How to "repeat previous frame" on missing frames in file sequence?

#1

Hey all.

Short version:
When I import a file sequence into After Effects with missing files, I want it to hold previous frame rather than show the error screen. Can it be done?

Long version:
When working on 2D-animation, file sequences often have frame holds, which is effectively missing frames.

For instance, the sequence might read 1-2-3-7-8-9, where frame 3 should be repeated as 4-5-6. This reason the file is not copied to 4-5-6 is of course that you don’t want to have multiple instances of identical photoshop files, you want the “holding” of the frame to be automatic. (the frame sequence goes through multiple steps in the pipeline, from drawing to composite/edit, so it’s a mess if a hold frame is represented more than once).

So…

How to do this in After Effects? :slight_smile:

Thanks in advance.

Cheers all,

  • Jonas
#2

Just enable time remapping and use hold keyframes on the frames that need to be “held” So go to “Layer” and “Enable time remapping” there is already a keyframe set so no need to click the stopwatch…just add keyframes where you want holds and rightclick them and choose “toggle hold keyframe”

#3

If it will work you can try time remapping, or you can just duplicate the frames in the folder that you have stored them in, renaming them with the appropriate number before importing to AE.

#4

Thanks for the time remapping tip, and yes, the files can be copied, thanks. :wink:

But the idea is to do it automatically - the process of marking the clone frames is already done in the animation package, but that info is lost once the frames go through photoshop in the pipeline.

If you have to manually recreate clones later in the pipeline, and if you have many frames (which you always have), you’re bound to make mistakes.

So far my best bet is to make a batch file that copies files and fills in the missing gaps, but I was hoping a clever package like AE could handle it. :wink:

Thanks,
-Jonas

#5

please help me out !

i have got the same situation when i have missing frames, but i would like AE (7) to hold the last valid (not missing) frame, till it reaches another valid frame…
heeelp me if you can please !!

#6

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