Date: Tue, 3 Dec 2013 21:25:18 +0000 (UTC)
From: pixelbot@comcast.net
To: After Effects Mail List <AE-List@media-motion.tv>
Message-ID: <1388149561.3381486.1386105918613.JavaMail.root@comcast.net>
In-Reply-To: <list-5306130@media-motion.tv>
References: <list-5306130@media-motion.tv>
Subject: Re: [AE] Sluggish performance with many nulls and lights
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; 
	boundary="----=_Part_3381485_131433411.1386105918612"
Thread-Topic: Sluggish performance with many nulls and lights
Thread-Index: dyqtz959AiBew34JO/yVnOmZZobBNA==

------=_Part_3381485_131433411.1386105918612
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

are these nulls all different solids - so that you have 200 solids or have =
you tried changing all the different nulls to one solid? just a thought.=20

Timt=20


On Tuesday, December 3, 2013 at 3:17 AM, Chris Zwar wrote:=20


Had a really slow tedious day today and am looking for suggestions. After E=
ffects (CS6) just gets really sluggish and unresponsive when working with b=
ig projects. Sometimes it can sit there for minutes, doing nothing, except =
spinning the stupid beach ball every few seconds.=20

For example - today I imported a maya scene. 30 seconds long, 1 camera and =
about 200 nulls. The nulls are static, so only the camera has keyframes. Af=
ter Effects just sits there and stops, every mouse click prompting a beach =
ball that spins for a few seconds. Simply opening the file, selecting a few=
 nulls and complying them into a new composition took about 40 minutes - it=
 should have taken a few seconds.=20

Despite the tedium I tried several things to fix the dreadful performance a=
nd nothing worked.=20

The obvious things like quitting and reopening, and then trying rebooting, =
did nothing. Caps lock makes no difference - even though the scene is only =
nulls so there's nothing to preview anyway. Turning the layer visibility on=
 and off also made no difference. I emptied all the caches in case it was a=
 disk fragmentation issue. Ram didn't seem to be a problem, with the activi=
ty monitor reporting I had 3 gig free. I tried toggling the hardware accele=
ration on and off. Even turning off the visibility of the nulls in the view=
 options made no difference. After Effects just sat there and beach balled =
constantly, even when I wasn't doing anything.=20

I converted the nulls to lights using David's script and the problem was th=
e same - worse even.=20

This is very difficult to understand. There is nothing to render - no layer=
s except nulls. All layers are turned off. The nulls are static and don't h=
ave keyframes. There are no hidden gotchas like motion blur, frame blending=
 or depth of field. No plugins. Just 200 nulls and a camera and everything =
grinds to a halt. Even turning off the visibility of the lights and nulls m=
akes no difference - so even with nothing to display After Effects is just =
sitting there and beach balling, taking a minute to respond to each mouse c=
lick.=20

If I delete most of the nulls / lights then performance will suddenly impro=
ve. It's like there's a hidden threshold for the number of nulls and lights=
 After Effects can handle, and once you go over it the performance falls of=
f a cliff. I have worked on compositions with almost 2000 layers - all with=
 masks, effects and expressions applied, so I don't understand why a few nu=
lls or some lights can practically break the application...=20

Any insight? Or even sympathy from those who've experienced similar things?=
 It's driving me insane=E2=80=A6=20


-Chris=20


------=_Part_3381485_131433411.1386105918612
Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<html><body><div style=3D"font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; color: #0000=
00"><div>are these nulls all different solids - so that you have 200 solids=
 or have you tried changing all the different nulls to one solid? just a th=
ought.</div><div><br></div><div>Timt</div><div style=3D"color:#000;font-wei=
ght:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;font-family:Helvetica,Ari=
al,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;">
                <div></div>
                =20
                <p style=3D"color: #A0A0A8;">On Tuesday, December 3, 2013 a=
t 3:17 AM, Chris Zwar wrote:</p>
                <blockquote style=3D"border-left-style:solid;border-width:1=
px;margin-left:0px;padding-left:10px;">
                    <span><div><div><div>Had a really slow tedious day toda=
y and am looking for suggestions.  After Effects (CS6) just gets really slu=
ggish and unresponsive when working with big projects.  Sometimes it can si=
t there for minutes, doing nothing, except spinning the stupid beach ball e=
very few seconds.</div><div><br></div><div>For example - today I imported a=
 maya scene.  30 seconds long, 1 camera and about 200 nulls.  The nulls are=
 static, so only the camera has keyframes.  After Effects just sits there a=
nd stops, every mouse click prompting a beach ball that spins for a few sec=
onds.  Simply opening the file, selecting a few nulls and complying them in=
to a new composition took about 40 minutes - it should have taken a few sec=
onds.</div><div><br></div><div>Despite the tedium I tried several things to=
 fix the dreadful performance and nothing worked.</div><div><br></div><div>=
The obvious things like quitting and reopening, and then trying rebooting, =
did nothing.  Caps lock makes no difference - even though the scene is only=
 nulls so there's nothing to preview anyway.  Turning the layer visibility =
on and off also made no difference.  I emptied all the caches in case it wa=
s a disk fragmentation issue.  Ram didn't seem to be a problem, with the ac=
tivity monitor reporting I had 3 gig free.  I tried toggling the hardware a=
cceleration on and off.  Even turning off the visibility of the nulls in th=
e view options made no difference.  After Effects just sat there and beach =
balled constantly, even when I wasn't doing anything.</div><div><br></div><=
div>I converted the nulls to lights using David's script and the problem wa=
s the same - worse even.</div><div><br></div><div>This is very difficult to=
 understand.  There is nothing to render - no layers except nulls.  All lay=
ers are turned off.  The nulls are static and don't have keyframes.  There =
are no hidden gotchas like motion blur, frame blending or depth of field.  =
No plugins.  Just 200 nulls and a camera and everything grinds to a halt.  =
Even turning off the visibility of the lights and nulls makes no difference=
 - so even with nothing to display After Effects is just sitting there and =
beach balling, taking a minute to respond to each mouse click.</div><div><b=
r></div><div>If I delete most of the nulls / lights then performance will s=
uddenly improve.  It's like there's a hidden threshold for the number of nu=
lls and lights After Effects can handle, and once you go over it the perfor=
mance falls off a cliff.  I have worked on compositions with almost 2000 la=
yers - all with masks, effects and expressions applied, so I don't understa=
nd why a few nulls or some lights can practically break the application...<=
/div><div><br></div><div>Any insight?  Or even sympathy from those who've e=
xperienced similar things?  It's driving me insane=E2=80=A6</div><div><br><=
/div><div><br></div><div>-Chris</div></div></div></span></blockquote></div>=
</div></body></html>
------=_Part_3381485_131433411.1386105918612--