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Replacing multiple footage in a comp at once – possible?
I’ve been working on a 2D animation using scanned artwork. I’ve imported all of my pencil drawings into After Effects as still images rather than image sequences. I was required to avoid using image sequences due to the fact that my images must play back at an uneven rate (most of the stills have a duration of two frames, but others are held for three frames). As a result, the comps have hundreds of layers, where each layer is only two or three frames long.
I’m now in the process of colouring the animation. For each drawing, I will produce a coloured counterpart. I plan to combine the coloured sequences with the pencil sequences in After Effects.
Since I’ve already created comps for my pencil drawings, I just need to replace all the pencil footage with the coloured footage. However, After Effects will not let me replace multiple footage within a comp at once.
How do I duplicate a comp and replace all of its footage with footage of the same name, but different path? Any help here would be appreciated… a solution would save me from having to alt-click-replace hundreds of layers. Thanks!
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5 Replies
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Hi David –
My suggestion would be to duplicate the Comp, using the Project folder (CTRL-D), close the project, and then move the folder with the initial b/w sketches. Re-open the project, and you will get an error, saying the files are missing. Go to the new folder, and pick one of the new files (colored) with the same name. AE will then find all of the files, replacing b/w with color.
Another thing I might suggest is that, instead of using 2 comps within the same project, you might want two projects, a b/w one, and a color one. You would use the same process, though.
If anyone can think of a more elegant way of doing this, please weigh in.
Joe Bourke
Owner/Creative Director
Bourke Media
http://www.bourkemedia.com -
[Joseph W. Bourke] “Another thing I might suggest is that, instead of using 2 comps within the same project, you might want two projects, a b/w one, and a color one. You would use the same process, though. “
Joe, I actually prefer this route. With the two comp route, you’ll actually have to relink the footage items twice IF you want both B/W and colored comps to correctly link to their respective source items.
HTH
RoRKIntensive AE & Mocha Training in Singapore and Malaysia
Adobe ACE/ACI (version 7) & Imagineer Systems Inc Approved Mocha Trainer -
Thanks so much! Using two separate projects sounds like the easiest way to do this.
I’m surprised that After Effects doesn’t have a built-in method for making footage go offline. Is there a plugin available for After Effects which works similar to Final Cut’s Media Manager? Thanks again!
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I agree, Roland, and I think this is also the safest route to go. It’s always better to have two copies of a project, just in the event that something goes south.
Joe Bourke
Owner/Creative Director
Bourke Media
http://www.bourkemedia.com -
The fastest way to make media go offline in AE is to rename the main folder (in the OS) where the source items are placed. AE and PPro’s project management are the closest thing but they manage media that is already within the project, with no access to what’s on the harddisks.
HTH
RoRKIntensive AE & Mocha Training in Singapore and Malaysia
Adobe ACE/ACI (version 7) & Imagineer Systems Inc Approved Mocha Trainer
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