Projects

The whole video lives as project files: the animation, the timeline, and the narration, all plain and editable.

Video as code

Project files diff and review like any other source. They sit in a git repository next to the product they demonstrate, which changes what a stale demo costs: when the UI changes, the fix is a pull request, not a re-shoot.

It is also what makes scheduled video possible. A cron job, an agent reading the week's merged PRs, and coa render at the end will keep a changelog video current without anyone opening the app.

Why agents can edit them

Because everything the agent needs to touch is an ordinary file, the agent's normal read–edit–run loop applies with no adapter in between. The editor reflects each change on the stage immediately, so a human directing the work sees the result before the agent's next turn rather than after a batch export.

Packaged projects

A project can also travel as a single .coa file holding the whole video. Share it, back it up, reopen it in a year, change one thing, re-render. Nothing is baked: there is no flattened output you have to work around, because the project is the video.

coa render accepts one directly:

coa render launch-video.coa --out launch.mp4

Organize and import

Use Inbox, All Projects and collections to organize the library. Moving a project between collections does not move its files. Import can open a .coa, import a shared ZIP, copy a folder or link an external folder. A linked project uses its external files; a copied project has its own copy.

The project menu offers Rename, Duplicate, Archive and Delete. Archive is reversible. Delete permanently removes in-app and copied projects; for linked projects it removes only the CoAnimator entry, leaving the external source.

Share versus save a package

Share .coa… exports a package while leaving the original as a folder project. Package as .coa… makes it behave like a document: edits happen in a working folder, and Save Package writes them into the .coa. Closing the window also saves dirty packages. Duplicate a linked project before packaging it.

Packages include project media and source files but exclude machine-local render outputs and app credential stores. Keep required assets inside the project and check that it opens correctly on the receiving machine.

When both the package and working copy change, CoAnimator asks which to keep. Back Up & Use Package archives the working copy before reopening the package. Keep My Changes keeps the working copy and replaces the package on the next save. Read that choice before discarding edits.

Multiple timelines

Use the timeline switcher or media panel for multiple cuts in one project. Each has its own tracks and animation; the active one appears on the stage. coa render --timeline <id-or-name> selects a cut for a scripted export.

Local files and connected services

Rendering and edits happen locally. AI requests, publishing and plugins can send selected inputs to their providers. Downloads, licence checks and updates also use the network. See Licensing & platforms.