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O
Onchie
Inspiring
June 26, 2020
Answered

Extreme input lag when performing keyboard commands.

  • June 26, 2020
  • 3 replies
  • 1259 views

Hello,

There is an annoying and debilitating input lag of up to 4 seconds or more when using keyboard shortcuts for even simple commands like copying layers, pasting keyframes, creating nulls, creating new viewers, almost everything. It also happens sometimes when clicking dropdown menus. There is about a 70% chance of it happening after using a keyboard shortcut. How can this be solved? It almost feels as if every action done in After Effects CC 2020  is sent to some central server for approval before being allowed to execute. Though the problem remains even if I disconnect from the internet. I've experienced this in two different setups, on my HP Z840 Workstation in the office and on my Personal Computer at home. It's been like this for almost a year I think. Even with the latest updates to After Effects and Windows.  

Sincerely,

Ryan

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Onchie

The problem is now 100% solved for me. I have discovered that the lag is caused by Photoshop files from our Creatives department. These PSD files have been used as Tempates for months or even years and have each accumulated about 80mb worth of troublesome metadata called Photoshop:DocumentAncestors. The 80mb bloat itself is not the problem, the problem is that when these PSD files are imported into After Effects.. the metadata cannot simply be ignored by AE. Somehow when actions are performed on each layer from these PSD files they have to undergo about 6 to 8 seconds of processing which has something to do with the DocumentAncestors metada stored in the PSD file. Here's more on this devastating metadata: https://prepression.blogspot.com/2017/06/metadata-bloat-photoshopdocumentancestors.html?m=1

It makes sense that this metadata can accumulate in these PSD files due to the fact that they get incremented whenever a Save As operation is done on the file and so they get transferred into any succeeding file versions in greater numbers. And not only Save As operations do this, even importing layers into the PSD file from other sources adds to the metadata. You might say it's a record of historical operations on the PSD file, hence the name DocumentAncestors.

Upon applying one of the Photoshop scripts mentioned in the link i posted above, my PSD file drastically got reduced in size, but more importantly can now be animated in After Effects with absolutely NO LAG no matter what I do to the layers.

I cannot describe the the feeling of two years of hardship culminating in this breakthrough suddenly allowing me to animate at the speed of thought again! Happy animating folks!

 

3 replies

O
OnchieAuthorCorrect answer
Inspiring
March 28, 2021

The problem is now 100% solved for me. I have discovered that the lag is caused by Photoshop files from our Creatives department. These PSD files have been used as Tempates for months or even years and have each accumulated about 80mb worth of troublesome metadata called Photoshop:DocumentAncestors. The 80mb bloat itself is not the problem, the problem is that when these PSD files are imported into After Effects.. the metadata cannot simply be ignored by AE. Somehow when actions are performed on each layer from these PSD files they have to undergo about 6 to 8 seconds of processing which has something to do with the DocumentAncestors metada stored in the PSD file. Here's more on this devastating metadata: https://prepression.blogspot.com/2017/06/metadata-bloat-photoshopdocumentancestors.html?m=1

It makes sense that this metadata can accumulate in these PSD files due to the fact that they get incremented whenever a Save As operation is done on the file and so they get transferred into any succeeding file versions in greater numbers. And not only Save As operations do this, even importing layers into the PSD file from other sources adds to the metadata. You might say it's a record of historical operations on the PSD file, hence the name DocumentAncestors.

Upon applying one of the Photoshop scripts mentioned in the link i posted above, my PSD file drastically got reduced in size, but more importantly can now be animated in After Effects with absolutely NO LAG no matter what I do to the layers.

I cannot describe the the feeling of two years of hardship culminating in this breakthrough suddenly allowing me to animate at the speed of thought again! Happy animating folks!

 

daimsk
daimsk
Participant
March 5, 2023

Hello, I have the same problem with my keyboard and after fx 2023, but i don't use phonoshopt or nothing, the same prob with a blank layer, and just one text.

Do you know a issue ?

thanks a lot

O
OnchieAuthor
Inspiring
July 12, 2020

It just seems so constricting that in After Effects CS6 i could input commands as fast as my mind could think them, and now suddenly in CC 2020 I have to wait at least 4 seconds before each command executes. Sometimes I just string together a bunch of commands even without visual feedback and watch them all execute at the same time after 4 seconds. That isn't ideal of course. Any help or info would be appreciated. Thanks. 

Mylenium
Mylenium
Legend
June 26, 2020

Nothing to do with servers and such. The simple truth likely is that your screen configuration and graphics driver need some love.

 

Mylenium

O
OnchieAuthor
Inspiring
June 27, 2020

Screen configuration from Windows or from AE? What do I need to adjust?
I'm using the latest studio drivers from Nvidia for Geforce GTX 1650S. At the office the workstations use Quadro GPU's. 

O
OnchieAuthor
Inspiring
June 28, 2020

It just seems so constricting that in After Effects CS6 i could input commands as fast as my mind could think them, and now suddenly in CC 2020 I have to wait at least 4 seconds for each command to execute. Sometimes I just string together a bunch of commands even without feedback and watch them all execute one after the other after 4 seconds. That isn't ideal of course. Any help or info would be appreciated. Thanks. 

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