Older version of After Effects to open old file?

[jonbwgm]

I have tons of projects in After Effects 6.  One of the reasons I joined Adobe Cloud was because I want to update to OSX Mountain Lion and AE6 won't run on ML.  I just attempted to open one of my old projects, and get the error message "This file was created with an older version of After Effects [6.0(Macintosh PPC)], and can't be opened.  You can convert this file using an older version of After Effects and resaving."  Well, I only have access to my copy of AE6, is it possible through the Adobe Cloud to get a version of After Effects that will open these files so I can up-convert it?  Or any other method to get these files to open in the newest version of AE?  Re-building is not really an option, these are projects that are years old and are continually being updated with text.

[Ken G. Rice]

Versions of the applications older than CS6 are not available through the Creative Cloud.

Moved from the Creative Cloud to the After Effects forum. Someone here may know of a way to resolve your issue.

[Todd_Kopriva]

After Effects CS5 can open and import After Effects projects created by After Effects 6.0 and later.

Find someone with After Effects CS5, and use that version to resave your projects.

[jdavidbakr22]

Is there not a way to get CS5 via Adobe Cloud, or even a way to dowonload an old demo version?  I don't know anybody who has CS5.

[Ken G. Rice]

One workaround is to use http://prodesigntools.com/all-adobe-cs5-direct-download-links.html and follow the instructions there. The actual installers are from Adobe. This will get you a 30-day trial of After Effects CS5.

[Todd_Kopriva]

You can use the trial version of After Effects CS5 to do this conversion.

There are links here.

Creative Cloud subscription gives you access to versions beginning at CS6.

[Todd_Kopriva]

It looks like Ken and I think alike (and at exactly the same time).

[jdavidbakr22]

Thank you!  That looks like that's exactly what I need.  I'll give that a whirl.

[jonbwgm]

Just to follow up, thanks Ken and Todd - I was able to download the trial of After Effects CS5 and went through and converted a bunch of old AE projects that I will probably need in the future.

[danzg]

I have a project made in v5.5 for Windows – not CS5, I'm talking pre-Creative Suite.

CS6 will not open it.

I opened it with v6.5 for Windows, saved as that, but CS6 will still not open it.

Which version do I need to bridge between the 2003 v5.5 and CS6????

[Todd_Kopriva]

After Effects CS6 can open projects created with After Effects 7.0 and later.

Open your files with After Effects CS5. (See above for how to get the trial version.) Then save them from After Effects CS5 and open those files in After Effects CS6.

[thxapproved]

Ok Batman, riddle me this...

Say I install the trial version of CS5 and convert my old files.  All is looking pretty good.  45 days go by and I find a file that I have missed but I need converted.  Now at this point I have removed CS5 or the trial has expired... What's my next remedy?  A recently-developed import tool from Adobe for converstion of old projects (I LUCKILY found an open-source one that would allow me to open my old Audition session files)?

What's with not liking your previous work, Adobe?

Thanks much!

[Rick Gerard]

Older versions are not compatible because the structure, the way things like masks and plug-ins, the way 3D is handled, the way the cache is managed are all different. It's like asking your Ford dealer to replace the alternator on your Dodge with one from a Chevy. While it can be done, it's difficult.

[thxapproved]

Thanks Rick.

This I do understand. However, to use the car analogy, I can still go to an auto parts store and get a replacement alternator conversion for a 1954 Dodge Power Wagon. 

I understand that technology moves on rapidly. I'm a huge proponent of that fact.  However, I'm a little dismayed that there is not even a stand-alone converter to be able to use existing projects.  If CS5 can do it, why not CS6?  Or if you want to dump the importer code from CS6, offer the ability to convert the project externally.  If CS5 can read a 6.0 project, and CS6 can read a CS5 project, it stands to reason that it's not that difficult.

This all being said, I still would appreciate anyones' advice on what I can do after the CS5 trial expires.

Thanks so much everyone!

[Todd_Kopriva]

> If CS5 can do it, why not CS6? ...  If CS5 can read a 6.0 project, and CS6 can read a CS5 project, it stands to reason that it's not that difficult.

It's a matter of testing resources. If we were to allow After Effects CS6 (11.0) to read files all the way back to version 1.0, then we'd have to test opening of files for every version all the way back to 1.0, making sure that every feature worked and was converted correctly. This is an immense amount of testing. We have determined that going back five versions (to 7.0) is enough to satisfy nearly everyone's needs---especially since the few people who still need to convert files from even earlier versions have the workaround of doing a two-step conversion process by way of After Effects CS4, CS5, et cetera. We spend the time that we save on testing other features that we expect that far more people will use. That is the nature of software development with finite resources.

[thxapproved]

Thanks Todd,

I don't have a problem with two-step conversions... So then, let's get back to my original question...

"Ok Batman, riddle me this...

Say I install the trial version of CS5 and convert my old files.  All is looking pretty good.  45 days go by and I find a file that I have missed but I need converted.  Now at this point I have removed CS5 or the trial has expired... What's my next remedy?"

-Todd

[Todd_Kopriva]

The way that you got a trial version of CS5 should also work to get access to CS4, CS3...

[pip *]

I appreciate that it's not feasable for the current version to open files for every version but would it be possible to publish a table that says which version opens which files?

[Todd_Kopriva]

Yes, that should be easy. I'll make such a table tomorrow and post it on the After Effects team blog:

http://blogs.adobe.com/aftereffects

If you haven't seen the post from me there by the end of the business day tomorrow (Pacific Time), remind me.

[Todd_Kopriva · Accepted solution]

Here you go; this article give the details for all of the versions going back to After Effects 7.0:

"opening After Effects projects from previous versions and saving back to previous versions"

[pip *]

Very useful Todd. Thank you.

[delanym16096002]

I have the same problem... Trying to open a CS6 file in CC. The link you posted more than a year ago isn't working anymore is there another link to help me?

[Szalam]

delanym16096002 wrote:

I have the same problem... Trying to open a CS6 file in CC. The link you posted more than a year ago isn't working anymore is there another link to help me?

You should be able to open a CS6 file in CC with no problems. What errors are you experiencing?

[jdavidbakr22]

This was helpful, until today, when I needed to pull up an old project that I missed when I converted as many as I could find a couple of months ago.  Now I can't open these 5.5 projects on my Mountain Lion Mac!!!  Can I contact Adobe and at least get my CS5 trial reset?

[whamalamaboom]

I needed to do the same as Dangz and open an AE 5.5 Mac project on Windows. I was able to do it with CS3.