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Can I work in 8bit space and change it to 32bit before export?
Hi!
I would like to use 32bit color space in AE in order to have the best possible quality. However it seems to slow down AE quite a bit while I’m working so I think it would be best to do the work in 8bit color space and change it to 32bit just before exporting (or using Dynamic Link). I’m simply writing to ask you experts if this will work the way I suppose or is there something I need to consider before working like this?
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6 Replies
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[andy bay] “I’m simply writing to ask you experts if this will work the way I suppose or is there something I need to consider before working like this?”
You can do this but I wouldn’t recommend it. Firstly you won’t see any of the super-white benefits of 32bpc if you create effects and composite in 8bpc and switch to 32bpc. The only place you’ll potentially see benefit is in reduced banding in gradients and blurs… and even then you’ll most likely be rendering to an 8bpc codec. In addition many of the effects in AE are not 32bpc capable.
If you want to work this way then I would recommend changing to 16bpc instead of 32bpc as this will change the look of your compositions less.
Darby Edelen
Lead Designer
Left Coast Digital
Santa Cruz, CA -
Thank you very much for your reply!
Actually avoiding banding is THE reason why I would like to use 32-bit color space, so I’m very glad you mentioned it! At this point I won’t need super whites or any advanced effects, mostly my work is just masking with large amounts of feather. That feathering shows easily up as banding if I work only in 8bit.
So in this particular case, would you recommend the workflow we are talking about?From AE I’m planning to take the video to Premiere using Dynamic Link and from Premiere I will render out as Lossles avi. Does this make any sense?
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The two methods I would recommend for reducing banding in your case are:
1) Adding a very small amount of noise to the entire composition, try an adjustment layer or nesting it and applying noise.
2) Working in 16bpc, not 32bpc
Darby Edelen
Lead Designer
Left Coast Digital
Santa Cruz, CA -
[Darby Edelen] “2) Working in 16bpc, not 32bpc”
Hi Darby,
Just curious. Why would working in 16bit as opposed to 32 further reduce banding? Or is 32 just overkill?Joey B
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[Joey Burnham] “Why would working in 16bit as opposed to 32 further reduce banding? Or is 32 just overkill? “
32bpc is overkill if you’re just trying to reduce banding. 16bpc should be enough to minimize most rounding errors.
Darby Edelen
Lead Designer
Left Coast Digital
Santa Cruz, CA -
Ok, advice taken!
Thank you very much for your input!
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