Adobe AFTER EFFECTS 5.5 Help Manual page 25

Adobe After Effects Help
Using Help | Contents |
Preparing and Importing Footage
How After Effects works with imported files
When you import files, After Effects does not copy the footage item itself into your project
but creates a reference link in the Project window to the footage item. This saves disk
space.
If you delete, rename, or move an imported source file, you break the reference link to that
file. When a link is broken, the name of the source file appears in italics in the Project
window, and the File Path column lists it as missing. If the footage item is available, you
can reestablish the link—usually just by double-clicking the item and selecting the file
again. See "Replacing and substituting footage" on page 52.
If you use another application to modify footage that is used in a project, the changes
appear in After Effects the next time you open the project. See "Opening footage in its
original application" on page 51.
When you add a footage item to an After Effects composition, you create a new layer, and
the footage item becomes the source for the new layer. You can replace the source without
affecting any edits you make to the layer properties.
Working with file formats
You can import and export the file formats listed below into After Effects 5.0. For more
information and an extensive list of QuickTime-supported formats, see the Apple Web site.
You can also check the Adobe Web site for updates. Supported formats include:
File formats supported by After Effects: QuickTime, Direct Show (Windows only), AVI
(Windows only), WAV (Windows only), Adobe Photoshop, JPEG, SGI, Softimage PIC, Targa,
TIFF, PICT, Cineon, RLA, Electric Image, Filmstrip, FLC/FLI, EPS (import only), Adobe Illus-
trator (import only), Adobe Premiere (import only), GIF89a (export only), SWF (export
only), PDF (import only).
File formats supported using Adobe Photoshop plug-ins: Amiga IFF, BMP, PCX, Pixar, PNG,
GIF (import only).
Notable audio formats supported by QuickTime: AIFF, AU, WAV (Mac OS only), Mac Sound
(Mac OS only). For a complete listing, see your QuickTime documentation.
Preparing a still-image file for import into After Effects
Before you import a still image into After Effects, prepare the file as completely as possible.
It is usually easier and faster to prepare a file in its original application; this also reduces
rendering time in After Effects. Consider doing the following before you import still-image
files into After Effects:
Set the pixel dimensions to the resolution you will use in After Effects. If you plan to
•
scale the image over time, set image dimensions that provide enough detail at the
Using Help | Contents |
Index
Index
Preparing and Importing Footage
Back
Back
25
25