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Plugins in Prototype Mode

  • September 19, 2024
  • 3 replies
  • 206 views
Amy_Pham

I’d like to request enabling plugins in prototype mode. I’ve been working on a plugin called Punchcut Audio Player that allows users to prototype audio in design mode, and we’ve received numerous requests to extend its functionality to prototype mode as well.
Prototypes are becoming more than a click-through of screens. We’re using them as story-telling tools, interactive exercises for user research, and demonstrations of multisensory/multidevice systems. With the addition of variables, prototypes could evolve even further.

Given the current limitations of prototypes, my team is looking to other tools and workarounds to keep up with our changing prototyping needs, but we do want to stay within Figma.

Over the past 2 years, it looks like others have been requesting features that would be solved by this as well:
Audio In A Prototype
Voice Prototyping On Figma
Give Us A Way To Snapshot Prototypes And Send Snapshot Links
Bringing Automated Testing To Figma Prototypes
Communicating Between Prototype And Figma Plugin
Feature Request Prototype Integration

The endless possibility and flexibility of plugins in design mode is what makes Figma stand out as a tool and we would love the same empowering capabilities in prototype mode.

3 replies

Akshat_Srivastava

This would be a game changer on so many levels. 🤞🏾

xiduzo
Brett_Hunter
2 people like this
  • xiduzo
    xiduzo
  • Brett_Hunter
    Brett_Hunter
Joo_Hyung_Park

I agree. I’m also making a usability test plug-in using AI… Compared to the original features of the AI model I’m based on, this Figma flog-in version remains at a very low level of simply analyzing only one page due to API limitations.

I hope that Figma can obtain information from the prototype screen as an API, and release a new API that can manipulate the screen instead.

klever - Instant Usability testing – Figma

Original AI model(Python)

xiduzo
  • xiduzo
  • New Participant
  • 8 replies
  • January 15, 2025

+1 on this feature.

I am developing a plugin which allows users to directly integrate their designs with hardware components. Getting “data” into Figma and setting variables is super easy thanks to the current API. Any changes in the “real” variables will reflect in the prototype/preview.

Getting “data” out however is impossible unless hacked together. Right now I am asking from the users to open a link in their prototype to my website containing both the variableID and the desired value. I am picking up this request and then send this value back to my plugin and from here on it will update the prototype/preview. This is super cumbersome and while running workshops it is super confusing to the people using the plugin.

It would be amazing if we can “just” have access to the variable values from within the preview mode, similar to the access we have of the variables in design mode, and listen to changes over here. This will also allow for more advanced prototyping and fully utulize Figma and its’ prototyping with variables without having users to leave Figma just to come back to see the update.

Any update on this would be greatly appreciated!

Ready to bridge the gap between the real world and design tools? Checkout https://www.figma.com/community/plugin/1373258770799080545/microflow-hardware-bridge

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