> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://captivatehelp.newbluelive.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://captivatehelp.newbluelive.com/design-and-customize-graphics/chapter-index-6/after-effects-approach-a-native-export.md).

# After Effects: native export with the NewBlue plugin (Approach A)

Use the NewBlue After Effects exporter plugin to turn an After Effects composition into a native Captivate title. After export, the title is a normal Captivate graphic with Designer-style layers, and After Effects is no longer needed at playback time.

This is the legacy export path. For the alternative — keeping the `.aep` live and rendering frames from After Effects during the show — see [After Effects: live render via Harmonizer](/design-and-customize-graphics/chapter-index-6/after-effects-approach-b-live-render.md). To decide between the two, see [Which After Effects approach to use](/design-and-customize-graphics/chapter-index-6/after-effects-which-approach.md).

## When to use this approach

Choose native export when:

* The design is final and is not going to change in After Effects.
* You want the best playback performance — no After Effects process running during the show.
* You want to bind Captivate variables natively, edit further in the Designer, or open the result on a machine that does not have After Effects installed.
* You want to ship the title as a self-contained Captivate graphic.

This approach bakes the After Effects composition into a native title. After export, edits happen in the Designer or by re-exporting from After Effects.

## What you need

* Adobe After Effects, installed on the design machine.
* The NewBlue After Effects exporter plugin (`.aex`), installed in your After Effects plugins folder.
* A Captivate install on the same machine. The exporter plugin reads Captivate’s installed engine to bake the title.

The exporter plugin is distributed separately. Install it into the standard After Effects plugins folder before opening After Effects.

## The workflow at a glance

1. **In After Effects**: open your composition and run the NewBlue export action. The plugin walks the composition, converts each After Effects layer into a Captivate scene object, and writes a Captivate title file. While the export runs, After Effects shows the progress dialog **Exporting to NewBlue Titler**.
2. **In Captivate**: open the exported title in the Designer, or add it to a project from the Library. The title behaves like any other Captivate graphic.
3. **Edit further (optional)**: open the exported title in the Designer to refine layers, change styles, or bind variables to Data Controllers.

After the title is in Captivate, After Effects is out of the loop. The title can run on any machine with Captivate installed; After Effects does not need to be present at playback.

## Prepare the composition

Most of the preparation guidance for After Effects designs applies whether you export natively or use the live-render path. See [Prepare After Effects designs for import](/design-and-customize-graphics/chapter-index-6/preparing-your-after-effects-designs-for-import.md) for:

* Keeping compositions short so the export is efficient.
* Naming image layers with the `_tl_var_` prefix to expose them as variables.
* Setting a Pause Point with a composition marker or Responsive Design intro/outro regions.

The same preparation produces a clean export on this path.

## Edit and bind data after export

Once the exported title is in Captivate, treat it as a native graphic:

* Open it in the Designer to adjust layers, styles, or animation.
* Link it to a Data Controller in the playout the same way as any other native graphic.
* Save it to the Library as a preset.

For linking data, the workflow is the same as for any native graphic — pick the layer in the playout, choose a Data Controller, and drag fields onto the design.

## Re-exporting after a change in After Effects

If you change the composition in After Effects, re-run the export to produce a new title file. Native export does not maintain a live link back to the `.aep`; the Captivate title is a snapshot of the composition at export time.

If a graphic still needs frequent updates from After Effects, switch to the live-render approach instead.

## Related

* [After Effects: live render via Harmonizer (Approach B)](/design-and-customize-graphics/chapter-index-6/after-effects-approach-b-live-render.md) — keep the `.aep` live during the show.
* [Which After Effects approach to use](/design-and-customize-graphics/chapter-index-6/after-effects-which-approach.md) — pick between native export and live render.
* [Prepare After Effects designs for import](/design-and-customize-graphics/chapter-index-6/preparing-your-after-effects-designs-for-import.md) — composition guidance shared across both approaches.


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