Ae CC 2018: Why can't files be imported to specific bin folders by right-clicking?

[Koncept Kit]

While Premiere allows for importing directly to specific bins simply by right-clicking the bin folder and selecting the option, Ae CC 2018 simply doesn't (as shown in the attached screenshot). As a user, it feels perfectly reasonable to expect a certain level of consistency across Adobe's different-but-related applications, especially when talking about specific systems where the functionality is fundamentaly identical. As far as I can tell, the only way to import directly to specific bins in Ae is to first highlight the desired bin, then select "Import..." from the "File" dropdown menu. Otherwise, the user must right-click in an empty space within the bin, complete the "Import..." process and then drag the file to the desired folder. Both options represent a relative waste of time in that they require theoretically unnecessary steps.

[Dave_LaRonde]

Using the OS, navigate to the footage to be imported.  Drag it onto the desired AE folder.  Done.

This works in PP, too.

[Koncept Kit]

Thank you for the suggestion. This does appear slightly less agitating, although I would still suggest that Adobe make their products more consistent. I still see no reason why the two programs using the same functionality (bins) should operate any differently. I'm just one person, but I can't be the only who thinks this way.

[Dave_LaRonde]

The inconsistencies are there because neither application was originally developed by Adobe.

And if I had to make a choice -- make AE work better or make AE work more like PP -- I'm voting for "better".

[Rick Gerard · Accepted solution]

Select the folder or bin in After Effects or Premiere Pro, press Ctrl/Cmnd + i and search your folders for the files you want and they go directly into that folder or bin. It is faster and more accurate than right-clicking and drilling through the menu. Anybody can memorize that keyboard shortcut. Selecting a Folder in AE and using Ctrl/Cmnd + N to create a new comp also puts that comp in the folder. Just by using keyboard shortcuts or, as I'll explain in a moment, dragging folders into your projects you can save a bunch of dragging and renaming time.

In either app, you can select a folder and drag it in and the folder name and all the files will come right into After Effects or a Bin will be created in Premiere Pro. That's an even faster way to work.

I have another suggestion for you. Develop a consistent file structure and use it for every project. I've been using the same file and asset naming structure since I started making films in 1969. It was taught to me by a man that had made about 400 films in his 30-year career. If I'm working on Act 2 Scene 46 take 10 the original footage is in a folder that corresponds to that project, that production day and that scene. If I want all of the footage from that scene in PPro or in AE I just drag the folder into the app and folder (bin) names are preserved. There's no need to create or rename anything. Anybody on the project can look at the call sheets or the script log, the director's notes or any other record for that production and find the folder and the footage in seconds. Once you get used to a specific file structure your work will go a lot faster.

It's not that your feature request is a bad idea, it's just that there is an easier way to do what you want to do already in the app.

[Koncept Kit]

Haha, admittedly I'm one of those jerks who tends to be stubborn about learning keyboard shortcuts, namely because I have to move my hands from their comfortable positions (especially when I'm in the 'zone') and take my eyes off the screen to make sure I got all the right keys (sorry, I've had the QWERTY memorized in muscle memory for decades, and keys like Ctrl and Alt just aren't very ergonomic). The inclusion of shortcuts is an absolute benefit for users, just as long as they're willing to make the effort to memorize and make use of them for all the more commonly used functions.

I do like the idea of organizing folders and files beforehand and just doing one simple import. Oftentimes, that's exactly what I'll do for one-off projects. However, I also work on web series, and while I opt to use existing Pr and Ae projects as templates when starting new episodes, most of the material that belongs in the bins will always be different. I'm sure if I thought hard enough about it I could adjust my current process in a way that remedies my issue, but I'm not there yet.

In any case, I'll work on my stubbornness and make an effort to learn the shortcuts you've suggested.

[Koncept Kit]

Good point. I wondered but wasn't sure about who might've developed these softwares initially, and if they came from different authors then they would've obviously started with different frameworks, which would explain the inconsistencies.

However, Adobe has shown itself capable of embedding complex systems that bridge many of their products, things like dynamic links, which create an ecosystem of convenience and redundancy. So it's difficult for me to imagine why some of the more basic systems (Bins; History [Ae doesn't have a History panel? What!?]; etc.) that are utilized by closely related programs wouldn't also be made redundant in the name of convenience, especially now that Adobe has become the sole author for these applications.

I suppose that, sure, this is a relatively small thing to be agitated by, and small things are usually the easiest to overlook, but it also seems like a no-brainer and likely a super easy thing for them to "fix."