How to Set Up a Selection Screen in FMX

Updated 2 weeks ago · 8 min readIntermediate

This guide walks through the complete setup of a Selection Screen in the Foto Master Cloud Workflow Builder. It applies to FMX for Windows and FMX for iPadOS.

Before starting, decide which guest experience you are building:

One tap branches to a workflow step.
One tap chooses a prompt, Photo Layout, Video Fusion template, or workflow.
One menu combines several action types with Mixed.
One tap selects a paid package with Payment.
Several taps combine choices into one Photo Layout with Multi Area Selection.

These modes look similar on the canvas but behave differently at runtime.

1. Prepare the workflow and artwork

Create any target steps, Photo Layouts, Video Fusion templates, and child workflows before configuring the Selection Screen. They must already exist before you can select them in an area's settings.

Prepare a background image or video with clear guest instructions and visible buttons. Use the screen ratio that will run at the event:

FMX for iPadOS: use 3:4 for a portrait iPad.
FMX for Windows: match the connected display. Common choices are 9:16 for a portrait mirror and 16:9 for a landscape display.

The editor also supports 4:3, 2:3, 3:2, and 1:1.

2. Add the Selection Screen

Open the event's workflow in Foto Master Cloud.
Add a Selection Screen feature step.
Place it where the guest should make the choice.
Choose Selection Type before adding areas.

Type	Use it when
Step	Every choice opens a different step
Prompt	Every choice supplies text to a later AI step
Photo Layout	Every choice activates one layout
Video Fusion	Every choice activates one Video Fusion template
Workflow	Every choice opens a different child workflow
Payment	Every choice has a price and a post-payment destination
Mixed	Different areas on the same menu need different action types

Changing Selection Type removes the areas already configured on that screen. Select the final type first.

3. Configure the screen

Select Open Selection Screen Editor.
Set Expected Aspect Ratio.
Select Select Background Media and choose an image or video.
Set the media fit:
- Fit keeps the entire asset visible.
- Crop fills the canvas and can crop its edges.
- Stretch fills the canvas without preserving proportions.
Select Add Area once for each choice.
Drag each area over the corresponding artwork. Resize it with the corner handle or use the X, Y, W, and H percentage fields.
Rename each area so the list is easy to understand.
Use Lock after alignment to prevent accidental movement.

The guest-facing label must be part of the background or Area Media. The area's editor name is mainly for organizing the screen and combination mappings.

The eye icon only hides the rectangle in the builder. The area remains visible through its media, tappable, and active in FMX. Delete an area when it must no longer be available to guests.

4. Configure the action

Select an area, open Properties, and complete the fields for its action.

Step

Choose Target Step. Tapping the area immediately opens that step and creates a branch from the Selection Screen.

Prompt

Enter Prompt Text. The selected text is saved for downstream AI processing. Connect the Selection Screen's normal continuation to the capture or AI path that should use it.

Photo Layout

Choose a Photo Layout. It becomes the active layout for the session. Continue the workflow toward capture, Save Final Photo, printing, or sharing.

Video Fusion

Choose a Video Fusion template. Make sure the screen's normal continuation leads to the video-producing flow.

Workflow

Choose a Workflow. This is the simplest way to build a parent menu for several complete child experiences.

Payment

Enter the Price and select Continue to Step. Approval continues automatically to that area's destination. Configure the event's payment provider in FMX before testing this choice.

5. Add Area Media when needed

Open the selected area's Media tab and choose one method:

Select Media: use an existing image or video from the asset library.
Upload Media: upload an asset and apply it to the area.
AI Generation: create an image with AI Draw Me or AI Modify.

Area Media is contained within the hotspot and stays clickable. It is useful for template thumbnails, product photos, AI result examples, and a visual Done button. See Using Area Media on Selection Screens for details.

Use Mixed when the same screen needs different actions.

Set Selection Type to Mixed.
Open the editor and add the required areas.
Select the first area and choose Area Type.
Choose Step, Prompt, Photo Layout, Video Fusion, Workflow, or Payment.
Complete the field shown for that type.
Repeat for every area.
Connect a normal outgoing path for Prompt, Photo Layout, and Video Fusion areas.
Test every action type on the booth.

