Hardware Accelerate Composition, Layer, and Footage Panels - optimize

Hello.
The AE preference for "Hardware Accelerate Composition, Layer, and Footage Panels" makes my deep compositions workable - for a limited time, and then simple selection tasks slow down substantially, as if I had turned this checkbox off. What can I upgrade to have more "fast time" with After Effects? Thanks for any insight into how to make my system work. Also, this may be my last Mac.... Is anyone out there able to run hundreds or thousands of layers in After Effects on a PC without having simple select tasks slow down?
• simple selection task = "select all" in a single open composition with 10 layers or with 400 layers, although only in a project which contains deep compositions.
• This slowdown exhibits with or without caps lock enabled
• This slowdown exhibits before and after purge all
• CC, CC 2014 latest update | Mac OS 10.8.5 | MacPro5,1 | 2 x 2.66 GHz 6-Core Intel Xeon | 96 GB 1333 MHz DDR3 ECC | 3 separate Mercury Accelsior > 500 MB/s read/write for System & Apps, Projects & Media and Cache | NVIDIA Quadro 4000 2048 MB | CUDA Driver: latest update | Wacom Intuos 5 | LED Cinema Display | Dell 2407WFP

You are using to graphics cards of different model? That's probably why. I've really tried to see a difference with that switch and it's not measurable, so don't worry about it!
- Jonas Hummelstrand
http://generalspecialist.com/

Similar Messages

Why is my Hardware Accelerate Composition, Layer, and Footage Panels check box disabled

Hello anyone!
I have all the requirements to meet Adobe's standards for GPU requirements, but this check box (Hardware Accelerate Composition, Layer, and Footage Panels)[Edit>Preferences>Display] is disabled for me, why? Do I need to worry about this setting? Does it really matter? Any information on this topic would be helpful. Thanks in adavance for your feedback.
GPU Information:
Fast Draft:
Available
Texture Memory:
924.00 MB
Ray-tracing:
GPU
OpenGL
Vendor:
NVIDIA Corporation
Device:
GeForce GTX 470/PCIe/SSE2
Version:
3.0.0
Total Memory:
1.20 GB
Shader Model:
4.0 or later
CUDA
Driver Version:
4.2
Devices:
1 (GeForce GTX 470)
Current Usable Memory:
608.00 MB (at application launch)
Maximum Usable Memory:
1.25 GB
Computer:
Windows 7 64bit SP1
24GB MEM
i7 intel
Feature support levels
There are three tiers or levels, from lowest to highest requirements, of support:
Level 1: For OpenGL SwapBuffer:
This level simply requires a GPU that can do OpenGL 1.5, or greater, with Shader Model 3.0, or greater. Most ATI and NVIDIA cards, and the Intel HD Graphics 3000 chipset (available in the MacBook Air, Mac Mini, various Windows machines, etc.) and 4000 (Windows only at this time) are supported. If your GPU does not support these requirements, software OS blitting like CS5.5 occurs, and there are improvements for software blitting in After Effects CS6, as well.
Level 2: For Fast Draft previews, Hardware BlitPipe, and Cartoon GPU acceleration:
Includes Level 1 features. This level requires OpenGL 2.0, or greater (with Shader Model 4.0, or greater, on Windows), and 256 MB, or greater, of texture memory. Most ATI and NVIDIA cards released in the past five years, plus the Intel HD Graphics 3000/4000, support this level.
If your GPU does not support these requirements, these features will be disabled:
Fast Draft mode
The "Hardware Accelerate Composition, Layer, and Footage Panels" preference.
The Cartoon effect's "Use OpenGL When Available" option (the Cartoon effect then runs on the CPU).
Level 3: For Ray-traced 3D rendering on the GPU:
Includes Level 1 & 2 features (for machines with attached monitors). This level requires a supported NVIDIA GPU and 512 MB, or greater, of texture memory. For a current list of supported GPUs, see the Adobe website.

