Supported import formats

Some filename extensions—such as MOV, AVI, MXF, FLV, and F4V—denote container file formats rather than denoting a specific audio, video, or image data format. Container files can contain data encoded using various compression and encoding schemes. After Effects can import these container files, but the ability to import the data that they contain is dependent on which codecs (specifically, decoders) are installed.

By installing additional codecs, you can extend the ability of After Effects to import additional file types. Many codecs must be installed into the operating system (Windows or Mac OS) and work as a component inside the QuickTime or Video for Windows formats. Contact the manufacturer of your hardware or software for more information about codecs that work with the files that your specific devices or applications create.

Importing and using some files requires the installation of additional import plug-ins. For example, importing and interpreting R3D files from RED cameras requires a current version of the REDCODE importer plug-in. (For more information on using R3D files, see the RED website.)

Adobe Premiere Pro can capture and import many formats that After Effects can’t import natively. You can bring data from Adobe Premiere Pro into After Effects in many ways. (See Working with Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects.)

Audio formats

  • Adobe Sound Document (ASND; multi-track files imported as merged single track)

  • Advanced Audio Coding (AAC, M4A)

  • Audio Interchange File Format (AIF, AIFF)

  • MP3 (MP3, MPEG, MPG, MPA, MPE)

  • Video for Windows (AVI, WAV; requires QuickTime on Mac OS)

  • Waveform (WAV)

Still-image formats

  • Adobe Illustrator (AI, AI4, AI5, EPS, PS; continuously rasterized)

  • Adobe PDF (PDF; first page only; continuously rasterized)

  • Adobe Photoshop (PSD)

  • Bitmap (BMP, RLE, DIB)

  • Camera raw (TIF, CRW, NEF, RAF, ORF, MRW, DCR, MOS, RAW, PEF, SRF, DNG, X3F, CR2, ERF)

  • Cineon (CIN, DPX; converts to project color bit depth: 8, 16, or 32 bpc)

  • Discreet RLA/RPF (RLA, RPF; 16 bpc, imports camera data)

  • EPS

  • GIF

  • JPEG (JPG, JPE)

  • Maya camera data (MA)

  • Maya IFF (IFF, TDI; 16 bpc)

  • OpenEXR (EXR; 32 bpc)

    Note: 3D Channel effect plug-ins from fnord software are included with After Effects to provide access to multiple layers and channels of OpenEXR files. (See Using channels in OpenEXR files.)

  • PCX

  • PICT (PCT)

  • Pixar (PXR)

  • Portable Network Graphics (PNG; 16 bpc)

  • Radiance (HDR, RGBE, XYZE; 32 bpc)

  • SGI (SGI, BW, RGB; 16 bpc)

  • Softimage (PIC)

  • Targa (TGA, VDA, ICB, VST)

  • TIFF (TIF)
    You can import files of any still-image format as a sequence. See Preparing and importing still images.

Video and animation formats

  • Animated GIF (GIF)

  • DV (in MOV or AVI container, or as containerless DV stream)

  • Electric Image (IMG, EI)

  • Filmstrip (FLM)

  • FLV, F4V
    Note: In general, FLV files contain video and audio data encoded using the On2 VP6 or Sorenson Spark video codec with the MP3 audio codec, whereas F4V files contain video encoded using the H.264 codec and audio data encoded using the AAC codec.

  • Media eXchange Format (MXF)

    Note: MXF is a container format. After Effects can only import some kinds of data contained within MXF files. After Effects can import the Op-Atom variety used by Panasonic DV, DVCPRO, DVCPRO50, and DVCPRO HD video cameras to record to Panasonic P2 media. After Effects can also import XDCAM HD files in MXF format.

  • MPEG-1, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4 formats: MPEG, MPE, MPG, M2V, MPA, MP2, M2A, MPV, M2P, M2T, M2TS (AVCHD), AC3, MP4, M4V, M4A

    Note: Some MPEG data formats are stored in container formats with filename extensions that are not recognized by After Effects; examples include .vob and .mod. In some cases, you can import these files into After Effects after changing the filename extension to one of the recognized filename extensions. Because of variations in implementation in these container formats, compatibility is not guaranteed.

  • Open Media Framework (OMF; raw media [or essence] only; Windows only)

  • PSD file with video layer (requires QuickTime)

  • QuickTime (MOV; 16 bpc, requires QuickTime)
    Note: David Van Brink provides the qt_tools toolset on his omino website. This toolset is useful for converting and examining QuickTime files.

  • SWF (continuously rasterized)

    Note: SWF files are imported with an alpha channel. Audio is not retained. Interactive content and scripted animation are not retained. Animation defined by keyframes in the main, top-level movie is retained.
  • Video for Windows (AVI, WAV; requires QuickTime on Mac OS)
    You can import 10-bpc uncompressed YUV AVI files created in Adobe Premiere Pro into 16-bpc RGB After Effects projects. You can also render with 10-bpc YUV compression. (See Video for Windows compression settings.)

  • Windows Media File (WMV, WMA, ASF; Windows only)

  • XDCAM HD and XDCAM EX

    Note: After Effects can import Sony XDCAM HD assets if they were recorded to MXF files. After Effects cannot import XDCAM HD assets in IMX format. After Effects can import Sony XDCAM EX assets stored as essence files with the .mp4 filename extension in a BPAV directory. For information about the XDCAM format, see this PDF document on the Sony website.

Project formats

  • Advanced Authoring Format (AAF; Windows only)

  • Adobe Premiere 6.0 and 6.5 (PPJ)

  • Adobe Premiere Pro 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, CS3, CS4 (PRPROJ; 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 Windows only)

  • Adobe After Effects 5.0 and later binary projects (AEP, AET)

  • Adobe After Effects CS4 XML projects (AEPX)

  • XML Forms Data Format (XFDF; for importing of Clip Notes comments)

For information on importing Apple Motion projects into After Effects, see the Apple website.

Though you can't natively import Final Cut Pro projects directly into After Effects, you can import Final Cut Pro projects into Premiere Pro and then bring that project's components into After Effects.

Richard Harrington provides an article on the ProVideo Coalition website that describes several methods for importing Final Cut Pro projects into After Effects.