Adobe AFTER EFFECTS 5.5 Help Manual page 32

Adobe After Effects Help
Using Help | Contents
Guess Attempts to determine the type of alpha channel used in the image. If After Effects
cannot guess confidently, it beeps.
Ignore Disregards all transparency data in the file.
Straight (Unmatted) Interprets the alpha channel as straight alpha. If the application you
used to create the footage does not premultiply the alpha channel, select this option.
Premultiplied (Matted with Black) Interprets the alpha channel as premultiplied with
black.
Premultiplied (Matted with White) Interprets the alpha channel as premultiplied with
white.
To import a footage file containing an alpha channel:
1 Choose File > Import > File. Locate and select the file and click Open.
2 In the Interpret Footage dialog box, select an option for alpha channel type. If you
select Treat As Premultiplied (Matted with Color), you can click the eyedropper and select
a color.
3 Click OK.
To set the alpha channel interpretation method for a file:
1 In the Project window, select a footage item that includes an alpha channel.
2 Choose File > Interpret Footage > Main.
3 In the Alpha section, select an interpretation method.
4 Select Inverted to switch the opaque and transparent areas of the image, and click OK.
To set the default alpha channel interpretation:
1 Choose Edit > Preferences > Import.
2 For Interpret Unlabeled Alpha As, select the interpretation methods you want used by
default, and click OK.
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:
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Preparing and Importing Footage
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