Exploring Import File Types

In the first two lessons, you imported different types of media files into your projects. As you have already experienced, it is easy to import files by either dragging them to the Canvas or clicking the Import button. It is also important to understand the different types of media that you can import into your projects. Throughout this book, you'll be importing a variety of formats, including TIFF, JPEG, and even layered Photoshop files.

Motion supports a wide variety of video, still-image, and audio files for both multimedia and broadcast. Since it's a QuickTime standard application, Motion supports many of the same file formats that QuickTime does.

Here is a partial list of the most popular file formats that Motion supports. You can use it as a quick reference when creating your projects.

Still-image formats:

• BMP

• JPEG

• JPEG-2

• MacPaint

• Photoshop

• PICT

• PNG

• QuickTime image files

• SGI

• TGA

• TIFF

QuickTime video codecs:

• Animation

• Apple DV/DVCPRO

• Apple DVCPRO HD

• Apple DVCPRO50

• Apple M-JPEG A and B

• Pixlet

• Uncompressed 8- and 10-bit 4:2:2

Other image formats:

• Layered Photoshop files

• PDF files

Audio formats:

• AAC (listed in the Finder with the .m4p file extension)

• AIFF

• CDDA

• MP3

• WAV

QuickTime audio codecs:

• 24-bit integer

• 32-bit floating point

• 32-bit integer

• 64-bit floating point

• ALaw 2:1

• AMR narrowband

• Apple lossless

• IMA 4:1

• MACE 3:1

• MACE 6:1

• MPEG-4 audio

Now the next time you create a project, you will know how to change the preset for the new project and what types of files you can import.

MORE INFO

If you'd like more specific information about the different file formats that Motion supports, consult the Motion documentation that came with the application.