Files

Files import footage and assets into the After Effects project.

Schema

Property	Type	Required	Description
id	string | number	yes	Unique identifier for the file
path	string	yes	Absolute file path
sequence	boolean	no	Import as image sequence
folder	string	no	Target project folder

Basic usage

files:
  - id: bg
    path: /Users/me/footage/background.png
  - id: logo
    path: /Users/me/assets/logo.ai

Using files in layers

Reference files by their id in layer definitions:

files:
  - id: bg
    path: /path/to/background.png

compositions:
  - name: Main Comp
    layers:
      - name: Background
        file: bg  # References the file id

Image sequences

Set sequence: true to import numbered frames as a sequence:

files:
  - id: render
    path: /path/to/sequence/frame_0001.png
    sequence: true

Compdown detects the frame range from the file pattern.

Sequence path patterns

The path should point to a specific frame. AE will detect the sequence pattern:

# Standard numbered sequences
path: /path/to/frame_0001.png
path: /path/to/shot.0001.exr
path: /path/to/render_001.tif

# Bracket notation (explicit range)
path: /path/to/frame_[0001-0100].png

Organizing in folders

Place imported files in project folders:

folders:
  - name: Footage
  - name: Plates
    parent: Footage

files:
  - id: bg
    path: /path/to/background.png
    folder: Footage
  - id: plate
    path: /path/to/plate.exr
    folder: Plates

ID types

The id can be a string or number. Use whatever makes sense for your workflow:

files:
  # String IDs (descriptive)
  - id: hero-background
    path: /path/to/bg.png

  # Numeric IDs (compact)
  - id: 1
    path: /path/to/file1.png
  - id: 2
    path: /path/to/file2.png

Reference them the same way in layers:

layers:
  - name: BG
    file: hero-background
  - name: Element
    file: 1