Example:

Area	Area Type	Configuration
Classic Booth	Step	Target Step: `Classic Live View`
Superhero	Prompt	Prompt Text: `Transform the guest into a cinematic superhero`
Photo Strip	Photo Layout	Photo Layout: `Three Pose Strip`
Premium AI	Payment	Price: `$15`; Continue to Step: `Premium AI Capture`

Mixed screens do not support Multi Area Selection or the special Done area. Initial Selection is also ignored: a Mixed Payment area starts payment only after it is tapped.

If you enable Auto-Select Random Area, FMX may choose any complete Mixed area, including a paid one. Use random mode only when every possible result is intended.

Configure the event's payment provider and currency in FMX.
Set Selection Type to Payment.
Add one area for every package or price.
For each area, set Price and Continue to Step.
Choose Initial Selection:
- Nothing selected waits for the first guest tap.
- First area selected marks the first valid price and arms payment when the screen opens.
Choose a screen-wide Selection Effect and optionally override individual prices.
For Stripe or Shopify, turn on Payment QR and place its purple placeholder.
Save, sync, and complete a real low-value test transaction before the event.

Guests can change packages before approval. FMX moves the selection effect, replaces the payment attempt with the new amount, and continues to the destination of the option that was actually charged. Payment does not use a Next-to-pay button.

See Payment Type Selection Screens for payment behavior and troubleshooting.

Recipe C: Build a multi-area Layout chooser

Use this mode when several guest choices must resolve to one Photo Layout.

Set Selection Type to Photo Layout.
Turn on Multi Area Selection.
Set Areas to select from 2 through 8.
Add at least Areas to select + 1 choice areas, up to a maximum of 9.
Rename each choice clearly.
Do not choose a Photo Layout inside an individual choice. In this mode, the layout comes from the combination mapping.
Configure the green Done area. Set Anchor Position to Top Left, Top, Top Right, Left, Center, Right, Bottom Left, Bottom, or Bottom Right, then drag or resize it if needed.
Add a Done graphic as Area Media or place a matching button in the background artwork.
Open Combinations.
Choose a Photo Layout for every combination. Use Assign to all unmapped only when those combinations truly share one layout.
Choose Initial Selection:
- Nothing selected starts empty.
- First area selected begins with the first choice already selected and counted.
Configure the screen selection effect and any per-area overrides.

At runtime, the guest toggles choices until exactly the required number is selected, then taps Done. Additional choices are ignored while the selection is full. Done stays inactive if the count is wrong or a combination has no mapping.

Changing Areas to select clears mappings that no longer match the new count. Multi Area Selection also disables random choice, Next, Back, and swipe navigation.

For a regular interactive screen, enable Next Step Button, Back Step Button, or both to page between other Selection Screen steps. Select the destination Selection Screen, then choose:

Buttons Only
Swipe Only
Button + Swipe

These controls navigate menu pages. They do not replace a Step area's Target Step or the normal continuation after Prompt, Layout, or Video Fusion selection. Payment has no Next control, and multi-area Layout selection uses Done instead.

7. Save, sync, and test

Select Done in the Selection Screen Editor.
Save the workflow.
Check that every branch and normal continuation is connected.
Resolve all unmapped-combination warnings.
Sync the event in FMX.
Restart or reload the experience if required by your event workflow.
Tap every area on the actual device.
For Mixed, test at least one area of every action type used.
For Payment, test initial state, repricing, approval, cancellation or Back, and the correct destination.
For multi-area Layouts, test every combination and confirm the active layout reaches Save Final Photo.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Check
Tap lands on the wrong choice	Match Expected Aspect Ratio to the device and realign X/Y/W/H
Hidden choice still works	The eye icon is editor-only; delete the area
Mixed Prompt or Layout choice goes nowhere	Add the Selection Screen's normal outgoing continuation
Paid option charges correctly but opens the wrong path	Check Continue to Step on that exact price area
Payment starts too early	Set Initial Selection to Nothing selected
Payment QR is missing	Use Stripe or Shopify, enable Payment QR, and arm a paid attempt
Done is inactive	Select exactly the required count and map that combination
Combination list changed or disappeared	Recheck Areas to select and confirm all choice areas remain present
Layout does not appear in the final output	Continue through Save Final Photo after the Selection Screen

For every option and runtime rule, see Selection Screen: Types, Mixed Menus, Payments, and Multi-Area Layouts.

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