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Tutorial

A step-by-step tutorial to successfully template an *.aep

A step-by-step tutorial to successfully template an *.aep

Download & Install

Download & Install is explained in detail on the

Templater⁠

page, please do that first and come back when done.

Videobolt Account

In order to use

Templater⁠

and actually submit templates to the site you need an Author account on

Videobolt⁠

Create an account⁠

and tell us your username on

Discord Community⁠

and we’ll give you the role of an author.

Alternatively, send an email to

authors@videobolt.net⁠

requesting the author role and please include your username in the email.

Open Templater

⁠

Templater⁠

needs a project file to work with.

Open your template first, then go to Window > Extensions and click Videobolt Templater and log-in with your Videobolt account.

⁠

Step 1 - Project Type

Always select Regular, unless you are creating a Music Visualizer.

If making a Music Visualizer, select Visualizer.

Screenshots

⁠

Step 2 - Render Comp

The online

Editor⁠

needs to know which composition is your main/render comp to work.

In order to choose your main/render comp:

Select your main/render comp in the Project Panel;

Switch to the Templater window, and click “Select Comp”;

This is now the comp that will show up online.

Screenshots

⁠

Step 3 - Poster Frame

Every video needs a thumbnail / poster frame (the image displayed when it shows up in the template browser, search or when being shared).

In order to set the poster frame:

Open up your Render Comp so it’s active in the timeline;

Move the

CTI (Current Time Indicator)⁠

to where the most representative frame appears;

Switch to the Templater and click “Set Time”.

The poster frame will now be the image which appears at that time.

Screenshots

⁠

Step 4 - Project Settings

In order to give the user control over certain aspects of the template (via

online editor⁠

) your template needs to have a 'Project Settings' layer. This is a simply a disabled adjustment layer with expression controls applied as effects.

For example, if you wish to make the background color accessible to the user, create a

'Color Control'⁠

, give it an appropriate name (as prescribed by the general

naming conventions⁠

) and connect the 'Fill' effect (or anything else) via expression to the newly created

'Color Control'⁠

For detailed information about the project settings layer, please check the

Project Settings page⁠

In order to point the Templater toward your project settings layer:

Open up the comp where your “Project Settings” layer lives;

Select it in the timeline;

Switch to the Templater and click “Select”.

The Templater will now display a list of all controls found on this layer.

You are allowed to have multiple “Project Settings” layers. Just add each as described.

The controls list is divided into 3 columns: Name, Group and Toolbar.

The Name column shows control names. Clicking on entries in this column will let you rename them.

The Group column shows the group to which a template belongs. In the online editor, groups will be displayed as expandable “folders”, so it’s best to use them to group controls which affect similar parts of the scene or are otherwise categorically linked.

All controls which share the same group name will be displayed in a group.

Grouping is the best way way of organizing a template with a lot of controls.

For more detailed info about groups head over to

Groups⁠

⁠

The Toolbar column let’s you delete a control by clicking the bin icon.

Screenshots

⁠

Step 5 - Text Placeholders

Every text layer in your project needs to be added to the Templater to be editable online.

In order to add a text:

Select a Text Layer in the timeline of the Active Comp.

Switch to the Templater and click “Select”.

If you wish you rename it click on the name.

If you with you place it in an editor group, add a group name.

When multiple texts share the same group name, they will be grouped together in the

Editor⁠

Text placeholders can have the same name.

In the example below there are 6 different text placeholders, but since there are 6 scenes (defined through groups) they’re simply named “Text”.

When each text placeholder belongs to a differently named group, all of them will show up in separate groups. See screenshots below.

Screenshots

⁠

Step 6 - Image Placeholders

Every image placeholder in your project should be added to the Templater so that it may be replaced online.

In order to add an image placeholder:

Select an Image Layer in the timeline of the Active Comp.

Switch to the Templater and click “Select”.

If you wish you rename it click on the name.

If you with you place it in an editor group, add a group name.

When multiple images share the same group name, they will be grouped together in the

Editor⁠

Image placeholders can have the same name.

In the example below there are 6 different image placeholders, but since there are 6 scenes (defined through groups) they’re simply named “Image”.

When each image placeholder belongs to a differently named group, all of them will show up in separate groups. See screenshots below.

Image/Video/Audio/Text placeholders can and often should have the same group names, and groups should be divided as scenes in the video. See screenshot #2 for an example of a Text and Image placeholder being grouped in a scene.

The last image placeholder is named Logo, since it displays a logo.

In the Toolbar column, Image Placeholders have a choice of 2 scale modes: Zoom and Fit.

Zoom is used for everything except

Logos⁠

Fit is always used for

Logo⁠

placeholders.

Screenshots

⁠

Step 7 - Media (Video) Placeholders

Every media placeholder in your project should be added to the Templater.

In order to add a media placeholder:

Select a Media Layer in the timeline of the Active Comp.

Switch to the Templater and click “Select”.

If you wish you rename it click on the name.

If you with you place it in an editor group, add a group name.

When multiple Media placeholders share the same group name, they will be grouped together in the

Editor⁠

Media placeholders can have the same name.

In the example below there is 1 media placeholder, named “Video”. It appears in the 2nd scene, so it belongs to the “Scene 2” group, along with all other placeholders which appear in the 2nd scene.

In the Toolbar column, Media Placeholders have a choice of 3 options: Zoom, Fit and Sound.

Zoom is the proper fit for media placeholders 99% of the time.

Fit is there in case you need it. Please only use it if you know exactly why you’re doing it.

Sound is off by default, meaning any audio from user uploaded footage won’t be heard in the video. You can turn the sound on by clicking the speaker icon. When doing this, please consider carefully if this will be an effect desired by the user.

Screenshots

⁠

Step 8 - Audio Placeholders

The Audio Placeholder layer is not necessary and we will create one automatically so users have the option of uploading custom audio if needed.

If you have the audio placeholder layer, you need to add it to the Templater.

In order to add the audio placeholder:

Select the audio layer in the timeline of the Active Comp.

Switch to the Templater and click “Select”.

Name and group it just like other placeholders.

If you don’t input any group name we’ll automatically create an “Audio” group in the editor.

Screenshots

⁠

Step 9 - Finalize

This is the final step of the Templater wizard.

Once you click Finalize, the Templater will do the following:

“Collect” all the assets and re-link them. (Similar to the “Collect Files...” function in After Effects)

Create Template_COLLECT folder next to your *.aep.

Zip the contents of the Template_COLLECT and place it next to your *.aep.

Open the folder in the explorer once the process is done.

Additionally, you can choose to Upload to

Videobolt.net⁠

directly from the Templater

IMPORTANT: This feature is still in beta, if it fails, please upload your project as described in the next step.

Screenshots

⁠

Step 10 - Submit the Template

To submit the Template you just finalized head over to

Submitting a Template⁠

for a detailed guide.

Want to print your doc?
This is not the way.

Try clicking the ⋯ next to your doc name or using a keyboard shortcut (

CtrlP

) instead.

TutorialTutorial

Download & Install

Videobolt Account

Open Templater

Step 1 - Project Type

Step 2 - Render Comp

Step 3 - Poster Frame

Step 4 - Project Settings

Step 5 - Text Placeholders

Step 6 - Image Placeholders

Step 7 - Media (Video) Placeholders

Step 8 - Audio Placeholders

Step 9 - Finalize

Step 10 - Submit the Template

Tutorial
Tutorial