Mocha still crashes After Effects, even in AE Beta version

[derekk44883408]

After four days screaming my head off, trying to use the Mocha add on that comes with my purchase of the Adobe Creative Suite, I have come to the realization that there is no solution for the perpetual bugs that have been present in Adobe software since literally 2017.

Every posted solution, from clearing cache, disabling GPU, do not work on a Mac.

AE crashes before Mocha even finishes launching.

So, I found the Beta version of After Effects, and thought tis might offer a solution.

In this version, Mocha actually launches, and I can drar splines around my subject.

However, a tiny popup box is ever present on the After Effects screen, saying "Mocha is Launching".

From that point, everytime I click on the AE window, I get an annoying ding.  AE is frozen.

As long as this launch window is present, all I can do is draw splines, and play from the Mocha window.  The masks do not appear, so once again, Mocha isn't working properly.  If I click the red button to close the box, Mocha disappears.  

Help?  SOS? Anyone?

[derekk44883408]

Please excuse the typos.  I left my glasses upstairs!

You need to ask program questions in the forum for the program you are using
To ask in the forum for your program please start at https://community.adobe.com/
Moving from Using the Community (which is about the forums) to the correct forum... Mod

[Jose Panadero]

Have you tried to use different video formats or even image sequences to lauch Mocha?

Have you deactivated the use of GPU inside Mocha? 

[derekk44883408]

Yes, did all that.  Cleared cache too, tried different formats, projects, even stills.

Absolutely nothing works.  

[Jose Panadero]

Could you share with us some screen captures of your AE setup (comp size, bit depth, etc) and the mocha interface? And it would be great if you can describe the steps you follow to track inside Mocha.

[derekk44883408]

Sure.  I will upload either laster today, or tomorrow mornin.  I am in the middle of a project now.  Thanks.

[derekk44883408]

I have tried opening both versions of AE and Beta on my Macbook Pro and my Imac.  I have tried one computer running Big Sur, and one running Catalina.  

Here are screenshots showing the little launch window in AE Beta that won't go away.

If you close the box, Mocha closes, but as long as the box is open, AE is frozen.AC

The other screenshots show clearing caches, disabling GPU. and the AE crash window.

I had my credit card readt to buy Mocha Pro, but the site says for $295 I am still locked into Adobe as a host, otherwise I pay $1400.  Nope!  

 

 

 

 

[Roland Kahlenberg]

I suggest you post in the BorisFX Mocha community page since they will be better able to work out your hardware issue which I feel is related to your GPU/OS. 

[derekk44883408]

I went to Boris FX first.  Their support refused to answer any questions or offer support unless I was already a Mocha Pro user.  They told me to go to the Adobe forums.  The support guy came off like he was ticked off I even asked for support.  They are probably tired of Adobe customers emailing them every day. 

I am sure if I forked out $1400, they would offer support, but probably not at the $295 level.

[derekk44883408]

Here are my composition settings.  

The issue is AE crashing as soon as Mocha launches.  

Settings and preferences can be changed when any Adobe software opens, so I don't see why clearing cache would be an issue.  I clear cache anyways, but my Mac is 2019, 64 GB, 8BG, 1TB, along with several thunderbolt SSD drives.   

 

[Roland Kahlenberg]

Sorry to hear about your issue with their support, for as long as I've known them, which is over a decade, they've been excellent. Back to your issue, (1) have you tried with other footage (2) set AE's Workspace to Standard (3) ensure no AE scripts/Extensions are open/running. There's likely something that's interfering with the mocha Panel in AE. 

[Ross_Shain]

Have you posted your issues in the official Mocha AE support forum? 

https://forum.borisfx.com/c/mochaae/

[derekk44883408]

Someone asked what my steps were to get to Mocha.

1.  I open AE, import a single video to a layer, typically 1080p, not 4K.  (After clearing caches)

2.  I import my background image onto another layer, which is what I will use to place my Mocha tracked subject onto.

3.  I either click on the Effect tab, and click Boris FX Mocha, or go into the Effects panel, and drag Mocha onto my layer.

4. I click the dropdown tracking data arrow, and place tracking markers on my subject.  I have also tried to launch Mocha without adding the tracking markers.  

5. I create a Null layer, and click the "Layer  Export to Null" Layer.  I have tried not adding the null layer, in hopes that Mocha will track first, and then add data to the null later.

6.  I click the Mocha Icon in the AE tracking panel, to launch Mocha.  I Go into Mocha preferences, disable GPU.

7.  AE instantly crashes, before Mocha even finishes launching.

8.  Any work I try to do in Mocha is obviously lost, because there is no AE associated with it.

In the Beta version, AE doesn't appear to crash, until the Mocha launching box pops up.  

Then, AE freezes, until I click out of the box.  Then Mocha disappears.

Rinse, repeat.

[Jose Panadero]

I'm a bit confused. Once you open Mocha After is "locked" till you save your Mocha project, this is the way it works. Is this what is happening?

[derekk44883408]

I get a spinning ball, and a message saying Adobe After Effects has stopped responding.

Are you saying it is supposed to do that?

Are you supposed to get the spinning ball always hovering on your desktop, until you click out of Mocha?

[Jose Panadero · Accepted solution]

What I said is that you can't do anything in After Effects till you close Mocha. And yes, sometimes with mocha open, i get the spinning ball if I try to use After Effects. But this doesn't mean you have to force quit After Effects. Simply close Mocha and After Effects will continue running. Could you confirm hat once you close mocha you can continue to use After Effects?

[derekk44883408]

I just tried, and yes, once I close Mocha, the spinning ball foes away, and I can use AE.

That is where the confusion occurred.  With the spinning ball and AE not responding message, I thought AE was crashing.   So everytime I thought AE crashed, I would force quit, therefore, losing my Mocha work, when it was probably working fine!

Geez!  

[derekk44883408]

I am going to see if I can get some work done and save it as you suggest.

If Mocha works fine, then you have just saved countless others from going down a rabbit hole, thinking AE crashes constantly.  

THANK YOU!!!

[derekk44883408]

I just want to add that Ross from Boris FX offered help as well.  

Thanks to the Boris FX team for umping onboard to help solve this issue!

[Ross_Shain · Accepted solution]

Glad to help. Sounds like the confusion was over the Mocha AE plugin interface being "modal" and taking over when launched. This is standard behavior and AE is clickable once the Mocha AE interface is closed. 

To add here, Boris FX recommends Adobe AE users to use the official Mocha AE forum as the first point of contact if you need to get in touch with the product specialists: 

https://forum.borisfx.com/c/mochaae/

and if you are crashing and need technical support from Boris FX, you can open a case here: 

https://borisfx.com/support/open-a-case/

[Jared239725870b9p]

Troubleshooting suggestions: Restart your machine, usually a simple restart is enough to get any piece of software back on track. Make sure you have enough memory dedicated to Mocha in File>Preferences. For furtherdetail also see https://community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects-discussions/mocha-results-still-crashes-after-effects-even-in-ae-beta-version/m-p/12857916