Adobe AFTER EFFECTS 5.5 Help Manual page 36

Adobe After Effects Help
Using Help | Contents
To import a layered Adobe Illustrator file as a layered composition:
1 Choose File > Import > File.
2 In the Import File dialog box, make sure that All Acceptable Files is selected in the Files
of Type box; then locate and select an Adobe Illustrator file.
3 In Import File As, choose Composition, and then click Open.
The original filename is used twice in the Project window: for the file as a composition and
for the folder containing all the layers as separate footage items.
To import an Adobe Illustrator file or one of its layers as a single footage item:
1 Choose File > Import > File.
2 In the Import File dialog box, make sure that All Acceptable Files is selected in the Files
of Type box; then locate and select an Adobe Illustrator file.
3 In Import File As, choose Footage, and then click Open.
4 In the Import Adobe Illustrator dialog box, select a layer to import from the file, or
choose Merged Layers to import all layers in the file as a single layer in After Effects. Then
click OK.
Importing Adobe Illustrator paths as masks
You can use an Adobe Illustrator path as a mask in an After Effects layer composition by
copying the path in Adobe Illustrator and pasting it directly into the Layer or Composition
window in After Effects. After Effects creates a mask for each closed path copied from
Adobe Illustrator. For more information on using masks, see "Working with masks" on
page 149.
Note: You can also use an copied Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop path as an After Effects
motion path.
Shape drawn in Adobe Illustrator (left) and pasted into After Effects as a mask (right)
To import an Adobe Illustrator path as a mask:
1 In Adobe Illustrator, create your path, select all of the points along the path, and then
choose Edit > Copy.
2 In After Effects, open the Layer window for the layer into which you want to import the
path.
3 Choose Edit > Paste.
Note: This process works best if your Adobe Illustrator Preferences are set with AICB
Clipboard and Preserve Paths selected.
Using Help | Contents
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Preparing and Importing Footage
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