After Effects CS5.5 / Integration

Save 32-bit HDR and 16-bit color values in Photoshop files. Text remains editable, and layers, layer effects, blending modes, masks, transparency, and color profiles are all preserved when Photoshop files are imported as compositions. Use Photoshop paths as masks or animation paths.

Import PSD files with 3D layers — now including those created with Adobe Repoussé, the new Photoshop Extended feature for creating extruded 3D images.

Vastly expand possibilities for adding texture and shading to even the most basic layer instantly. Animate style characteristics in After Effects freely, going beyond what's possible in Photoshop. After Effects adds support for the Photoshop adjustment layer types Vibrance, Selective Color, and Black & White.

Import images from Photoshop with Vanishing Point data, and After Effects will automatically create a composition and position the layers in 3D space.

Create a new Photoshop file from within your After Effects project. Photoshop automatically opens a blank file using composition settings — including title-safe and action-safe guides — that's ready for editing. Changes appear in After Effects when you save the file.

Create elements such as motion menus and interactive buttons for your DVDs. Export movies from After Effects with markers that Encore CS5 reads as chapters.

Copy vectors from Illustrator to use as After Effects masks or motion paths. Illustrator layers and blend modes are preserved, and vector shapes can be continuously rasterized (and output as compact SWF files), preserving smooth edge detail.

Edit an After Effects composition and have your changes appear automatically in Adobe Premiere Pro, or edit a timeline in Adobe Premiere Pro and see the updates in After Effects — both without rendering, thanks to Dynamic Link. Native 64-bit operating system support dramatically improves Dynamic Link performance.

Save time and preserve project organization when working with Adobe Premiere Pro projects. Preserve bins, edits, markers, keyframed effects, nested sequences, transitions, and more from Adobe Premiere Pro. Drag and drop or copy and paste clips from one application to the other.

Export an After Effects project as an Adobe Premiere Pro project, streamlining work that involves editing as well as motion graphics and effects.

Work more efficiently to create and edit animations for the Adobe Flash Platform. Preserve vectors from After Effects animations for lean and clean delivery to Flash Professional, or import SWF files to After Effects as vectors with alpha channels preserved. From After Effects, batch render FLV files with embedded cue points, or export comps for further enhancement in Flash Professional.

Use markers to create cue points that can be added to your FLV output. Automatically convert any layer's keyframes to cue points to make it easier to trigger events in Flash based on motion or elements changing over time.

Import SWF files as continuously rasterized vectors with alpha channels preserved, so you can scale them without any loss in quality.