Supported File Formats

Note: Flame cannot display 16-bit integer media (16i in the tables below). It automatically interprets it as 12-bit unpacked. Because of this, 16-bit integer media appears as 12-bit unpacked in the Preview panel. And when you import that media, Flame converts it to 12-bit unpacked. This process is perceptually negligible, as only the 4-least significant digits are discarded. But you can promote 16i media to 16f in order to maximize the precision available for compositing, by applying a colour transform. See Converting Images Between 12i or 16i and 16f Encodings.

Also, if you use the Link Original Media video option during your export, image files that were not edited are not affected by this conversion.

Action-only Formats
Format Extension Import Export Note
3ds Max .3ds yes yes (camera data only)
Alembic .abc yes no Supports version 1.5.4
Filmbox .fbx yes yes (camera or 3d camera data only) Supports up to FBX SDK 2017.0.1
Inventor .iv yes no
Scalable Vector Graphics .svg yes no  
Substance Engine Includes support for:
  • Substance engine compatible with Substance Designer 5.0
  • Substance Materialize engine compatible with Substance Bitmap 2 Material (B2M) 2.2
Wavefront .obj yes no
Sequence Exchange Formats
Format Extension Import Export Note
Advanced Authoring Format .aaf yes yes Supports importing Avid Media Composer AAF up to version 8.5.

The exported AAF supports the following applications:

  • Avid Media Composer (version 8 and later)
  • Avid ProTools (version 12.2 and later)
  • Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve (version 11 and later)
  • Filmlight Baselight
  • Flame Family and Smoke applications

AAF with embedded media are not supported.

Editorial Decision List .edl yes yes

Other supported formats:

  • ALE (Avid Log Exchange) —import only
  • CMX 340
  • CMX 3600 —recommended format for import; default for export
  • CMX OMNI (ASCII version)
  • EDM (edit) —import only
  • GVG 4
  • GVG 4 Plus (v4.1 or higher)
  • SONY 900
  • SONY 910
  • SONY 5000
  • SONY 9000
  • SONY 9000 Plus (v2.21 or higher)
  • SONY 9100
Note: CMX 3600 is the default export format. To use another one, you must generate a customized EDL.
Final Cut Pro 7 .xml yes no Only supports Apple Final Cut Pro 7 xml files.
Final Cut Pro X .fcpxml yes yes Supports up to version 10.2 of Final Cut Pro X.
Image Sequence
Format Extension Import Export Depth
Alias® .als yes yes 8 bits
ARRIRAW .ari yes no 12, 16fp bits
Note: Media is presented as a clip, never as a sequence of RAW images. Supports material shot on camera using ARRI SUP 11 or earlier, and the features from version 5.3 of the ARRIRAW SDK. Includes support for ALEXA Monochrome, ALEXA Open Gate, ALEXA mini, AMIRA, as well as the 3.2K format from the ALEXA SXT.
Cineon® .cin yes yes 10 bits
DPX .dpx yes yes 8, 10, 12, 16i bits and ADX encoding.
Note: 8, 10, 12, and 16i bits support alpha, including 12-bit DPX (packed) from CODEX recorders.
DPX - Single channel .dpx yes no See Note.
Note: Monochromatic DPX files from the following film scanners have been validated:
  • FilmLight Northlight (10 & 16-bit)
  • DigitalFilmTechnology SCANITY™ (10 & 16-bit)
  • Imagica (8, 10 & 16-bit)
  • Laser Graphics (8, 10 & 16-bit)

Lustre supports single channel DPX files only when imported through Wiretap Gateway.

Open Clip .clip yes no n/a
HDR .hdr yes no 32 bits
JPEG .jpg yes yes 8 bits
OpenEXR 2.2 .exr yes yes 8, 10, 12u, 12, 16fp, or 32fp bits

RGB, RGBA, and multi-channel

Note: You can access RGB and RGBA channels from a multi-part file; each part appears as a track of a multi-track clip in the MediaHub file browser. Deep pixel channels are not supported and are not displayed. On import, 32-bit floating point is downconverted to 16-bit floating point. You can also access non-RGBA channels located at the root of the channels hierarchy.

Flame reads frame rate and timecode information from the header of an OpenEXR file, when one of the following rates is used. It also supports writing that same information on export.

  • 23.97 fps
  • 24 fps
  • 25 fps
  • 29.97 fps
  • 30 fps

32-bit integer channels are seen as 12-bit clips in MediaHub.

