Learn how to optimize your After Effects settings through this comprehensive guide, including managing missing files, resetting and setting preferences, and purging the After Effects cache.
This exercise is excerpted from Noble Desktop’s Adobe After Effects training materials and is compatible with After Effects updates through 2023. To learn current skills in After Effects with hands-on training, check out our After Effects Bootcamp, Motion Graphics Certificate, and video editing classes in-person and live online.
Note: These materials are provided to give prospective students a sense of how we structure our class exercises and supplementary materials. During the course, you will get access to the accompanying class files, live instructor demonstrations, and hands-on instruction.
Complete the following setup prior to beginning any exercises.
Exercise Preview
Exercise Overview
In this exercise you’ll set some preferences to make sure After Effects will function as we expect. Do this exercise first, or some things later will not work correctly!
Relinking Missing Files
After Effects (like other programs that work with large media files) creates links to any footage file you import rather than embedding them. This means that anything that disrupts this link like: changing a source files name, moving files around, renaming folders, etc. will cause this link to break. If this happens AE will pop up a missing media alert.
To fix missing files:
- In the Project panel, Ctrl–click (Mac) or Right–click (Windows) on the missing file.
- Choose Replace Footage > File from the menu that appears.
- In the dialog that appears, navigate to the location of the missing file.
- Double–click on the missing file to relink it.
Resetting After Effects Preferences
If this is the first time using After Effects, or you have never changed any of the application’s default preferences you will not need to complete this section of the lesson. Let’s reset to the default preferences so we know how your app will be set up.
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If After Effects is open, quit the app.
NOTE: This book has been tested with After Effects 2021. If you’re using an older or newer version, most things should still work the same or similarly.
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Launch After Effects and then immediately hold Cmd–Shift–Option (Mac) or Ctrl–Shift–Alt (Windows) until the reset preferences dialog appears.
If you don’t see a dialog appear, you didn’t hold the keys down fast enough. Quit the app and try it again. If you still can’t get it, refer to the Manually Deleting Preferences sidebar below.
- Click OK to reset your preferences and After Effects will continue launching.
If you get a warning about disk cache, click OK.
Manually Deleting Preferences
Instead of using the keystroke, you can manually delete the preferences files:
- In After Effects, go into the After Effects menu (Mac) or Edit menu (Windows) and choose Preferences > General.
- At the bottom click the Reveal Preferences in Finder button (Mac) or Reveal Preferences in Explorer button (Windows).
- Delete the file that is revealed (and selected). Then restart After Effects.
Setting Preferences
If After Effects is not already open, launch it.
If you’re seeing the Home screen, close it.
Go into After Effects menu (Mac) or Edit menu (Windows) and choose Preferences > General.
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Click on Center Anchor Point in New Shape Layers.
This makes it easier to control the positioning of native After Effects shape layers by placing their anchor point in the center of the shape instead of the center of the composition.
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Uncheck Enable Home Screen.
This is a purely personal preference, we just don’t find it useful. Everything it does can be accomplished elsewhere.
On the left of the window, click on the Display section.
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Under Motion Path, select All Keyframes.
Motion Paths help us see the journey that our layers take as they change position. We want to see the path of all our keyframes whenever we select a layer.
On the left, click on the Auto-Save section.
Make sure Save every is checked on and set it to 10 minutes.
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Next to Maximum Project Versions, set it to 20.
After Effects Auto–Save will automatically back–up your project file to a folder next to your project file. This back–up copy can be opened like any other After Effects project in case your main file becomes corrupted, After Effects crashed, or you just want to return to an older version.
- On the left, click on the Memory & Performance section.
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To the right of RAM reserved for other applications hover your cursor over the blue number.
In one motion, drag to the left to reduce the number. Stop dragging when it reaches the lowest number possible (it might already be set to that, so it might not change).
NOTE: The lowest number depends on how much RAM your computer has. This preference does NOT get reset when resetting your After Effects preferences.
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You’re done setting preferences. Click OK.
Learn More About After Effects Preferences
For more about After Effects preferences, feel free to read Adobe’s reference at helpx.adobe.com/after-effects/using/preferences.html
Purging the After Effects Cache
After Effects stores temporary files for on your hard drive in a location it refers to as the cache. Most commonly the cache stores the timeline previews that allow you to see the animation you create in real–time. If your cache is located on a drive that lacks sufficient space you will receive a warning message when you first open After Effects. Unlike previews stored in RAM, cached previews are persistent, but they can be manually deleted.
- In After Effects, choose Edit > Purge > All Memory & Disk Cache.
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Click OK.
NOTE: For better performance you should use a hard drive other than you system drive for cache.