Blocks, Steps, and Project Types

Understand the reusable package, its workflow instance, and the complete production workflow.

Block

A reusable production workspace or capability. The built-in catalog consists of full screens: Script Writer, Voiceover, Shots, Blueprint, Canvas, Editor, Image Panels, White Board Motion, and Assets. Chat is the protected starting workspace. Internal canvas nodes and individual editor controls are implementation details inside their workspace, not separate built-in Blocks.

External processing Blocks, such as Thicken Line Art or lip sync, add a capability to the workflow. A Block declares input and output ports, permissions, controls, and an implementation runtime.

Step

An instance of a Block inside a Project Type. Each Step has its own instance ID, pinned Block ID and version, configuration, enabled state, and optional condition. Reusing a Block in two positions creates two independent Steps.

Project Type

An ordered production workflow. Its persisted stages array stores Steps for compatibility with existing projects. Users can add, remove, duplicate, configure, disable, or reorder Steps. The protected starting chat belongs to the host and cannot be replaced or remixed.

Typed connections

An image-producing Block can connect to an image-consuming Block. Primary ports make insertion predictable; semantic roles distinguish a source image from a character reference. Secondary inputs can bind to project context.

See types and compatibility, context, and Project Type construction.

Complete workspace Blocks

Built-in Blocks are the existing complete production screens. A Guided Project Type follows Chat → Voiceover → Shots → Blueprint → Canvas → Editor; export belongs to Editor. The reusable Script Writer is the full Narrative Compiler; it and the legacy Script adapter do not replace Chat. Canvas remains the home of persistent visual references and character consistency.

The Block boundary follows the complete user-placeable Step. Package and remix the complete workspace, including its related tools. For example, Motion Graphics remains inside the Editor; Image Panels, Blueprint, and the Whiteboard Step are each one Block. The White Board Motion Project Type contains protected Chat followed by Voiceover, Whiteboard, and Editor: four complete Blocks, with no extra Project-Type Block. Historical component IDs may remain resolvable for saved projects without becoming discoverable Blocks.

A source snapshot or host alias alone is not portable. A portable workspace owns its interface and executes through an installable SDK runtime. The first-party sm.blueprint@2.0.0, sm.board-editor@2.0.0, sm.editor@2.0.0, and sm.pipeline@2.0.0 packages in the downloadable SDK demonstrate complete sandboxed workspaces using typed documents and the public before/after workspace proposal contract. Whiteboard retains all boards, placed media, timing, transitions, motion settings, and custom fields as one remixable Block. Editor retains Motion Graphics and every other editing tool inside the Editor Block. Canvas retains its native content and layout while the Project Type builder owns Step placement and wiring. Package-supplied React bundles are not exposed; use custom sandboxed HTML interfaces.