[Jeff Hinkle]

First, do you mean rendering (final output) or RAM Previewing (testing within After Effects)? If you’re testing within After Effects, you can set your composition view to half size/half res (or lower!) to reduce the memory requirements. You can also RAM Preview every other frame instead of every frame (shift-0 on the numeric keypad) to get yourself more frames. Also, set your work area to just the part you’re working on/testing rather than trying to watch the entire project every single time.

How much RAM do you have installed in your computer?

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It is easier to destroy than to create.
More fun, too.

[Jeff Hinkle]

Select your layer in the Layers palette.

Edit>Transform>Flip Horizontal

—
It is easier to destroy than to create.
More fun, too.

[Jeff Hinkle]

How big are your JPEGs, and what dimensions does AE show for your imported sequence? How big is your composition? Are you dropping the sequence directly into your composition or are you nesting one composition into another?

—
It is easier to destroy than to create.
More fun, too.

[Jeff Hinkle]

1.) If you set the scroll speed to the slowest setting in the Wacom control panel for After Effects, it should work closer to what you’re expecting. You still can’t spin around the ring too quickly, but you’ll get a lot less “inertia” on the CTI.

2.) I’ve been using a Wacom large on a two-monitor setup for years and am able to do most of my work with wrist movements. Yes, I need to move my arm some, but it’s pretty minor. Basically I just slide my arm slightly to a new position on the tablet and then it’s all wrist again. It’s very comfortable and natural. I’d say if you can wait before you have to decide about returning the tablet, to give it some time. I’ve always found the small size tablet to be too confining.

—
It is easier to destroy than to create.
More fun, too.

[Jeff Hinkle]

Doesn’t Enter on the numeric keypad work? That does the trick on a Mac, not 100% sure on the PC.

—
It is easier to destroy than to create.
More fun, too.

[Jeff Hinkle]

Onion skinning is a common feature request (that seems to go ignored). A little searching turned up this script. I haven’t used it personally but folks seem to have had success with it. Might be just what you need.

https://www.aenhancers.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=871

—
It is easier to destroy than to create.
More fun, too.

[Jeff Hinkle]

Can you post a shot of the final result you did want? I’m curious if I was even picturing the right thing.

—
It is easier to destroy than to create.
More fun, too.

[Jeff Hinkle]

First, check the Save command in the File menu and make sure CTL-S is still showing up as the shortcut. Can’t imagine it wouldn’t be, but you never know.

Second, if you do anything that causes the image to be anything but a flattened document (create a layer, make some text, add an adjustment layer) Photoshop will default to trying to save as a layered PSD to preserve the layers. Even if you only have one layer, if it’s not a flattened background layer, it’ll try to save to PSD.

Since you already have a save-to-JPEG Action started, you could add a “flatten” command to the start of it and that should clear up your issue.

—
It is easier to destroy than to create.
More fun, too.

[Jeff Hinkle]

I think I understand what you’re getting at. Couple possible suggestions.

1. Depending on how much actual distortion you want, you can make a 3d postcard out of your object and rotate it to taste. You won’t get quite the severe right-side compression you show, but there won’t be any X-axis distortion.

2. Probably closer to what you want, but you do need some extra pixels top and bottom you’re willing to lose. Use the Perspective Crop tool, then squeeze in the corners on the LEFT side of the image. Apply the crop and Photoshop will adjust things to keep overall ratio of the internal pixels the same. Then use a mask to clip away the top and bottom of the image to match your perspective. Not automatic, but should be faster and more precise than warping by hand.

https://images.creativecow.net/99851/perspective.jpg

—
It is easier to destroy than to create.
More fun, too.

[Jeff Hinkle]

Your JPEGs aren’t changing size. After Effects brings them in at actual size. If your composition is smaller than the image, you’ll only see a portion of the image unless you scale it down. Think of it as looking through a small window at a large painting. Unless you shrink the painting to fit in the window you’ll never see all of it at once. And if you put an even larger picture on top of the first painting, you’ll see even less of it.

Looking at your image sizes, 1.jpg looks to be about three times larger, dimensions-wise, than boxshutnomail.jpg so you’ll see different portions of each image when dropped into the same comp. Post a screen shot of your comp settings dialog box (CTL-K) and the Image Size dialog box from Photoshop (ALT-CTL-I) for your two JPEGs and we’ll see what’s up.

—
It is easier to destroy than to create.
More fun, too.