From the course: Learning HitFilm Express

Importing files - HitFilm Express Tutorial

From the course: Learning HitFilm Express

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Importing files

- [Instructor] Now that we've taken a quick tour of the HitFilm interface and know what it looks like when you're in the middle of a project, let's just rewind right back to the start. For this tutorial, we want a completely fresh, untouched, new project. To do this, head up to the file menu or go back to the homescreen if you're not already there and choose "new". If you're using the exercise files, choose the 1080p, full HD at 23.976 frames per second template, then hit "start editing". And here we are again with a blank timeline and an empty media panel. For most new projects, the first thing you're gonna want to do is import some raw materials, which means videos, images, music, sound effects, that kind of thing. To do this, all you need to do is click the "import" button. And then locate the relevant files on your computer. You can import files one at a time or select multiple items. The files will be imported and then listed in the media panel. You can also drag files directly into the interface from a file window if that's quicker or easier. As with any non-linear editing software, HitFilm won't ever make actual changes to your source files. Importing them into a project doesn't mean that HitFilm is gonna directly edit them. Just as removing them from the media panel later on doesn't delete them from your computer. This means you can play around with your edit without worrying about losing your source materials. Additional import options can be found if you click the triangle icon next to the "import" button. Here is where you can import image sequences and something called "composite shots". Image sequences need to be in a single folder and the images need to be numbered sequentially so that HitFilm knows what order they are meant to be played in. If you try to import an image sequence any other way, the images will be imported individually. Importing it with the image sequence method ensures that they get compiled into a single animated media clip. You can set the playback frame rate for an imported sequence by opening the clips menu and choosing "properties". You can use the import composite shot option to import other HitFilm projects. Though this only works if the project contains something called "composite shots". These are a specific type of timeline designed for motion graphics and vision effects work. We'll to get to talk about them in more detail later on in the course. Being able to import composite shots can be very useful for sharing specific animations or visual effects shots with titles between different projects. You'll also see an option for importing 3D camera tracking data. If you have access to 3D camera tracking software, such as Syntheyes or Mocha, this is where you need to come to import it. As this course is focusing on the essentials of using HitFilm Express, we won't be diving into camera tracking and advanced visual effects. But, it's good to know that the option is right there if you need it. There are some useful shortcuts for importing the files. For example, let's say you're busy editing in HitFilm and you don't have the media panel commonly visible. If you try and drag files in from another folder window, HitFilm will automatically switch you over to the media panel, so that you can drop them straight in. You can also double click on any empty part of the media panel to open the standard import window, which might shave off a second of hunting for the "import" button. Perhaps most useful, is the ability to drag a file or multiple files straight onto the new folder icon down here at the bottom of the media panel. This imports those files and automatically puts them inside a new folder in the media panel. This brings us neatly on to organizing your files, which is the subject of the next video.

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