Importing AAF and OMF files (Windows only)

AAF (Advanced Authoring Format) is a multimedia file interchange format that contains all of the editing decisions of a project from a non-linear editor (NLE). Using AAF, you can exchange NLE projects between platforms, systems, and applications. AAF files do not contain media, such as video and audio; rather, they contain editing decisions and links to media.

OMF (Open Media Framework) is an extensible, object-oriented format that provides a means of tracking production and post-production information. Unlike AAF files, OMF files can contain media as well as project information. An AAF file may link to an associated OMF file as a media source. When you import an AAF file that references an OMF file, the OMF footage is also imported. After Effects imports only raw (essence) OMF files, which are OMF files that have embedded media and no project information. After Effects doesn’t import OMF project files.

You can use an application such as Automatic Duck to import OMF project files on Windows or Mac OS.

The following OMF codecs are supported for importing and outputting to OMF: Uncompressed, Avid AVR, Avid JPEG, JFIF, and DV.

The OMF file format supports video only. Avid editing systems store audio files as separate .wav files, which you can import into After Effects if desired. Depending on the resolution and codec, each frame may be composed of a full noninterlaced frame, two interlaced fields, or a single line-doubled field (for single-field media). The codec used to encode the media is displayed in the footage information area in the Project panel.

To ensure that the project to import conforms to general AAF specifications and is compatible with After Effects, consider the following:

Platform-specific footage references

Footage references are saved with platform-specific paths and filenames in the AAF file.

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. Therefore, converted audio layers 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 ratio, which may be different from the dimensions of the project. You can use the Interpret Footage command in After Effects to make pixel aspect ratio adjustments.

Missing media

Referenced media that is not accessible during the import operation appears as placeholder footage in After Effects.

Empty sequences

If a sequence contains no tracks, the composition created when it is imported is set at DV resolution (720x480; 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 synchronization) 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.