solution for your design and interaction needs. Read on to explore the details of this beta release and how it can elevate your design process.

Auto layout is a design feature that automatically adjusts and arranges elements within a container based on defined rules and relationships. It allows designers to create responsive designs by specifying an element’s properties, such as padding, gap, direction, resizing options, and alignment.

Here are some of the most typical use cases:

: Automatically adjusts spacing and alignment when content is added, removed, or resized, such as in text boxes, image frames, or form fields.

: Maintains consistent padding, spacing, and alignment across components, which is especially useful for creating standardized layouts for cards, lists, and grids.

: Auto Layout makes it easy to update individual components, like buttons or navigation bars, ensuring that component instances automatically adjust consistently throughout the design.

, Auto Layout helps you create responsive designs by automatically adjusting how elements are arranged within a container based on specific layout settings.

There are several ways to apply Auto Layout in ProtoPie:

Select any object (single or multiple), right-click, and choose 

. This will automatically move the object(s) into a container and apply Auto Layout.

Select any object (single or multiple) and press 

 option in the Property panel or right-click the container and select 

: Choose horizontal or vertical alignment in the Property panel.

: Arrange child items through the Layers panel, using keyboard arrows, or directly on the canvas.

: Allow child items to resize to fill the parent container automatically.

: Set a fixed gap or let items automatically adjust to fit the available space.

: The Auto Layout option does not appear in the Property panel if you’re working with a Mask layer, a single non-container layer, or an audio layer.

What are the supported Auto Layout properties in ProtoPie?

The properties that support applying Auto Layout to layers in ProtoPie Studio include:

Check out our documentation to explore the 

With this release, ProtoPie now supports most of Figma's core Auto Layout properties, ensuring that your primary Auto Layout settings are kept when importing designs from Figma. However, some advanced features—such as ‘strokes,’ ‘canvas stacking,’ and ‘align text baseline,’ along with max/min sizing options—are not yet supported in ProtoPie.

Keep Figma and ProtoPie open and visible on your desktop during the import for optimal performance.

When importing top-level frames from Figma into ProtoPie Studio, these frames are converted into scenes, which removes any original properties, including Auto Layout settings. So, if a top frame in Figma has Auto Layout applied, it won’t carry over into ProtoPie Studio and will be omitted from the scene.

Q. Can I use Auto Layout with interactions and preview them in the Preview window or the ProtoPie Player app?

Interactions are not supported in the initial 

 release of the Auto Layout feature. In this phase, Auto Layout is focused on design elements and imports from Figma to enhance your workflow efficiency. Although you can add triggers and responses to layers with Auto Layout applied, when a layer within an Auto Layout is moved or scaled in the Preview window, the other layers will not move or scale to adjust as they do on the canvas.

However, Auto Layout for prototyping & interactions is coming next year—stay tuned for updates.

Q. Why can’t I see the Auto Layout option in the Interactions panel?

The Auto Layout option is only available in the Property panel under specific conditions. Here’s when it will and won’t appear:

When selecting and applying it to a single container.

When selecting and applying it to a Main Component.

When selecting and applying it to two or more layers.

, as Auto Layout cannot be applied to audio.

If you don’t see the Auto Layout option, check if your selection falls into one of these unsupported cases. 

This is just the beginning. In this first 

 release, Auto Layout enhances design elements and Figma imports, streamlining your workflow by importing Auto Layout properties and allowing you to edit them directly in ProtoPie for greater productivity and faster exports. Looking ahead, the next phase—set to launch next year—will bring Auto Layout to prototyping, offering a more robust and seamless integration that enhances both your design and interaction workflows.

Your feedback is invaluable in shaping the future of Auto Layout. Join our 

 to share your thoughts, ask questions, and stay updated on upcoming updates.

Adjust dynamic layouts, import auto layout properties from Figma, or create your own with flexible controls like direction and wrapping. Now in beta.

What’s New? Improved Import & Design with Auto Layout

The evolving role of high-fidelity prototyping in UX design

When should you use Figma for prototyping?

When should you use ProtoPie for prototyping?

Ten advantages ProtoPie offers over Figma

ProtoPie vs. Figma: what’s the verdict?

As customer needs change all the time, product and UI/UX design keep up to meet these new challenges. This is why high-fidelity prototyping tools have become stronger over time.

The numbers speak for themselves. According to a report by the 

, the UX service market soared to an impressive valuation of $19.2 billion in 2022.

This changing landscape intensifies project stakes, placing more responsibilities on designers overseeing intricate digital experiences. As stakeholders pressure design teams to excel in speed and innovation, high-fidelity prototyping becomes crucial for maintaining a competitive edge.

Thus, a pressing question emerges: what is the best advanced prototyping tool on the market to meet these demands head-on?

Interestingly, Figma has caught significant attention with the launch of its "advanced prototyping" features at Config 2023. This provides paying users access to 

. We at ProtoPie fully support and warmly commend this development. With tools like Figma and ProtoPie available, designers are empowered to excel in advanced prototyping. Thanks to Figma, we're thrilled to see high-fidelity prototyping and interaction design gaining well-deserved attention from designers.

