> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.trycontinuum.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Preparing your project

> Structure your After Effects project so every dynamic asset can be swapped without rework.

Follow these steps as you build your After Effects project. Each one makes a specific asset controllable at render time — skip one and that asset can't be swapped without going back into After Effects.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Layer every dynamic asset separately">
    Give each dynamic asset its own layer. Anything that should change between renders — a price, a product image, a headline — must be isolated so it can be targeted on its own.

    Do not flatten, merge, or pre-compose dynamic assets together. If two prices share a layer, neither can be swapped independently.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Expose dynamic assets in Essential Graphics">
    Add every dynamic layer to the **Essential Graphics** panel. This is what lets Continuum control the asset without opening the timeline.

    Expose each asset **relative to the composition it belongs to**. When a single project file contains multiple compositions, an asset must be added to the Essential Graphics panel for its own composition — not a different one.

    <Note>The per-composition scoping only matters when your project file contains more than one composition. With a single composition, add every dynamic asset to that composition's panel.</Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Make prices live text layers">
    Build prices as **text layers**, sitting on top of the design that backs them — never baked into an image.

    A live text layer means one design supports unlimited price variations with zero additional assets. Continuum simply changes the text for each render.

    <Tip>The same rule applies to any dynamic copy — headlines, offers, disclaimers. Keep it as editable text, not flattened artwork.</Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Design for the longest variation">
    Leave room for the longest possible value a dynamic asset can hold. A price layered on a price-tag design needs enough space for the widest price you might ever render — not just the one on screen while you design.

    Your design language has to hold up as text grows and shrinks. If the layout only works for `$9`, it will break on `$1,299.99`.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Apply Continuum animation presets">
    Continuum provides animation presets that keep dynamic assets fitting the design as their content changes. Apply a preset to **every** dynamic asset before delivery.

    | Dynamic asset type        | Preset required |
    | ------------------------- | --------------- |
    | Images                    | Yes             |
    | Single-line text          | Yes             |
    | Paragraph text (2+ lines) | Yes             |

    <Info>Ask your Continuum contact for the current preset pack before you start applying them.</Info>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What's next

<Card title="Delivery & handoff" icon="paper-plane" href="/studio/after-effects/delivery">
  Provide fonts, wire up asset access, and package the project for handoff.
</Card>