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render vs pre-render
Hi, to maximise my work flow, and minimise time (waiting for my computer to respond!) can you suggest which is better and why ??
I have a PP project with a few sequences, one of which was replaced with an AE comp. The AE comp using some heavy effects and will take FOREVER to render, sooo…
should i render or pre-render in AE
or should i close AE and let PP render the sequence?(all footage is Uncompressed, so i’m expecting multiple renders to not be a quality issue)
Please advise, J
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15 Replies
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In most cases rendering and exporting from AE is the best way to go. AE renders its projects faster (especially using the Multiprocessor option) then PrP does.
Tom Daigon
PrP / After Effects Editor
http://www.hdshotsandcuts.com
Mac Pro 3,1
8 core
10.7.3
Nvidia Quadro 4000
24 gigs ram
Maxx Digital / Areca 8tb. raid
Kona 3 -
As similar alternative…
in your AE project…
in the project panel….
If you right click the comp and choose make a proxy, simply set the render settings as if you were doing a full quality render.
In this way,
you get the benefit of using an underlying computed render
controlling where that render lives (so you can archive it with your project)
and the ability to jump back in and edit the comp at any time via the dynmaic link entry in your ppro sequence.
hope that helps…
Alex Udell
Editing, Motion Graphics, and Visual FX -
Alex, I may be missing something in why you are doing what you are doing, but here goes.
Its my understanding you can tell AE to include XMP information with the rendered movie. So when I render and export a movie from AE, then import it into PrP and drop it on the timeline, if I want to make changes in that movie at some time I just select “Edit Original” and it knows which AE project to open from that XMP data included in the movie.
Well , even if I misinterpreted your work flow, this is still a good thing to know when using PrP and AE in tandem. 😀
Tom Daigon
PrP / After Effects Editor
http://www.hdshotsandcuts.com
Mac Pro 3,1
8 core
10.7.3
Nvidia Quadro 4000
24 gigs ram
Maxx Digital / Areca 8tb. raid
Kona 3 -
THanks for the feedback. However i am getting really fed up with AE. Its just crashed and made a right mess of things AGAIN.
(my pc is new and high spec, and only Win7 and CS5 on it)Should i be cursing Adobe, or After Effects, or Warp Stabilizer ?
When i prerendered it finished after 3 hours (!) but the resulting file had a different aspect ration to the original. (Annoying!!!!)
Oddly it would not play back in realtime, even after doing the Replace With New (sorry dont remember the exact terminology).
And when i tried to save and close, to return to PP (using dynamic link) Everything crashed.
So i’m beginning to think Either Dynamic Link or Warp Stabilizer is buggy and should be avoided.
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Ive been using CS6 (AE / Dynamic Link / Warp Stabilizer) without problems for the last 6 months.
Lots of issues have been resolved since CS5.
Tom Daigon
PrP / After Effects Editor
http://www.hdshotsandcuts.com
Mac Pro 3,1
8 core
10.7.3
Nvidia Quadro 4000
24 gigs ram
Maxx Digital / Areca 8tb. raid
Kona 3 -
[Tom Daigon] “Alex, I may be missing something in why you are doing what you are doing, but here goes.”
Hi Tom…
there is nothing at all wrong with what you are doing. I’ve operated that way for many years.
Here’s my point:
when you use “replace with AE COMP” in PPro
your clips in the sequence are replaced with an AE comp.
now you jump to AE and build your effect…
with you method…you bring the render result back
as “and additional clip in the project panel and in the timeline.”
depending on how anal one is about keeping original source, the dynamic link clip, and now the resulting render in the sequence, things need to be “grouped”, nested, or some other method of keeping them organized.
In my method,
once you get to AE
and you use the create proxy method as a way to make your AE render….
back in premiere…no extra media on the timeline or project panel.
That Dynamic link clip that is in your PPro sequence is pointing at a hard render (which you can determine the location of for project media management), yet still have the dynamic link elegance of quick access to the underlying AE comp directly from the PPro timeline.
You can also use the AE render queue to batch out versions when things change.
So it’s PPro pointing to AE COMP which is pointing to dedicated render file. so essentially and single media stream and easy for PPro to play. yet with the click of button….you can instantly be soft and editable again to make changes.
Sort of like poor mans “Global Performance CacHE” for PPro….
However, I guess depending on how you set up your AE Global perf cache in CS6….it might negate this entirely…but I still think it’s useful…
that help?
Alex
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To be honest I am not following the work flow.Probably because I almost never use proxies.
If you get a moment, a step by step break down (like 1…2…3…) of what you do would be helpful. Its sounds intriguing but not clear at the moment.
Tom Daigon
PrP / After Effects Editor
http://www.hdshotsandcuts.com
Mac Pro 3,1
8 core
10.7.3
Nvidia Quadro 4000
24 gigs ram
Maxx Digital / Areca 8tb. raid
Kona 3 -
THanks guys,
thats some really good information there. Exactly what i needed to hear.
I like the idea of finishing it all off in AE, so i only have a link in PP… So i’ll be looking into proxies…You’ve really helped me move in the right direction.
Thanks. -
Hey Alex Im still very interested in hearing more about your AE / Proxy workflow with PrP.
If you get a moment, a step by step break down (like 1…2…3…) of what you do would be helpful. Its sounds intriguing but Im not clear of exactly what you are doing .
Tom Daigon
PrP / After Effects Editor
http://www.hdshotsandcuts.com
Mac Pro 3,1
8 core
10.7.3
Nvidia Quadro 4000
24 gigs ram
Maxx Digital / Areca 8tb. raid
Kona 3 -
Hi Tom….
1) Starting From PPro Use any normal method to create a Dynamic link clip in a PPro Seq. Like “replace with AE COMP”
2) In after effects do something that comp. create fx. whatever you want.
3) Save your AE Project
4) In AE Project Panel: Right Click the Dynamic Link Comp icon. In the context Menu choose “Create Proxy>Movie” this will add the comp to the RenderQueue
5) Unless your intent is to make low res previews….adjust your settings in the render queue.
a) Quality Best
b) Resolution Full
c) Choose a codec that’s optimized for your workflow in PPro6) Specify a Render Output Location. However you organize your material, realize that these aren’t temp files but finished renders.
7) either add more comps to the Queue as in the above steps OR render
8) Once the render is complete you will notice:
a) a bright red bar at the bottom of the comp viewport that says proxy enabled. This means that what is being played and displayed in the viewport is the file you just generated.
b) look at the project panel in AE. to the left edge of the comp name you will notice a small gray square. This also indicates that a proxy has been attached to this comp. Clicking the square enables/disables the proxy. When disabled, the square will be holow and you can edit your comp as normal. When the square is filled, you won’t see changes you make toyour comp, because it’s currently looking at the already rendered file.9) Save AE project again…
10 Back in Premiere…nothing to do….edit trim and change as normal. the dynamic clip in the PPro sequence is referencing the AE Project/comp. The AE COMP is (or in’t) looking at the proxy. Depeding on your setup. If you have to make changes to the comp, disable the proxy, change the comp, and leave it live or make a new proxy….your choice….
How’s that?
Alex
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