IMac - Decent System for After Effects?

We are starting to do heavy effects work at this company I just joined and they outfitted me with this iMac:
27-inch iMac Late 2012
Processor  3.4 GHz Intel Core i7
Memory  32 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
Graphics  NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680MX 2048 MB
HDD - 1.12 TB Fusion Drive
It seems like a pretty powerful system but I have to say this first project I am working on isnt very impressive. Ram previews aren't as efficient as they need to be and the overall performance is lacking. I would imagine the new Mac Pro's would be a better option but before I request a different machine I want to know if I am just being too critical. What do you guys think?

It seems like a decent system. It's certainly faster and better than any computer that anyone was using for After Effects only a few years ago, even if it might not be the very fastest thing now.
See this page for resources about making After Effects work faster: http://adobe.ly/eV2zE7

Similar Messages

  • How can I choose powerful system for After Effect?

    Hi
    Would you please help me? I want to buy new system for working with After Effect CS3, I dont want to buy turnkey station, I want to build it myself.
    Is there any good web site that recommends system for After Effect in different prices?( for example what Motherboard, CPU, RAM)
    And what Graphic card should I use to see output in TV.
    I appreciate any help in advance.
    Regards
    Shahram

    [email protected] wrote:
    > Hi
    >
    > Would you please help me? I want to buy new system for working with After Effect CS3, I dont want to buy turnkey station, I want to build it myself.
    > Is there any good web site that recommends system for After Effect in different prices?( for example what Motherboard, CPU, RAM)
    > And what Graphic card should I use to see output in TV.
    >
    > I appreciate any help in advance.
    >
    > Regards
    > Shahram
    The Mac Pro's are pretty killer for AE. On a Winbox, you simply get the
    best processor(s) you can afford, max out the memory, get a good board
    like ASUS or a Tyan if your really into finnicky thoroughbreds. The Vid
    card will have little to do with AE, so research that on its own merits.

  • Which is the best windows operating system for After Effects CC 2014?

    Which is the best compatible windows operating system for After Effects CC 2014?

    Thanks Todd_Kopriva for your response. The same thing i saw from adobe website also, but i just want to know in these 3 os which is the best choice.?

  • How can I download the Free Trial for After Effects CS6?

    Hi All,
    How can I download After Effects CS6 now that After Effects CC has come out? And is After Effects CS6 now free?
    I'm wondering this as I don't have this right system for After Effects CC to run on my Macbook.
    Any help would be appreciated ASAP!!!
    Regards,
    TheAAPlus.

    You can download the trial version of After Effects CS6 here:
    http://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/policy-pricing/cs6-product-downloads.html
    > And is After Effects CS6 now free?
    No. Why would you think that?
    > I'm wondering this as I don't have this right system for After Effects CC to run on my Macbook.
    Afte Effects CC (12) and After Effects CS6 (11) have the same system requirements.

  • How to Optimize a New iMac for After Effects

    I bought the most tricked out brand new iMac available, with 32GB ram, an updated graphics card, everything.
    But, exporting my project from After Effects takes the same amount of time on my new iMac as it did on my 2011 macbook - about 6 hours.
    I know how to manipulate my export settings, so maybe I just need to change my computer's system settings to work better with After Effects.
    Mac had no advice and pointed me to Adobe, so here I am.
    Any advice?

    See this page for information about memory and improving performance in After Effects: http://adobe.ly/dC0MdR
    See this page for resources about making After Effects work faster: http://adobe.ly/eV2zE7
    See this page for information about hardware for After Effects: http://adobe.ly/pRYOuk

  • You are running an operating system that After Effects no longer supports. Refer to the system requirements for a full list of supported platforms.

    Help when i try to download the after effects trial this is what it comes up with
    You are running an operating system that After Effects no longer supports. Refer to the system requirements for a full list of supported platforms.

    See the system requirements for each version of After Effects:
    System requirements | After Effects

  • Cannot download trial version. This always appear "You are running an operating system that After Effects no longer supports. Refer to the system requirements below for a full list of supported platforms." PLEASE HELP.

    Cannot download trial version. This always appears "You are running an operating system that After Effects no longer supports. Refer to the system requirements below for a full list of supported platforms." PLEASE HELP.