Well, you should be concerned that it isn't available - there is still some configuration issue with your graphics card - but you can live without it most of the time.
Mylenium

Hardware accelerate composition, Layer, and footage panels

In the display preferences this box is greyed out? I no I have the power to do it. I am running a Quad dual quadcore Xeon 3.16 with 4 GB of Ram and a Quadro FX 5600 with 1.5 GIG of ram and a FX 5200 with 256 Meg of ram. Any ideas? I searched the forums and the web and can find nothing about this and yes I did RTM
TIA,
Chris N

You are using to graphics cards of different model? That's probably why. I've really tried to see a difference with that switch and it's not measurable, so don't worry about it!
- Jonas Hummelstrand
http://generalspecialist.com/

Can you add layers below a Composite Layer?

Once you create a composite layer at the top of your layer stack w. Option-click on "Merge Visible" in the Layer Panel Menu, is that new layer the only layer that now shows (represents) the image? For instance, if another adjustment layer is added below it, and the Background layer is the only image layer, will the effect of that adjustment be visible? Or do I need to delete the composite layer and create a new one to include the new adjustment layer?
The reason I ask has to do with an illustration (below) I came across from one of Mark Johnson's old NAPP tutorials (Total Control Glowing Montage). In his tutorial "Layer 1" was created as a composite layer of the Background Layer and "Levels 1" which had a Smart Filter applied to it. Then the two "Levels 1" copy layers were added last to fine-tune the effect of the Levels 1 adjustment. Notice they are BELOW the composite layer. Does this work? Thanks.

conroy2009 wrote:
Yes, very much so. Multiply is a darkening effect (unless working in 32-bit float mode with channel values greater than 1) except when multiplying with pure white.
I'm now unsure whether you do want to make the composite before adding two Levels adjustments on top of it, or whether you should be making the multiplying composite as the last stage. Can you post a link to the tutorial?
I no longer have access to the tutorial which I saw last year on the NAPP website. But here are the 5 steps mentioned:
1. Starting w. a Background layer, create a Levels Adj. layer w. Screen blending mode to overexpose image, "Levels 1."
2. Create a composite layer and apply a smart filter, Gausian Blur with a Multiply blend mode to darken, "Layer 1."
3. Preserve highlights by painting on Levels 1 mask with various opacities of black brush.
4. Open the shadows by duplicating Levels 1 layer, fill mask with black and paint shadow areas w. white brush, "Levels 1 copy."
5. If shadows are still too dark, repeat previous step by creating an additional duplicate levels layer and painting in shadows again, "Levels 1 copy, copy."
The affect looks great and is why I would like to figure this out. Thanks.

Composite photo and background layer question

I would appreciate some help with a workflow problem when dealing with a composite, selection and background layer. My normal workflow is to start of in LR4, and if need be do an "edit in, CS6". I am relatively new to CS6, so bear with me.
I have some portraits I want to put different backgrounds on. I am using Matt Kloskowski's Layers book and Composites books written for CS5. I also have Martin Evening's book on CS6 and the workflow for doing a composite is pretty much the same. The catch is that none of them start off in LR with the original photo. They all describe the following basic workflow pattern:
1. Bring up the main photo in CS using "edit in CS6"
2. Change the photo from a background layer to a regular layer
3. Make a selection.
4. Make a layer mask
5. Refine the edge
6. open the background photo you want to place the selection in (steps 4 and 5 are sometimes reversed so you are refining the edge on the new background)
7. copy and paste the original photo onto the new background
8. Refine the edge if not already done
9. Save and exit back to LR with the composite
If I follow this procedure I run into a couple of problems:
1. My backgrounds are in a separate folder on my computer and not cataloged in LR. So, if I open them in photoshop and paste the original photo onto that image, LR will not know that I want to take the new composite back to the original folder along with the protrait. If I go to save the image, CS want to take the composite back to the folder on my computer where I got the background from. I tried playing around and tried renaming the composite similar to the naming convention I use for my photos in LR and then importing it into that folder after I have saved it in the background folder. This had some unintended consequences. First, I had trouble renaming the composite photo. For some reason Windows kept plugging in an old photo file name from one of my photos taken two years ago. After I discovered that I could work around it. But after the first composite finally got into LR, when I tried to do it again, the import button on the left side of my LR went dark and I couldn't import the second composite photo I was working on. This could have been a coincident and unconnected LR glitch, but I have never had that problem before.
So...I was thinking of modifying the workflow to the following:
1. Bring up the main photo in CS using "edit in CS6"
2. Change the photo from a background layer to a regular layer
3. Make a selection.
4. Make a layer mask
5. Refine the edge
6. open the background photo you want to place the selection in
7. copy and paste the new BACKGROUND onto the original photo
8. Move or make the new background layer THE "Background" layer
10. Refine the edge
11. Save and exit back to LR with the composite
I am envisioning this will ensure that my composite will wind up back in LR because it is still keeping track of the original photo which now has gotten the new background, regardless of what the file name of the new background was.
Does any of this make sense? Does any one know a better way of handling this?
Thanks for any help,
Jim

