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Avid Xpress – importing stills with alpha
I’m preparing to render some stills in After Effects (Mac) for an Avid Xpress (Win) editor. The stills will have an alpha channel. They need to be imported as separate stills, not as a sequence.
The editor will be under the gun, so I’d like to make his life as easy as possible.
1. What would be the easiest/fastest format for him to import from a portable FW drive? I’m thinking 32-bit TGA with straight alpha — would that be acceptable?
2. When I transfer the files to the FW drive, are there any Avid-related folder/directory issues of which I should be aware?
(normally, I’d ask the editor, but he’s unavailable, this being a long weekend up here)
Thanks,
Steve -
5 Replies
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Hi Steve,
First, on behalf of editors everywhere, thank you for trying to make your editor’s life easier. 🙂
1. We use 32 bit TIF files where I work, but TGA works also. Straight alpha is the way to go (not premultiplied).
2. Don’t put the files in the OMFI Media Files folder (if there is one) on the FW drive. Just put them in whatever folder you want and your editor will navigate there and import them.
good luck,
Carl -
No problem, Carl. I hate having things sent back. 🙂
I have another question: The stills will be numbered, but they’re not a sequence — they were numbered for organizational purposes. Will the Avid automatically assume they’re a sequence?
If so, can I head off this undesired behaviour, or is there something that the editor should do on import?
Thanks again,
Steve -
Hi Steve,
In the Select Files to Import window, have the editor click Options, and in the Import Settings dialog box, deselect Autodetect Sequential Files (or something close to that; I’m not in front of the machine right now), and Avid will bring them in as separate files.
good luck,
Carl -
Thanks, Carl!
Steve
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Also if you can tell him before hand the length of the longest still including handles,he can set that duration and import the length that will be best suited for the project.
Charlie
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