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Running After Effects on multiprocessor systems


    When running on a Windows NT, Windows 2000, or Mac OS multiprocessor system, After Effects employs an MP plug-in to make use of the added processing power available. With this plug-in, a multiprocessing system previews and renders certain operations much faster than single processor systems. The MP plug-in accelerates movement, rotation, motion blur, blending modes, and other computation-intensive operations, including plug-in effects such as Compound Arithmetic and Bevel Alpha.

    The degree to which the MP plug-in improves performance depends on the type of operation being performed. Memory-intensive operations are accelerated only minimally. Performance improvement also depends on system variables, such as the operating system, the type and number of processors, hard drive type, and compression. To determine the impact on rendering speed, render a project using the plug-in, move the plug-in out of the Plug-ins folder, render the project again, and compare the rendering times.

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