Thank you for your response Rick. I was mistaken about student version. AE is the one app I have a standard license for. I have spent a lot of time reviewing tutorials before asking on the Forum, I have my text layer selected, open up Browse Presets, double click on a preset and I get the error message.

I do have AE installed on an external drive,  However that has not caused problems using any other effects. I have watched a lot of "the Meyers" on Lynda.comas well as Mr. Perkins, and Andrew Devas at Creative cow, I have achieved some fairly complex manual text animations following Andrew Kramers tutorials on Video Copilot,

The presets are in the application folders and even did a re-install, I could still be overlooking something as student, but I can't see it, and hope you can help.

Attached are some screen shots

Thank you for any help you can provide

Michael

Hi Dave,

OK, I have taken my newbie hazing, spanking and admonishment in good cheer.

I understand forum etiquette, I have done my homework and I don't go on forums until I have exhausted  my resources.

To reiterate, Lynda.com  Chad Perkins AE CS4/ CS5, both essentials, and beyond the basics, Trish and Chris Meyer Apprentice series and I have their book Creating Motion Graphics. Also I have been through the entire Devas series, most of this material more that once.

I have used AE Help  to chase down this issue. I'm as sure as I can be, that I'm following instructions.

I agree this is a simple task. Why I keep getting this error message, I don't know. That's why I'm here.

Once again, I Create a comp, normal NTSC 720x480, write some text, select the text layer, browse text presets, double click on preset and it's supposed to apply.  i get this error message(attached) Please see my screen shots,in the other post, you can see I have my text layer selected. I have tried dragging and dropping them as per Ricks suggestion.

I have accessed the presets from Animation drop down, File/browse in Bridge, and the flyout menu in the effects and presets window. same result.

I have even tried to use File>import>presets> text, but all the text presets are grayed out.

It seems weird to me that the error message says  the .ffx file is an usupported file name or extension.

I have re-installed AE on my computer.

Can you help me?

Thank you in advance.

Thank you Rick!

Yes, it appears that my link was broken so deleted preferences. Every tutorial i watched or read said after selecting your Text layer in AE you can go to browse in Bridge from AE and double click the preset and it would apply, it wouldn't. The only way it would, was going to animation presets in effects window and dragging as you suggested, but that method is rarely mentioned in the tutorials and much better to preview the effect and apply  from bridge of course.

I very much appreciate your patience and thorough answer, without  knee jerk admonishments. It  seems you are a moderator who knows his basics of moderating. To help people.

Thanks!