# Managing Themes and Changes
Add themes, edit Motion Token values, and save an updated dotLottie version from Workspace in After Effects.

Use a tokenized dotLottie file from **Workspace** when you want to keep the token or theme changes you make in the After Effects plugin. Explore is intended for temporary preview and insertion; Workspace adds theme management and saving.

## Open the Motion Token panel

1. Open **Workspace** in the LottieFiles plugin.
2. Select a dotLottie animation that contains Motion Tokens.
3. Expand **Motion Token** below the player.

<Image src="https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/14029e05c5-640.webp" alt="After Effects Workspace animation detail with the Motion Token accordion highlighted beside the composition" caption="Open Motion Token from a tokenized Workspace animation to inspect its themes and values" zoom variant="default" srcSet="https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/14029e05c5-640.webp 640w, https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/14029e05c5-1024.webp 1024w, https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/14029e05c5-1920.webp 1920w" width="1920" height="1080" loading="lazy" data-blur="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAgAAAAFCAYAAAB4ka1VAAAACXBIWXMAAAPoAAAD6AG1e1JrAAAAlElEQVR4nB3OXQqCQADE8b1D7ILhamJQKCZ+VmpEZIXoQ3aA6AJBB+gG3bl/bA+/t5lhxCotKKsdUZITxtlfvGkIiop9N36F6/lIKZFyglIKrTWRKdQt9bFH2I5LUubc3x+cZYbtaKy4QIYJ29OAmGobEzJLhjNzsfwFypvTtAMiLSuMQ/fgPL64XJ8E/Y0wW/8//AC1pj8T9j5dbwAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==" />

## Understand Default and named themes

**Default** shows the file's base token values. A named theme stores a different set of values for the same tokens, so one animation can support variants such as different brand palettes or UI states.

Choose a theme to preview it immediately. Editing **Default** changes the base slot values when you save; editing a named theme changes only that theme.

<Image src="https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/3885f81733-640.webp" alt="After Effects Workspace Motion Token panel expanded to show the Default theme and its editable values" caption="Use Default to inspect or change the animation's base token values" zoom variant="default" srcSet="https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/3885f81733-640.webp 640w, https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/3885f81733-1024.webp 1024w, https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/3885f81733-1920.webp 1920w" width="1920" height="1080" loading="lazy" data-blur="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAgAAAAFCAYAAAB4ka1VAAAACXBIWXMAAAPoAAAD6AG1e1JrAAAAlUlEQVR4nDXMSwqCUABA0beHeBLh0z6DwvzgF1H7CCZYDVKaBdEGghbQDtqzNwwanNnlCjeISbINjh+x9sIfLy2w4pT9seuFOVsgpUTKEZqmoZTCLbY4eUVRnRG6YeInEff3B2MVohuKse2jLR2y+oKYKJ0hGk5/Uy9k7sbkTYcIkoxB2Tyo2xeH9onV3bCzkt3p2n8Bxbw/kR8sNdsAAAAASUVORK5CYII=" />

## Add, switch, or rename a theme

Open the theme selector to switch between **Default** and existing named themes. Choose **New theme** when you want to preserve a new combination of token values. You can rename an existing theme, or rename or discard a new theme before it is saved.

<Image src="https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/849493d682-640.webp" alt="After Effects Workspace Motion Token theme menu showing Default, an existing Custom theme, and New theme" caption="Switch themes or create a new one before customizing its token values" zoom variant="default" srcSet="https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/849493d682-640.webp 640w, https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/849493d682-1024.webp 1024w, https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/849493d682-1920.webp 1920w" width="1920" height="1080" loading="lazy" data-blur="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAgAAAAFCAYAAAB4ka1VAAAACXBIWXMAAAPoAAAD6AG1e1JrAAAAlElEQVR4nCXOQQqCQACFYQ9hEDqOmGha6pSlxFhEUJEQxOxaRRcIOkA36M79oS7e7uPxW0VZUesd+XLNXK2YLSrUZktSafat+Vl+EGI7AtsdM3IlQnqUjabOC/TxiiWkj9INj88XL9c9cOMUJ0oG4HgCMYnw4wQZTekeg0wRptkAylrT7dA+OZs3J/Miu91JL23f8AfLSz+ZFVOk3gAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==" />

## Edit values and save

Change the supported color, gradient, scalar, vector, text, or keyframed values you need. Each edit appears in the player immediately.

After a value changes, the footer shows **Save Changes**. Saving produces an updated Workspace version of the dotLottie file:

- Changes made to **Default** update the file's base slot values.
- Changes made to an existing named theme overwrite that theme's values.
- A new theme is added to the file with its current name and values.

<Image src="https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/2595896321-640.webp" alt="After Effects Workspace Motion Token panel with a customized theme, an edited color value, and Save Changes highlighted" caption="Save the current token and theme values as an updated version of the Workspace file" zoom variant="default" srcSet="https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/2595896321-640.webp 640w, https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/2595896321-1024.webp 1024w, https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/2595896321-1920.webp 1920w" width="1920" height="1080" loading="lazy" data-blur="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAgAAAAFCAYAAAB4ka1VAAAACXBIWXMAAAPoAAAD6AG1e1JrAAAAlUlEQVR4nC2MSwqCUAAAPYRB6fOJhb9MLUuJZyFBBVKLhMBdBB2gDtANurMTUotZDAyjJVlOobbEixVRumQ6z0nWG4JcUdVNp9nOBN0Q6OaQgSkR0iIrFUWcoPZnNCFtUlVye3+wYkXvphcymvi/wLAEYuxiewHS9emPzizFj/6HrFD07Oo7x+bF4fIkbB+4TUt1unZfzKc/x+WzJ0oAAAAASUVORK5CYII=" />

## Continue in Lottie Creator

The After Effects plugin can edit existing token values and manage themes, but it does not create new token bindings. Select **Open in Creator** from the file header when you need to add Motion Tokens or continue editing the animation in Lottie Creator.

<Image src="https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/941cba475b-640.webp" alt="A tokenized Workspace animation in the After Effects plugin connected to the same file's Motion Tokens table in Lottie Creator" caption="Open the Workspace file in Creator to add tokens or continue editing the animation and its themes" zoom variant="default" srcSet="https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/941cba475b-640.webp 640w, https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/941cba475b-1024.webp 1024w, https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/941cba475b-1920.webp 1920w" width="1920" height="1080" loading="lazy" data-blur="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAgAAAAFCAYAAAB4ka1VAAAACXBIWXMAAAPoAAAD6AG1e1JrAAAAoklEQVR4nB3OTwvBYADA4fdDkOJAadj2em2vZoy2NH/SRMqBD+kgtQvlqp0dXJwcxUfwE4fn/oiG62E0XZzpkihZY3kBdruH1P7PR2i/w2YWo8Mx7dEc1Ql4vh7csz3v2xVRtGxytTrSH6DjhFrL4XI+ckp3ZIcUUbEUFVOiuiHOeEHeMCnrgFJdUjAVoqpcbOnQ6kX/g9uP8VZbZDTBHs4+X2ocSxSXmQA/AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC" />

You can also create Motion Tokens while converting a design with the [LottieFiles plugin for Figma](/en/integrations/figma/04_figma-to-lottie/motion-tokens).

## Related

- [Using Motion Tokens](/en/integrations/after-effects/03_motion-tokens)
- [Workspace panel controls](/en/integrations/after-effects/10_workspace/workspace-panel-controls)
- [Updating a Workspace version](/en/integrations/after-effects/10_workspace/updating-a-version)
- [Motion Tokens in Lottie Creator](/en/creator/12_motion-tokens)