Adobe After Effects

@alexis679_1133 

Nishu's recommendation to use File > Dependencies > Collect Files is a great solution if you've already started work without an organized folder structure. However, I recommend creating a well-organized folder structure before starting an After Effects project or importing any source footage.

Example: Organizing a Project

Let’s say you’re about to start a project titled “The Importance of Bees.”
Create a main folder named “Bees Project” and within it, at a minimum, create the following three subfolders:

• After Effects Projects

• Source Footage

• Renders

Save your After Effects project in the “After Effects Projects” folder. Any footage you plan to use in the project should first be moved into the “Source Footage” folder before importing it into After Effects. This practice keeps everything centralized and minimizes broken links or missing assets.

When moving to another computer, simply copy the entire “Bees Project” folder to retain all your files and avoid missing footage warnings when opening the project.

Fonts and Effects

You brought up fonts, which is an important detail—projects often rely on specific fonts to render correctly.

• Adobe Fonts: If you're using Adobe Fonts, they should automatically sync via the Creative Cloud Desktop app, as long as font syncing is enabled (enabled by default).

• Third-Party Fonts: If you're using non-Adobe fonts, it's a good idea to maintain a “font callouts list” that documents the font names and licenses required. This ensures that anyone working on the project on another machine can install the correct fonts.

Likewise, third-party effects (plugins) can cause issues if not installed on the new machine. If your project uses any, keep a list of these effects to ensure they can be installed elsewhere when needed.

Tip: Use File > Dependencies > Collect Files, and choose "Generate Report Only" to create a log. This log can help you identify any dependencies such as missing fonts, effects, or footage.