"Output color depth exceeds project color depth" prompt needs to go.

[jackthegiantslayer]

For years now myself and other animators have complained about this annoying prompt that halts the render process. Most of our output presets use ProRes at a high color depth, but when working in a comp the color space is often set to 8-bit for faster work. When you go to render to a codec that is higher than the comp it give you the "Output color depth exceeds project color depth" that stops the render before it starts, and if you are working on multiple monitors you sometimes miss the prompt as it might pop up in a location you miss. You have to click OK for every single comp that is stacked up, and if you overstrike the number of returns to clear each freaking render, it sometimes accidentally triggers the render "pause" button. I've come back from lunch to find nothing rendered and this annoying, useless, unnecessary prompt sitting there staring at me. Either give us a checkbox on this prompt that says "Do not ask again" or get rid of it altogether, because it doesn't accomplish anything.

[Dave_LaRonde]

jackthegiantslayer wrote:

Either give us a checkbox on this prompt that says "Do not ask again" or get rid of it altogether, because it doesn't accomplish anything.

--  OR  --

Remember to double-check the project bit depth before you render.  Just make it a habit.

Problem solved, and no needless whining about AE shortcomings necessary.

Unless, of course, you have short-term memory problems.  That's a different issue.

[jackthegiantslayer]

Thanks for the patronizing response, but were it just myself complaining I would refrain from "whining". When you are on tremendously tight deadlines in an insanely fast paced NYC animation studio, you don't need one more hiccup in your workflow.

[jackthegiantslayer]

P.S. Sometimes it takes folks collectively whining in here to get Adobe motivated. Considering I had to wait two years just to have a workable version of this software on my Retina iMac (while continuing to pay for it) I don't have a whole lot of faith that my suggestions or bug reports are even being heard.

[Szalam]

I know what you mean.

I can assure you though that they are heard. I have had a chance to meet with the guys on the AE team a few times and met the people who look at those bug reports and feature requests. They are taken very seriously. They are quite passionate about them!

[jackthegiantslayer]

If this were true then why can't they be bothered to comment on numerous top-voted feature requests? Hmmmm? Please do go into those Uservoice pages and show me just how much your team cares, because it's crickets in there FOR YEARS.

[Ben U]

For embedded alpha channels, I prefer Pro Res 4444. Sometimes I am working in 8-bit imagery on purpose, as 16-bit footage will give you a slightly different look depending on the filters and blend modes you're using. Combine that with a need for an alpha channel, and it's an intentional choice that AE drops a warning for.

[Szalam · Accepted solution]

That sounds very frustrating and like a very good feature request. File one here: Adobe.com/go/wish

[jackthegiantslayer]

I have filed this feature request before and I did again. Thank you.

[jackthegiantslayer]

Let's see now, it's been what...4 YEARS NOW? Your Uservoice page is a joke and seems to only exists as a placebo to keep your angry customers shouting into the void. But please PLEASE do enlighten if this is not the case.

P.S. This question is most certainly NOT ANSWERED.

[lees20144752]

Hi jackthegiantslaye~

I am from the future.

Please understand that my English is poor.

Do you see the shape of a rocket here? Click on this, change the depth in the color panel and extract it.

I solved it like this.

HDR~What's wrong when using Lumetri color is also solved with this.

You may have solved the problem already, but I could feel the anger and irritation you might have felt.

Please be peaceful now 🙏

[jackthegiantslayer · Accepted solution]

I have been working with After Effects since Aldus version 2.0 on a Quadra in my college lab. I am painfully aware of color depth and know how to avoid this message, the complaint is that there is no need for this message. It interrupts workflow, just like me having to manually convert every single freaking 3D layer to separate XYZ coordinates in every new comp. Have we complained about this? Yes. Have we begged for these two seemingly simple options to be included as a check-off preference so we don't have to get this warning every time we are working at 8-bit and want to render ProRes or manually change every layer to separate XYZ. Yes, we have begged for years and accumulated numerous UserVoice votes and here we are again with nothing, being chided by someone who may not be under the same studio pressure or deadline constraints. Thanks for your kind message though, I would be much more peaceful if the After Effects team were willing to communicate more and listen to the repeated, popular requests that have gone unremarked upon since 2018.