Proxy layers render slower than original. Video layers in general are extremely slow.

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
September 23, 2021
1 reply
3551 views

When I'm exporting a composition, using proxy layers of simple elements, it takes a lot more time than disabling the proxy and having it render 'from scratch'. Or it's barely any faster.

If I'm adding a single video to a new composition to render it out again as a test it's extremely slow.

In this case AE only has to read the videoframe and rerender it without doing anything, and I'm getting 2-3 fps.

Shouldn't proxy layers always render quicker than the original, regardless how sophisticated or simple the composition?

Is there any codec that handles video better/faster in AE?

I'm using prores 422/4444.

It's such a shame, since old versions (pre 2014) handled video much faster.

We have faster computers with slower AE performance.

Performance

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R

Rick Gerard

Community Expert

Check the frame size and frame rate of the Proxy. It's easy to get that fouled up.

Some system details and workflow details would help us diagnose your problem.

G

Gijs_Author

Inspiring

It's a 1920x1080, 60 fps composition.

I'm using a M1 macbook pro, though it's faster than my old workstation(W10, 6700k, 32gb ram) in 3d and most AE motion, it seems far slower in AE with video. I'm hoping this is contributed to not being a native Apple Silicon app yet, so a future release might fix this.

I did a test on my old workstation in Windows 10, and it rendered @ 20-40 fps (can't recall specifically).

The same composition with one video layer on the M1 got only 3 fps, which regardless of lacking a native version seems tremendously slow.

R

Rick Gerard

Community Expert

First, there is probably no reason at all to have the proxy files 60 fps. Unless you are trying to simulate the look of game footage or need to have a 60 fps comp. The only thing most of your audience might be gaining is a little more of a video and less than a movie experience. Only a small percentage of a general audience can tell the difference and YouTube will seerve up 30 fps video to almost all of the people viewing the completed project anyway, because that's what they do to save bandwidth.

What resolution is the original footage? What is the frame rate of the original footage?

I am also not sure why you are rendering footage (exporting) using proxy footage. Seems like a waste of time because it can't be used in a final edit or other AE projects because neither the NLE nor AE will know that the footage is a proxy, and even if it did, there would be no original to replace it with.

I'm using an M1 Mac also. I am working on an hour-long documentary that was all shot 4K, is mostly ProRez and Red footage, and I am having no problems at all with any of my comps and I am not rendering proxies. Some of the original work done on the film I am working on had proxy footage created by another editor for some of the 4K Red footage. It was all 720p, but I have not used any of it in the current edit because it has not been necessary.

If you have to stick with this workflow you might consider rolling back AE to a previous version or trying the Beta version if you have access to it. I am not having any issues at all currently with the last 3 releases of After Effects on my M1 Mac.

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