cannot render a comp with only a TIFF sequence

[ATOMIC BOY]

After Effects CC 15.1.0 (Build 166)

Mac OS 10.13.4, High Sierra

iMac (27-inch, Late 2013)

3.5 GHz Intel Core i7

16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M 4096 MB

Ever since updating AE, I can no longer render out any comp that is comprised solely of a TIFF sequence in any output format (movie file or image sequence) or codec. It crashes AE and returns this error:

<BEEp_InitSoundPB> <0> Vid rate ratios min,max: 1,1

Here are some of the results of experimentation:

Comp 01: Consists of only a pre-rendered TIFF sequence, no effects, will NOT render. Location/time of failure varies every time.

Comp 02: Extremely complex with lots of filters and layers. Drop a TIFF sequence into it and the entire comp will render.

- Clue: Normal AE comps seem to be fine, even when introduced with the TIFFs.

Comp 03: TIFF sequence, camera, and one solid (1920x1080) in 3D space placed over the TIFFs will render.

- Clue: Will only render with an active camera and an element in 3D space. No camera and the render will fail.

Comp 04: TIFF sequence, camera, and one solid (100x100) in 3D space placed over the TIFFs will NOT render.

- Clue: Solid is evidently too small.

Comp 05: TIFF sequence, camera, and one solid (1920x1080) in 3D space placed under the TIFFs will NOT render.

- Clue: AE insists on seeing the solid.

Comp 06: TIFF sequence, camera, and one solid in 3D space placed over the TIFFs but positioned outside of the field of view will NOT render.

- Clue: Again, AE insists on seeing the solid.

Comp 07: TIFF sequence, camera, and one solid in 3D space placed over the TIFFs with blending mode set to screen (on a black solid so that it becomes invisible) will render.

- Clue: AE seems to want a large enough element, though not visible, to exist within the field of view in 3D space, with an active camera.

Comp 07 is now the bizarre and unacceptable workaround I'm stuck with until someone out there may know the cause and an actual legitimate solution.

[Rick Gerard]

You have provided no details about the comp, the tiff file or frame size. Have you tried different tiff files? I'm still on OSX 10.13.3 because I am in the middle of a project and I never update anything when I am facing a deadline but AE 15.1.0 is rendering just fine with my tiff sequences.

The sequences I am working on today are mostly 4K 16-bit but there are some floating point 8K images in the mix. The comps are all 32-bit. A render just finished with no problems.

[ATOMIC BOY]

Frame size isn't making a difference, from HD to 4K, UHD, 1:85… Frame rate doesn't seem to matter. Drive the project and source media are read from doesn't seem to matter, which I checked in case of a read/write speed issue. All 16bpc sequences rendering at 16bpc

As a test, massive pre-rendered tiff sequence comps used for delivery a few days ago will now not render without workaround.

[Rick Gerard]

With a nearly identical system I am starting to think that the problem is the latest update from Apple. It is not unusual for Apple updates to break image and video formats.

[NicolasScheidler]

Same problem here (AE 15.1.0), no matter which codec I use. My workaround for my current project was > using Media Encoder to render the  AE Project.

But it also works when you revert to AE 15.0.1 (Build 73).

[ATOMIC BOY]

Just checked AE CC 2018 15.1.2 that came out today, and the same problem still exists.

Anyone out there from Adobe reading this and able to guess what is happening? It's not worth the full cost of the monthly subscription if  some of us have to use old versions just to meet basic needs.