# Aftereffects can't open a file?



## ted-m (Feb 28, 2007)

After effects can open every file except this one specific thing, it keeps freezing at the open window and I can't figure out why. It's not a video card thing because I have one of the best and it's before the file is even open so... I can't find any help, so please help!

It's not a question of RAM or CPU because my computer is a beast, 16GB RAM, 2.8Ghz i7 processor all of which resources that are allocated to aftereffects in the max.


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## koala (Mar 27, 2005)

Which version of After Effects are you using?

What format is the file, and what program did you use to create it?

Can you view the file in any other image editor or image viewer?

Do you have a backup copy or an earlier edit of the file?


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## ted-m (Feb 28, 2007)

CS5

.AEP

not that I know of

it also doesnt work


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## zuluclayman (Dec 16, 2005)

AEP is an After Effects (AE) project file - 
was this a previous project you have created? or one you found elsewhere?
if so was it created on an earlier version of AE? - they should be backward compatible but.... 
is your new version 64 bit and the old 32 bit? this could possibly cause some problems. 
do you get any error message or does AE just close? stall and not do anything?


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## ted-m (Feb 28, 2007)

..I'm aware AEP is a project file thats pretty self evident when I said I made the file in After Effects. It was a project I created that worked fine a few days ago, and no I did not make any changes to my computer, the software, or the file in that time. Same version therefore the file and software being used. Annoyingly I didn't even get a message of any kind just the import open file box comes up (not even the file open window) just a tiny box that says opening, like a splash screen. The box becomes white on the inside and freezes the whole program. The timeline for the whole thing IS about an hour and a half, otherwise I can't figure out why it's not working.


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## zuluclayman (Dec 16, 2005)

Given the timeline/project contains an hour and a half long clip/video - sounds to me as if your computer doesn't have enough grunt to deal with the file size. I know you have indicated you have a high end system but video files for an hour and a half will be massive file size. Go to where you have stored the project and check its file size. Is it HD footage you are editing? if so it strengthens my feeling that the file is too large to handle. 
Mostly AE is used to work with smaller clips that are then composited in a video editor like Premiere Pro, Sony Vegas etc.
You may be better to break it down to smaller clips, work with it in AE then export to your editing software to put it back together. This is the more usual workflow for video.


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## ted-m (Feb 28, 2007)

Thanks for the advice, not really a solution to my problem but you tried.


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