> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.febucci.com/text-animator-unity/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.febucci.com/text-animator-unity/effects/how-to-edit-effects/playbacks.md).

# Playbacks

<mark style="background-color:yellow;">**Playbacks decide how an effect gets applied through time**</mark> (for example, playing an effect only once).

### Built In Playbacks

You can use the following built-in playbacks to modify your effects, either [assigning them from the inspector](/text-animator-unity/effects/how-to-edit-effects.md) or setting them as [modifier keywords:](/text-animator-unity/effects/how-to-edit-effects/modifiers.md#keywords)

For example, if you already have a "wave" effect that loops infinitely, but in one occasion you want to show it only once, you can write "\<wave **once**>", where "once" is the ID of the playback.

### Create Custom Playbacks

There are currently three different types of playback classes that you can instantiate:

<figure><img src="/files/dvHlA29qKP99arTyTrx7" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Each playback has different parameters that you can modify (e.g. duration).

{% hint style="success" %}
If any parameter is less or equal to 0, then it will be ignored and the animation engine will jump to the "next" important/related one.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="warning" %}
Appearances  and disapperances need at least one value to be greater than 0, or their duration will be invalid and they will be skipped
{% endhint %}

#### Simple

| Parameter          | Description                                                                 |
| ------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Delay before start | How much time the animation engine waits before starting to show the effect |
| Fade duration      | How much time it takes for an effect to go from 0 to 1                      |
| Still duration     | How much time an effect is displayed on screen.                             |

#### Weighted

| Parameter   | Description                                                                                                          |
| ----------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Intensity01 | Lets you control externally how much intense should an effect be (e.g. 1 when near a game objective, 0 when too far) |

#### Cycle

<table data-full-width="false"><thead><tr><th>Parameter</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Delay before start</td><td>How much time the animation engine waits before starting to show the effect</td></tr><tr><td>Fade in duration</td><td>How much time it takes for an effect to go from 0 to 1</td></tr><tr><td>Still duration</td><td>How much time an effect is displayed on screen.</td></tr><tr><td>Fade out duration</td><td>How much time it takes for an effect to go from 1 to 0</td></tr><tr><td>Cycles</td><td>How many times this loop is repeated</td></tr><tr><td>Delay Between Cycles</td><td>How much time to wait before starting a new cycle</td></tr></tbody></table>

***

### Playbacks Databases

As always, you can store playbacks inside a **database** and assign it to the [Global Settings](/text-animator-unity/customization/global-settings.md) (p.s. there is already one built-in and already set up), like the following:

<figure><img src="/files/Blr5cmFoRd2isn7kRGX1" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

This way you can access all playbacks from all different Text Animator components, and modify your effects individually through [Modifiers](/text-animator-unity/effects/how-to-edit-effects/modifiers.md) (example "`<wave once>`".

{% hint style="info" %}
If you are creating a new playback, make sure that it is stored inside that main/global database
{% endhint %}