An AET file is primarily a template version of an AEP, letting users open it and save a fresh project each time to preserve the template, and it contains the full design of the animation—compositions, timelines, layer structures, keyframes, effects, expressions, cameras, lights, render settings, along with organizational components such as folder layouts and interpretation rules.
An AET usually does not carry the actual footage; 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 excluded, 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 editable AE file, letting you import assets, edit compositions, and tweak effects over time, whereas an AET is designed as a template to be reused, making the key distinction that you update an AEP directly but open an AET only to produce a fresh project based on it without altering the master.
That’s why AET files are a staple for motion-graphics template packs (intros, lower-thirds, slideshows): the designer keeps the AET untouched as the master, and you begin each new video by opening it and doing Save As to create your AEP before customizing text, logos, colors, and media, and although both AET and AEP contain the same technical elements—compositions, layers, keyframes, effects, expressions, cameras/lights, and settings—and both refer to external footage, the AET protects the template while the AEP serves as the editable, ongoing production file.
In case you loved this information and you would want to receive details concerning AET file format generously visit our own web site. An AET file is meant to retain the structure and logic of a motion-graphics project but not necessarily its media, holding compositions with their resolution, FPS, duration, and nesting order, and keeping the full layer stack—text, shapes, solids, adjustments, precomps, and placeholders—plus each layer’s settings such as position, scale, rotation, opacity, masks, mattes, blending modes, and parenting, along with all animation info including keyframes, easing curves, markers, and any motion-driving expressions.
Additionally, the template captures effects and their configurations, such as color correction, blurs, glows, distortions, and transitions, together with any 3D setup—cameras, lights, 3D layer settings—and render/preview preferences, plus project structure like folders, labels, interpretation settings, and proxies, though it usually omits embedding raw media, fonts, or plugins, depending on linked paths that can lead to missing-footage or missing-effect warnings when the file is opened elsewhere.
