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Importing After Effects projects from different platforms


    You can open and import an After Effects project from a different operating system as long as you maintain the filenames, folder names, and either full paths or relative paths (folder locations) for all files in the project. To maintain relative paths, the source footage must reside on the same volume as the project file.

    If a file format is not supported on the operating system you are using, if the file is missing, or if the reference link is broken, After Effects substitutes a placeholder item containing color bars. You can reconnect the placeholder to the appropriate file. You can use the same process to connect a footage item in the Project window to a different source file.

To relink a reference:

  1. Select the placeholder or footage file in the Project window, and choose File > Replace Footage > File.
  2. In the Replace Footage File dialog box, locate and select the footage file you want to use.
  3. Note: You can also open this dialog box by double-clicking the footage item.

    For more information on substituting footage, see Replacing and substituting footage.

    For information about creating projects for both Windows and Mac OS, see Considerations for cross-platform projects.