Marketplace Overview
Digital Distribution Platform for Creative Assets
1. What is the Marketplace?
The marketplace is a digital distribution platform for creative motion graphics and video production assets. It serves two audiences: creators who upload and sell their work, and users who browse, search, and download content.
It supports three distinct content types:
| Content Type | File Format(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplace Assets | .ffx | Animation templates and effects |
| Projects | .ffxproj | Full project files with multiple scenes |
| 3D Assets | .blend, .fbx, .obj, .gltf, .c4d, .ma | 3D models and elements |
2. How the Home Feed Works
When no category is selected, the main page displays a curated set of horizontal content rows, each populated by a recommendation engine. Each row shows 6 items. Items shown in one row are never repeated in another.
| Row Type | Description |
|---|---|
| "For You" rows | Personalized rows for authenticated users, based on category interaction history. Up to 3 rows, one per top-interacted category. Requires at least 5 interactions within the last 30 days to activate. |
| Trending row | Items with the highest recent download momentum, measured as a ratio of recent vs. lifetime download count. |
| Newest row | Items created within a 14-day recency window. |
| Popular row | Most-downloaded items older than 48 hours. |
| Top 3 Category rows | Full breakdowns for the 3 categories with the most content on the platform. |
| Discover Something New row | Fully randomized items for serendipitous discovery. Ignores scoring entirely. |
3. Recommendation Scoring Algorithm
Every item is scored using a composite formula with three weighted factors. Items in curated rows are drawn from the top 25% scorers, with the remaining slots filled from a mid-tier exposure pool to give good content a chance at visibility. The Discover row ignores scoring entirely and is fully random.
| Factor | Weight | Calculation Method |
|---|---|---|
| Recency | 35% | Exponential decay with a 14-day half-life |
| Downloads | 45% | Logarithmic scale based on lifetime download count |
| Momentum | 20% | Ratio of recent 7-day downloads to total lifetime downloads |
4. Categories and Filtering
The marketplace organizes content into distinct category sets per content type. The left sidebar shows all categories with item counts.
4.1 Marketplace Asset Categories
12 categories apply to Marketplace Assets (.ffx files):
| Asset Categories | |
|---|---|
| Text Kits | Transitions |
| Logo Animations | UI Animations |
| Infographics | Lower Thirds |
| HUD & Tech | Social Media |
| Backgrounds | Icon Animations |
| Explainer Graphics | Video Overlays |
Projects and 3D assets each have their own dedicated category sets separate from the asset categories above.
4.2 Filtering Options
| Filter | Options | Applies To |
|---|---|---|
| Price | All, Free, Paid | All content types |
| Sort | Popular, Newest, Top-Rated | All content types |
| Render Engine | Blender, Maya, C4D, and others | 3D assets only |
| Loop Ready | Toggle on/off | 3D assets only |
5. Search
The search system provides fast, full-text discovery across all marketplace content. It is activated via Cmd/Ctrl+K and operates with a 150ms debounce to avoid unnecessary queries during typing.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Activation | Cmd/Ctrl+K opens the search interface from anywhere in the marketplace. |
| Live Dropdown | Shows up to 4 results per section (12 total) as the user types, with a 150ms debounce. |
| Keyboard Navigation | Arrow keys navigate the dropdown results; Enter confirms and opens the selected item. |
| Full Search Results Page | Pressing Enter without a selection opens a full results page with all matches organized by section. |
5.1 Full-Text Scoring Field Priority
| Field | Score Priority |
|---|---|
| Title | Highest |
| Keywords, Tags, Author | Medium |
| Description | Lowest |
6. Asset Detail Modal
Clicking any item opens a detail modal that presents the full context and metadata for an asset. The modal is the primary point of interaction for viewing, evaluating, and downloading content.
