Adobe AFTER EFFECTS CS3 PROFESSIONAL User Manual page 94

To import multiple image files as a single still-image sequence, the files must be in the same folder and use the same
numeric or alphabetic filename pattern (such as Seq1, Seq2, Seq3).
When you import a file that appears to After Effects to be one file in a still-image sequence, After Effects will by
default import all other files in the same folder that appear to be in the same sequence. Similarly, when you select
multiple files that appear to be in a sequence, After Effects will by default import them as a sequence. You can see
what After Effects is about to import by looking at the bottom of the Import dialog box. (You can also import images
and sequences by dragging files and folders into the Project panel.
To prevent After Effects from importing unwanted files when you want to import only a single file, or to prevent After
Effects from interpreting multiple files as a sequence, deselect the Sequence option in the Import dialog box. After
Effects remembers this setting and will henceforth use it as the default.
When importing a sequence of still images, you can use the Force Alphabetical Order option in the Import dialog
box to import a sequence with gaps in its numbering (e.g., Seq1, Seq2, Seq3, Seq5). If you import a sequence with
gaps in its numbering without selecting this option, After Effects warns you of missing frames and replaces them
with placeholders.
After Effects uses settings of the first image in the sequence to determine how to interpret the images in the sequence.
If the image files in a sequence are of a layered file type—such as Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator
documents—then you can choose to import the sequence as a standard footage item, or as a composition in which
each layer in each file is imported as a separate sequence and appears as a separate layer in the Timeline panel.
Note: When you render a composition that contains a numbered sequence, the output module uses the start frame
number as the first frame number. For example, if you start to render on frame 25, the name of the file is 00025.
A sequence of still-image files (left) becomes one image sequence when imported into After Effects (right).
See also
"Work with output module settings" on page 594
"Import footage items" on page 59
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