Project File Preparation Guidelines

Categories covered in this article:

• After Effects Project Files
• Apple Motion Project Files 
• Cinema 4D Templates 

1. Prepare your main file(s):

   When creating your project file, it's very important to keep a clean and organized folder structure, both inside the project and in your save directory. The root directory should only contain any/all project files, your help documentation, and asset or footage sub-folders. All file/folder names should be appropriately titled to help guide the user through your project. Below is an example of an acceptable folder structure.

   • Project Folder
     • Project file 1
     • Project File 2
     • Help file
     • Assets folder
       • Images
         • Image 1
         • Image 2
       • Video
         • Video 1
         • Video 2
       • Audio
         • Audio 1
         • Audio 2

   Note: For Cinema 4D Project Files, most submissions will contain a Cinema 4D project and an After Effects project file (for some level of finishing work or compositing). When including a secondary After Effects project file it’s important to include a low-resolution proxy version of your Cinema 4D render to avoid missing file errors if the buyer opens the After Effects project first. In all cases, the buyer will need to open the Cinema 4D project to render out their changes in full resolution before moving to the After Effects project. Do not leave the render folder empty, provide buyers with a low-resolution proxy render will allow buyers the freedom to open all projects immediately. Low-resolution proxies should be scaled up in After Effects.

2. Prepare your assets:

   Assets should be kept organized during the creation of your project. Before uploading your submission, you should check to ensure all assets are linked properly in your project file. Moving any assets after the final save of your project file could result in missing file errors. 

   Note: For After Effects Project Files, the last thing you should do before creating your zip is the Collect Files feature. This gathers all of the files in your project or composition into a single location. To do this, after saving your project, go to File > Collect Files.  

3. Prepare your help file(s):

   All project files submitted to VideoHive must include a help file that helps guide the buyer through the process of making the needed modifications. For more information on creating a help file, please see this article. 

4. Zip up your files:

   We require your main file and all assets that make up your main file to be contained within a ZIP folder.

   Note: Your main file must not exceed 1GB in total size after it's been compressed. We recommend using the FTP Upload process if your file exceeds 500MB. 

5. Create your preview video:

   Create a smaller FLV version of your end result at either 640x360 or 960x540 and overlay the matching VideoHive watermark on top of your video. This will help prevent copyright breach and unauthorized use of your file.

   Note: The watermark should be used exactly as we provide it to you. Do not alter it in any way, shape, form or color.

6. Final steps: 

   Check that your preview image, thumbnail, title, description and tags follow our formatting standards. Put your finished design and all supporting information into a single zipped folder. 

7. Upload your files to VideoHive!

Refer to this article for instructions on the file upload process.