# Import image sequence based on filename

**URL:** <https://discuss.pencil2d.org/t/import-image-sequence-based-on-filename/3117>\
**Category:** Feature Requests\
**Created:** [30 September 2018 21:48 UTC](https://discuss.pencil2d.org/t/import-image-sequence-based-on-filename/3117 "2018-09-30T21:48:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![davidlamhauge](https://discuss.pencil2d.org/user_avatar/discuss.pencil2d.org/davidlamhauge/32/280_2.png) [@davidlamhauge](https://discuss.pencil2d.org/u/davidlamhauge)\
**Post date:** [30 September 2018 21:48 UTC](https://discuss.pencil2d.org/t/import-image-sequence-based-on-filename/3117/1 "2018-09-30T21:48:56Z")

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Some animators, like myself, still animate on paper and scan the drawings, import them and finish the work in Pencil2D or similar software.  
Say I have an animation with a person who listens, blinks, and turns his head.  
I have two layers ‘Head’ and ‘Eyes’, and my drawings are called ‘Head01’, ‘Head49’, ‘Head51’ and so on. The same with the eyes.  
It could be a nice feature, if Pencil2D could place all ‘Head’-drawings on the ‘Head’-layer, at the corresponding frame numbers.  
I don’t know how many would use this feature, but I certainly would. Maybe I should try to implement it myself…🤔

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**Author:** ![JoseMoreno](https://discuss.pencil2d.org/user_avatar/discuss.pencil2d.org/josemoreno/32/7_2.png) [@JoseMoreno](https://discuss.pencil2d.org/u/JoseMoreno)\
**Post date:** [30 September 2018 23:22 UTC](https://discuss.pencil2d.org/t/import-image-sequence-based-on-filename/3117/2 "2018-09-30T23:22:59Z")

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Yes! I think it would be great If Pencil2D could import based on a numbering sequence and assign it to the appropriate frame as well.

- Such feature should probably import each filename-based sequence on it’s own layer, using the alphabetical part of the string to rename the create layer.
- It would probably require a small interface give proper layer order upon import too.
- Also it would be great if we had customizable rules for importing the sequence. For example, let’s say we have the Head000.png and Eye\_0001.png. It should allow us to customize how many digits can be received (instead of crashing or something else) and to differentiate the name from the numbering and a possible separator(s) as well.

Something to consider as well would be that since the current internal naming of an image sequence goes like _layerIndexPosition.frameNumber.fileType_ I think there should be an internal conversion to this nomenclature, but I don’t know if we should let the program do that (since it does already) or force it to happen before importing.

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**Author:** ![davidlamhauge](https://discuss.pencil2d.org/user_avatar/discuss.pencil2d.org/davidlamhauge/32/280_2.png) [@davidlamhauge](https://discuss.pencil2d.org/u/davidlamhauge)\
**Post date:** [1 October 2018 04:19 UTC](https://discuss.pencil2d.org/t/import-image-sequence-based-on-filename/3117/3 "2018-10-01T04:19:30Z")

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Animators who are going to use this feature are organized people, compared to the happy-go-lucky guy who opens Pencil2D and starts animating.  
For this reason we maybe could set rules for filenaming? Layer name + four digits + ‘.png’, or whatever recognizable fileformat is used?  
Layer name should of course be the same on all files, and valid numbers are from ‘0001’ to ‘9999’.