Better import
Posted: 21 Mar 2009, 19:31
The way TVP deals with importing images leaves me quite unsatisfied right now.
1. The whole operation isn't consistently implemented at all places. I should expect the program to react the same, wether I use the "import footage" command or "open" some file. But when I import a .PSD file, the "import footage" gives me the import options window, but only one image - whereas when I "open" the same file, I get all layers as layers/images, but no import options at all.
2. The "import" command is hidden in the timeline/layers palette. I'd expect it to appear in the "file" menu, as in all other software I know.
3. Translate layers to layers is OK. But sometimes I want my .PSD layers as successive frames in only one layer. This should be an option during import. At least I'd expect an "append layers as frames into one layer" button somewhere.
4. TVP is very picky about importing images which aren't named following the letters-numbers-scheme. It stops importing at any gap in the numbering, and it can't deal with files of different naming at all, it only imports one file at a time.
It should give me the option to a) import a whole folder without asking further questions, or b) let me have a multiple selection in the file requester. It would still be the user's responsibility to make the biggest file the first one, after that I'd have the usual options to import everything "as is" or stretch it to project size, proportionally or not.
Right now I have to work around the limitations like this: duplicate all images to be imported, use a renaming tool to number them successively, erase that duplicate folder after importing.
1. The whole operation isn't consistently implemented at all places. I should expect the program to react the same, wether I use the "import footage" command or "open" some file. But when I import a .PSD file, the "import footage" gives me the import options window, but only one image - whereas when I "open" the same file, I get all layers as layers/images, but no import options at all.
2. The "import" command is hidden in the timeline/layers palette. I'd expect it to appear in the "file" menu, as in all other software I know.
3. Translate layers to layers is OK. But sometimes I want my .PSD layers as successive frames in only one layer. This should be an option during import. At least I'd expect an "append layers as frames into one layer" button somewhere.
4. TVP is very picky about importing images which aren't named following the letters-numbers-scheme. It stops importing at any gap in the numbering, and it can't deal with files of different naming at all, it only imports one file at a time.
It should give me the option to a) import a whole folder without asking further questions, or b) let me have a multiple selection in the file requester. It would still be the user's responsibility to make the biggest file the first one, after that I'd have the usual options to import everything "as is" or stretch it to project size, proportionally or not.
Right now I have to work around the limitations like this: duplicate all images to be imported, use a renaming tool to number them successively, erase that duplicate folder after importing.
