When it comes to saving templates, the safest move is to keep them in the same version of the software you created them in. We understand that you want your templates to be as widely usable as possible. But the truth is, you can’t actually download these older versions anymore, and most of our users are already using the latest versions, and saving templates backwards often causes more trouble than it’s worth.

Why “saving backwards” can cause problems

Rolling a template back to an earlier version can create unexpected errors. That’s because software developers are constantly updating tools, changing effect names, and adding new features. Older versions simply don’t know how to interpret these updates, which leads to error messages, missing effects, or missing/misaligned elements.It also makes troubleshooting and curation much more difficult and time-consuming, and can cause delays in getting your submissions approved. 

Here are a few examples from After Effects:

Example 1 - Version

Saving and marking the correct version in the description box is important as this will avoid an error message popping up when opening up your template that says it needs to be converted. 

Example 2 – CC Composite

This effect has been upgraded several times. Save it backwards, and some of those newer features just won’t translate, which can cause your project to behave differently.

Example 3 – Cinema 4D Render Engine

The Cinema 4D renderer is a great tool, but it has also evolved a lot. New features added in recent versions won’t exist in older ones, so if you save backwards, users won’t be able to take advantage of those improvements.

Example 4 – Effect Name Changes

Even something as simple as a name change can trip things up. Take Gaussian Blur—it was renamed in newer versions. If you open a template that references the old name, After Effects might throw an error or fail to recognize the effect.

Example 5

As Adobe has evolved, different video codecs have been added, updated, or even dropped completely. That means if you save your template backwards into an older version, the video files you used might not play correctly. Instead of showing up as expected, they can sometimes disappear or just show a dreaded green screen.

It’s another reason why keeping your project saved in the version you built it in helps everything look and work the way you intended.

Here is an example from Premiere Pro

Saving your templates backwards in Premiere Pro can cause templates not to load because of missing effects, media links to break, and elements to appear misaligned.

Here is an example from Final Cut Pro

Saving your templates backwards in Final Cut Pro can cause media links to break and elements to appear misaligned. 

Here is an example from Davinci Resolve

Saving your templates backwards in Davinci Resolve can cause fusion nodes to break often because they have been renamed or removed, media links to break, text to disappear, and elements to appear misaligned. 

Why it matters

Saving templates in the correct version ensures that your hard work looks and functions exactly as intended. It saves you from troubleshooting confusing errors later and gives users a smooth, reliable experience.

At the end of the day, templates are meant to save time and effort. By sticking to the version you built them in, you’ll avoid unnecessary headaches and keep everything running the way it should.

The Motion Array Team