Supported import formats

Important: The trial version of After Effects CS5 doesn't include some features that depend on third-party software components that are only included in the full version of After Effects. The import and export of some formats are not supported in the trial version: AVC-Intra, AVCHD, HDV, MPEG-2, MPEG-2 DVD, MPEG-2 Blu-ray, and XDCAM. The trial version for Adobe After Effects CS5.5 and later includes all codecs that are in the full version. Details of the free 30-day trial version of After Effects CS5.5.

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. (See Plug-ins.)

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.)

For workflow guides and updates for P2, RED, XDCAM, AVCCAM, and DSLR cameras and footage, see the Adobe website.

This video from the "After Effects CS5: Learn by Video" series explains codecs, containers, and formats and shows how to get information about source files and footage items.

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; 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/DPX (CIN, DPX; 10 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, SXR, MXR; 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.)

  • PICT (PCT)

  • Portable Network Graphics (PNG; 16 bpc)

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

  • SGI (SGI, BW, RGB; 16 bpc)

  • Softimage (PIC)
    Note: After Effects can also read ZPIC files corresponding to imported PIC files. See Importing and using 3D files from other applications.)

  • 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)

  • CinemaDNG (After Effects CS5.5 and later)

    Note: CinemaDNG is a subset of CameraRAW. A subset of CameraRAW settings can be accessed via More Options in the Interpret Footage dialog box. Color management for CinemaDNG includes the same color spaces as After Effects existing CameraRAW: Adobe RGB, sRGB IEC619662.1, ColorMatch RGB, and ProPhoto RGB.

    For more information on CinemaDNG, and to download the CinemaDNG importer, go to the Adobe Labs website.

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

  • Electric Image (IMG, EI)

    Note: After Effects can also read EIZ files corresponding to imported EI files. See Importing and using 3D files from other applications.)
  • FLV, F4V
    Note: After Effects CS5 can import FLV files with video encoded using the On2 VP6 video codec; After Effects CS5 can’t import FLV files with video encoded with the Sorenson Spark video codec. As with any unsupported format, transcode the file to a format that After Effects can import.

  • Media eXchange Format (MXF)

    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 of MXF files used by Panasonic video cameras to record to Panasonic P2 media. After Effects can import video from these MXF files using the AVC-Intra 50, AVC-Intra 100, DV, DVCPRO, DVCPRO50, and DVCPRO HD codecs. After Effects can also import XDCAM HD files in MXF format. After Effects CS5.5 and later can import the MXF OP1format, which contains MPEG-2 video that complies with the XDCAM HD 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.

    For information about MPEG formats, see the MPEG website and the MPEG page on the Wikipedia website.

  • 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.

  • RED (R3D)

    Note: R3D files are interpreted as containing 32-bpc colors in a non-linear HDTV (Rec. 709) color space. The RED R3D Source Settings color adjustments don't preserve overbright values. Color adjustments done within After Effects do preserve overbright colors when you work in 32-bpc (bits per channel) color. To avoid clipping, manipulate exposure in After Effects, rather than in the footage interpretation stage in the RED R3D Source Settings dialog box. (For more information on using R3D files, see the RED website and the Adobe website.)

    For information about changes and bug fixes regarding RED (R3D) footage in After Effects CS5 (10.0.1), see this post on the After Effects Region of Interest blog.

  • 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)

  • 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

  • Adobe Premiere Pro 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, CS3, CS4, CS5 (PRPROJ; 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 Windows only)

  • Adobe After Effects 6.0 and later binary projects in After Effects CS5 (AEP, AET)

  • Adobe After Effects 6.5 and later binary projects in After Effects CS5.5 and later (AEP, AET)

  • Adobe After Effects CS4 and later XML projects (AEPX)

You can use the free Pro Import AE plug-in from Automatic Duck to import projects from other applications, including Final Cut Pro, Apple Motion, and Avid Media Composer.

You can also import Final Cut Pro projects into Premiere Pro and then bring that project's components into After Effects.