Trails & Movements

When a player moves from one step to the next, UltiStackr draws a trail connecting their old position to their new one. Trails are the visual language of movement in your plays — they show your cutters, handlers, and defenders exactly what path to take and how to get there.

UltiStackr offers three trail types: Line, Cut, and Curve. Each one represents a different kind of movement, and choosing the right trail type makes your plays significantly easier to read.

What Are Trails?

A trail is a visual path drawn on the field between a player’s position in one step and their position in the next step. Trails appear automatically when you create a multi-step play and move a player token between steps.

Trails are:

• Per-player — Each token has its own trail between steps
• Directional — They include an arrowhead showing the direction of movement
• Customizable — You can change the trail type for any player at any step
• Animated — During playback, tokens follow their trails smoothly from one position to the next

If a player doesn’t move between two steps, no trail is drawn — they simply stay in place.

Line Trails

Line trails draw a straight path from the player’s starting position to their ending position. This is the default trail type for all token movement.

When to Use Line Trails

Line trails are best for:

• Direct cuts — A cutter running a straight deep cut down the open side
• Simple repositioning — A handler shifting a few meters to improve their angle
• Any movement where the player runs in a straight line — The most common case

Characteristics

• Shortest path between two positions
• Clean and easy to read
• No control points to adjust — just a straight line with an arrowhead

Cut Trails

Cut trails draw a two-segment path with a control point in the middle. This creates a sharp change of direction — exactly what happens when a cutter plants their foot and changes direction.

When to Use Cut Trails

Cut trails are ideal for:

• In-cut to under — A cutter drives deep, the defender bites, and the cutter breaks back underneath
• Jab steps and fakes — Show the initial fake direction and the actual cut direction
• Handler resets — A dump handler who runs upfield, then plants and cuts back to the disc
• Any movement with a sharp direction change — The signature move of every good cutter

Adjusting the Control Point

After setting a Cut trail, you’ll see a control point (a draggable handle) at the bend in the path. Drag it to adjust:

• Where the direction change happens — Move it closer to the start for an early plant, or closer to the end for a late break
• How sharp the angle is — The control point position determines the angle of the two segments

The two segments meet at the control point at a sharp angle, accurately representing a hard cut.

How to Set a Cut Trail

1. Create movement by positioning a token differently across two steps
2. Select the token
3. In the Properties Panel, change the trail type to Cut
4. Drag the control point to position the direction change

Curve Trails

Curve trails draw a smooth, arcing path using a quadratic Bezier curve. Unlike the sharp angle of a Cut trail, Curve trails flow smoothly — perfect for representing sweeping, rounded movement.

When to Use Curve Trails

Curve trails are best for:

• Arcing cuts — A cutter running a banana cut (curving deep cut that bends away from the thrower)
• Handler weaves — Handlers flowing through a weave or wheel pattern with smooth transitions
• Clearing motions — A cutter who clears from the stack in a wide arc to create space
• Disc flight paths — Combined with annotations, show the arc of a hammer or scoober
• Any movement where the player runs a curved path rather than a straight line or sharp cut

Adjusting the Control Point

Curve trails also have a control point, but it works differently than Cut trails:

• The control point pulls the curve toward itself, creating a smooth arc
• Moving it further from the straight-line path creates a wider, more dramatic curve
• Moving it closer to the line makes the curve more subtle
• The curve always passes smoothly — no sharp angles

How to Set a Curve Trail

1. Create movement by positioning a token differently across two steps
2. Select the token
3. In the Properties Panel, change the trail type to Curve
4. Drag the control point to shape the arc

Comparing Trail Types

Changing Trail Types

You can change a trail type at any time:

1. Navigate to the step where the movement occurs
2. Select the player token
3. In the Properties Panel, find the trail type selector
4. Choose Line, Cut, or Curve
5. If you selected Cut or Curve, adjust the control point to fine-tune the path

The change applies only to that specific token’s movement between those two steps. The same player can have different trail types at different points in the play — a straight Line cut in Step 2, a sharp Cut direction change in Step 3, and a smooth Curve clear in Step 4.

Tips for Using Trails Effectively

1. Match the trail to the real movement — If a cutter plants and breaks hard, use a Cut trail, not a Curve. If they run a sweeping arc, use a Curve, not a Cut. Accuracy makes your plays more readable and trustworthy.

2. Keep it consistent — If your team runs a vertical stack where cutters always make sharp in-out cuts, use Cut trails consistently so the visual pattern is immediately recognizable.

3. Use trails to show timing — Longer trails between steps imply more distance (and time). A short Line trail for a handler shuffle and a long Line trail for a deep cut in the same step visually communicates who’s covering more ground.

4. Combine with annotations — Use trails for player movement and arrow annotations for disc movement. This visual separation makes it immediately clear what’s a player running and what’s the disc flying.

5. Don’t over-move — If a player doesn’t need to move in a step, don’t move them. Only players who change position should have trails. Unnecessary trails add visual clutter and make the important cuts harder to spot.

What’s Next

• Annotations — Add arrows, labels, and shapes alongside your trails
• Playback Controls — Watch your trails animate as players move through each step
• Multi-Step Plays — Add more steps and branches to build complex plays