An AET file commonly serves as an After Effects template project, acting like a master version of an AEP that you open to create fresh projects without touching the original, and inside it holds the blueprint for the animation such as compositions, timelines, layered elements, keyframes, effects, expressions, cameras, lights, global settings, and the project’s internal organization including folders and interpretation rules.
An AET normally doesn’t store raw media; instead it holds references to external video, audio, and images, which is why template packs often come zipped with an assets/Footage folder and why missing-file dialogs appear if media gets moved, and since AETs may require certain fonts or plugins, opening them on another system can trigger alerts until you install or relink what’s needed, with the added note that file extensions can overlap, so confirming the true source via “Opens with” or the file’s origin folder is the best way to know what program created it.
An AEP file functions as the main project you keep modifying, holding all your comps, effects, and imported media, whereas an AET is intended as a template, meaning you reopen an AEP to keep editing but open an AET to launch a new project so you don’t overwrite the template.
Should you have any kind of queries concerning where and the best way to make use of AET file technical details, you possibly can e-mail us in the webpage. That’s why AET files are popular for motion-graphics template packs like intros, lower-thirds, and slideshows: the creator preserves the AET as the untouched master and you open it only to Save As a separate AEP for each new video, replacing text, images, colors, and logos, and even though both AET and AEP hold the same kinds of data—comps, layers, keyframes, effects, expressions, cameras/lights, and settings—and both normally reference external media, the AET’s job is to safeguard the template while the AEP becomes the project you actively modify.
An AET file generally stores everything needed to preserve the structure and behavior of a motion-graphics setup but not the raw media itself, keeping all compositions with their resolution, frame rate, duration, nesting, plus the full timeline of layers—text, shapes, solids, adjustments, precomps, and footage placeholders—along with each layer’s properties like position, scale, rotation, opacity, masks, mattes, blending modes, and parenting, as well as animation data such as keyframes, easing, markers, and any expressions that automate motion.
Beyond that, the template stores your effects and their parameters, from color correction and blurs to glows, distortions, and transitions, as well as any 3D configuration with cameras, lighting, and 3D layer options plus render/preview settings, and it also preserves project organization like folders, label colors, and interpretation settings, though it usually doesn’t pack raw media, audio, fonts, or plugins—only file paths—so opening it elsewhere may cause missing-footage or missing-plugin alerts until dependencies are restored.
