# Menu, skins and keyboard

(motion-menu)=

## The menu

**MENU** (status bar or panel) opens over the sphere. **Nothing here is needed
to play.**

| Page | Holds |
| :--- | :--- |
| **Skin** | the skin list: a tap previews, a second tap keeps |
| **Skin Editor** | every value of the loaded skin |
| **Button LEDs** | the panel's key colours |
| **Pattern Folder** | where the library is read from |
| **Sphere in Menu** | on: the sphere keeps drawing behind the menu |
| **Developer Mode** | on: Save may overwrite shipped files. **Off on a gig** |

**A value only changes in its edit box**, never by brushing past:

| Gesture | Does |
| :--- | :--- |
| drag the list or the strips beside it | scrolls (two fingers as one) |
| tap a page row (Skin Editor, Button LEDs, Pattern Folder) | opens it at once — so a double tap lands its second tap inside |
| tap another row | selects it |
| double tap or ENTER | opens its value list, edit box or colour picker |
| in a value list | tap or ENTER chooses; Escape or back leaves |
| in an edit box | type; ENTER keeps; Escape, back or ✕ undo; skin numbers have **− / +** |

**‹** and MENU close one level, **✕** all. **Escape never quits the app.**

<!-- GIF: howto-menu-navigate.gif | region: 0,0,768,660 | recorded 2026-09-30 (after the Network page left the menu), quiet-indigo-2, --fuzz 1% | steps: Tap MENU, tap Skin Editor, tap All values, drag the list, tap back, tap ✕. | "MENU opens it over the sphere" / "Tap a row: its page" / "Drag to scroll" / "‹ back: one level up" / "✕ closes all of it" | a page row opens on ONE tap; a double tap lands the second tap inside the page -->

![Tap MENU, tap Skin Editor, open All values, drag the list, tap back, tap ✕.](pics_user/howto-menu-navigate.gif)

### Skin

A tap previews a skin on the sphere; a second tap on the same skin keeps and
saves it (a double tap keeps at once). Back, or closing MENU, restores the running
skin. ↑ ↓, ENTER and Escape do the same from the keyboard. Dragging only scrolls.

### Skin Editor

Values under headings (surfaces, text, states, channels, sphere, type, touch,
effects). Action rows on a double tap or ENTER: **» Save**, **» Save as new**,
**» Rename**, **» Delete** (asks), **» Reset** (shipped values, same name).

- Numbers: − / + step live by a tenth (integers by one); Escape restores.
- Colours: the **colour picker**, live; **done** closes. No undo, Escape does
  nothing. Channel 1 is labelled `channels.0`.
- **Leaving saves the skin**, changed or not; on the default skin it saves and
  switches to a copy, **custom**.

![The Skin Editor, its sections on the left of the sphere](pics_user/a3-motion-ui-skin-editor.png)

### Button LEDs, Pattern Folder

Rows of the device's settings; double tap to type or pick a colour; saved on
leaving. Network settings are not here: see
[another Core](#motion-howto-network).

### Sphere in Menu, Developer Mode

Double tap, then **on** or **off**.

(motion-keyboard)=

## The keyboard

It takes the **bar's place**, so fields stay visible above it. **KEYS** shows
or hides it; it comes up by itself to type (Rename, the FILES editor, Skin
Editor and menu values). **HIDE** hides it and leaves the field open.

Its 44 keys sit on the panel's grid (ten by six, as [PADS](#motion-pads)),
**QWERTY**:

| Row | col 0 | cols 1–8 | col 9 |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 0 | **ESC** | — | **DEL** |
| 1 | **123** | — | **ENTER** |
| 2 | q | w e r t y u i o | p |
| 3 | a | s d f g h j k l | - |
| 4 | z | x c v b n m , . | / |
| 5 | **SHIFT** | ◀ ▶ **SPACE** (four wide) ' " | **HIDE** |

**123** swaps rows 2–4 to symbols (**ABC** goes back). No umlauts, no ß.

| Row | Symbols (**123**) |
| :--- | :--- |
| 2 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 |
| 3 | - / : ; ( ) = + _ * |
| 4 | { } [ ] < > \ \| ! ~ |

![The keyboard in the bar's place](pics_user/a3-motion-ui-keyboard.png)

- **SHIFT**: once a capital, twice caps lock, three times off.
- On screen a key types on **release** (slide off to cancel); **DEL** and
  arrows act at once and repeat.
- **ENTER** keeps a name (a new line in the FILES editor). **ESC** in a name,
  or back/close in the Skin Editor, undo.

**While it is up, the whole panel types**, each button the key in its place
(left TAP = ESC, right TAP = DEL, right SHIFT = HIDE), on the press; the LEDs
show the layout.

- **No pad fires and no key does its job**; running clips go on.
- **HIDE or ESC** gives the panel back; a key pressed while typing stays a key.
- **Encoder 1** moves the cursor; other encoders, SHIFT + encoder, pots and
  faders keep working.

Put the keyboard away before the next clip has to start.