How Do I Loop an ILDA Animation to the Beat?

To loop an ILDA animation to a tempo in BeamTracer, load the file in ILDA Viewer, expand PLAYBACK CONTROLS, and set FPS, BEAT SYNC and MUSIC BPM. Beat Sync chooses how many frames repeat from the start of the file. It does not automatically stretch the whole animation into that interval.

Hi, I'm Trina with BeamTracer.com. A short loop can feel very different from the full animation even when both play at 30 FPS. This example uses a 60-frame 24-bar spectrum-style animation so you can see exactly which frames the beat setting repeats.

24 animated bars, 30 FPS and one bar at 120 BPM. This is a prerecorded ILDA animation with a spectrum-style appearance; the bars are not analyzing live audio. The preview is silent.

How do I make the full animation fit one bar?

Choose an FPS and tempo whose four-beat interval contains the file's full frame count. At 30 FPS and 120 BPM, one bar of four beats is two seconds, which holds 60 frames. This example's complete 60-frame file therefore fits that setting exactly.

The supplied example is a multicolor Format 5 drawing with 60 frames. It is a software demonstration, not a projector test file or a physical-output approval. To learn the drawing workflow, see animate a static SVG or make a rotating spirograph.

What changes when I select one beat or two beats?

At 30 FPS and 120 BPM, one beat lasts half a second and contains 15 frames. 1 Beat (Normal) repeats the first 15 frames. 2 Beats (Slow) repeats the first 30. The rate stays at 30 FPS; the point where the player wraps changes.

1 Beat (Normal): the frame counter repeats within frames 1 to 15. The truncated movement jumps back before the complete meter cycle finishes.

2 Beats (Slow): the opening 30 frames repeat. Compare this join with the complete one-bar loop above.

For other frame rates and tempos, the player rounds the calculated frame count to a whole number and limits it to the available frames. A short file cannot supply more frames just because you select a longer interval. These controls set a repeating tempo; they do not detect the beats in an uploaded song or establish an external DJ clock connection.

Is FPS the same as the laser's point rate?

FPS controls how quickly animation frames advance. The point rate describes how many stored coordinates a scanner is asked to draw per second. They are different quantities. Increasing FPS advances this file faster and also raises its estimated point demand at that playback rate.

Off - Loop Freely at 30 FPS: all 60 frames take two seconds.

Off - Loop Freely at 10 FPS: the same 60-frame sequence takes six seconds. Slower animation does not mean that a physical scanner should be set to 10 points per second.

Check FILE HEALTH after changing FPS. Its point budget compares stored points and the selected device rate; it does not measure actual scanner motion. The ILDA inspection guide explains how to read that estimate and compare the simulation views.

Can I use TAP instead of entering the tempo?

Press TAP along with your music to estimate MUSIC BPM, then choose a Beat Sync interval and watch several repeats. You can also adjust the BPM slider directly from 60 to 200. Recheck the displayed looped frame count after changing the tempo.

Tapping a tempo is different from locking playback to an external song timeline. If a repeated segment cuts the gesture off, use a longer interval or prepare a shorter seamless animation in Animation Studio. Check the actual join rather than assuming that a musical duration guarantees a smooth picture.

How do I preview the same loop in Cinema?

Select 3D, open SCENE, and choose BEAM MODE → Cinema — Premium fog with Orbit Mode as the camera preset. The orbit lets you inspect the same meter animation from changing camera angles while the selected playback settings remain active.

The same 60-frame meter file in Cinema at the one-bar playback setting. Camera movement changes the view, not the stored drawing.

You can preview Cinema with a watermark on lower plans; Studio includes the unwatermarked view. See plans and export allowances if you want to keep that treatment for your work.

Does the exported ILDA file keep the BPM setting?

The exported .ild contains the animation frames and colors. The Viewer controls are playback settings, so set tempo and playback speed in the application or projector that will play the file. The example download retains all 60 frames, including when a shorter range was previewed.

For offline card playback, follow the separate SD-card preparation guide and your projector's supported format and point limits. A software preview alone does not establish that a particular projector will accept the file or use the same playback controls.