An AET file is typically understood as a reusable AE template, designed so you can open it repeatedly and save new versions rather than overwrite the source, with the file storing everything that defines the motion graphic: comps, timeline structure, layer stacks, animation keyframes, effect setups, expressions, cameras/lights, render settings, plus organizational items like folders and interpretation settings.

An AET typically doesn’t contain the full source files; 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 serves as the primary file you update during animation, while an AET is a reusable template, so in practice the difference lies in purpose: you open an AEP to continue that same project, but you open an AET to create a new copy so the original stays clean.

If you loved this short article and you would like to acquire extra info regarding AET file unknown format kindly visit our web page. That’s why AETs are commonly chosen for packaged motion-graphics templates such as intros, lower-thirds, and slideshows: the creator keeps the AET as the master and each time a new video is needed you open it, immediately Save As a new project (becoming your own AEP), then swap text, colors, logos, and media, and although both formats can store the same project elements—comps, layers, keyframes, effects, expressions, cameras/lights, and settings—and both usually reference external footage, the AET is built to protect the master for repeatable work while the AEP serves as the editable file you keep updating.

An AET file captures the structural and behavioral setup of an After Effects project without always embedding media, including compositions with their resolution, frame rate, duration, and nesting, alongside the full timeline build of layers like text, shapes, solids, adjustment layers, precomps, and placeholders, each with properties such as position, scale, rotation, opacity, masks, mattes, blending modes, and parenting, plus animation data like keyframes, easing, markers, and any expressions that automate movement.

In addition, the template retains all effects and their configured values—whether color correction, blurs, glows, distortions, or transitions—plus any 3D setup involving cameras, lights, and 3D layer controls, along with render/preview preferences and project-level organization such as folders, labels, and interpretation rules, but it usually avoids bundling actual footage, audio, fonts, or plugins, relying instead on linked paths that can produce missing-asset or missing-effect warnings on another machine.