An AETX file represents an AE template in human-readable XML form that exists so the project’s layout can be more easily exchanged than in binary AEP/AET form, outlining comps, folders, layer stacks, timing, and settings, along with comp properties like resolution and duration, layer categories, transforms, in/out ranges, parenting, 2D/3D switches, blend modes, mattes, masks with animation, and the full list of effects including parameters and order.
An AETX file often includes motion-related definitions such as keyframes, easing, interpolation, paths, and expressions, and preserves text/shape data like text content with styling elements (font, size, tracking, alignment, fill/stroke), text animators, and vector paths, strokes, fills, and trim/repeater settings with transforms and keyframes, but it doesn’t embed footage, fonts, or plugins, relying instead on file paths and installed resources, so moving the file can lead to missing-footage or missing-plugin prompts; the standard workflow is to open/import it in After Effects, relink or replace assets, resolve warnings, and save to AEP/AET, though you can still read the XML in a text editor without achieving full reproduction.
Knowing where an AETX was obtained is important because it reveals what other materials should accompany it—media, fonts, plugins, licensing—and what problems may occur, especially if it originated from a template pack in which the AETX is only one piece alongside an Assets folder, possibly a Preview folder, and a readme listing required items, so missing-footage alerts appear when opened alone and can be fixed by keeping folders intact or relinking, with licensed fonts/footage excluded intentionally for legal distribution reasons.
If you adored this article and you simply would like to receive more info about AETX file unknown format kindly visit the web-page. When a client or teammate provides an AETX, it usually acts as a simple project transfer meant to exclude large media for version-control or sharing reasons, so you must determine whether they also included a Collected project set or at least the assets folder; if not, you’ll need to relink many items manually, and you may also run into AE version differences, missing plugins, or expression dependencies, especially if the AETX was generated within a studio pipeline that uses internal file paths.
If an AETX is received from an unknown or untrusted place, its origin matters for caution because although it’s just XML, it can still reference media or depend on scripts/plugins that may prompt installation, so you treat it like any template but open it in a clean AE environment, decline questionable plugins, and anticipate missing footage/fonts, then determine your follow-up based on the type of source—marketplace templates require checking bundles, client files require collected assets, and pipeline outputs may assume specific directory layouts and AE versions.