    Hello,
    in this case please have a look here where you can compare it with your equipment : System requirements | After Effects.
    Good luck!
    Hans-Günter

  • Knoll light factory for after effects

    I have windows 7. and  I have just bought after effects and Knoll light factory for after effect..It locked my after effects.. but i can use other prgrams

    Make sure you have the right versions of everything. I'm guessing you have CS6. There's not enough info about your system or what is happening. Check everything for updates.

  • The ideal hardware setup / arrangement for After Effects?

    Hello there,
    Looking to buy some new hardware and am hoping to find some advice on the ideal hardware config for making After Effects scream. I find this questions is sorely lacking answers on the Internet beyond the basics of 'boot from an SSD' and the like... So I am hoping someone can answer these questions once and for all.
    Two things I am after:
    1. Fast working performance in AE. So when I move a layer about I am able to see it move smoothly in real-time as I drag it about with my mouse. Right now I get either stuttered movement when moving larger layers about, or the image begins to pixelate/drop res to such a horrible extent that I can not see what I am doing. The problem extends to when I am working with a large project file, with many layers, I get nasty lag when attempting to move about in the timeline, opening comps, etc. Everything starts to move quite slowly once I go past a certain number of layers. What upgrades will speed this element, the day to day working rather than rendering, up the most?
    2. Faster rendering. Though this is not as key as point number 1.
    I am guessing this performance will he helped by a beefier graphics card and more/faster RAM? I currently have a GTX 660ti 2GB and am upgrading to a GTX980 4GB, so hoping that will improve this.
    I also have 64 GB of 1600 speed ram that AE happily consumes so think that base is covered. My CPU is a 3930k that is slightly overclocked. It gets maxed out when multicore rendering is happening but not otherwise. I've heard turning hyperthreading off in the BIOS can actually help AE performance?
    I am booting/running AE from an SSD (Samsung 840 Pro), and have set my media cache to another dedicated SSD (Samsung 840 Pro). I run/keep my project files on yet another SSD and have other drives holing media.
    My drive config plan is this:
    - Boot from one 240GB SSD.
    - Project files and current working media on 2x 1TB SSDs in RAID 0 (backed up)
    - Further media storage on 2x 3TB HDDs in RAID 0 (backed up)
    Now I am wondering if I can simply use the 2TB of SSD goodness as both the location for my AE media cache AND my project files/working media? Or am I better off having three fast and seperate storage locations? 1 for the boot, 2 for the project files and media, 3 for the cache?
    Otherwise I am running AE on a Hackintosh 3930k CPU overclocked slightly, 64 GB RAM, Sabertooth X79 mobo, 660ti graphics card.
    All comments/advice links much appreciated. Apologies if this has already been addressed elsewhere but I have yet to find a detailed response and only generalized comments such as 'use a fast drive for your media cache.'
    What I would really like to know is the BEST drive configuration, the questioned detailed above...And what will increase the speed and quality of my real-time workflow in AE the most. Quickly navigating projects without lag, opening detailed comps with many layers, and moving large images around without lag or pixelation.
    Thank you!

