Dynamic link: multiple AE comps, one AE project file?

[jampff]

I know how to replace a clip in my sequence with an AE comp by right-clicking, etc...

What I don't know how to do is... if I want to do this more than once, to different clips in the Pr project, can I somehow get all the AE comps that are created to belong to one AE project file? The only way I know to do: right click and open in AE... creates a new AE project file every time. I guess it technically doesn't matter much... it just makes my file hierarchy messier to have several AE project files, when I would prefer one... that contains all the dynamically linked comps that belong to the Pr project. I would love to have one folder, that contains all the media for the Pr project (further organized into subfolders), and on Pr project file, and one AE project file that contains all the dynamically linked comps (not 3 or 40 AE project files because a new one was created everytime I opened a clip in After Effects).

I know it's possible to create the comps FIRST, in AE, and then link to those in Pr... which would make it possible to put them all in one project file... but can this be done when you're starting in Pr?

I hope I'm making sense. I did try figuring this out myself, and I couln't find any documentation/tutorials that addressed this particular question. It leads me to wonder if it's not possible, in which case off to UserVoice I go. But it seems like something that should be there. Am I missing something? Or should this be asked in the After Effects forum?

Thanks!

[Michael Grenadier · Accepted solution]

first, find the clip for the first ae comp in the premiere timeline and control click and choose replace with ae comp.  you will be prompted to save the ae project.  Just keep that ae project open and when you send the next clip to ae, it should be part of the first ae project...  but be careful, if you have too many comps in ae linked comps in one ae project, things can get a little dicey.   I also create folders in the ae project for each comp and it's elements just to keep things as neat and organized as possible....  It's been about a year since I did this, so hopefully I'm remembering correctly and adobe hasn't changed the workflow since then.

[MyerPj]

I agree with all your reasoning. So, then this is the only question really: <<but can this be done when you're starting in Pr?>>

So, you want to take a clip and 'replace with AE comp'. Easy to do, just have the AE project open, and it will create a comp inside that open project and send the file over. I typically don't use that PP option, since I usually want to use a ProRes clip in AE rather than the typical timeline clip which is h.264 with proxies, but it all works well either way.

[jampff]

Thank you to both of you! Got it. So just leave the AE project open and the new comps will automatically join it rather than creating a new project file. DUH. Don't know why I didn't think of that. I guess I thought it was the efficient thing to do to close After Effects when I was done with it.

@mgrenadier: Do you think it would actually be better, not worse, to have a separate AE project file for each dynamic link comp? That hadn't occurred to me either, but I guess if it's better, then so be it.

[Michael Grenadier]

well I was working on a restoration project about a year ago.  The piece was about 15 minutes long and virtually every shot required image stabilization which I find better to do in AE.  I was working with just one AE project and at a certain point premiere started having issues staying connected to the ae comps. Sometimes, it was just a question of walking away and giving the system some time to update.  Sometimes, it didn't seem to want to update at all.  Luckily, because I was scrupulous about making sure the ae comps were clearly labelled and I also had duplicated my source clips in my premiere timeline so that underneath the ae comp was the original file, if I had any issues I was able to render out the ae comp in ae and place it on top of the ae comp in the premiere timeline.   So I don't really know what to tell you.  Hopefully someone here with better chops than me will speak up and give you a definitive answer.  I'd guess that it couldn't hurt to limit the number of comps in a single ae project.  Just not sure what that number should be....

[jampff]

Thanks! I guess I'll just try it... and if I run into performance issues, I'll just start a new AE project. Also, I appreciate you sharing about stacking the clips on top of each other in Pr. Another DUH but I probably wouldn't have thought to do that until I lost stuff first.

[Michael Grenadier]

well I'm kind of a belt and suspenders guy.   

[jampff]

Sad to say... too many of us are "oh my pants just fell down" types. But hey. How else do you learn about the value of belts and suspenders... except from occasionally listening to someone like you? Thanks again.