Yes, it makes sense and I think you should go ahead and try it.

Font is smaller because turn on Hardware accelerate makes font of website smaller and bold especially in Facebook

Right now,the problem of FF5.0 users are font!!!!
when turn on Hardware accelerate(as default) makes font of website smaller and bold.Especially in Facebook
Please fix it very soon!

Right now,the problem of FF5.0 users are font!!!!
when turn on Hardware accelerate(as default) makes font of website smaller and bold.Especially in Facebook
Please fix it very soon!

Stereo 3D Rig: Compositing with S3D-Footage & C4D-Renders

Hello @ all!
I do a research for stereoscopic workflows with the new Stereo 3D Rig in Adobe After Effects CS5.5.
I really searched the web and think there is no resource about stereoscopic workflows anywhere that I've not seen.
I even bought the Video2Brain-Tutorial hosted by Angie Taylor.
But though there are few questions remaining!
1. How can I achieve a horizontal image translation (HIT) with a parallel camera setup (without converging) to adjust my parallax?
background information: I try to compose some text-layers with my real-footage shot with a parallel setup. I know how to set the footage-parallax indepently with expressions - this is not the problem!
I don't want the Stereo 3D Rig to converge when adjusting the parallax for my compositing elements (the text-layers).
I tried it with a mix of using the stereo scene depth parameter and the scene convergence parameter, also tried the expression which avoids moving the convergence plane, but i can't manage to get the result that i want. This is because i have to decrease the stereo scene depth to about 0,1% which is too less, but otherwise the deviation of left and right view is too big. The coordinates of the text-layers are ok.
Of course i could just use the Converge to option (as everybody does this in all the stereoscopic workflow resources that are available in the web), but this creates strong keystoning effects and in a way works against the principles of stereoscopy.
Also this is not recommended by the Adobe Help Sites:
You can also use parallel virtual cameras. This technique is useful if you need to match live footage and add digital elements to that scene. Keeping the virtual camera orientations consistent with the cameras used in the footage helps to keep the perspectives of the digital elements and that of the stereo footage aligned.
[…]Real scenes are almost always shot with parallel cameras. Keep this in mind if you are trying to mix and match live footage with digital elements. If your scene consists of only 3D elements in After Effects, then it is probably safe and preferable to use converged cameras.
[Source]
Understanding stereoscopic 3D in After Effects
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/898/cpsid_89868.html
2. What about the Stereo 3D Rig for compositing purposes with footage rendered out of Cinema 4D?
I try to figure out a stereoscopic workflow in After Effects allowing me to make use of the composition-project-file that i exported out of Cinema 4D.
After importing the file i have my left and right camera and some Nullobjects as placeholders which are supposed to be replaced by some other 3D-elements in After Effects (e.g. text-layer).
Actually, the cameras have already the right data and could be used, but the of course creates left and right Eye View automatically based on the Master Cam.
Is there any idea for using the Stereo 3D Rig in a stereoscopic workflow to make a compositing with data exported out of Cinema 4D?
Or is it better to create, in this case, a structure of compositions which only uses the cameras exported from Cinema 4D?
Any help is appreciated!
Best,
Paul