However, this progression raises questions for designers about how Figma and ProtoPie, both esteemed tools in the design space, differ in their approach to advanced prototyping.

Let's delve into an enlightening comparison between 

Figma is the world’s most popular UI design tool, according to the 

. While it’s not a prototyping tool at heart, it does have prototyping capabilities.

Need to showcase a sequence of basic transitions between static screens? Easily do that in Figma by linking frames and adding simple interactions. It is great for simple clickable prototypes with a few states—focusing on a flow, not the actual interactions.

Even with a few states, it can quickly lead to “noodle chaos” whenever you add more. More states lead to more noodles.

In theory, the wiring model of linking frames with each other makes sense. However, when a prototype grows in complexity, it becomes difficult to make sense of, manage, or maintain.

As a response to this, Figma announced its “advanced prototyping” features. This gives its paying users access to variables, expressions & conditionals. Figma started shifting away from purely linear prototyping.

Figma is a great tool if your project meets the following specific use cases:

Click-through prototypes with frames that have a few states.

Early-stage prototyping without having to remake interactions.

 comes in. By using ProtoPie instead of or alongside Figma, you can create realistic, dynamic, and multimodal prototypes for one or 

. This allows you to validate concepts that involve complex interactions, such as tilting a phone in a game or activating a display in a car using voice commands.

Figma alone might not be the right tool to make prototypes with, especially in situations concerning:

sophisticated albeit realistic micro-interactions (beyond tapping and clicking),

or connecting prototypes with (custom) hardware, APIs, etc.

, ProtoPie was ranked the top choice for designers in the advanced prototyping category. We want to position ProtoPie as the easiest high-fidelity prototyping tool to turn your interaction design ideas into realistic prototypes.

With ProtoPie, you can create highly interactive prototypes for all digital products across various industries:

Design teams and their companies across different industries use ProtoPie daily—next to their UI design tool Figma—for all kinds of high-fidelity prototyping. Some of these leading companies are 

If your prototyping projects sound more like the following, you'd be better off using ProtoPie:

Scenarios with multiple states and dependencies.

Conditional and cause-and-effect interactions that trigger other interactions.

Interactions with specific touchscreen triggers but also “non-standard” triggers.

Multimodal interactions, e.g., interactions involving text input, voice, media playback, sensors, etc.

Interactions across multiple devices and screens.

There’s no magic wand in design. Instead, designers must selectively pick the tools they will work with. Needless to say, these need to have the right benefits and features. ProtoPie offers a range of essential features making it your go-to high-fidelity prototyping tool.

Let’s delve into the 10 benefits that ProtoPie has over Figma.

1. Leverage a wide range of triggers & responses for multimodality

Figma’s list of triggers is limited to mostly standard tap & mouse triggers. This is fine for simple user flows, interactions, and presentations. But here’s the rub: if you want anything more complex, you’ll be waiting for eternity.

ProtoPie is different because it has an immense list of 

For triggers alone, ProtoPie has six different categories: touch, conditional, mouse, key, input, and sensor. The foundational touch triggers include everything from tapping, sliding, and pulling to pinching or rotating your phone. Also, you may combine these. For example, a mouse-over interaction that only works when a mouse button is held down.

. You can chain a series of events or detect data inputted—for example, a user’s email address. There are triggers for where the mouse moves—over or out of an element. A trigger set on key presses. Sensory triggers, from voice and sound to phone tilt or compass.

2. Add drag and scrollable areas to prototypes

You can make drag interactions and scrollable areas in Figma. But, they are limited to specific elements only. Also, they cannot influence other elements or interactions in the same frame.

In ProtoPie, drag interactions and scrollable areas can cause other interactions. For example, dragging a layer to the right or left could decrease or increase the total score. You could prototype these kinds of interactions on a single screen.

Discover how scroll can affect other layers, such as 

Advanced prototypes must emulate real-life products. If you are designing a smartphone app, your prototype needs to function like the final product one would use on an actual smartphone.

Imagine you’re prototyping a login page. In ProtoPie, add an 

In Figma, you’d have to create a complex set of wires prototyping the keyboard itself as a workaround. Otherwise, you have to ask people to rely on their imagination to figure out how they’d type. Not only is this more hassle and against the premise of realistic prototyping, but it also takes more time.

4. Play audio, video, and Lottie files in prototypes

Your designs need to be as rich as possible—there might be times when you need to insert media files into your prototypes. Hence, ProtoPie supports 

. And that’s not all. If you’re on the Enterprise plan, you can add dynamic media to your prototype users through a 

Figma, on the other hand, offers no way for users to directly embed audio or Lottie. But video is possible. If you’re creating media-rich prototypes, then there’s only one option: ProtoPie.

5. Bring “if/then” conditioning into your prototypes

 are the mainstay of successful prototypes, setting out key “if/then” rules. Imagine you have a reusable toggle button component. For example, toggle to the right to enable airplane mode and toggle to the left to disable airplane mode. Enabling airplane mode would lead to certain icons appearing and disappearing. At the same time, specific options would get grayed out.

