User Guide

CHAPTER 2
74
Preparing and Importing Footage
Importing Adobe Photoshop files
You can import an Adobe Photoshop file directly into an After Effects project with the
option of preserving individual layers, layer masks, and so forth from Adobe Photoshop.
Importing layers makes it easy to prepare still images for animation using the image-
editing tools in Adobe Photoshop.
Preparing layered Adobe Photoshop files
Importing layers into After Effects makes it possible to prearrange a composition in Adobe
Photoshop using layers, and preserve those layers in After Effects so that they are ready for
animation. Preserving layers is also useful if you want to use a single Adobe Photoshop file
as a source for both print and dynamic media.
Before you import a layered Adobe Photoshop file, prepare it thoroughly to reduce preview
and rendering time. Avoid problems importing and updating Adobe Photoshop layers by
naming them properly. Before you import them into After Effects, do the following:
• Organize and name layers. If you change a layer name or delete a layer in an Adobe
Photoshop file after you have imported it into After Effects, After Effects is unable to find
the original layer name, and the Project window lists that layer as Missing.
• Make sure that each layer has a unique name, because After Effects manages layers by
their names. Duplicate layer names can cause problems when you update footage.
• If you want to import a composited version of a layered Photoshop file along with a
layered version, select the Include Composited Image With Layered Files option in the
Photoshop Saving Files Preferences dialog box.
Importing layered Photoshop files
After Effects imports attributes that were applied in Adobe Photoshop, including position,
transfer modes, opacity, visibility, transparency (alpha channel), layer masks, adjustment
layers, common layer effects, layer clipping-paths, vector masks, and clipping groups.
You can import a multilayered Adobe Photoshop file in the following ways:
• As a new composition, with each layer in the Adobe Photoshop file becoming a separate
layer in the composition
• As a single still footage item imported from any one layer in the Adobe Photoshop file
UG.book Page 74 Wednesday, February 21, 2001 12:05 PM