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Previewing animation


    When you preview a composition in After Effects, the more detail and precision you want to see, the more slowly the composition displays in standard preview and the more RAM is required for RAM preview. You can control the amount of detail shown in either the standard or RAM preview by changing the resolution, magnification, and preview quality of your composition. See Setting resolution and Changing the layer image quality.

    You can also limit the number of layers previewed by turning off the video switch for certain layers, or limit the number of frames previewed by adjusting the composition's work area. See Hiding layers in the Composition window or Setting up a work area. For information on all the previewing shortcuts available, see the After Effects Quick Reference card.

    After Effects also uses caching and dynamic resolution to facilitate quicker previews and Composition window updates whether you're using RAM preview, advancing sequentially or nonsequentially through the frames, or dragging layers in the Composition window. Wireframe mode is also available to speed up Composition window updates. See Previewing 3D for information on using Wireframe mode.

To stop any preview before it is complete:

    Press the spacebar.

To display the Time Controls palette:

    Choose Window > Time Controls.

To use RAM preview:

  1. Activate the Timeline window or display a Layer or Footage window, depending on which one contains the footage you want to preview.
  2. Do one of the following:
    • If you are previewing footage in the Timeline, make sure that the video is turned on for the layers you want to preview, and set the work area to the time span you want to preview.
    • If you are previewing footage in a Layer or Footage window, make sure that the layers you want to preview have not been trimmed.
  3. Click the Audio button (the Audio button) on the Time Controls palette if you want to preview audio with video.
  4. In the Time Controls window menu, choose Show RAM Preview Options or Show Shift+RAM Preview Options.
  5. Set the Preview Options as follows:
    • For Frame Rate, either choose a desired frame rate from the list or type a frame rate in the box. To enter a two-digit frame rate, choose a two-digit frame rate from the list, and then change each digit individually. Choose Auto to have After Effects use the composition frame rate.
    • For Skip Frames, type the number of interim frames you want to remain unrendered. For example, if you type "2," After Effects renders the first frame and then each third frame following.
    • For Resolution, choose an option from the list. Choose Auto to use the current composition resolution.
    • Select From Current Time to render the RAM preview from the current time.
    • Select Full Screen to have the RAM preview play back on a black screen at the composition size.
  6. Do one of the following:
    • To have the RAM preview play back using the RAM Preview Options settings, click the RAM Preview button (the RAM preview button).
    • To have the RAM preview play back using the Shift+RAM Preview Options settings, hold down Shift and click the RAM Preview button (the RAM preview button).

To change the number of times the RAM preview plays back:

    Do one of the following:

    • To have the preview play back once, click the Loop button until it displays the loop once icon (the preview direction you want: looping from start to finish, single play (forward)), and then click the Play or RAM Preview button.
    • To have the preview loop continuously, click the Loop button until it displays the loop icon (the Loop button), and then click the Play or RAM Preview button.
    • To have the preview play back forward and then backward continuously, click the Loop button until it displays the palindrome icon (the preview direction you want: looping from start to finish, single play (forward), or cycling forward and backward), and then click the Play or RAM Preview button.

To use standard preview:

  1. In the Timeline window, make sure that the video switch is selected for the layers you want to preview.
  2. Move the work-area markers to set the time span you want to preview.
  3. Do one of the following:
    • Choose Window > Show Time Controls, and then in the Time Controls palette, click the Play button (the Play button).
    • Press the spacebar to start; press again to stop.

To use the manual preview options:

    Do any of the following:

    • To go forward one frame, click the Frame Advance button (the Frame Advance button).
    • To go forward ten frames, press Shift as you click the Frame Advance button.
    • To go backward one frame, click the Frame Reverse button (the Frame Reverse button).
    • To go backward ten frames, press Shift as you click the Frame Reverse button.
    • To preview with finer precision, drag anywhere along the jog control or drag the time indicator or shuttle control (the time indicator or shuttle control).
    • To go to the beginning of the composition, layer, or footage, click the First Frame button (the First Frame button).
    • To go to the end of the composition, layer, or footage, click the Last Frame button (the Last Frame button).

To use the wireframe preview:

  1. In the Timeline window, select the layers you want to preview. To preview all layers, make no selection.
  2. Set the work area to the time span you want to preview.
  3. Do one of the following:
    • Choose Composition > Preview > Wireframe Preview. To display a rectangular layer boundary instead of an alpha channel outline, press Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS) as you choose the preview method.
    • Choose Composition > Preview > Motion with Trails.

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