Hi Paul,
1.
Sounds like you're hitting a limitation of 3D glasses effect. The HIT (or scene convergence in 3D glasses) works on the pixel level and does not calculate sub pixel.
Here are some things you can try.
Use this expressionin in 3D glasses scene convergence to cancel out your stereo scene depth more robustly and allow you to either change your scene convergence in pixels, or in % of comp width.
if ( effect("ADBE Stereo 3D Controls")("ADBE Stereo 3D Controls-0006") == 0 ) {
    offset = effect("ADBE Stereo 3D Controls")("ADBE Stereo 3D Controls-0003");
    if ( effect("ADBE 3D Glasses2")(5) == 1 ){
        offset *= thisComp.width / 200;
    value - offset;
} else {
    value;
Now you can switch your 3D glasses units to pixels and change your convergence by 1 pixel at a time, instead of 0.1% of comp width.
If that is not enough control another option if you need sub pixel accuracy; you will need to recreate what 3D glasses scene convergence is doing manually using precomps. Try Precomping your left and right eye comps and then then hook up an expression to those comps x position, left comp moves right the right moves left. Put that slider right next to 3D glasses, and now you should be able to adjust the convergence by sub pixels. Another benefit of this method is it doesn't crop, you will get only one image on the edges though.
(This is a bug in 3D glasses, it should really operate with sub pixel values but we ran out of time to do this feature).
2.
I'm not as familiar with the C4D workflow. Can you import their stereo cameras directly in AE? If so, you can set up your Master cam to follow one of their cameras and set the mode to be Left or Right hero. Then match their convergence settings. You could try ploppling their cameras into the left and right eye comps above the AE camera so it uses theirs as the active camera if you don't want to deal with matching settings, but then you can't make quick changes to the camera without changing both cameras exactly.
If you're exporting left and right footage, you can follow the guidance on the document you mentioned.
Let me know if this helps out or you have further questions.
Amir
After Effects Engineering (the guy that made the stereo rig and who is responsible for your pain)

What is the purpose of the chain (lock symbol) between a solid color layer and its vector mask?

What is the purpose of the chain (lock symbol) between a solid color layer and its vector mask in the layer panel when creating shape layers with a shape tool? I'm just curious when locking or unlocking the solid color layer and its vector mask can make a difference.

I don't understand what you said and your shape layer looks different then mine using CS5.
When the chain is deselected, I can't do anything with the move tool on the shape layer. This is the only difference I can find. Making the solid color uniform or not doesn't change anything.
Your example shows that you moved the position of the solid color, how did you do that? I can create a solid color layer and change its uniform look by applying an effect like gradient but I can't move the solid color itself around. How is this possible?

I have a photo of an ice surface and another of a flower. Now I want to create a merged photo with the flower lying under the ice. I understand that I shall use the function "Layer" and have even read in the manual and looked on a video, but that informat

I have a photo of an ice surface and another of a flower. Now I want to create a merged photo with the flower lying under the ice. I understand that I shall use the function "Layer" and have even read in the manual and looked on a video, but that information is not sufficiently detailed for me. I have tried several options, but I come now way. Generally it seems that your information is only for the ones who can, not for the people who can´t although it is we who really need to learn. Please give me a step by step (click by click) information on how I can get the ice above the flower and then make the ice partly transparent so the flower is seen underneath. Please send me an e-mail Erik Solbu [email protected]

Open a new document big enough for your image. Then additional open your ice and flower image as well. Copy each and paste it into your blank document. They will be placed on their own separate layers.
Make sure in your layers panel. (Bottom right) the ice is above the flower, by dragging it in place. In that same layers panel click the ice layer to select in and find the opacity meter above. Drag to the left until you get the effect you desire.

How do I create layers in an adjustment layer and transfer those layers?

How do I create layers in an adjustment layer and transfer or duplicate those layers in another image ?
I need to transfer the same colour readjustment from one image to several other images ... I have been told to do this in the adjustment layer platform how ever I cannot drag or copy those layers over to the other images I have open and in need of adjustment to the same layers ...
Images shows my lay out and what i've done this far.
Thank you

You need to get out of single image view. Go to the editor preferences>general>Allow Floating Windows, then go to Window>Images>Float all in Window, then Tile or Cascade. Then you should be able to drag the layers from the layers panel for one image into the main image window (not the panel) for another image.