Photoshop .psd yes no 8 or 16i bits

RGB and RGBA

Note: Supports both flattened and layered files. Rasterize any layer with shapes before saving the file to make sure those elements are available in Flame.
Pict (Macintosh®) .pict yes yes 8 bits
Note: Supports alpha.
Pixar .pxr yes yes 8 bits
Note: Supports alpha.
Portable Network Graphics .png yes no 8 or 16i bits
Note: Supports alpha.
SGI® .sgi yes yes 8 or 16i bits
Note: Supports alpha.
Softimage® .pic yes yes 8 bits
Note: Supports alpha.
TARGA® .tga yes yes 8 bits
Note: Supports alpha.
Tdi/Maya® .iff yes no 8 or 16i bits
Note: Supports alpha.
Tiff .tif yes yes 8 or 16i bits
Note: Supports alpha.
Wavefront® .rla yes yes 8 or 16i bits
Note: Supports alpha.
QuickTime
Format Extension Import Export Depth
Uncompressed 8-bit RGB (RAW) .mov yes yes  
Note: Supports alpha both RGB and RGBA import and export.
Uncompressed 8-bit VUY (2VUY) .mov yes yes 8-bit packed
Note: 4:2:2 codec.
Uncompressed 8-bit YUV (YUV2) .mov yes yes 8-bit packed
Note: 4:2:2 codec.
Uncompressed 10-bit RGB (R210) .mov yes yes  
Uncompressed 10-bit YUV (V210) .mov yes yes 10-bit packed
Note: 4:2:2 codec.
Apple Animation .mov yes no  
Note: Supports alpha.
Apple Graphics .mov yes no  
Apple® Video .mov yes no  
Cinepak .mov yes no  
Component Y’CbCr 8-bit 4:4:4 .mov yes no 8-bit planar
Component Y’CbCrA 8-bit 4:4:4:4 .mov yes no 8-bit planar
Component Y’CbCr 10-bit 4:4:4 .mov yes no 10-bit packed
Component Y’CbCr 10-bit 4:2:2 .mov yes no 10-bit packed
DV 25 .mov yes yes  
Note: NTSC & PAL

Although the specifications allow the DV format to be field 1 or 2, the industry standard is "bottom first". Thus, before exporting to Flame, ensure that the clip is Field 2. Reformat, if necessary.

DVCPRO 50 .mov yes yes  
Note: NTSC & PAL
DVCPRO HD .mov yes yes  
DNxHD .mov yes yes 8 and 10 bits
Note: Includes support for the following varieties: 36, 60, 75, 80, 85, 90, 90x, 100, 110, 110x, 115, 145, 175, 175x, 185, 185x, 220, 220x, 444 (sometimes known as 350x).
DNxHR .mov yes yes 8, 10, or 12 bits
Note: Supports the DNxHR family: 444, HQX, HQ, SQ, and LB. Supports import of Avid-created DNxHR files that are 10- or 12-bit.
H.264 .mov yes yes  
IMX .mov yes yes  
Note: Includes support for IMX 30, 40, and 50. When exporting, the Scan Mode box is ignored: NTSC clips are always exported as F2 dominant, while PAL clips are always exported as F1 dominant.
MJPEG .mov yes yes  
Note: JPEG compatible
MPEG-1 .mov yes no  
MPEG-4 .mov yes yes  
MSMpeg 4v3 (DivX) .mov yes no  
PhotoJPEG .mov yes no  
Note: RT PhotoJPEG compatible
PNG .mov yes yes  
Note: Without alpha channel support
PNGA .mov yes yes  
Note: With alpha channel support
ProRes 4444 (XQ) .mov yes yes 12-bit
ProRes 4444 .mov yes yes 12-bit
Note: Includes support for ProRes files from Sony F5 and F55 cameras.
ProRes 422 (HQ) .mov yes yes 10-bit
Note: Includes support for ProRes files from Sony F5 and F55 cameras.
ProRes 422 .mov yes yes 10-bit
Note: Includes support for ProRes files from Sony F5 and F55 cameras.
ProRes 422 (LT) .mov yes yes 10-bit
ProRes 422 (Proxy) .mov yes yes 10-bit
Quicktime Planar RGB .mov yes no  
TGA .mov yes no  
XDCAM .mov yes no  
XDCAM HD .mov yes no  
XDCAM EX .mov yes no  
Note: There is no essence-mode browsing in a QuickTime XDCAM EX.

The Supported QuickTime Audio table lists the audio codecs supported in QuickTime files.

Important: Movie files that contain multiple compressions are not supported and may display as checkerboard when scrubbed in MediaHub. Such movie files can be created when exporting a sequence made of different DNxHD / DNxHR media from Avid Media Composer, using the Same as Source export option.
Material Exchange Format
Format Extension Import Export Depth
AVC-Intra 50 .mxf yes yes  
Note: Panasonic P2.
AVC-Intra 100 .mxf yes yes  
Note: Panasonic P2. Import includes support for 1080/60p. Import supports OP-Atom format.
AVC-Intra 200 .mxf yes no  
Note: Panasonic P2. Supports 1080/25p, 1080/30p, 720/50p, and 720/60p.
AVC-Intra 4:2:2 HD mxf yes no
AVC-Intra LT mxf yes no
Note: AVC-Intra LT is encoded half-height to reduce data rate. Enable, in Format Specific Options for Panasonic, the option Image > Scale to Full Resolution to import the media at its full resolution.
AVC-Intra2K .mxf yes no  
Note: Supports the VariCam 35 and HS, both 4:2:2 and 4:4:4 flavours.
AVC-Intra4K .mxf yes no  
Note: Supports the VariCam 35 and HS, both 4:2:2 and 4:4:4 flavours.
AVC-LongG .mxf yes no  
Canon XF-AVC .mxf yes no  