You can make your own reusable toggle button using interactive components and variants in Figma. Traditionally, making the toggle button affect other layers and interactions uniquely depending on a state has been difficult. The latest advanced prototyping features—Figma made available to its paying users—allow you to do simple “if/then” conditioning.

On the other hand, this is where ProtoPie gets to shine and show its true colors. The real magic happens when you combine conditional interactions with ProtoPie’s formulas & variables.

6. Harness the power of dynamic interactions

 are at the heart of dynamic interactions. This is one of the things that set ProtoPie apart from Figma or any other prototyping tool. A prototype instantly becomes dynamic by simply adding a formula to an interaction.

Besides literal values, formulas can consist of variables, arithmetic & modulo operations, text appends, layer properties, and 

It is worth mentioning that you can use all the properties of objects in formulas. For example, it’s possible to monitor the x-position of an object in motion and trigger some responses whenever a particular (calculated) value has been reached.

Use formulas for dynamic interactions, for example,

email address validation based on text input,

counting the number of items in a shopping cart

showing a warning when the volume level exceeds a certain threshold,

and parse an API response in JSON format.

Explore the 10 key differences between ProtoPie and Figma, and learn when to choose each tool for your advanced prototyping needs.

ProtoPie vs. Figma: Which Tool is Better for Advanced Prototyping?

How ProtoPie Connect fits into the ProtoPie ecosystem

 is a game-changer for creating interactive, connected prototyping experiences. Whether you're working with multiple screens, integrating custom hardware, or tapping into APIs, ProtoPie Connect opens up a world of possibilities for dynamic prototyping. Dive into this article to discover how to unlock its full potential and enhance your workflow through seamless integrations and advanced features.

ProtoPie Connect is an advanced extension of 

 that enables designers to create experiences replicating real-world interactions across various devices, displays, hardware components, and APIs.

ProtoPie Connect functions as a powerful communication hub, using 

 technology to bridge various clients, such as:

Physical hardware systems like Arduino boards or Logitech G29 steering wheels;

External services like IFTTT webhooks and public APIs.

Discover more about ProtoPie Connect in our 

ProtoPie Connect is an integral part of the ProtoPie ecosystem, designed to integrate seamlessly with our other products:

: Our powerful prototyping application, available on both macOS and Windows, is where you create high-fidelity prototypes.

: A web-based platform that enables you to store, share, and hand off ProtoPie prototypes effortlessly.

: A free app that complements ProtoPie Studio, allowing you to view and test prototypes on iOS, iPad, and Android devices.

ProtoPie Connect has a range of built-in plugins that allow you to integrate your ProtoPie prototypes (Pies) with external hardware devices and services. These include the 

 plugins. Enterprise plan users can upload custom plugins, opening up even more possibilities for creating unique digital experiences.

In addition to these plugins, Connect offers various powerful features to enhance realism, interactivity, and dynamic user testing:

 content like 3D objects and maps via URL or iframe code.

: Easily connect your prototypes to databases and APIs through the 

 allows you to integrate Unity projects with ProtoPie for interactive prototyping and user testing. Unreal Engine 5 integration is also supported.

: Connect prototypes to hardware, APIs, or apps supporting 

: Prototype across multiple screens and devices, including 

, for a comprehensive testing experience.

: Integrate ProtoPie prototypes with custom layers such as web embeds, live cameras, and Unity projects and preview them in a 

 on various smart devices and desktop browsers using ProtoPie Connect.

Having explored the key features of ProtoPie Connect, let's take a look at some of the industries where they can be applied.

: Control prototypes that interact with APIs and driving simulators and integrate real signals from steering wheels, seats, and lights.

: Enhance game prototypes with increased interactivity using live data and 

: Streamline appliance and mobile app integration to emulate real-time device behavior for efficient user testing.

: Use camera feeds in applications like surgery robots and medical imaging systems.

: Prototype interactive TV interfaces with multi-screen support.

: Design realistic smartwatch experiences and cross-device interactions and test them on your Wear OS device.

Learn how to create software and hardware-integrated prototypes with our free Connect course from ProtoPie School. 

The ProtoPie Connect add-on is available in three tiers, each designed to meet different prototyping needs and budgets:

 This tier is perfect for large teams and organizations that require advanced integration and collaboration features. It is included with the Enterprise plan and offers the most comprehensive capabilities.

 Available as an add-on for Pro and Basic plan users, Connect Core is ideal for professionals and small teams seeking robust features without needing a full enterprise solution.

 A great starting point for individuals or newcomers to ProtoPie, this tier offers access to basic features at no cost.

For a detailed comparison of the features included in each tier, 

Experience the future of prototyping with ProtoPie Connect. Explore the possibilities and see how you can bring your ideas to life like never before.

Learn how ProtoPie Connect can boost your prototyping with easy integrations and powerful features for connected experiences.

Dynamic Prototyping with ProtoPie Connect: Features, Use Cases, and More

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