After creating a mask on a pixel layer and then throwing it away, the pixels disapper

If I create a mask on a pixel layer and then throw the mask away, the pixels under the old black mask disappear. Help! How do I fix this? I have already reset preferences. I am using the most current version of Photoshop CC 2014 on a Mac with OS 10.9.5

Or just leave the layer mask in place. It's a valuable recourse that you might need to use again. The layer mask exists as an alpha channel. It's there in the Channels panel when you click on the layer that contains the layer mask. You might want to restrict an adjustment layer to the same area, or the inverse of that area. It's not always convenient to do that by clipping — you might be targeting a layer way up the stack.
OK, you can Ctrl click the layer if you removed the mask by Applying it, but it feels just plain wrong to me to throw a hard won selection in the dustbin.

How do you take information from one layer and switch it to another?

I am trying to figure out how to take pictures and text that I have already placed on one layer and switch it to another layer. I have like 50 pages worth of information and I am trying to look for the easiest way to do this. In illustrator and Photoshop, its pretty easy. Wanting to know if it is the same because I have been trying but it is not there. Just in case it matters, Im using CS5 on a pc. Help is greatly appreciated.

Hi Martin,
Please follow the below steps.
Step 1
Create the separate layer. Select the content you want to move.
Step 2
Go to check layer panel, near the pen symbol icon, the below box drag to move up to the image layer, see sample
Step 3
This option use spread wise content, it will complete the task with fast. If more faster, please raise as question to Scripting Forum, they can suggest the tool.

I suggest maintaining the "Layer" and "Group" concept as in Photoshop

Another one I see many people asking about is the ability to "Name" the boxes. Box. Box, Box, Box, is not too intuitive.
I am also going to suggest maintaining the "Layer" and "Group" concept as in Photoshop to soften the learning curve for new users.
I currently have boxes that are NOT grouped, but behaving like a group if I try to move them. Kinda frustrating.

You can double click on a Div in the DOM panel to rename any 'layer' or 'group'
You can also degroup and regroup grouped elements by clicking on the little grouped icon which might be why your group isn't behaving like a group.

Help with After Effects? Null Layer and Text not working?

In after effects cs5.5 on mac, im motion tracking as normal, and the track works fine, then when i add the null layer and edit the tracking target to the null layer, the screen goes black, and all i can see is the null layer as a red box moving along the motion track path (i cant see the path) also, whenever i try to add text, (which im trying to motion track via attatching to the null layer) the text is invisible, when the screens black, all i can see is the wire frame of the text next to the square null layer, im pretty new to after effects, but im following tutorials as i should, and its just not working as it shows in all the videos ive tried, please help!

Check whether you have wireframe mode enabled/ Live Update disabled. Sounds like one of those cases. Other than that this could be OpenGL issues, so turn it off in the prefs. Also check your comp size vs. the size of the footage you are tracking. Tracking works relative to the layer, so if the comp is too small, the values would be so large they end up being outside the comp.
Mylenium

Keeping Histogram and Adjustment Panels Open together

I am assisting a friend who is working with Elements 10 on a laptop running Windows 7. I want her to watch the histogram while making layer adjustments.
I have carefully kept the histogram panel tabbed to the top group. The layers and adjustment panels are not tabbed to that group.
Every time she is making a layers adjustment the histogram panel closes. I can't find a way to have both open at once.
What is causing this?
Thanks.
Mary Lou

Thanks for that suggestion, Brett. Today I spoke on the telephone
with a manager in the tech division. He said that this problem
shouldn't occur. They checked it out and didn't find this problem.
I will check it out tomorrow when I meet a class of people with
elements 10. I will see if the problem is universal or limited to a
few computers. If it is a limited problem the manager suggested
getting Adobe to reset the software.
I'll check back here when I know more.
The reason that this matters to me is that I teach my Elements
students to watch the histogram when making layers adjustments. If
the problem can't be corrected, then they would need to unattach the
histogram panel and let it float. It would be a bit of a nuisance
but worth trying.
Mary Lou

Hardware Accelerate Composition, Layer, and Footage Panels - optimize

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