Hi
I just noticed Animate needs file extensions in order to import sounds. It won’t import an AIFF or WAV or Mp3 unless the file has the extension.
I have tons of sounds without extensions, so every time I need to edit the file before I can import.
Most software I have worked with, nowadays anyhow, knows by itself which file is which format. Flash, for instance, will import anything without blinking an eye.
I think this should be corrected, as anything that makes you lose time is a nuisance.
Details, maybe, but they do sum up, in Animate.
thanks,
Josh
I don’t understand why you would have files with no extensions. I am on a Mac and all of the files that I make, purchase, have sent to me via email, all have file extensions.
In the rare instances that I come across a file that has no extension, it is a simple matter of opening up the Get Info window for that file and unchecking the Hide extension checkbox. If it was a wav file or mp3 or PSD, then that extension will appear again.
Isn’t there something similar you can do if you are on Windows?
-Mark
Hi Mark
I don’t know, I am basing myself on my own experience.
I am on a Mac, too, and on mine not all files have extensions.
Before switching to AnimatePor, I, like many, used Flash.
In 10+ years of Flash, I never needed to add ‘aiff’ ‘wav’ ‘mp3’ to sounds I imported. Flash just imported them.
I’m not comparing Flash to Animate, they are not comparable, Animate has far more features. I’m just saying that in this particular instance, Flash did the job faster.
I can’t be the only person with ‘unextensioned’ files who’s come across this… 
thanks for the answer,
Josh
Josh, if you are on a Mac then do this little test. Hold down the Command, Shift and 3 keys to make a screen capture.
That resulting file should show up on your desktop. On mine it will produce a file with the name, Screen shot 2011-08-30 at 6.23.50 AM.
This wont have a file extension at the end because it has the Hide Extension checkbox checked in the Get Info window.
If you right click on the file and choose Get Info that is where you access that window. Uncheck the box and the file extension will appear, which in the case of the screen capture will be .png.
There is a way to globally change all of the files you have and make the extensions reappear and that is by going to the top of the Finder and choose Preferences. In the Advanced tab just check the Show all file extensions checkbox. That should bring back all of the extensions for your sound files.
I know Windows has a similar feature of showing and hiding the extensions, and yes, I agree with you that programs should know regardless, but this just seems to be the way that Toon Boom prefers.
-Mark
hi Mark
thank you. I understand the example you made.
Unfortunately, some files seem do not obey to that principle.
I have many sound files that do not give the option of unhiding the extension.
The checkbox on the info panel is inactive. The name simply doesn’t include an extension.
The ‘get info’ tells me what it is (for example: Name: Explosion; Kind: AIFF audio), but there is no hidden extension, so I have to manually add AIF if I want Animate to recognize it.
Again, in ten more years of Flash I never had this problem, Flash just knew. As the OS and other apps for other purposes, also know.
thank you very much for the advice, it will no doubt be useful in the future.
Josh
Are you using Lion?
Was it you who removed the extension of the file? There is a way to hide the extention of the certain file on each (or many) files but in general, it should have the extension unless it was manually removed. And of course, if there is no extention or known extension by Animate or Animate Pro, it won’t be shown in the list when you import.
Just in case if it is the matter of the hidden extension for kown file type or manually hidden, check Finder>Preferences>Advanced tab, check ‘show all filename extensions’ that will override all hidden extension if it was the issue.
I can’t believe any OS would be this stupid!
The file extensions are critical to the way things work. It is unreasonable to expect software to work without the extensions.
Hi juho & TheRaider
I’m sorry, I didn’t want to create a useless thread about some useless question, here.
I thought my experience of having files with and without extensions at the end of the name was not unique, but I could be wrong.
All I know is that I’ve worked for years with both kinds of files, and have had no OS or software problems.
As I explained already, even in the case of a file without an extension, MacOS will know perfectly what format it is.
If you read my last answer to Mark, you’ll see what I mean.
If it’s an AIFF, for example, the OS of course knows that’s what is (it says so in the info panel, regardless of the filename).
The extension simply doesn’t appear in the name and, no, in some cases it’s not hidden (see my answer to Mark). It simply is not there and the info panel or the Finder prefs cannot make it appear (those options are greyed-out).
It’s a little like saying you know who you are even when you don’t put it in writing.
To prove what I am saying when referring to importing sounds, Flash or other softwares will seamlessly import a file without an extension. They automatically know, as the OS knows, in what format that file is, regardless of the presence of the extension in the name.
Animate, instead, cannot ‘see through’ the file like the OS or the mentioned softwares. It needs to actually have ‘AIF’, or any other extension, written at the end. So, if you have a bunch of extensionless files (that is, files with no extension in the name, since the format is implied and recognized by the OS), you’re off to a lot of manual editing of the filenames.
Is this a big deal? No, I guess it isn’t, provided I’m the only person who has encountered the need to add scores of extensions before importing.
Note: all the extensionless sound files I mention I have used over and over before, prior to my switching to Animate.
It is simply a difference I noticed with my previous workflow, and I pointed it out.
I hope I made my (probably useless) case clear.
thank you very much for the answers,
Josh
I didn’t mean it in a bad way.
I am just shocked it happened in the first place.
I have a Mac, PC’s, and mobile devices and have never seen that behaviour. Nor should you, it is a total failure on the part of Apple to allow this to happen to you IMO.
I am aware some software can check inside the file to import like you suggest, but honestly I don’t feel in any way it is up to the software vendor to provide this feature. I am willing to bet those that have it are simply a side product of whatever library of code they are using to do the import (when I write software that needs to read a non-text file there is usually a free library available somewhere to do it). It is far easier and more reliable to use the extension as a check.
Hi TheRaider
no problem, I didn’t think you meant it in a bad way.
I am not an OS expert, I have only used Mac. As said, I have almost never had this sort of problem (a minor one, I agree), and I am basing myself only on my experience.
If Animate could import without extensions in the filename I’d be happier because in my particular case I’ve been doing so for many years without the least problem. It really boils down to that. Personal work history.
By the same token, whilst we are talking about adding sounds, I would like Animate to be able to support drag&drop importing, which is very useful in many cases. I posted a feature request for this.
Details, maybe, but an easy workflow is also made of how many passages you can avoid.
Josh
I certainly agree on the drop and drag. I use unity, a 3D graphics engine, and i love the drop and drag for assets in that. This is a massive plus for anyone with 2 screens where you can keep explorer open on the other screen.
I’ve made a note of this one so that we can examine the issue in more detail and see whether there’s anything that we can do.
~Lilly