RAM preview NOT REALTIME

[Adolfo Rozenfeld]

Color Management does affect RAM preview playback performance, because it has to apply a color transform on the fly. Note that AE displays a red warning in the Info panel about this.
But you’re right – such a powerful computer should be able to keep up easily, considering that lesser models can do it (sometimes it takes a couple of loops for it to achieve full frame rate). If you leave the RAM preview range looping, does it eventually play back at full frame rate?
Also, make sure the RAM preview frame rate and resolution settings are both set to “Auto”, and that view magnification and Resolution match in the Comp panel (ie, 100 per cent magnification/full resolution, 50 per cent/half, etc). As of CS4, there’s a new “auto” option in the Resolution menu, which is really handy to keep Resolution in sync when view magnification/zoom changes.

I have heard from half a dozen users with Mac Pros having similar issues with RAM previews playback. If the tips I mentioned above don’t work for you, it could also be your case. There could be a very specific issue with a specific configuration. We’re trying to find out.

When you say “no video card installed”, do you mean a video I/O card (Decklink, AJA, etc) or a display card (Nvidia, ATI)?

Adolfo Rozenfeld · Adobe

[Jens Schneider]

Adolfo, that was fast! wow!

I’ve let it run for about 5 or 6 cycles but RAM preview ends up at around 14fps.

everything is else is set the way you’ve described it.

by video card I meant video I/O, sorry if I got you confused.
I am normally using an AJA IO HD for broadcast preview but not in this case. the IO HD is switched off, After Effects is set to “computer monitor only”.

my graphics card is an ati radeon HD4870 if that info helps …

the weird thing is IT WORKED FINE a couple of weeks ago. then all of a sudden this.

if you need any more info on my system I’d be more than happy to provide you.

thanks in advance.

[Brian Tario]

You may have been referring to my post in early July about my problems with AE CS4. It’s called something like “CS4 performs worse than CS3”. I have a very similar problem to yours and have no resolution yet. I can only get 8 fps! If you figure out a solution PLEASE post it! I’ll do the same. Thanks, Brian

[Adolfo Rozenfeld]

Brian:
As I said in an earlier message, Adobe is aware that some users are experiencing this issue. So far I have heard this from about 6-7 users (out of hundreds of thousands!), and all of them are on 8-core Mac Pros.
Unfortunately, as I told you on our e-mail exchange, I don’t have more information to share yet.

Jens: If you want, please do send full configuration details and contact info so I can add it to the report: arozenfe(usualsign)adobe.com

Adolfo Rozenfeld · Adobe

[Erik Lindahl]

I can experiment a bit more at work tomorrow but I stumbled across this as well when we upgraded to CS4 at the studio. We’ve got an 8-core MacPro as well. I however managed to sort the problem out – it was either video-out put related or the resolution / zoom level factor bugging out. Seeing you don’t use a video-card on the machine it does sound a bit odd.

I will also be putting a Radeon 4870 card in our studio machine shortly, let’s hope that’s not the bad apple in the basket so to speak.

Seeing there is an Adobe rep monitoring this two features in regards to the PREVIEW of AE that would help a lot are:

1. An option to only use the multi-core rendering on output to file. It can cause some very odd behaviour when dealing with RAM previews.

2. An option to display “Rendering…” while rendering. This would really make clients ask less / get less worried when their footage is crawing at 1 frame per second 🙂

Erik Lindahl
Freecloud Communication
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[Jens Schneider]

I’ll collect the info and get back to you.

thank you very much.

[Jens Schneider]

ok, you won’t believe this, but I just tried to RAM preview something with my AJA IO HD connected and it worked!

I’m getting 32bpc color managed preview in realtime if I leave “mirror on computer monitor” unchecked.
as soon as I switch it on OR set the video preview to “computer monitor only” realtime playback is gone.

how weird is that?!

maybe this info helps in some way to find an answer.

[Adolfo Rozenfeld]

Yes, it’s extremely weird 🙁

Please do send me your configuration to the e-mail address above (so I can also attach the e-mail address to the report):
Mac Pro model
Graphics card
Mac OS version (for example, 10.5.7)
Quicktime version
RAM amount
OpenGL mode (Interactive, Always On, off)
Color Management: or or off
Render Multiple Frames Simulataneously: on or off
Preferences > Display > Harware Accelerate Compostion, layer and footage panels: on or off
Video out: on or off, and which device.

Thanks!

Adolfo Rozenfeld · Adobe

[Brian Tario]

Wow! I’m still stunned, but apparently my problem is fixed. I just uninstalled the AJA Plug-ins for CS4 and poof, I’m able to RAM preview at 29.97 fps in realtime on a 1080 comp (of low complexity). I’m getting video preview through my Kona LHe to my broadcast monitor, mirrored on the desktop. The whole enchilada, as it normally should be.

Thanks to AJA for another excellent tech support experience! Apparently the plug-ins for everything in the CS4 suite EXCEPT After Effects work fine. The AE plug-in is a bit “touchy”. I can’t tell you how happy I am that this is apparently over. I’m also cross-posting this in my original thread on CS3 performing better than CS4. Thanks!

[Adolfo Rozenfeld]

Hello, Brian.
I am so glad to hear RAM previews are performing as expected again!
I am pretty sure we discussed video out/video desktop as a possible culprit, right?

Adolfo Rozenfeld · Adobe