File systems

If you want to transfer a project that contains footage stored on a server from Mac OS to Windows, be sure to mount the server by using AppleShare (AFP). If you mount the volume in Mac OS by using Samba (SMB), After Effects can’t reestablish links to footage files stored on the server when you open the project on Windows.

Project paths

When you move a project to a different computer and open it, After Effects attempts to locate the project’s footage files as follows: After Effects first searches the folder in which the project file is located; second, it searches the file’s original path or folder location; finally, it searches the root of the directory where the project is located.

If you are building cross-platform projects, it’s best if the full paths have the same names on Mac OS and Windows systems. If the footage and the project are on different volumes, make sure that the appropriate volume is mounted before opening the project and that network volume names are the same on both systems.

It’s best to store footage in the same folder as the project file or in another folder within that folder. Here’s a sample hierarchy:

/newproject/project_file.aep

/newproject/source/footage1.psd

/newproject/source/footage2.avi

You can then copy the newproject folder in its entirety across platforms, and After Effects will properly locate all of the footage.

File-naming conventions

Name your footage and project files with the appropriate file-name extensions, such as .mov for QuickTime movies and .aep for After Effects projects. Don’t use high-ASCII or other extended characters in file names to be used cross-platform. If files will be used on the web, be sure that file names adhere to applicable conventions for extensions and paths.

Supported file types

Some file types are supported on one platform but not another. See Supported import formats and Supported output formats.

Resources

Ensure that all fonts, effects, codecs, and other resources are available on both systems. Such resources are often plug-ins.

If you use a native After Effects effect in a project on one operating system, the effect will still work on the other operating system to which you’ve transferred your project. However, some third-party effects and other third-party plug-ins may not continue to operate, even if you have versions of these plug-ins on the target system. In such cases, you may need to reapply some third-party effects.