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CS4 RAM Preview Problems
System Info: I’m running a very new Mac Pro (8 x 2.66 GHz cores; 16 GB RAM) with CS4 Production Premium, FCS2 and a few other apps installed. I just did a completely clean install of this system last week so everything if very current. The OS, QT, all apps, etc. I have some plug-ins installed too (BCC6, AJA for CS4, most Trapcode, a few Red Giant, Zax Invig Pro, etc.). This also has a AJA Kona LHe and a Areca RAID card in it.
AE Specifics: Video preview with the Kona is turned off. Previews are set to Adaptive Res/OpenGL off. Multi proc is on with 2 GB RAM per CPU and only 4 CPUs being used for AE. That leaves tons of resources for other apps/processes. RAM preview is set to skip 1 frame. Trying to preview a 1080p, 29.97 fps comp of low complexity at quarter res. I’m getting about 8 fps! This just doesn’t make any sense to me. I’ve never had any problems with RAM previews in 9 years of AE use. What am I doing wrong? Please help, thanks, Brian
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10 Replies
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Have you tried switching off OpenGL and then restarting AE?
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“If you have video footage in the comp, is it still HDV footage or did you capture & convert it to something like ProRes, which will give you far fewer headaches in AE because there’s no long-gop, interframe compression involved? “
This shouldn’t affect RAM preview playback, since once a preview it’s built, it’s uncompressed video.
I think the problem is very likely that your RAM preview resolution settings don’t match the Comp. Is the RAM preview resolution and frame set to auto, or resolution specifically to quarter? Anything else would produce a mismatch, which is what you want to avoid.
Adolfo Rozenfeld · Adobe
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OpenGL was enabled in the prefs, but disabling it and restarting had no affect on the preview. It’s still about 8fps.
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No footage at all actually. This is strictly an AE generated project with some bitmap and vector GFX/image assets. And it’s really not that heavy. Minimal effects and minimal moves…mostly in 2D too!
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My RAM preview settings are auto for fps and resolution. Setting it to skip 1 or 2 frames gives me a non-real time playback of about 8 fps. Setting it to skip 5 frames gives me real time playback, but only at 5 fps. That’s great that it’s real time, but at such a low frame rate, it’s not very useful.
I really appreciate all your help, please keep it coming! Thanks!
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Again, the kind of content or the complexity of the features doesn’t affect RAM preview playback. That’s why you build a RAM preview 🙂
Brian, you can get full frame rate RAM previews on computers with a fraction of the power. No need to skip frames. So there’s something not set up properly. Does the AJA have a video desktop? I don’t mean the video preview feature in AE, but some of this cards allow you to send a second desktop to a video monitor. Make sure this is turned off. Of course, I am just trying to guess.
Adolfo Rozenfeld · Adobe
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you can get full frame rate RAM previews on computers with a fraction of the power. No need to skip frames
Absolutely true. This is insanely frustrating for that very reason.
Does the AJA have a video desktop? I don’t mean the video preview feature in AE, but some of this cards allow you to send a second desktop to a video monitor. Make sure this is turned off
I’m not sure I’m following you. While I do have a broadcast monitor connected to the Kona I don’t use it as a computer monitor. I have 2 CRTs for that purpose. I believe AJA offers two plug-in options and I chose the one that doesn’t give the ability to use a broadcast monitor as a computer monitor. Is that what you mean?
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Thanks Dave, I appreciate your help. But no, the video preview is set to “Computer Monitor Only”. I’ve also disabled OpenGL in the Previews tab. And called AJA tech support. And opened a ticket with Adobe support.
Are you running CS4 on a current Mac too? Is it working for you? I’m also getting weird intermittent render problems. Freezing, jumping – within the rendered QT file. Too bad I don’t get paid for troubleshooting! Very frustrating…
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I’m having all these problems.
I have the new 2009 Model MacPro. It has 16 Gigs of ram. 8x2G sticks all from the same manufacturer all installed correctly.I can’t get long ram previews, and I’m using a Kona card to go out to a SD color accurate monitor, and can’t get full frame playback.
I’ve tried with the black magic card, I get like 8 frames a second. Then switched to the Kona LHi and get like 18. It doesn’t make sense to me that I can’t get full frame play back from AE to my preview monitor with these cards. Isn’t that what they are designed for?
Final Cut lets works perfectly down scaling 720p to the 480 monitor.I can however get full frame playback when I turn off my preview to the cards and just run it in the AE window. I also have the OpenGL settings turned off. Not sure what to do? is AE CS4 just a lemon? Everyone seems to have problems with it.
All I want is Longer Ram previews like in CS3. And I hate waiting 2 minutes for the ram preview to start and I want to be able to see the ram preview through my external color monitor. What can I do?
Alik Griffin
http://www.AlikGriffin.com -
Check out this thread: https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/2/960605
It details how my problem was resolved, maybe the same will work for you. Good luck!
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