DropComp reads standard .aep files from numbered folders. No special format, nothing proprietary — just organize your files, save, and refresh the library.
Your asset library is a single directory with numbered category folders inside it. Each folder holds .aep files of that type. You can rename these or add your own — DropComp reads whatever's there.
The numbers just control sort order in the panel. You can add new folders like 08_Overlays/ and DropComp will pick them up automatically on the next refresh.
Open After Effects and create a new comp at whatever resolution you're targeting. The comp should be fully self-contained — all footage, images, and precomps should live inside the project file. If you reference external files, the asset will break when someone else opens it.
Design the transition, title card, text animator, logo reveal, or whatever you're making. Keep it modular — this should be something you'd want to reuse across multiple projects. If it has text layers or color controls, consider adding Essential Properties so users can quickly customize it without digging into the comp.
Use a clear, scannable filename that describes what the asset does. DropComp displays the filename in the grid, so make it count.
Slide_Left.aep Glitch_Transition_01.aep Lower_Third_Clean.aep
Drop the .aep file into the matching numbered category folder. If it's a text animation, it goes in 05_Text_Animators/. If it's a complex multi-layer transition, it goes in 04_Complex_Templates/. If nothing fits, create a new numbered folder — DropComp will pick it up automatically.
Back in the DropComp panel, click Refresh Library. Your new asset will appear in the grid immediately.
Select your new asset in the panel, then go to Admin Tools → Gen Preview. This renders a short preview clip that plays when you hover over the thumbnail. You can also use Gen All to batch-generate previews for every asset that's missing one.
Collect all footage and precomps into the project file. Nothing should reference external paths or files on your hard drive — the asset needs to work on any machine.
Stick to a Category_Name.aep convention. When you have 50+ assets in a folder, consistent names make scanning the grid much faster.
If your asset has text layers, color fills, or values someone might want to change, add them as Essential Properties. This lets users tweak things without opening the comp.
Assets import at whatever resolution they were built at. If you're working in 1920×1080, build your assets at 1920×1080. No scaling needed.
If you use Atom — a Claude-powered assistant that runs inside After Effects — you can use skills to automate the project reduction workflow. Run the Reduce Project skill to strip unused footage, collect assets, and clean up your .aep in one step, so every file you save is ready for DropComp.