| Section | Contents |
|---|---|
| Image Carousel | Up to 5 images per asset, browsable within the modal. |
| Core Info | Title, author, category, rating, download count, and price. |
| Description | Full long-form description as entered by the creator during submission. |
| Tags and Metadata | All associated tags and structured metadata fields. |
| 3D-Specific Fields | For 3D assets only: render engine, polygon count, loop-ready status, and supported file formats. |
| Action Button | Download or Get Asset button, which initiates the appropriate flow for free or paid items. |
7. Upload / Submission (Create Template Wizard)
A 6-step modal wizard guides creators through the submission process. The wizard includes a progress indicator, back/continue navigation, and an unsaved changes warning when attempting to close mid-submission.
| Step | Label | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Title | Name the template. |
| 2 | Asset Type | Choose file type: .ffx, .ffxproj, or a 3D format. |
| 3 | Category | Select from the categories relevant to the chosen asset type. |
| 4 | Media | Upload up to 9 images. The first image is required and serves as the thumbnail. |
| 5 | Description | Long-form description used in search indexing and the asset detail display. |
| 6 | Pricing | Toggle Free or Premium. If Premium is selected, enter a price in USD. |
8. Download and Purchase Flow
All downloads are logged with the item ID, item type, user ID, and timestamp. This data feeds both the recommendation engine and creator analytics.
| Flow Type | Steps |
|---|---|
| Free Items | Direct download. Download counter is incremented and the event is logged to the user's download history. |
| Paid Items | Goes through a purchase flow. A purchase record is created containing the price and timestamp. The download counter is then incremented and the event is logged. |
9. Creator Dashboard
The Creator Dashboard is accessible at /dashboard and provides creators with visibility into their uploads, performance metrics, and account settings. It is organized into three sections.
9.1 Submissions
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Grouped by Type | All uploaded items are listed and grouped by type: Assets, Projects, and 3D. |
| Item Summary | Each item displays its thumbnail, title, category, price badge, download count, and upload date. |
| Delete | A delete button triggers a confirmation modal that warns the creator that previous downloaders will retain their copy of the file. |
9.2 Analytics
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Date Range Selector | Filter analytics by: 7 days, 30 days, 90 days, or All Time. |
| Summary Cards | Four headline metrics: Total Downloads, Total Purchases, Total Views, and Total Revenue. |
| Downloads Chart | SVG line chart showing downloads over time with a per-item legend. |
| Views Chart | SVG line chart showing views over time with a per-item legend. |
| Purchases Chart | SVG bar chart showing purchases over time. Only shown if the creator has at least one premium item. |
| Revenue | Revenue figures and the purchases chart are only displayed for creators who have published premium items. |
9.3 Account
The Account section contains profile information and settings, as well as an account deletion option for creators who wish to permanently remove their account and associated data.
10. Data Models
The three content types each have their own data shape, but share a common set of base fields. Extended fields apply only to the content type that requires them.
10.1 Common Fields (All Content Types)
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| id | Unique identifier for the item. |
| title | Display name of the asset. |
| category | Category the item belongs to. |
| author | Creator who submitted the item. |
| rating | Aggregated user rating. |
| download count | Total number of times the item has been downloaded. |
| price | Numeric price in USD, or "free". |
| thumbnail | Primary preview image. |
| tags | Array of keyword tags used in search and discovery. |
| creation date | Timestamp of when the item was first published. |
10.2 Extended Fields — Projects
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| difficulty level | Skill level required to work with the project. |
| scene count | Number of scenes contained in the project file. |
| duration | Total playback length of the project. |
| software requirements | Any software versions or plugins required to use the project. |
10.3 Extended Fields,3D Assets
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| render engine | The renderer the asset was built for (e.g. Blender, Maya, C4D). |
| polygon count | Total number of polygons in the 3D model. |
| file formats | All available file format variants included in the download. |
| loop ready | Boolean indicating whether the asset is designed as a seamless loop. |
10.4 User Interaction Tracking
User interaction is tracked across five event types, all tied to authenticated user accounts. This data drives the recommendation engine and creator analytics.
| Event Type | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Category interactions | Powers the "For You" personalized feed rows. |
| Download logs | Records every download with item ID, item type, user ID, and timestamp. |
| View logs | Tracks when users open the asset detail modal. |
| Purchase records | Stores price, timestamp, and item details for paid transactions. |
| Ratings | User-submitted star ratings used in sort and display. |