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 examined 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 parameters (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 loved this short article and you would like to obtain additional details regarding file extension AETX kindly check out the web-page. Knowing where an AETX was obtained often determines compatibility 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.

When a client or teammate provides an AETX, it usually acts as a media-light 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.

When an AETX comes from an unknown email, forum, or other unverified source, its origin shapes your precautions because even though it’s XML and not an EXE, it can still point to external media and rely on expressions, scripts, or plugins you shouldn’t install without vetting, so the practical workflow is to load it in a clean AE environment, avoid installing suspicious plugins, and expect missing items until you know the template’s requirements, with next steps varying by source—marketplace bundles need their folders/readme, client files need collected assets, and pipeline exports may assume certain folder structures and AE versions.