An AETX file functions as a text-based AE template project so the project can be stored in readable form rather than binary, making the structure easier to inspect across pipelines, capturing comps, folders, layers, timings, and settings, and typically containing comp parameters like resolution, frame rate, duration, nested comps, plus layer types, transforms, in/out points, parenting, 2D/3D features, blending, mattes, masks, and ordered effect parameters.
An AETX file contains extensive motion information including keyframes, interpolation, easing, paths, and expressions, plus text and shape-layer details like the actual text, styling controls (fonts, sizing, tracking, alignment, fill/stroke), text animators, and vector shapes with strokes, fills, trim paths, repeaters, and their keyframes, but it lacks embedded media, fonts, and plugins, instead referencing footage paths and requiring After Effects to relink items or report missing effects; to use it properly, you open/import it in AE, fix missing assets or fonts, replace placeholders, and save as AEP/AET, whereas viewing the XML in a text editor is mainly for inspection rather than a functional substitute for AE.
The source of an AETX is important because it usually tells you what else is supposed to accompany it—assets, plugins, fonts, licensing—and what problems you might see on opening, particularly if the file came as part of a template pack where the AETX is only one piece alongside an Assets folder, sometimes a Preview folder, and documentation listing needed fonts and plugins, so missing media prompts appear when the XML points to absent files, solved by not altering folder structure or relinking, with licensed materials intentionally omitted for legal reasons.
For those who have almost any queries about where and also tips on how to work with AETX file structure, you possibly can call us with our own website. When an AETX is sent by a client or teammate, it’s often a minimal interchange file meant to share the project layout without the heavy media, which is common in Git or shared workflows, so the key question is whether they included a Collected project or at least the assets folder, because otherwise you’ll spend time relinking and replacing files, and you may encounter version mismatches, missing plugins, or script-based expression errors, especially if it originated from a studio system where internal paths won’t match your setup.
When you get an AETX from a random or unclear source, the origin is important because despite being XML, it may request external files or rely on expressions/plugins you shouldn’t install without trust, so the safe routine is to open it in a clean AE setup, avoid unverified plugins, and expect missing assets until you confirm the needs, then use the source to guide action: marketplace templates need accompanying folders/readmes, client files need a collected package, and pipeline exports may require certain folder structures and AE versions.
