After Effects RAM-preview problem

I have a problem I don't know how to fix. When I RAM-preview in AE, there's this little green line extending in the timeline from begining to end. But, it stops after 1,5 seconds and only replays that small selection. Anyone know how to make it RAM-preview the whole thing? I can't seem to find a solution. I'll be glad for any help I might get!


-Robin

 

That little green line is showing the progress of how much it can fit into RAM. Once RAM is full, it starts playing whatever it was able to fit.

A good way around this is to turn off audio. This allows many more video frames to be played in a shot.

Also, you could simply add more RAM. Or, you could optimize the available RAM by freeing some up.
- Drop your desktop wallpaper will free up a good 2MB.
- Turn off any apps you are not using. FireFox, especially with Flash running will suck up like 50MB on a good day.
- Go through your system tray. Turn off any quickstarts (like Quicktime) that are totally unneccessary.
- Go through the other services that don't show up as icons, and turn those off. Just be careful of what you are turning off. (That's not recommended unless you REALLY know what you are doing.)
- Lower your screen resolution. Higher resolution sucks up more RAM.


Those are for starters. You may be able to buy a few more frames with that. But, even with all of those tricks, I've only really had luck with a few seconds at a shot.
This is precisely why the RAM preview makes real-time editing damn near impossible in AE.

 

Ah, I get it... But the footage is not video I've captured. It's just some lines changing shape over time I made.

[image=http://img284.imageshack.us/img284/3241/aeft0.jpg] [image=http://img427.imageshack.us/img427/1108/ae2cr2.jpg]

I need to save as a RAM-preview, but is it a big deal if I just render it as a quicktime mov?

 

That's actually the preferred method if you want to watch it in real time.

I recommend using "Make Movie" as opposed to exporting it as a MOV.

 

Alrighty then, thanks man. I figured out the whole ram-preview thing isn't that important to me anyway...


If a mod bother, this can be locked.


-Robin

 

Don't suppose it's any help at this point, but in AE I usually work in ten-second blocks. My RAM can usually handle 11 or 12 seconds, but why push it? It's usually enough to preview an effect.

 

To get more frames rendered in your preview you can lower the quality of your footage to "draft" in the timeline or in the layers tab. Also turn of any unnecessary layers in the composition as well as any effects you don't need to preview.
There is a slider in the timeline to select the area that is rendered for preview. Very handy if you just need to check a specific effect or animation or just parts of your composition.