    for After Effects advice, Eric on the forum here can give you the best info. However, I have seen him say many times that AE is MEMORY INTENSIVE,....the more, the better. You HAVE 64GB...that seems very adequate for most workflows.
    The OTHER thing he says is that other than Ray-Tracing, the GPU is HARDLY used at all.....CPU speed and number of cores are a BIG factor in AE performance.....your 3930k overclocked should be adequate....the MORE OC, the BETTER.
    Next is the drive system....you have NOT described EXACTLY what you are doing NOW....you mentioned what your PLAN is,but for , right NOW you said : " I run/keep my project files on yet another SSD and have other drives holing media.  "
    HERE is where you MAY be doing something that may....or may NOT.....be causing slowdowns.   With AE it is RECOMMENDED to use a dedicated drive  for the "Global Performance Cache"...the HIGHER the speed of this drive, the BETTER, as AE STORES already "rendered" frames, ( for "previews", of course), on it so it DOESN"T have to RE-RENDER ALL the frames all over again every time you make a change to your work !!! So, in YOUR case : your OS drive is great...Samsung Pro models are the BEST...you have the 840 Pro ,which is only SLIGHTLY behind the 850 Pro in performance. ANOTHER 840,or, 850 Pro would be GREAT as the " Global performance cache drive" AND would also be the place to put ALL previews,Cache files, media cache files for Premier Pro,too. The overall speed and less latency of the SATAIII SSD will surpass the performance of a 2 disk  RAID 0....even a 3 disk RAID 0.
    Next....the speed at which you SERVE UP the video files can be important in preventing a slowdown.....ESPECIALLY if using large, uncompressed files. Here, you have options.....it is NOT necessary to put your project files on a SEPARATE drive from your media...you just want to make sure that the drive with your media and project files is as fast as the OTHERS in your system ! SO, you COULD use a THIRD SSD as a "working drive" for ACTIVE projects only.....a 1TB SSD perhaps...Crucial M550 is CHEAPER than the Samsung and as good as the 840 pros. As the CAPACITY of SSDs are small...you would MOVE all media and completed project files to HDDs for archiving and storage....the use of RAID with your existing HDDs would NOT be needed for this function.
    Another option would be to take FOUR quality 1TB HDDs...( the Seagates are selling for $44 right now), and create a RAID 0 off the motherboard to have a large 4TB capacity AND speed similar to the SSDs!   WARNING !!! the odds of ONE drive failing are BIG....you would immediately lose ALL your data !! HOWEVER....if you back up that RAID 0 RELIGIOUSLY....you would have NO worries. One way to do THAT is to buy a 4TB ENTERPRISE level 7200rpm HDD....Seagate has one with a 128 MB cache that does over 200MB/sec. for just over $300.
    Even with all this covered, there are MANY factors which can CHOKE a fast computer....the CODECS you are using have a HUGE bearing on performance. The VERSION of After Effects is important...NEWEST versions have the BEST performance with features like the "global performance cache", etc. The use of "third party plug-ins" can CRIPPLE a machine if these are NOT written to take advantage of "hyperthreading",OR, are "32 bit" and HUMBLE your machine because AE is NOW 64 bit!!
    Make sure you have Windows fully updated and the newest drivers for your video card. Then , make sure your Windows POWER SETTINGS are set to MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE when"plugged in"....the DEFAULT Windows settings...even under "high performance" has setttings that will THROTTLE your GPU and CPU if you don't change them.....I found THAT out the hard way!
    Finally, make sure , in AE settings, you have set the"memory allocation" correctly...there is a formula regarding how much to assign on a "per CPU core basis". There ALSO is a selection to make for "allowing multiple frames" to be processed...make sure THAT is set correctly.
    Good luck !!     I hope this helps!

  • CS6 web premium vs. CC access for After Effects - conflicts?

    Hi all,
    Apologies if there was any response to a similar question. If so, I've certainly struggled to find it.
    I currently have CS6 web premium installed (student edition), but I require access to After Effects for a single assignment. Obviously there is no standalone for After Effects in a student edition.
    If i were to sign up to CC just to access After Effects, what impact would this have on my CS6 installation?
    Any info would be valued =]

    Hi Missy~,
    Welcome to the Community!
    You can use both After effects CC and CS6 on the same system as both are separate versions also either you can sign up for Single app After effects CC or get a complete Creative cloud.
    Hope that answers your question.
    -Ankit

  • FAQ: What are the best resources for After Effects CS6?

    Listed are select troubleshooting and "how to" resources for After Effects CS6.
    After Effects CS6 troubleshooting resources
    I'm having trouble downloading and installing After Effects. What do I do?See troubleshooting documents, post in the Downloading, Installing, Setting Up forum, or contact support. For details, see this blog post or this FAQ.
    What are the system requirements for After Effects CS6?See this article.
    Does After Effects CS6 work with Mac OS X 10.9 (Mavericks)?Yes, update to After Effects CS6 (11.04) for that capability. More info in this blog post.
    How do I prevent After Effects CS6 from crashing when I use Illustrator files?Prevent this issue by turning off the preference Create Layer Markers from Footage XMP Metadata in the Media & Disk Cache preferences category. More info in this blog post.
    I can't open the composition mini-flow chart. What do I do?See the workarounds in the following blog post.
    Is there a 30 day trial available for After Effects CS6?Yes, subscribe to the free version of Creative Cloud, then download After Effects CS6. More info here.
    I'm getting errors related to QuickTime. What do I do?See this blog post for troubleshooting items related to QuickTime.
    What are the GPU related features in After Effects CS6?See this blog post for details.
    Do I need new plug-ins for After Effects CS6?See this blog post for information.
    I'm getting errors after applying the 3D Camera Tracker or Warp Stabilizer to a long clips in After Effects CS6. What do I do?See this blog post for more information.
    After Effects CS6 Tutorials
    How do I get started with After Effects CS6?See this blog post.
    Where can I find tutorials for learning After Effects CS6?
    See this blog post.
    See also this collection of tutorials.
    Issue: What are the top new and changed features in After Effects CS6?See this blog post.
    Issue: How do I optimize After Effects CS6 for best performance?See this article.