Note:

  • Supports both intra and Long GOP flavours
  • Supports spanned clips.
DNxHD .mxf yes yes  
Note:
  • Includes support for the following varieties: 36, 60, 75, 80, 85, 90, 90x, 100, 110, 110x, 115, 145, 175, 175x, 185, 185x, 220, 220x, 444 (sometimes known as 350x).
  • Supports DNxHD in .mxf files from ARRI ALEXA cameras.
  • Supports OP-1a media files from Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve (DNxHD 100 and 444).
  • Supports DNxHD 220x and 145 from Sony PMW-F5 and F55.
  • In MXF Op-Atom files generated by Avid Media Composer, audio tracks appear in the MediaHub as a single audio channel file (A1). But once imported, the tracks display the original channels.
DNxHR .mxf yes no 8, 10, or 12 bits
Note:
  • Supports the DNxHR family: 444, HQX, HQ, SQ, and LB.
  • Supports import of Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve DNxHR files, but only if they are OP-1a (OP-Atom files from DaVinci Resolve are not supported).
  • Supports import of Avid-created DNxHR files that are 10- or 12-bit, using OP-1a or OP-Atom.
DV 25 .mxf yes no  
Note: Panasonic P2
DVCPRO .mxf yes yes  
Note: Panasonic P2
DVCPRO 50 .mxf yes yes  
Note: Panasonic P2 (PAL & NTSC)
DVCPRO HD .mxf yes yes  
Note: Panasonic P2. Available in 1080p@25/50, 1080p@24/30/60, 720p@25/50, and 720p@24/30/60.
SonyRAW .mxf yes no  
Note: Flame uses Sony's SDK to decode SonyRAW files created with Camera Firmware 7.0. It includes support for Sony F65, F55, and F5 camera outputs. Supports ISO / Exposure Index information.
Sony SStP .mxf yes yes  
Note: Sony's implementation of MPEG-4 Simple Studio Profile, part of the SRMASTER format.

Supported Sony SStP formats:

  • SR-Lite (10-bit / YUV 422 / 220 Mbps)
  • SR-SQ (10-bit / YUV 422 / 440 Mbps)
  • SR-SQ (10-bit / YUV 444 / 440 Mbps)
  • SR-HQ (10-bit or 12-bit RGB 444 / 880 Mbps)

These formats are supported in 1280x720 (50p, 59.94p), 1920x1080 (23.97p, 24p, 25p, 25i, 29.97p, 29,97i, 50p, 59,94p), 2048x1080 (23,97/24/25PsF) with up to 16 tracks of PCM audio.

XAVC .mxf yes yes  
Note: Includes support for Sony F55 and F5 camera, recorded in HD and 4K. Includes support for Long GOP files (Sony XAVC-Long format), as recorded by cameras such as the PXW-Z100.
XDCAM .mxf yes no  
Note: MPEG-2 IMX-30, IMX-40, and IMX-50
XDCAM HD .mxf yes yes  
Note: MPEG-2 Long GOP. Import supports 4:2:0 and 4:2:2. Export is 4:2:2.
Note: Flame exports MXF as OP-1a files (including the timecode). The is audio encoded as PCM, 16-Bit or 24-Bit. Avid applications support OP-Atom MXF files: use the AMA MXF plug-in to bring the OP-1a files into an Avid application.
MP4
Format Extension Import Export Depth
H.264 .mp4 yes no  
XAVC-S .mp4 yes no  
Note: Supports up to 4 tracks of 16-bit PCM audio.
XDCAM EX .mp4 yes no  
Note: MPEG-2 Long GOP. Includes supports for High Frame Rate (HFR) media—50p, 59.94p, 60p.—
Other Streaming Codecs
Format Extension Import Export Depth
AVCHD .mts or .m2ts yes no  
Only linear PCM audio is supported. Some cameras can record AC-3 audio, but this format is not supported: Flame can still access the video portion of the media.
REDCODE .r3d yes no 12, 16fp bits
Flame uses RED SDK 6.2.1, including support for the RED HELIUM sensor, REDWideGamutRGB color space, and for the RED Weapon (8K) and RED Raven (4K) cameras.
Audio File Formats
Format Extension Import Export Depth
AIFF .aiff yes yes 16 or 24 bits
AIFF-C .aifc yes yes 16, 24, 32fp bits
Audio Visual Research .avr yes yes 16 bits
Berkeley/IRCAM/CARL Sound (BISCF) .bsf yes yes 16 bits
MP3 .mp3 yes yes 16 bits
Nextsnd .au yes yes 16, 24, 32fp bits
WAVE .wav yes   16, 24, 32fp bits
WAVE - Broadcast .wav yes yes 16, 24, 32fp bits
Note: Includes support for RF64 files (BWF-compatible format that supports files larger than 4 GB).
WAVE - Extensible .wav yes no 16, 24, 32fp bits
Note: Audio tracks are imported as regular audio tracks, without mapping the channels to spatial locations.
Note: Files of any sample rate can be imported, but they are all resampled to 48 kHz.
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Related Concepts