Loading a sequence

To load a sequence:

1. Do one of the following:
   • Select File > Load Sequence. The Open window appears.
   • Click the Load Sequence icon in the Toolbar.
   • Drag and drop a sequence into the Workspace.
   NoteYou can also right-click the Image Sequences folder in the Project window or the Track window and select Load Sequences from the pop-up menu or simply double click this folder.
   
2. Use the Details button to enlarge the window and show a preview of the first and last image of the sequence. The number of images in the sequence, their width and their height are shown at the bottom of the window.
3. Select an AVI or MOV sequence (*.avi or *.mov) or single image. In the case of sequence of consecutive images, you can force the last frame in the dedicated Set end edit box.
   Important

   A sequence composed of a series of images must contain a minimum of two consecutive frames.

4. If the images are from a video camera, select an Interlace type from None, Upper field first, and Lower field first in the corresponding combo box.
5. You can use the following shortcuts to apply a parameter to the entire sequence:
   • Choosing a camera Motion different from "Free" is equivalent to creating the same constraint later. See Defining camera constraints.
   • Set the Frame Rate for the sequence. See About frame rate.
   • Set the camera Focal Length constraint to Constant or Variable. See Setting up cameras.
6. If you want to use the sequence alpha channel as a matte, check the corresponding option. See Identifying image regions.
7. Click Open.
   
8. Click the browser button to change the source of the loaded footage. You must only select a footage with the same characteristics (resolution and length).

   See Assigning the camera to a sequence for camera settings and Cropping an image sequence for borders settings.

MatchMover loads the film into the Workspace and creates a new sequence label in the Project window.

File mask naming convention

The file mask name is defined from the image name by replacing the last number found in the filename with:

• An asterisk * (the file img100.jpg, gives the mask img*.jpg).
• With a pound sign #, if the number begins with a zero (zero padding). The mask contains as many # as there are numbers in the filename (the file img0001.jpg gives the mask img####.jpg).

If you select a single image, all the images present in the directory that share this mask and have a higher number than the selected image are loaded, unless Set end is checked. In this case, the numeric field defines the number of the last image to load.

The image numbers must be continuous. If a number is not found, MatchMover assumes the last image of the sequence has been found. All images must be of the same size.

Loading helper images

To load helper images, select File > Load Images and proceed in the same way as you loaded your sequence. See Loading a sequence.

All images selected at the same time will be assigned to the same camera. MatchMover assumes they have been shot with the same camera, although in different positions. You can modify this, however, by creating new cameras and associating them with the appropriate images.

Switching between sequences

To switch between loaded sequences, select Sequence from the main menu and either of the following options:

• Previous Sequence - If the current time points to the beginning of the sequence, this command changes it to point to the start of the previous sequence. If the current time does not point to the beginning of the sequence, it changes it to point to the beginning of the sequence.
• Next Sequence - Navigates to the start of the next sequence.

Deleting a sequence

To delete a sequence, do one of the following:

• Select the required sequence in the Image Sequences folder in the Project window or the Track window and either:
  • Select Edit > Delete.
  • Press the Delete key.
• Right-click the required sequence in the Image Sequences folder in the Project window or the Track window and select Delete Sequence from the pop-up menu.