    Hi ..
    GO to website www.Apache.org
    down load Apache tomcat server .
    install it ...
    Go to sun site
    c and download jsp tutorials ...
    Go to
    (www.coreservlets.com)download book core servlets
    u can find lots of nice books supported by sun on sunwebsite ...
    Now u r equipped ....
    start doing everything (R &D) on server ..
    Join This JSP forum and ask any thing u didnt got ..or learn or get confused..
    I thing once u go through this ..it will do all what u want
    Hope it helps
    Best of Luck :)
    regds & take care

  • Mavericks doesn't ask for password when copying files into applications folder (e.g. installing plugins for After Effects)

    For example, when i was copied a plugin for after effects into the plugins folder, finder asked me for my password and now it doesn't. I can just copy it directly without any authentication.

    Do you have Service Pack 1 for Windows 7? It's listed in the system requirements for CC 2014. If you don't have SP1, AE won't run.
    That GPU sniffer error message is usually what happens. This should be a simple fix! Of course, you should always take the normal precautions when updating an OS, but still...

  • Media Encoder CC not using GPU acceleration for After Effects CC raytrace comp

    I created a simple scene in After Effects that's using the raytracer engine... I also have GPU enabled in the raytracer settings for After Effects.
    When I render the scene in After Effects using the built-in Render Queue, it only takes 10 minutes to render the scene.
    But when I export the scene to Adobe Media Encoder, it indicates it will take 13 hours to render the same scene.
    So clearly After Effects is using GPU accelleration but for some reason Media Encoder is not.
    I should also point out that my GeForce GTX 660 Ti card isn't officially supported and I had to manually add it into the list of supported cards in:
    C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects CC\Support Files\raytracer_supported_cards.txt
    C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Media Encoder CC\cuda_supported_cards.txt
    While it's not officially supported, it's weird that After Effects has no problem with it yet Adobe Media Encoder does...
    I also updated After Effects to 12.1 and AME to 7.1 as well as set AME settings to use CUDA but it didn't make a difference.
    Any ideas?

    That is normal behavior.
    The "headless" version of After Effects that is called to render frames for Adobe Media Encoder (or for Premiere Pro) using Dynamic Link does not use the GPU for acceleration of the ray-traced 3D renderer.
    If you are rendering heavy compositions that require GPU processing and/or the Render Multiple Frames Simultaneously multiprocessing, then the recommended workflow is to render and export a losslessly encoded master file from After Effects and have Adobe Media Encoder pick that up from a watch folder to encode into your various delivery formats.

  • Where are the "exercise files" referenced in the video tutorial for After Effects?

    Where are the "exercise files" referenced in the video tutorial for After Effects?  A search yielded no results.

    Creating your first project | Learn After Effects CC | Adobe TV

  • Cycore FX plug-ins for After Effects 7

    I'm having some issues finding the Cycore FX plug-ins for After Effects 7 (I know, it's old   )
    Using Windows 7 x64. The original discs were installed on an older OS, and have since been lost. AE 7 has been downloaded from the Adobe web site, but there are no additional resources/folders with the plug-ins to be found...any ideas???
    [email protected]

    It's strange that Adobe don't have the Cycore plug-ins available at the point of download. (It would make things so civilized.)
    Thanks for the tip :-), I wonder if placing the plug-ins for CS3 in the appropriate folder for AE 7 might work??? Where did you find them???

Maybe you are looking for