User Guide

CHAPTER 2
68
Preparing and Importing Footage
Importing files into a project
With After Effects 5.0, you use the same Import File dialog box to import any usable file
into After Effects. To save time and minimize the size and complexity of a project, import
a footage item once and then use it multiple times in a composition. It is occasionally
useful, however, to import a footage item more than once, such as when you want to use
it at two different frame rates.
After Effects supports 24- and 32-bit files using 8 bits per channel (bpc)—including alpha
channel—and the RGB, Grayscale, and Black-and-White color modes. For a list of
supported file formats, see online Help.
Note: The After Effects Production Bundle provides support for 16 bpc.
To import footage into a Project window:
1 Open a project or choose File > New > New Project.
2 With the Project window active, choose File > Import > File.
3 In the Files of Type pop-up menu, choose the setting you want to use:
• All Acceptable Files (the default selection). Shows files that After Effects recognizes as
supported formats.
• All Footage. Shows only supported footage files. Project files are not shown.
• All Files (*.*). Shows all files, whether or not After Effects recognizes them as supported
formats. (This is useful for compatible files transferred from another platform, such as a
Silicon Graphics workstation.) This option requires you to identify the format.
• A specific format. Restricts the files shown to the format you choose from the menu. (Use
this option as a convenience when the files you want are in large folders containing files of
mixed types.)
4 Do one of the following:
• To import a file, locate and select it, and then click Open.
• To import multiple files from the same location, hold down Ctrl (Windows) or Shift
(Mac OS), select the items you want, and then click Open.
• To import all the files in a folder, locate and select the folder, and then click the Import
Folder button.
UG.book Page 68 Wednesday, February 21, 2001 12:05 PM