Is it possible to import layered PSD files in Motion?

I'm using Motion 5.2.3 and Adobe Photoshop CS6 and I save a file with a bunch o' different layers as a PSD file. I want to manipulate each layer independently in Motion. But it imports has a single merged layer. This happens regardless of if I just drag the file in from the desktop or go through the import menu. There seems to be no way to import them as individually manipulatable layers.

you followed advice from the Manual?

Adding Layered Photoshop Files to a Project
You can add a layered Photoshop file to your project by dragging it to the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline, or by using the Import button or Import command. Using the Import button (in the preview area) collapses all layers of the Photoshop file into a single Motion layer, by default. To preserve the layers of the imported file, use the drop menu or the File > Import command.

To add a layered Photoshop file using the drop menu
Drag a layered Photoshop file from the File Browser into the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline.

Before releasing the mouse button, pause until the Canvas drop menu appears and pointer becomes curved.

This menu presents commands for importing the layered file.

Continuing to hold down the mouse button, drag the curved pointer over a command in the drop menu, and when the menu item is highlighted, release the mouse button.

The layers of the Photoshop file are added using the command you choose.

The Canvas drop menu has the following options:

Import Merged Layers: All layers of the Photoshop file are collapsed into a single Motion layer.
Import All Layers: A group is created and nested in the group. Each layer of the Photoshop file is preserved as a separate Motion layer in this new group.
[Individual layers]: Each layer in the Photoshop file appears as a separate item in the drop menu. Selecting a layer adds only that layer to the project, where it appears as a single Motion layer.
Note: When a Photoshop file contains more layers than can be displayed in the drop menu, the Choose Layer option appears in the drop menu. After you click the Choose Layer option, the Pick Layer to Import dialog appears.

To add a layered Photoshop file using the Import command
Choose File > Import.

Select the layered Photoshop file to import, then click Import.

The Pick Layer to Import dialog appears.

Choose a command from the Layer Name pop-up menu:

Merged Layers: All layers of the Photoshop file are collapsed into a single Motion layer.
All Layers: A group is created and nested in the selected group. Each layer of the Photoshop file is preserved as a separate Motion layer in this group.
[Individual layers]: Each layer in the Photoshop file appears as a separate item in the drop menu. Selecting a layer adds only that layer to the project, where it appears as a single Motion layer.
If you don’t like the layer you chose, you can pick a different one from the Photoshop file without deleting or importing again. You do so by selecting the recently imported Photoshop layer, then choosing a different Photoshop layer from the Layer pop-up menu in the Properties Inspector.

help.apple.com/motion/mac/5.0/en/motion/...ual-90915BMP-1014319

When I do File->Import... and choose a photoshop file with layers, I get a dialog allowing me to decide how to import: "Merged Layers", "All Layers", or a just specific layer.
You'd want "All Layers".

I found that the layers chooser doesn't appear if I try to import directly into the Media tab. But if I first select the Layers tab or a layer in the timeline, the "Merged or All Layers" chooser appears.

It's all right here:
help.apple.com/motion/mac/5.2/#/motn1252ba5a

Yep. Seen all that. Never get a dialog asking if I want to preserve layers.

I think it must be the PSD itself. I just created a test PSD file and it imports properly. But the other one doesn't. Can't figure out why.

EDIT: Figured it out. Image was 16-bit and Motion isn't powerful enough to handle layers with that many bits. Changing it to 8-bit mode allows the layers to import.

Redifer wrote: … Motion isn't powerful enough to handle layers with that many bits. …

What video-codec - Motion is for video - supports 16bit??

Motion only supports 8-bit, RGB .psd files.
If it's 16-bit, YMCK, won't work.
Always has been like this.

Redifer wrote: ... Motion isn't powerful enough to handle layers with that many bits. Changing it to 8-bit mode allows the layers to import.

It's not really a matter of 'power' but the fact that every codec you can export to from Motion and FCP X is also 8 bit color ... no reason to code for 16 bit still image compatibility if that data is never going to be utilized. Adding the code to offer Motion the extra power to work with 16 bit images would amount to nothing more than bloat.

It's like a solid gold diamond, studded gas cap on a 1995 clunker Toyota Celica ... sure, it looks nice ... but serves no useful purpose in the end.

