Adobe AFTER EFFECTS CS3 PROFESSIONAL User Manual page 55

Stack files
Stacks let you group files together under a single thumbnail. You can stack any type of file. For example, use stacks
to organize image sequences, which often comprise many image files.
Note: Bridge stacks are different from Photoshop image stacks, which convert groups of images to layers and store them
in a Smart Object.
Commands that apply to a single file also apply to stacks. For example, you can label a stack just as you would a single
file. Commands you apply to expanded stacks apply to all files in the stack. Commands you apply to collapsed stacks
apply only to the top file in the stack (if you've selected only the top file in the stack) or to all files in the stack (if
you've selected all files in the stack by clicking the stack border).
The default sort order in a stack is based on the sort order for the folder that contains the stack.
A Bridge stack in the Content panel (collapsed)
An expanded stack
Create a file stack
❖
Select the files you want to include in the stack, and choose Stack > Group As Stack. The first file you select
becomes the stack thumbnail. The number on the stack indicates how many files are in the stack.
Manage stacks
• To change the stack thumbnail, right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) the file you want to be the new
thumbnail and choose Stack > Promote To Top Of Stack.
• To expand a collapsed stack, click the stack number. To expand all stacks, choose Stack > Expand All Stacks.
• To collapse an expanded stack, click the stack number. To collapse all stacks, choose Stack > Collapse All Stacks.
• To add files to a stack, drag the files you want to add to the stack.
Note: While you can add a stack to another stack, you cannot nest stacks. Files in the added stack will be grouped with
the existing stack files.
• To remove files from a stack, expand the stack and then drag the files out of the stack. To remove all files from a
stack, select the collapsed stack and choose Stack > Ungroup From Stack.
• To select all files in a collapsed stack, click the border of the stack. Alternatively, Alt-click (Windows) or Control-
click (Mac OS) the stack thumbnail.
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User Guide