Conforming Tape-Based Material > Importing AAF Files >

# Importing AAF Files

Import AAF sequences from Avid in the same way that you import an EDL. Each AAF file corresponds to a sequence that can be opened in the timeline, including video and audio layers, and select transitions and effects. Some unsupported effects are marked with comments indicating what you have to rebuild in Smoke based on the original offline edit.

Avid can support 720/24p, 720/30p, and 720/60p output from Varicam to create AAF files. The timecode of the source is always 59.94 but the timelines can be 24p, 30p, or 60p.

Smoke has the ability to conform AAF (23.976/29.97/59.94) from Varicam material (23.976/29.97/30/59.94/60). Smoke can also remove non-active frames when capturing Varicam media. The source material must be at the same framerate as the sequence (for example, 23.97 in a 23.97 sequence).

After importing an AAF file, you recapture the footage from the original tapes using the Recapture tool. You can also reload file-based media. Once all the media is captured or reloaded, it is relinked to the sequence.

When importing AAF files that were created in SD resolution and that need to be conformed in HD, you will need to reformat the clips. See Reformatting Clips.

A new reel with the AAF filename is created in the clip library for each imported AAF file. The assembled clip in the new reel has the same name as the original AAF sequence.

To import an AAF file:

1. In the Clip Library menu, from the Interchange Format box, select AAF.
2. Click Import.
3. In the file browser, navigate to an AAF file exported from an Avid application.
4. If you are importing AAF that contains media files, and your files are stored on other computers, you can use Wiretap to access them. Enter the host or group name, as configured in the sw_wiretap_path_translation_db.xml file.

   The Wiretap Server must be configured properly to recognise the different hosts that you want to retrieve media from. See the Autodesk Stone and Wire Filesystem and Networking Guide or contact your system administrator.

   If you do not enter a value in the Source Host Name / Group field, any paths contained in the AAF file will be interpreted as pointing to your Smoke workstation. You can change the path in the Recapture dialog box when relinking.

5. If you are importing AAF that contains media files of the format and resolution that you want to use, enable Link with video files and/or Link with audio files.
6. If you are importing AAF that contains media files of a different file type or resolution than what you want to use (for example, when trying to relink to source media after working with proxies), then enable the Skip Recapture button.

   Upon clicking Load, you will be taken to the Library menu, where you can then apply a Reformat action (through the Tools menu) to your timeline, and then use Recapture to load your source media.

7. Click Load.

   If you did not enable Skip Recapture, the Recapture menu appears.

   (a) Clip List: List of Clips on Tape(b) Tape List: Recapture From File(c) List of Segments Referencing Files For Recapture

8. If you are importing AAF that references media clips on tapes, a list of clips appears in the Clip List. A list of source tapes also appears in the Tape List. This is the same tape list as logged in your Avid application. See Recapturing Media From Tape.
9. If you are importing AAF that contains media files, a list of files appears in the List of Segments. This is the list that you need to relink. See Relinking to File-based Media.