Excalidraw Smart Presentation

Excalidraw Smart Presentation is a free, open-source fork of Excalidraw that enables users to create dynamic, animated presentations directly within the drawing tool using frames as slides.

What is Excalidraw Smart Presentation?

Excalidraw Smart Presentation is a modified version of Excalidraw that adds presentation capabilities. It takes hand-drawn diagrams and turns them into slide-based presentations with automatic animation of elements that persist between frames. The tool runs entirely in the web browser and is maintained by the community-led excalidraw-smart-presentation organization, with lead contributions from developer Brikaa. The source code is available on GitHub under the MIT license.

Key Features

• Frame-based slide system — Draw frames using the Frame tool (f key) to define individual slides; slides are ordered automatically by their y-axis position on the canvas.
• Smart element animation — Elements with identical names in consecutive frames are smoothly animated during transitions by interpolating changes in their properties (position, size, rotation, color).
• Duplicate into next frame — Press Ctrl + Shift + D or use the command palette to duplicate selected elements into the exact same position in the next frame, preserving names for animation.
• Customizable element naming — Rename elements via the Canvas & Shape Properties panel (Alt + /) to control which elements animate between slides or to prevent unintended animations.
• Presentation mode — Click the "Present" button in the bottom-right corner or use the command palette to enter full-screen slideshow mode; navigate with → / ← arrow keys or click slide edges.
• Start from specific slide — Select a frame before clicking "Present" to begin the slideshow from that slide.
• Frame size control — Edit frame dimensions through the Canvas & Shape Properties panel to maintain a 16:9 aspect ratio or any exact size.
• Open source and extensible — The entire codebase is written primarily in TypeScript (93.9%) and SCSS, allowing anyone to fork, modify, or contribute via GitHub.

Who is it for?

• Educators and trainers — Create step-by-step visual explanations that animate between concepts, making complex topics easier to follow.
• Designers and UX professionals — Rapidly prototype presentation flows directly within a drawing tool without switching to dedicated slide software.
• Developers and tech presenters — Present code architecture, wireframes, or technical diagrams with smooth transitions between views.
• Anyone who needs quick, informal presentations — Build simple slide decks on the fly using a familiar hand-drawing interface, no design skills required.

What can you do with Excalidraw Smart Presentation?

• Teach a concept step by step: Animate the buildup of a diagram — for example, show a flowchart where each new step slides in from a previous frame, using duplicated elements to create motion.
• Create product demos: Draw a user interface mockup and transition between screens, with common UI elements (buttons, headers) smoothly morphing into their new positions.
• Present research findings: Arrange data visualizations and annotations across frames, using consistent labels and legends to animate changes.

How does it work?

1. Draw frames on the canvas using the frame tool — each frame becomes a slide.
2. Place elements inside frames. Duplicate elements across frames using Ctrl + Shift + D to create animations; elements with the same name (automatically assigned on duplication) will interpolate property changes.
3. Rename elements in the Canvas & Shape Properties panel to control which elements animate or to link different elements across frames.
4. Click "Present" to enter slideshow mode, then navigate with arrow keys.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Free and open source; no account required; works directly in the browser; leverages the full Excalidraw drawing toolset; animations are automatic and intuitive.
• Cons: Animation duration is fixed at 300 ms with linear easing (not customizable); no support for shareable links or embedded presentations; limited to the Excalidraw editor's existing export formats (e.g., PNG, SVG).

Pricing

Excalidraw Smart Presentation is completely free and open source. There are no paid tiers, subscriptions, or hidden costs.

Alternatives

• Google Slides — A full-featured cloud-based presentation tool with rich design templates and collaboration features, but lacks the hand-drawing aesthetic and automatic element animation.
• Canva — Offers a wide range of slide templates and design tools, but is template-driven rather than canvas-based.
• Obsidian with Excalidraw plugin — Combines note-taking and drawing, but does not include built-in presentation animations.

FAQ

Is Excalidraw Smart Presentation free?

Yes, the project is entirely free and open source under the MIT license. You can use it without any payment or registration.

What does Excalidraw Smart Presentation do?

It transforms Excalidraw frames into slides and automatically animates elements that appear in multiple frames during slide transitions.

How do I animate an element between slides?

Duplicate the element into the next frame using Ctrl + Shift + D. Elements with the same name (automatically given on duplication) will animate. You can also rename elements manually to link different elements.

Can I customize the animation speed or type?

No — currently the animation duration is fixed at 300 ms and uses linear easing. These are not user-configurable.

Can I share my presentation online?

There is no built-in way to create shareable links. You can export individual frames as images or share the Excalidraw file for others to open and present.