EffectCraftEffectCraft templates: what opens
Short answer: EffectCraft imports Lottie .json and .lottie files and exports Lottie JSON. It saves editable work as versioned JSON project files and includes its own preset files. It cannot open animation presets (.ffx) or Motion Graphics templates (.mogrt). Since v0.24.0, EffectCraft can import After Effects projects (.aep and .aepx) through File ▸ Import, and anything that does not come across is listed in the import report (docs/aep-import.md). In our 0.23.1 sample check, supported composition structure and effects came across while the report called out the missing parts.
Can you use After Effects templates and presets?
If you are moving from After Effects, plan around a partial import and a verification pass. EffectCraft does not read Adobe's preset or template formats. Since v0.24.0 it can import .aep and .aepx files through File ▸ Import, and anything that does not come across is listed in the import report (docs/aep-import.md). Renaming a file does not change what the parser accepts.
| File type | What it is | Opens? |
|---|---|---|
.aep | After Effects project | Partly: since v0.24.0, import via File ▸ Import; supported items import and unsupported items are reported |
.ffx | Animation preset | No |
.mogrt | Motion Graphics template | No |
.json / .lottie | Lottie animation | Yes |
| EffectCraft project file | Editable project | Yes |
A supported layer stack, project structure and effect settings can carry over, but plug-ins and unsupported property data still require a rebuild. Read the import report before treating the result as complete.
For the plug-in boundary, read EffectCraft and After Effects plugins.
What happened in our 0.23.1 .aep import check?
A reproducible engine-level check on 12 November 2026.
We installed the signed-release build of EffectCraft 0.23.1, verified the macOS GUI and CLI downloads against the release's SHA-256 list, and imported the project's own synthetic.aep fixture. The fixture was made in After Effects 2026 and contains one composition, an image sequence, a solid, a folder, Levels and Glow.
What came through
- One 64 × 48 composition at 25 fps with a one-second duration and work area.
- Two layers in their original order: the linked image sequence and the solid.
- The project folder structure, one solid source and one image-sequence footage item.
- Both native effects: Levels and Glow, including their mapped parameter values.
What the importer reported
- Two effect-parameter expressions were not imported: one on Levels' Clip To Output Black and one on Glow's A & B Midpoint. Their current values were converted.
- The image sequence was missing because the sample stores its creator's original Windows path. EffectCraft kept a missing-footage placeholder and named the exact path to relink.
- The report listed standing importer limits for frame blending, 3D material options, audio levels, guides, some mask settings and some text features. Those features were not present in this small fixture, so this check does not measure them.
The result is narrower than “EffectCraft opens every After Effects project,” but more useful than “.aep does not work”: supported structure and effects arrived, and the losses were explicit. Test a copy of your own project, keep the report, relink footage, and compare representative frames before editing.
How to import a Lottie template
Lottie is a format for moving vector animations between apps. EffectCraft imports Lottie files and exports Lottie JSON.
- Get the file. Use a
.jsonor.lottieexport. - Open the importer. Use the Lottie import command.
- Check the composition. Compare the layer list and preview before editing.
- Export when ready. Export the composition as Lottie JSON to create a delivery file.
What comes through
The documented exporter covers precompositions, masks, shape layers, eased and spatial keyframes, track mattes, blend modes and time remapping. Lottie remains a delivery format, so keep the editable project file for anything the specification cannot represent.
What does not
Anything Lottie cannot express stays out of the delivery file, and EffectCraft lists those items when it exports; see what carries over when you make Lottie without After Effects.
Download EffectCraft if it is not installed yet.
Presets, output settings and project templates
EffectCraft ships a template gallery and its own preset files. The project documents no direct import path for After Effects .ffx presets. It also has its own template format, .ectemplate: save a composition as a template and start new work from the template gallery, according to the project's file-format notes. It does not read .mogrt or After Effects .aet templates.
The dependable way to reuse a complete animation in 0.24.1 is the editable project file:
- Build a lower third, title card or end slate once.
- Save it as an editable project file.
- Copy the file for the next piece, then change the text, footage or timing.
- Keep the folder in version control so project changes remain readable JSON diffs.
One caution for shared repositories: projects store absolute footage paths, according to gaps.md, so footage can show as missing after a clone to another machine or folder. The footage documentation says "A project moved with its footage finds it again on open", and its relink command "searches a chosen folder and its subfolders for missing source files on the desktop" (docs/footage.md). We have not tested relinking.
Render Settings and Output Module templates, with defaults, live in the Render Queue, so an output setup can be reused across projects; After Effects .ars and .aom files are not read.
For batches, an exported .ectemplate can be rendered from the command line with the text and colours taken from a JSON file, according to the agent guide; see the EffectCraft MCP and command-line guide.
For the panel walkthrough, read the Effects and presets panel tutorial.
Frequently asked questions
Can EffectCraft open .aep files?
Since v0.24.0, EffectCraft can import .aep and .aepx files through File ▸ Import, and anything that does not come across is listed in the import report (docs/aep-import.md). In our EffectCraft 0.23.1 check, the official synthetic.aep sample imported one composition, two layers, one image-sequence item, one solid, and its Levels and Glow effects; the report separately flagged two effect-parameter expressions and the missing source footage.
Do After Effects presets (.ffx) and Motion Graphics templates (.mogrt) work in EffectCraft?
No. Neither format is supported. Effects and animation setups have to be rebuilt with EffectCraft features.
Do After Effects plugins work in EffectCraft?
No. After Effects SDK plugins do not run in EffectCraft. Recreate the look with native tools and test the result on your own media. See After Effects plugins.
Can I import Lottie animations into EffectCraft?
Yes. Import a .json or .lottie file and EffectCraft opens it as a new composition, according to the README. Exporting back to Lottie is also supported.
Can I edit an existing Lottie file in EffectCraft?
Yes. EffectCraft imports a .json or .lottie file as a new composition, according to the README, which you can then edit and export again as Lottie JSON. We have not measured how much of a third-party Lottie file survives the round trip, so compare the layer list and preview before you edit. Our guide to making Lottie without After Effects covers what carries over.
Where are the EffectCraft presets?
EffectCraft includes its own preset files and a template gallery in the app. An .ffx file has no direct import path.
How do I make a reusable template in EffectCraft?
Save an editable project file and copy it as the starting point for new work. The project is versioned JSON and can be reviewed in version control.
Is EffectCraft free for commercial use?
Yes. It is released under a choice of MIT or Apache-2.0, which permits commercial use.