What Is an AETX File and How FileViewPro Can Open It

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 debug 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.

If you are you looking for more information on advanced AETX file handler stop by our own website. 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.

The origin of an AETX matters 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 comes from a client or teammate, it’s usually a structure-focused way for them to share the project skeleton while keeping large assets separate or because they’re working through Git/version control, making it essential to check whether they also provided a Collected project package or an assets folder, since missing those means lots of manual relinking, and the file may also depend on specific AE versions, plugins, or scripts, with studio-pipeline exports often containing path references that won’t exist on your machine, guaranteeing relinking unless everything was packaged correctly.

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.