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default start frame number
I’d like every comp I make to start at a specific frame number by default or at least take on the attributes of the image sequence. Currently AE 2014 will not pass through the frame range to your comp and instead defaults to zero. Be great if this was a global default setting.
A user has to manually do this in the comp settings or in interpret footage. Comp setter wont batch this out either. I can create a custom comp setting but my resolution is stuck to the custom setting as the resolution is always a variable and not a constant. The only constant is that every comp should start with the same specific frame number
Seems like a basic concept to have a global default frame number when working with image sequences.
See for yourself…Try to drag an 24fps image sequence, not a .mov, from the project window down to make a comp. Comp starts at 0 and does not take on the sequences frame range. Love the comp to take on the attributes of frame numbers and resolution. I did notice in comp settings dialogue box, under start frame…something that says, @24fps (starts at 0)I am digging through the prefs Doc now and don’t really see any default frame number setting. I do see people asking for this global feature in 2010. Has this change in 6 years? Any luck?
Start every comp at…or start comp using image sequences frame range/ resolution attributes.Any help or points to look at is appreciated.
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8 Replies
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Drag the image sequence to the make new comp icon in the project panel. Comp will still start at 0, but it will be length of the image sequence.
Johnny Cuevas, Editor
ThinkCK“I have not failed 700 times. I have succeeded in proving that those 700 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.”
—THOMAS EDISON on inventing the light bulb. -
Anyone want to take a stab at this?
Start frame of all comps to be x
Or at-least be able to drag an image sequence into new comp taking on the attributes of frame numbers.
2016 seems like the year to make this work for users!
Maybe even a Global default.Just say no to zero frames.
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If the sequence/file has a timecode then the comp should be created using that. It won’t use frame numbering and not all image sequences support timecode. If you make a new comp and set the start timecode then every comp you make with the new comp-button will have that timecode as the default start timecode.
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Please do try this yourself. Import three image sequences all with diff resolutions all with diff start frame numbers. 401, 801, 1487235. All diff resolutions.
Try these two ways to make a comp, at some point you have to enter in either your Start Frame (command K) or as you suggested, you can save the start frame by default but than you have to change the resolution as it no longer matches the sequence’s resolution.I am proposing the ability for After Effects, in the year 2016, to have the ability to create a new comp that passes along those attributes of the image sequence into the comp. So by dragging the image sequence down to “make new comp” you get your 100 frame Comp, at proper reslution using the proper starting frame of 401.
Think of your typical Color grading systems, compositing packages, match moving programs, mocha, and all 3D packages. No of them default to a start frame of zero requiring you to reset this. The apps will gleefully set your first frame based on your image seq.Imagine needing to go into 50 AE comps to change out the start frame one at a time because it starts on a zero frame by mistake?
Has anyone had to tell a client to go to frame one, which is actually the second frame because my software counts zero as one?
Thanks for reading!
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I haven’t had any meltdowns over the first frame being zero or one, mostly because our workflows use sequences that can have timecode metadata. If this is a critical deal breaker for you, you should make a feature request over here: https://www.adobe.com/products/wishform.html
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Thanks for reading,
Request sent.
I would be willing to bake timecode into our images seq. I use to do this with DPX headers but DPX format is not used much more as EXRs have taken over. What format are you using that AE is reading your timecode header metadata within your image sequence?
Thanks for chiming in with ideas. -
bump
I’m running into this issue now. Render started out at one number and After Effects is starting it off at “0” in it’s image sequence. -
Wanted to check in with the world, see if AE has figured out how to resolve reading frame numbers with EXRs.
Thousands of images sequence later, non of these seqs starting on frame 0. Yet every comp by default is set to frame 0 rather than reading the meda data. However, DPX works, jpg, png, you can bring them in and the comp is set to those frame frames. 780-980. However, still in 2023 AE by default sets EXR seq to frame 0 no matter what the frame range starts with.
import EXR seq 1001-1200
drag into comp
comp auto populates duration 0-199
Gotta be a fix to this a decade later.
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