-
Reduce file size of tga sequence?
Hi, I was wondering if anyone knows how to reduce the file size of a tga sequence? When I export my files from After Effects, the only settings I see for reducing the file size is the RLE compression, which I did turn on, but the file sizes are still too big for the client’s system to read. (And I need it to be 32bit because there’s alpha).
Currently a single frame is about 480kb, but they require it to be around 300kb per frame. And the system can only read tga sequences so I can’t use like a png sequence, which is considerably smaller at 200kb per frame.I tried exporting it out as a mov and png sequence, and re-rendering to a tga sequence, but the file size was still around the same. I’ve even tried rendering at half res, then scaling it back up to the correct dimensions and re-rendering it, but it didn’t help.
Is there anything I could change in my composition (I’m using element 3D and lens flares, which is probably why it’s so big) or render settings to make the output file size smaller? Or is there any way to batch convert the files to maybe a slightly lower resolution and a smaller file size?
-
2 Replies
-
[Mel Lee] ” the file sizes are still too big for the client’s system to read. (And I need it to be 32bit because there’s alpha). Currently a single frame is about 480kb, but they require it to be around 300kb per frame.”
What a strange limitation!
[Mel Lee] “Is there anything I could change in my composition (I’m using element 3D and lens flares, which is probably why it’s so big) or render settings to make the output file size smaller? Or is there any way to batch convert the files to maybe a slightly lower resolution and a smaller file size?”
Without RLE compression, TGA files will always be a fixed size for a given resolution and pixel bit depth. With RLE compression, the file size may be reduced, but you will not see significant gains unless you have areas of flat color; animation-style images compress well with RLE, but photographic images do not.
You have three options for reducing the size of TGA files:
1) Use a lower bit depth. (Sounds like this is not an option as you must preserve alpha.)
2) Make your content better suited for RLE compression.
3) Lower the resolution of your output.
You can do (3) right in the output module. Click the name of the output module in the render queue, then enable “Resize” and enter new dimensions.
Walter Soyka
Designer & Mad Scientist at Keen Live [link]
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
@keenlive | RenderBreak [blog] | Profile [LinkedIn] -
Thanks for the options! In the end, I reduced the element3d layer to about 60% of it’s original size and managed to get the file size down by about 100kb per frame.
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up