10-bit would be accurate, I believe. An 8-bit limitation would be a death sentence.

Thomas Brooks wrote: 10-bit would be accurate, I believe. An 8-bit limitation would be a death sentence.

8-bit per channel is the usual color depth on the vast majority of image files (corresponding to 32-bit pixels including alpha channel).

16-bit is of little use for video, as has already been stated. Zero support.

Support for display of 10-bit images in OS X only seems to exist in El Capitan; only the most recent iMacs support actual display of 10-bit images. Support in application software is virtually non-existent.

No need to make excuses for Motion, guys. At least After Effects can import 16-bit PSD files and retain layers. Also why does FCPX export 16-bit image files when you save a frame if Motion doesn't like them? Silly Apple. This is what I dragged into Photoshop and modified before taking to Motion. Adobe does things right in this instance. Motion should be able to retain layers when importing such a file even if it auto-converts to 8 or 10-bit. No reason not to. It's about importing, not exporting. But make excuses if you must. Nobody can convince me that Motion should NOT be able to do this.

You're right, the solution is simple ... After Effects is the better tool. Adobe got it right. For the price of Motion (per month for the rest of your career) you can manipulate 16 bit images to your heart's content using Premier Pro, After Effects and Photoshop.

Or, you could simply convert the layered image to 8-bit before you save it out to send to Motion. You can even create an action to do it in one click. Even if Apple would offer the function to arbitrarily reduce it from 16 to 8 bit behind the scene ... what useful function does the 16 bit image offer? Now if we are talking getting Motion to work with original 16 bit RAW image capture data files ... I'm in. But hyper-extended 8-bit files posing as 16 bit images ... not so much.

I agree that FCP X can save a 16-bit image from the share function ... I always thought it needless as all it does s create additional data that offers no additional useful quality to the original image. It merely ties up more storage space than it's worth.

Seems to me the only inconvenience is that your 16-bit layers have to be imported one at a time. Is the color precision up to 10-bit preserved all the way to a 10-bit ProRes or other export format? I don't know, I'd hate to have the software bake in 8-bit banding artifacts if my output is to a 10-bit panel or projector.

ButchM wrote: For the price of Motion (per month for the rest of your career)

Nonsense. I have CS6, remember? I don't like renting software. So for the price of what I paid for long, long ago.

ButchM wrote: I agree that FCP X can save a 16-bit image from the share function ... I always thought it needless as all it does s create additional data that offers no additional useful quality to the original image. It merely ties up more storage space than it's worth.

Agree. There's no real reason for FCPX to export like this. But looking at it, it seems to be the ONLY way to export unless you export as a lossy JPEG. I exported as PNG.

Thomas Brooks wrote: Is the color precision up to 10-bit preserved all the way to a 10-bit ProRes or other export format?

I don't see why it wouldn't be if you were using and editing in 10-bit ProRes.

It would be great to see more supported formats in Motion and Final Cut Pro X?
For example Pixelmator, Affinity-Photo-Design and Illustrator.

What you guys think?

At risk of going off topic, I saved a frame from FCX in all of the available types. Biggest file was Photoshop, then TIFF, DPX, OpenEXR, and the smallest was JPG. Only the DPX was not importable to Motion. Motion showed the OpenEXR file as 16-bit Float, the JPG as Millions of Colors (8 bits per color channel), and the rest as 16-bit.

By placing my FCX clip above the main storyline as a connected clip, I could export the frames with an alpha channel in PSD, TIFF, PNG, and OpenEXR formats.

The OpenEXR, when opened in Photoshop CS6, is shown as 32 bits per channel. I suspect it's 16 bits per color channel and a 16 bit alpha channel, but I can't confirm.

Motion interpreted the alphas as follows: TIFF-pre-mult black, PSD-straight, PNG-straight, EXR-pre-mult black.

I might say that the PNG is the best all-around choice with its small size, 16 bits, and alpha channel. The EXR also looks very good. For those who are more worried about file size, the 8-bit JPG is great. If you need to preserve color depth as part of an effects workflow, the 16-bit images are an advantage. The EXR format looks interesting for this purpose.