Hi,

In CS4, if I import a FLV into AE, will it open with everything intact (layers, filters, alpha, keyframes) or will it compress the FLV into a single file? I'm animating a cartoon in Flash, want to do SFX in AE, but have the ability to tweak the various layers in AE.

Thanks.

FLV files are rasterized, single layer video-only files. You might have meant to say SWF files...? Or FLA files?

Thanks. Yes, I meant to say FLA files..

If FLA aren't, what's the best way to maintain timing if I'm editing something in Flash and import it into AE? I was hoping to maintain the layers.

Thanks.

CS4 isn't out yet.

I know it's not out--I wanted to know this in anticipation of buying it....(if, by any chance, cs4 has more integration with flash...)

No, CS4 does not treat this any differently than previous versions. Export to Flash (XFL), the new "roundtripping feature", only works from AE (or InDesign) to Flash, but not the other way around. Beyond that I'm not clear what you are asking - SWFs are treated as continuously rasterized vector art, including any transparencies. If you export them accordingly from Flash, they should come in just fine in AE.

Mylenium

AE CS4 can't import an FLA from Flash, but you can import an SWF. Here's more about AE and Fl integration in CS4:

<http://help.adobe.com/en_US/AfterEffects/9.0/WS609484ED-81FD-41fd-B2C8-10A1D55339EF.html>

<http://help.adobe.com/en_US/AfterEffects/9.0/WSDE67F770-09B6-4f4b-AF9B-9E577311067A.html>

- Jonas Hummelstrand
<http://generalspecialist.com/>

Thanks Mylenium and Jonas.

I guess I was asking if CS4 does treat import from Flash differently--is the integration more sophisticated.

What I was hoping to do is, import layers from Flash into AE. I'm animating in Flash, doing SFX in AE, and would like to be able to tweak the independent layers in AE once they're in there, vs having everything become one file (ie, an swf.)

I actually have a plug in, LayerEx, that currently does this, but I don't know if it will work in CS4 when it comes out and, it appears, the tiny company that created it is no longer in business.

Thanks for the link, Jonas. I'll definitely check them out.

just checked out the articles--Thanks!

I will experiment with XML....great tip.

Since you've posted this same question in other AE forums, please go back to some of them and close the threads with what you've learned.

bogiesan