An AETX file serves primarily as an XML version of an AE template that stores a project in readable text rather than the usual binary AEP/AET format, existing so the project’s structure can be inspected and exchanged more easily, describing comps, folders, layers, timing, and settings in XML even if it’s larger or slower to load, and inside it you’ll find project hierarchy, comp attributes like resolution, frame rate, duration, and nested comps, plus layer types, in/out ranges, transforms, parenting, 2D/3D options, blending modes, track mattes, masks, and full effect stacks with their parameters and order.
An AETX file includes motion data like keyframes, interpolation, easing, paths, and expressions, and contains text/shape information such as text content and styling settings (font, size, tracking, alignment, fills/strokes), text animators, and vector paths, strokes, and fills with their own transforms and keyframes, but it does not embed media, fonts, or plugins, instead referencing external files that must be relinked if moved, so opening it on a different system may trigger missing-footage or missing-effect warnings; the usual approach is to open/import it in After Effects, relink assets, handle fonts/plugins, and then save as AEP/AET, while XML inspection alone cannot recreate the template’s full behavior.
If you adored this article and you would certainly such as to obtain additional details regarding AETX format kindly browse through our own website. The origin of an AETX is key because it usually indicates what other components it depends on—assets, plugins, fonts, licensing—and what issues you should expect, particularly when it comes from a template marketplace where the AETX is bundled with an Assets folder, maybe a Preview folder, and a list of required resources, meaning missing-footage prompts are normal if the XML can’t find its accompanying media, remedied by preserving folder structure or relinking, while licensed items aren’t included and must be sourced separately.
If an AETX is supplied by a client or team member, it’s commonly a organizational file shared to convey the project framework without big assets, often due to Git/version-control workflows, so the main concern is whether they delivered a Collected package or the assets folder, because missing these leads to extensive relinking, plus potential problems related to AE version compatibility, absent third-party effects, or script-dependent expressions, with studio-generated AETX files frequently referencing file paths that won’t exist on your system.
If an AETX is received from an unknown or untrusted place, its origin guides your safety steps 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.
