after effects not importing all selected images

[Jen24630112id2z]

I'm making a stop-motion animation in After Effects. On a new Macbook air. I am attempting to import 500+ images, png files, they are numbered in order with appropriate zeros. I select all 567 images and import. Then make a composition and load them into the composition and sequence layers. I see only 480 or so have imported. I start over and sometimes i get all 567, sometimes I get another random number. But it's not consistent. There is never any error message and I don't know anything is wrong until I see the animation is choppy and realize it's skipped importing some images. Any ideas why After Effects is skipping random files when importing? Thanks!

[Rick Gerard]

Are you importing as a sequence or importing all images individually?

[Jen24630112id2z]

I'm importing them all at once, just as png images, the import dialog box says "import as: footage" and footage is greyed out

[Rick Gerard]

If the option to import as an image sequence is not available, there is something wrong with the file naming format. Typical naming conventions look like this: myPhoto_0001.png. The _0001.png would correctly import an image sequence 9,999 frames long. 

You can use Bridge or Automator (Mac), Lightroom, or several other tools to rename the files. Try that.

You are running into a timeline limit on the number of layers. I never import image sequences as individual files and try to sequence the layers. I also rarely have a single timeline with more than 50 layers, even though I often have comps with dozens of nested comps giving the project more than 100 layers in all of the nested comps (Pre-comps).

I will sequence layers if I use Illustrator to create an animation. Here's a tutorial demonstrating morphing between two shapes using Illustrator and Sequencing the layers to create an animation. The technique is useful for fancy motion graphics and even a starting point for visual effects where an actor changes into something else.

Let us know if renaming the files helps.

[Jen24630112id2z]

Ah I had no idea about nesting compositions, that fixes my issue and also solves many more headaches. Thank you!