Precomps - Folder

[GregorZimmermann]

Dear Adobe support,

is there any reason that AfterEffects started to put random Compositions in a "Precomps" folder

that I didn't even create? Everytime I move said Compositions out of this folder, AfterEffects puts them back into it. I can't work like this on large scale projects, where I have around 100 precomps.

Why do you guys keep doing this to us users? I'm really trying to understand that. There is no need(!) for that feature at all. At least, please, make it optional, so that I can disable it.

Best,

Gregor

[Warren Heaton]

Which version of AE are you using?

If you import a Photoshop file as a Composition, AE will create Pre-Comp as needed and organize them in the Project tab; however, this is just during the initial import.  Any user changes to how the project is organized should remain.

[GregorZimmermann]

Hey Warren,

I'm using the latest version of AfterEffects, 18.4.0.
I've worked several years with AfterEffects now, so of course I know about a precomp that is being build, when I import footage as such.

That's not what I meant. I was talking about a folder, that is being created by AfterEffects, called "Precomps". Once created, AfterEffects starts to put random (not really random, but every comp that is also being used in another comp) into said folder. It's kinda like housekeeping, but I don't want it to re-arrange my perfectly set up file structure.

Hope this makes the problem a little clearer.

Thanks for your reply anyway!

Best,

Gregor

[Warren Heaton]

Sure, the AE team could have added a "Keep project organized" preference, but I'm 99% sure that there isn't one.

Is a 3rd party project organizer installed?  Something like KleanFast - AE Project Organizer by Bretyboy | VideoHive?

[GregorZimmermann]

Hey Warren,

I do not use any project organizer - as I have stated, I have a file structure that I follow in every file, so there is no need for any 3rd party project organizer.

As I said. Since the last update, AfterEffects puts Comps in a folder and this is highly annoying, disruptive for my workflow and simply a not needed feature. I don't understand, why Adobe has to add these useless features rather than focus on the real problems with AfterEffects (talking about weird error messages, crashes, single-threaded instead of multi-threaded and so on...)

Thanks for your thoughts, though.

Best,
Gregor

[Warren Heaton]

I'm not able to reproduce what you're experiencing.

I created some Comps from some imported clips, nested them into a containing Comp and sequencing them out and then applied an Adjustment Layer.

This is with After Effects 18.4.0 under Widows 10 build 19043.1110.

AE project with nested Comps

I also let the project stay open for several hours and came back every so often to make minor adjustments and resave.

Can you post a link to a screen recording of what's happening on your end?

[GregorZimmermann]

Hey Warren,

as I mentioned I'm in the middle of a project, so I don't have time to make a screen recording.

It's a convidential project so it would require that I put blur masks over everything that I can't show right now and that would be too much work - for now.

Anyway, I made a quick screenshot to make clear which folder I'm talking about.

Thanks for your thoughts!

Best,

Gregor

[Ali Jaber]

Most likely you have some third party templates or libraries from Videohive or Aescripts that's creating that folder automatically for you (Aeviewer, Animation composer, Myfx, Motion Bro, Motion factory, Premiurm Builder...)

[GregorZimmermann]

Hi ali_jaber,

thanks for your thought, but as I said in an earlier comment already - I haven't changed anything about my setup, plugins, scripts, tools or whatever else there is to change. The only change that happened was an update to AE 18.4.0.

I haven't experienced that behavior in the past - as I said, I've been working with AE for years now - and it only started after updating AE recently.

Best,

Gregor

[Setia5FCE]

Duik Bassel is the problem.

I saw a comment on this thread, he said that he only has Duik installed, so I tried to uninstall it to see the difference and it's works! the Precomp folder never appeared!

don't get me wrong, I love Duik and will keep using it.

Hope it's help.

[Warren Heaton · Accepted solution]

In the DUIK panel, click the brain icon in the lower right then click on the magic wand to disable live-fix.

[GregorZimmermann]

Thanks a lot, Warren! That did the trick. Didn't assume Duik would behave that way, so sorry for smashing AE for it.