Adding properties
Expose layer values (text, numbers, colours and more) as editable template fields.
Properties are the values campaign data can change: a headline, a price, a brand colour, a logo position. Each property is one layer value in one composition, exposed as a named field.
Supported value types
| Type | Example properties | Edited as |
|---|---|---|
| Text | A text layer's Source Text | Free text |
| Number | Opacity, Rotation, slider controls | A number, kept within the property's range |
| Colour | Fill, stroke and shape colours | A 6-digit hex value |
| 2D | Position, Size on 2D layers | X and Y values |
| 3D | Position, Orientation on 3D layers | X, Y and Z values |
| Dropdown | Menu controls such as a Dropdown Menu Control | One option from the menu's list |
Shape paths, masks and other complex values can't be data-driven.
Add a property
- Open the composition and, in the timeline, expand the layer until you can see the property you want (for example Text > Source Text).
- Click the property's name so the property itself is selected, not the layer or a group.
- In Nubu Builder, click + Add.
- The Add Property dialog opens. Property Info shows the property's Path (comp, layer and property) and its current Default Value.
- Under Details, give it a Name. It is pre-filled with the property's own name; replace it with the role it plays, for example
Headlinerather thanSource Text. An optional Description helps whoever builds flows later. - Click Add Property.
The property appears in the tree under its comp and layer, and the schema saves automatically. You can select several properties and add them in one go; anything that can't be added is listed with the reason.
The rules
A property must be:
- Keyframe-free. Properties with keyframes are rejected; remove the keyframes first. Animation belongs to the design, data-driven values are static.
- Expression-free. Properties with expressions are rejected; remove or disable the expression on that property first. Expressions elsewhere in the project are fine.
- A single property, not a group. Selecting a group such as Effects prompts you to pick a property inside it.
Finding a property again
Select any property in the tree and click Reveal in After Effects to jump straight to it in the timeline. If a layer is renamed, moved or deleted so a property can no longer be found, the tree marks it with [!]; fix the layer in After Effects, or remove and re-add the property.