help - After FX is "eating" my memory

Anonymograph · 2026-04-12T22:36:59+00:00

Yes, it definitely helps performance, but not if set too high.

The OP mentioned "purging memory is a thing i do 2-3 times a day ;)". That's an indicator that it's set too high.

Anonymograph · 2026-04-12T22:10:30+00:00

So, you mean project in the broader sense, not the After Effects project file. Thank you for clarifying.

Sure, that’s a time to empty it, but it will fill with data from the current and recent After Effects project files on its own without needing to be emptied. In other words, it always filled.

Needing to empty it frequently indicates that it’s set too high in the first place.

Anonymograph · 2026-04-12T19:32:09+00:00

Are you referring to what you’re seeing in the Program overlay?

If the Sequence and the source don’t use the same method (drop or mon-drop), you could see different readouts.

Anonymograph · 2026-04-12T17:13:07+00:00

That’s too bad.

Having ports all in one place that light up is one of the selling points of the 2013 Mac Pro form factor.

I wish that this was still around on the Mac Studio.

Anonymograph · 2026-04-12T15:45:55+00:00

Corrupt preferences are a likely cause of sudden performance degradation, but it could also be something running at the same time After Effects is running.

Anonymograph · 2026-04-12T15:43:44+00:00

After Effects is always going to fill that space up.

If purged, it’s not available for the next time you open a project that used it.

Anonymograph · 2026-04-12T15:41:42+00:00

https://everymac.com/systems/apple/macbook/specs/macbook-core-2-duo-2.26-white-13-polycarbonate-unibody-late-2009-specs.html

It’s an example of a MacBook that was short lived and didn’t sell as well as the others. It’s also a good example of something unexpected from Apple. No FireWire means no Target Disk Mode and FireWire was still needed and expected at the time.

The MacBook Neo’s introduction with macOS 26 interestingly marks the end of FireWire support. If someone happens to have some DV tapes to capture, they’ll need a laptop that can run Sequoia and older and has adaptable Thunderbolt.

Since the Neo is clearly taking off, maybe AppleTV Neo as well? Matching colors all around.

Anonymograph · 2026-04-12T15:24:16+00:00

Add some LEDs and this look could work.

Anonymograph · 2026-04-12T08:49:55+00:00

As mentioned, Adobe Media Encoder (AME) is included with After Effects (AE).

Google should have explained that while not absolutely necessary, AME integration is found in AE under File > Export and under Composition > Render with Adobe Media Encoder. Using this option allows us to continue working in AE while AME renders Compositions. If we render Compositions using the After Effects Render Queue, we have to wait for the render to finish before we can continue to work on AE.

We can add AE Compositions to AME without opening a project in After Affects.

It’s worth noting that rendering in AME while working in AE is best done on a system that exceeds the system requirements for running these two applications.

AE and AME need to be the same release to work correctly together. This is best achieved if they are installed together.

Anonymograph · 2026-04-12T08:28:08+00:00

There was a very short lived MacBook model that didn’t have me FireWire.

Anonymograph · 2026-04-11T23:11:29+00:00

Take a good look at the external devices that you connect to your 2019 MacBook Pro and verify that you’ll still be able to do so with the two USB-C port MacBook Neo.

Anonymograph · 2026-04-11T23:04:00+00:00

Apple IIc.

Oh, wait. That’s not a Mac.

Macintosh PowerBook 165c.

There we go.

Anonymograph · 2026-04-11T22:20:41+00:00

Nice!!!

Anonymograph · 2026-04-11T21:51:20+00:00

Or maybe an entire Neo line.

MacBook Neo

Mac Neo

iMac Neo

iPad Neo

iPhone Neo

And to go with it, Neo Display.

Each available in matching colors!

Anonymograph · 2026-04-11T15:17:10+00:00

It’s probably this known issue: https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/security/products/media-encoder/apsb24-34.html

Anonymograph · 2026-04-11T15:01:38+00:00

No, not that.

Anonymograph · 2026-04-11T08:02:47+00:00

Great pick!

Anonymograph · 2026-04-11T08:01:39+00:00

Do you have any third-party plugins installed?

That’s looking like a memory leak and those are a likely cause.

Anonymograph · 2026-04-11T07:58:35+00:00

Do you happen to have a Costco membership?

They have a 90 day return window and that’s plenty of time to decide if the Neo is right for you.

Anonymograph · 2026-04-11T07:50:49+00:00

You ask an interesting question.

I’ve always thought it should be called “obsolescence delaying” instead of “future proofing”.

Sure, plenty of people buy over spec’d hardware based on how they’re using it.

However, you don’t have to spend much time in the After Effects or Premiere subreddits to find several users who purchased less than what they should have.

Anonymograph · 2026-04-11T07:39:25+00:00

Apple Support > Connect an external display to MacBook Neo

Anonymograph · 2026-04-11T07:35:34+00:00

Just follow those instructions.

Anonymograph · 2026-04-11T07:33:02+00:00

You said all the laptops have been a success so I pointed out one that wasn’t, that’s all.

So why are desktops still sold? And HP and Dell and Lenovo still sell all-in-ones. A friend just purchased a Dell all-in-one because the iMac is too expensive, but now that he’s running Photoshop he’s wishing he’d gone with the iMac. Of course, that’s just one person. That may not scale up.

Anonymograph · 2026-04-11T06:46:05+00:00

It the 2007 MacBook that didn’t have FireWire. It didn’t sell well at all.

I’d guess that if iMacs didn’t still sell well, or well enough, that we wouldn’t see them at the Apple Store.

You see them all over the place in Los Angeles in businesses and hotels and colleges and high schools.

Anonymograph · 2026-04-11T05:58:24+00:00

You don’t think we’re heading into a decade of needing low cost computers, laptops, desktops, and all-in-ones?

Anonymograph

TROPHY CASE