ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS 7.0
User Guide
106
Issues specific to importing AAF files
To ensure that the project that you want to import conforms to general AAF specifications and is compatible with
After Effects, consider the following:
Character limits for names The folder name (based on the AAF file name) created in the Project panel is truncated
to 31 characters, the maximum limit in After Effects. Names for footage and composition items in the Project panel
and for layers in the Timeline panel are also truncated to 31 characters.
Platform-specific footage references Footage references are saved with platform-specific paths and file names in the
AAF file. Therefore, if you export an AAF file from Windows, for example, and try to import it into After Effects in
Mac OS, the footage references are unresolved and appear as placeholder footage. You must use the Replace Footage
command on the placeholders to relink the footage.
Separate video and audio tracks An AAF file can have separate clips for audio and video. When the AAF file is
imported into After Effects, each clip is converted into a layer. For an audio clip, only the audio switch is enabled for
the layer. For a video clip, only the video switch is enabled for the layer.
Clips on the same track Clips that appear on the same track in Avid appear as separate layers in After Effects.
Depth order of video and audio tracks During AAF import, video tracks are processed before audio tracks, so
converted audio layers will appear above video layers in the After Effects Timeline panel.
Different image dimensions and pixel aspect ratios When an Avid editing system imports footage, it is scaled to the
dimensions of the project regardless of the original dimensions of the footage. When the AAF file is imported into
After Effects, footage appears with its original dimensions and pixel aspect, which may be different from the dimen-
sions of the project. You can use the Interpret Footage command in After Effects to make pixel aspect adjustments.
Missing media Referencedmediathatisnotaccessibleduringtheimportoperationappearsasplaceholderfootage
in After Effects.
Empty sequences If a sequence contains no tracks, the composition created when it is imported is set at DV
resolution (720 x 480; 0.9 pixel aspect ratio) with a length of 10 seconds.
Cuts-only video and audio clips Supported.
Audio Audio gain (level) changes are supported, but audio pan is not. Mono and stereo audio are supported, 5.1
audio is not supported. Separate audio channel tracks (even if out of sync) are imported into After Effects as a single
audio layer.
Clip Speed Clips with a Motion Effect are converted to the corresponding layer Stretch value (for slow or fast
motion) or layer Time Remap keyframes (for reverse motion).
Empty tracks Ignored.
Muted tracks Avid does not save muted track information in an exported AAF file, so muted tracks cannot be
preserved in After Effects.
Locators Ignored.
Composition size and pixel aspect ratio Created based on the StoredWidth and StoredHeight values for the first
media file in the first sequence found.
For more information on how video effects, audio effects, and transitions are converted when After Effects imports
an AAF file, visit the support area of the Adobe website.
To Next Page
Loading...