Cross-platform project considerations

Cross-platform project considerations
After Effects project files are compatible with Mac OS and Windows operating systems, but some factors—mostly regarding the locations and
naming of footage files and support files—can affect the ease of working with the same project across platforms.
Project file paths
When you move a project file 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.
Use the Collect Files feature to gather copies of all the files in a project into a single folder. You can then move the folder containing the copied
project to the other platform. See Collect files in one location.
File-naming conventions
Name your footage and project files with the appropriate filename extensions, such as .mov for QuickTime movies and .aep for After Effects
projects. Don’t use high-ASCII or other extended characters in filenames to be used cross-platform. If files will be used on the Web, be sure that
filenames 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.
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