[Paul Roper]

Thanks for that!

It’s not so much that I find it vexing, I was just mystified why it still exists in this era of HD. But you’ve answered my questions, so thanks!

– Paul

[Paul Roper]

I can’t really remember but I think I may have fixed it by increasing the ‘Samples per frame’ and ‘Adaptive Sample Limit’ settings in the comp settings (select your comp and hit command-K / ctrl-K and click no the ‘Advanced’ tab). Maybe try increasing it to 32-bit in the project settings – that can improve the transition between on-blurred and blurred areas when using depth of field.

I’ve just tried to replicate it in CS6 (11.0.2.11) but can’t get it to create the weirdness. I don’t have the old project to hand, but I created something similar (boxes in a box with depth of field on). And I used the ‘classic’ renderer, not the flashy new Raytrace one.

– Paul

[Paul Roper]

This is just a guess, but it’s possible that the Mac Pro is spending a long time chopping up the job into segments before it gets to work on compressing it.

Could just be because Apple have absolutely no idea how to write software for those Apple computers.

[Paul Roper]

Plonk this into your rotation of the gain amount needle:

(I’ll send you the project too!)

– Paul

VU=thisComp.layer("VU needle").transform.rotation;
linear(VU,-90,0,-90,-45)

[Paul Roper]

Bah….this bug still hasn’t been fixed in CS6, despite me reporting it to Adobe.

[Paul Roper]

Yeah – that comes up if you option-click on “About After Effects”.

Sadly, one of the first things I always do whenever I get some new software, is hold down shift-option-command-control and do an “About…” to see if anything exciting happens.

[Paul Roper]

Thanks Dan! You surely are the AE Expressions genius!

[Paul Roper]

I’ve found a few such questions on various forums, and no answers – I’m also trying to export using Adobe Media Encoder, with timecode, having grown sick of waiting for Apple’s pathetic, antique Compressor to do its thing.

So…burnt in timecode in Adobe Media Encoder – is it possible? Anyone? Please?!

– Paul

[Paul Roper]

Fantastic as ever, Dan! Thank you – it worked perfectly!

– Paul

[Paul Roper]

It’s also worth noting that FCP is pretty dumb when it comes to recognising more than one processor in your system – don’t forget it’s a very, very old piece of software, long overdue to be put in a retirement home, dribbling while staring at QVC.

Open up your activity monitor (in your utilities folder) and do command-5 to bring up the floating CPU monitor. Set FCP rendering something and watch how FCP only uses a fraction of the power you’ve just paid for. Maybe your iMac had a faster processor (but with less cores) which is more suited to vintage software like FCP.

I’m only rambling on so much because I am waiting for FCP to render something simple…using only a tiny fraction of my 12-core 2.93GHz machine’s power. And most of that power is being used by FCP to get its pipe and slippers while it complains about back pains and how things “aren’t like they used to be in my day”…

– Paul