Return-Path: Received: from host6.canaca.com ([66.49.160.142] verified) by media-motion.tv (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 4.2.10) with ESMTP-TLS id 4731102 for AE-List@media-motion.tv; Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:56:33 +0200 Received: from 207-195-100-23.regn.static.sasknet.sk.ca ([207.195.100.23] helo=[192.168.1.38]) by host6.canaca.com with esmtpa (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1SaEKO-0007oO-Vo for AE-List@media-motion.tv; Thu, 31 May 2012 18:58:49 -0400 From: Jack Tunnicliffe Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v1278) Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="Apple-Mail=_58C2575E-5E03-4ED5-82EC-AE368AF1B966" Subject: Re: [AE] [OT] Working with still sequences Date: Thu, 31 May 2012 16:58:46 -0600 In-Reply-To: To: "After Effects Mail List" References: Message-Id: <2FF88FF8-AD4F-4BE2-A9E1-97B87842EF67@javapost.ca> X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.1278) X-AntiAbuse: This header was added to track abuse, please include it with any abuse report X-AntiAbuse: Primary Hostname - host6.canaca.com X-AntiAbuse: Original Domain - media-motion.tv X-AntiAbuse: Originator/Caller UID/GID - [47 12] / [47 12] X-AntiAbuse: Sender Address Domain - javapost.ca X-Source: X-Source-Args: X-Source-Dir: --Apple-Mail=_58C2575E-5E03-4ED5-82EC-AE368AF1B966 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Here's one suggestion, Chris and it may not be a good one for you, but = Davinci Resolve, even the free version will playback image sequences in = full HD with stereo 24 bit audio. If your client just needs to screen = the image sequence with you, this is one way to go. The one gotcha is = that you will need a Cuda card that works with Resolve, but if your are = running CS6 like me, you'll likely want a Cuda card for 3D work in AE. = I"ve chosen a card that gives me performance in Davinci and in AE and = doesn't cost an arm and leg.=20 Jack Tunnicliffe Java Post Production www.javapost.ca On May 31, 2012, at 4:54 PM, Chris Zwar wrote: > Hi, >=20 > I always work with tiff sequences because we have a render farm, and = unfortunately there's always that extra step of converting them into a = quicktime for playback with audio, which always seems to be SUPER URGENT = because the producer needs it NOW! >=20 > If you want to work in an editing package, or play back with audio = then you'll need to render to quicktime for best performance - = especially if you're working with uncompressed or 16 bit tiffs. There's = no real way around that, even jpg sequences can get a bit choppy if the = resolution is high enough. >=20 > I started a thread a few months ago trying to find the fastest way to = convert an image sequence to a quicktime, and oddly enough I discovered = that most of the time After Effects with multi-processing on is the = quickest. FFmpeg, which is free but requires some basic command-line = knowledge, can be faster on long image sequences and has the advantage = of doing a great h264 compression. Our render farm (deadline) can = automatically start an FFmpeg compression when an image sequence has = finished rendering. >=20 > I was working on an image sequence that was over 50,000 frames long = and have never had any issues with directories, OS X or the SAN. I have = had issues with file paths being longer than 256 characters, but I've = never had any technical issues related to the number of files in a = directory. >=20 > Quicktime 7 is very slow to open image sequences - when you get a = really long sequence it can take longer just to open the sequence in = quicktime 7 than it does to render it out in AE - that's before you even = begin exporting. >=20 > Compressor is better but there's still that initial delay - I assume = it's counting frames and checking they're all there or something. >=20 > So basically - if you want real-time playblack then you'll have to go = to quicktime first, and while ffmpeg is free but it's a bit of a handful = if you're not used to it, but After Effects with multi-processing on is = a good option. >=20 >=20 > -Chris >=20 > On 01/06/2012, at 4:18 AM, adam mercado wrote: >=20 >> I have a 14 minute sequence exported as a TIFF sequence. Trying to = compile this with the mastered audio and working with the still sequence = is very very slow. Importing into QuickTime, FinalCut or Premier causes = hugely excessive lag times as the program processes every frame. >>=20 >> Is there a way to optimise this process short of exporting a = flattened QuickTime movie and deleting the TIFF framed afterwards, which = would seem a little redundant after all. >>=20 >> Adam Mercado >> Influxx Media Production >> Fullerton, CA >>=20 >> Moving Images. For Business >> 714=B0928=B09896 >> http://www.influxx.com >> http://www.twitter.com/influxx >> http://www.linkedin.com/in/influxx >> http://influxx.tumblr.com/archive >> http://www.flickr.com/photos/influxx >>=20 >>=20 >>=20 >>=20 >>=20 >=20 --Apple-Mail=_58C2575E-5E03-4ED5-82EC-AE368AF1B966 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1

Jack Tunnicliffe
Java Post Production
www.javapost.ca



On May 31, 2012, at 4:54 PM, Chris Zwar wrote:

Hi,

I always = work with tiff sequences because we have a render farm, and = unfortunately there's always that extra step of converting them into a = quicktime for playback with audio, which always seems to be SUPER URGENT = because the producer needs it NOW!

If you want = to work in an editing package, or play back with audio then you'll need = to render to quicktime for best performance - especially if you're = working with uncompressed or 16 bit tiffs.  There's no real way = around that, even jpg sequences can get a bit choppy if the resolution = is high enough.

I started a thread a few months = ago trying to find the fastest way to convert an image sequence to a = quicktime, and oddly enough I discovered that most of the time After = Effects with multi-processing on is the quickest.  FFmpeg, which is = free but requires some basic command-line knowledge, can be faster on = long image sequences and has the advantage of doing a great h264 = compression.  Our render farm (deadline) can automatically start an = FFmpeg compression when an image sequence has finished = rendering.

I was working on an image sequence = that was over 50,000 frames long and have never had any issues with = directories, OS X or the SAN.  I have had issues with file paths = being longer than 256 characters, but I've never had any technical = issues related to the number of files in a = directory.

Quicktime 7 is very slow to open = image sequences - when you get a really long sequence it can take longer = just to open the sequence in quicktime 7 than it does to render it out = in AE - that's before you even begin = exporting.

Compressor is better but there's = still that initial delay - I assume it's counting frames and checking = they're all there or something.

So basically - = if you want real-time playblack then you'll have to go to quicktime = first, and while ffmpeg is free but it's a bit of a handful if you're = not used to it, but After Effects with multi-processing on is a good = option.


-Chris

On 01/06/2012, at 4:18 AM, adam mercado wrote:

I have a 14 minute sequence exported as a TIFF sequence. Trying to = compile this with the mastered audio and working with the still sequence = is very very slow. Importing into QuickTime, FinalCut or Premier causes = hugely excessive lag times as the program processes every = frame.

Is there a way to optimise this process short = of exporting a flattened QuickTime movie and deleting the TIFF framed = afterwards, which would seem a little redundant after all.

=
Adam = Mercado
Influxx Media Production
Fullerton, = CA

Moving = Images. For Business
714=B0928=B09896




=



= --Apple-Mail=_58C2575E-5E03-4ED5-82EC-AE368AF1B966--