Save and use locations and objects

Save a place or a thing once, then use its handle in your scripts. Your saved locations and objects are on the Characters, Locations & Objects page, together with the ones LongStories made for your videos.

To save a character, see Use universes and consistent characters.

Make a location or object

1. Select Characters in the sidebar, or open Characters.
2. Select the Locations tab or the Objects tab.
3. Select Create location or Create object.
4. Choose Upload Image to start from a photo or drawing, or Create Manually to start from text.
5. With an image, the app writes a Name and Description for you. Change them, or select Describe again.
6. Describe what stays the same in every shot. For a place: walls, furniture, and light. For a thing: shape, colors, and wear. Leave out people and story action.
7. Select Create. The location or object is now saved, and the window shows its handle.
8. Select Generate reference sheet to keep the look the same from shot to shot. The cost shows on the sheet card. Or select Skip for now.

While the sheet is being made, you can select Close and keep drawing in the background. The sheet appears on the card when it is done.

Find a handle

• Each card shows its handle, for example @Workshop. Select it to copy it (tooltip Copy handle).
• Use the filters above the cards: All, Favorites, Made by you, and Made by LongStories. Made by LongStories holds the places and things made for your earlier videos.
• Select the star on a card (Add to favorites) to find it faster under Favorites.

Change a location or object

1. On the Locations or Objects tab, select the card.
2. Change the Name and select Save. This is free. The Handle changes with the name while you type, until you type a handle of your own. To keep the old handle, select the Keep button under the handle, for example Keep @Workshop. Videos you already made keep the old handle.
3. To change how it looks, go to Look and choose one way:
   • Describe a change: write what should change, for example "night, with rain on the windows".
   • Redraw: change the Description. The picture is drawn again from it.
4. Select Change look. The price shows on the button. If the new look cannot be made, nothing changes and your credits come back.

To go back to an earlier version, open Versions and select Restore. Restoring is free.

Videos you already made keep the location or object as it was. To use the new one in a video, open the video in the editor, open Project settings, select Newer versions, then Use it here. Shots you already made stay as they are.

Use a saved location or object in a new video

Pick it on the create page, or name it in your idea, your audio notes, or your script.

Pick it

1. On Video Story, write your idea or add your script.
2. Under Choose project elements, select Locations or Objects.
3. Select a card. Your favorites come first. Everything you picked shows under In this video.

One video can use up to 10 saved locations and 10 saved objects.

Name it in your idea

• In the story box, type @ or select Mention your characters, then pick it from the list. This also selects it.
• You can also type or paste its handle, for example @Workshop. When the handle matches one of your saved locations or objects, it is selected for you. The same applies to the notes under an audio file.
• If you remove it under Choose project elements, Location mentioned but not selected (or Object mentioned but not selected) shows next to Generate Video. Select Add location to use it again, or Ignore to let the app make a new one.
• If you generate while it is not selected, the app asks Add this location before generating? Continue without adding makes a new version.
• If only the name matches, nothing is selected for you. The same message asks; select Add to use your saved one.

Name it in your script

1. Copy the handle from its card.

2. Use the handle in your story, for example: @Mira holds up the @ShopSign in @Workshop.

3. End the script with the lists, and put each handle on its line:

   ---
   Characters: @Mira
   Locations: @Workshop
   Objects: @ShopSign
   

4. On Video Story, select Add your script and paste it.

5. Under the script, Your elements in this script shows each handle and the saved location or object it uses. To make a new one instead, select Let AI create a new one.

When a handle matches one of your saved locations or objects, the video uses it. The script guide has the full format.

If your script names more than 10 saved locations or more than 10 saved objects, the app says You can add up to 10 locations and 10 objects to one video. and the video does not start. Under Your elements in this script, select Let AI create a new one for the handles above the limit, or use fewer handles.

Add it to a universe

A universe calls its locations Places. When you create a universe, or on its Your universe page under Cast, go to Places or Objects and select Add from your library or Create new. A new video in that universe starts with them selected. See Use universes and consistent characters.

Inside the editor

In a video you already made, you can use the locations and objects of that video. When you add a shot or regenerate an image, type @ and pick one. In the Regenerate box, the Location button also sets the location of the new image. See Fix one shot and Add, move, and remove shots and cards.

To change how a location or object looks in one shot only, use Edit image on that shot. The saved location or object does not change.

To use a saved location or object that is not in the video yet, add it first: open Project settings and select Add elements. See Add a character, location, or object to a video you made.

Remove a location or object

• You cannot delete or archive a saved location or object.
• To keep your list short, star the ones you use and select Favorites.

If your location or object is not used

• Check that it shows under In this video before you select Generate Video.
• Check that the handle in your script is spelled the same as on the card.
• Check that the handle is on the right line: Locations for a place, Objects for a thing.
• Check that you did not select Let AI create a new one for that handle.