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effectcraft/docs/user/guides/make-a-composition.md
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Fabio LussiandClaude Opus 5.5 d7dfe018cc docs: re-verify against 0.9.2
- verified: 0.9.2 on every page, checked against the v0.9.2 tag and release assets
- install, price-and-platforms: Windows x86 builds, riscv64 deb/rpm, macOS CLI zip
- gpu-not-used: GPU Information now names the adapter or why the GPU is off;
  OpenGL means CPU compositing; #613 still open
- import-footage: TGA, HDR, DPX, Cineon sequences; dropped PSDs ask; drop on
  an empty viewer makes a comp
- render-a-video: QuickTime (Uncompressed) format
- make-a-composition: Layer > New > Text starts typing; save and delete presets
- CLAUDE.md: regular file instead of a symlink

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-10-13 14:34:22 +02:00

1.9 KiB

title, description, order, verified
title description order verified
Make your first composition Create a composition, add a text layer and save the project as an .ecproj file. 10 0.9.2

Choose Composition ▸ New Composition..., set the size, frame rate and duration, click OK, then add layers from the Layer ▸ New menu. Shortcuts below use Ctrl on Windows and Linux. On macOS, use Cmd.

Steps

  1. Choose Composition ▸ New Composition... (Ctrl+N). On the Home screen, click New Composition instead.
  2. In the dialog, type a Composition Name. The default is Comp 1.
  3. Pick a Preset, or set Width, Height, Frame Rate and Duration. The presets include HDTV 1080 24, UHD 4K 25 and Social Media Square · 1080x1080 · 30 fps.
  4. Click OK. The composition opens in the Composition panel and the Timeline.
  5. Choose Layer ▸ New ▸ Text and type your text. A text layer appears at the top of the Timeline, and its name follows what you type.
  6. Add more layers from Layer ▸ New: Solid..., Shape Layer, Null Object, Adjustment Layer, Light... and Camera....
  7. Choose File ▸ Save to save the project.

Projects are saved as .ecproj files. An .ecproj file is readable JSON, so it also works with version control.

Change the settings later

Choose Composition ▸ Composition Settings... to change the name, size, frame rate or duration. The dialog has Basic, Advanced and 3D Renderer tabs.

To keep a size and frame rate for later, click the + button next to Preset (Save Preset…) and name it. Your presets are listed above the built-in ones, in this dialog and in New Composition.... To remove one, select it and click the bin button (Delete Preset).

Learn in the app

The in-app tutorial Animate a title walks through a similar title animation. To open it, choose Help ▸ In-App Tutorials....

Next

Animate with keyframes.