• Adobe After Effects

  Should I crop images before editing them in AE to render fast?

  Posted by Yousuke Tadokoro on January 30, 2013 at 3:48 am

  Hello. I am using AE CS6 win version.
  Right now, I am editing my animation in AE. I made the animation in photoshop using its timeline, and I rendered all images as a PNG image sequence with alpha channel. Size of the sequence is 1000 x 1000 pixel. And I imported those PNGs into AE, and put them into 500 x 500 pixel compositon.

  And I have a question, should I crop PNG images to 500 x 500 pixel before importing them into AE? I checked file size of those PNG files, and non-cropped single 1000×1000 pixel PNG is 15 KB, but cropped single 500×500 pixel PNG is 7 KB. It’s a big difference.

  I thought I don’t need to crop my image, because I put them into 500 x 500 pixel composition, it means AE won’t render all area of those PNGs, and those PNG images are covered with transparent areas, like a PNG file below.(I uploaded this image to explain my situation, but I am not editing it. I am editing hand drawing images.)
  Though I don’t render all area, pixel size and Alpha data of PNGs has some effect on rendering time in AE? If so, I should have cropped…
  Please tell me what is the best choice to render fast in AE while editing. Thank you in advance.
  

  Vishesh Arora replied 13 years, 6 months ago 3 Members · 4 Replies
• 4 Replies

• 

  Vishesh Arora

  January 30, 2013 at 7:18 am

  Yousuke
  
  those PNG images are covered with transparent areas, like a PNG file below.

  The PNG that you have uploaded does not contain the Alpha Channel.

  I would suggest you to import the PNG sequence in AE , put that sequence in 500 x 500 comp and Pre-Render it and then Work on the effects part.

  Vishesh Arora
  3D and Motion Graphics Artist
  Films Rajendra

  Blog:
  https://digieffects.wordpress.com

  2011 3D Demo Reel:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHPgIJU_BR8
• 

  Tudor “ted” jelescu

  January 30, 2013 at 10:23 am

  I would crop only if I knew that I do not want to change things later (re-size or move). Vishesh suggested a method or you can do it in PSD. However, at the size you are working with it will not make that much of a difference in AE on a decent machine. You will notice a difference at larger sizes (for example if you crop a 4k image to HD…)

  Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
  Senior VFX Artist
• 

  Yousuke Tadokoro

  January 31, 2013 at 9:17 am

  Thank you for your reply guys. That PNG has no alpha? Sorry.
  If there is no difference in rendering time, I won’t crop it.
• 

  Vishesh Arora

  January 31, 2013 at 9:18 am

  Glad to help

  Vishesh Arora
  3D and Motion Graphics Artist
  Films Rajendra

  Blog:
  https://digieffects.wordpress.com

  2011 3D Demo Reel:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHPgIJU_BR8

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