User inputs overview

TL;DR — Smart Inputs connect data to graphics. User Inputs are the buttons, timers, and fields you press during the show.

#Smart Input vs User Input

Smart Input — animation reads data. Automatic.
User Input — you (or your producer) push a button or change a value manually. Live.

Both feed the same Rive elements. Use Smart Inputs for anything that follows your data. Use User Inputs for anything a human needs to trigger in the moment — a goal celebration, a timer reset, an event name swap.

#How to create one

Open the animation in the node editor.
Click User Inputs.
Pick the input type.
Name it clearly. Examples: Transition In, Pause timer, Event name.
Confirm.
Connect its attributes to your View models in the Rive file.

#The four types

Type	What it is	When to use
Date & time	Current clock, formatted for the overlay	Show real-time clocks, schedule countdowns
Timer	Counts up or down to a target moment	Game clocks, intermission countdowns
Button	One-shot trigger	Play an entrance animation, fire an alert
Text & number	Plain typed value	Names, scores, custom labels

More types are coming.

#Naming

Give User Inputs labels your producer can read at a glance during a live show. Pause timer beats t1. The label appears in the controller exactly as you type it.

#Next steps

Date and time — Live clocks
Timers — Countdowns and game clocks
Buttons and toggles — One-shot triggers and on/off switches