What is the After Effects Disk Cache (2024)

FAQs

What is the disk cache in After Effects? ›

Disk cache just as we mentioned above, where data from the preview render is stored in a cache directory. This allows After Effects to read the data quicker, thus giving you a faster preview. You can see that your comp has been cached to the disk by seeing a blue bar in the time ruler of the Timeline.

Yes, it's generally safe to delete cache files in After Effects. Cache files are temporary data used to speed up project rendering and previews. Clearing them can free up storage space and resolve issues like corrupted cache data. After Effects will automatically regenerate cache files as needed.

It actually depends on how much space you want to use as cache and how mush work you have when using Ae. Normally your default is no more than 1–2GB, but for me, based on the amount of work I do on Ae, I always change it to 5GB, that way I have more than enough to use for any small projects.

Disk cache is a temporary computer memory that stores frequently used data. It essentially acts as a bridge between the slower, non-volatile storage (like hard drive) and the computer's main memory (RAM). Such cache ensures that commonly accessed information is readily available.

The disk cache stores resources fetched from the web so that they can be accessed quickly at a latter time if needed.

You should occasionally clear the cache on your Windows 10 computer, to help your system run faster and reclaim disk space. A cache is a set of temporary files used by a program or the operating system. Sometimes, the cache in Windows can slow down your PC, or cause other problems.

If you have older projects you have completed, it is a good idea to delete these files to save storage space and to keep your computer's hard drive tidier. Keep in mind that a delay also occurs after you delete all cache files and then open a current project as the files need time to rebuild.

purge all memory and disk cache will cause all of the temporary files to be deleted. temporary can consist of: pre-rendered layers, ram previewed comps, copied path/properties etc.

A good base for the L1 cache is 64 KB per core. You can find this out by dividing the total amount by the number of cores in the CPU. A 256 KB L2 cache per core is perfectly acceptable, but gamers might benefit from 512 KB per core. And anything between 32 and 96 MB of L3 cache is perfectly fine for most purposes.

Optimize Disk Cache: After Effects utilizes a disk cache to store temporary files, which can significantly speed up rendering and previewing. Go to Preferences > Media & Disk Cache to configure the disk cache settings. Increase the disk cache size and choose a fast and dedicated drive for the cache location.

What is the best storage for After Effects? ›

SSDs are great for your working project files and applications. Try to use an NVMe for the disc cache, and even for the OS drive if you can. Don't use an HDD when working on a project After Effects. Make sure your GPU drivers are up to date, and use the “Studio” drivers if you have an NVIDIA card..

Open your After Effects project. Go to “After Effects” (“Edit” on WIN) > “Preferences” > “Media and Disk Cache…” In the window click “Empty Disk Cache…” and “Clean Database and Cache” Here you can also change the cache size.

Disk cache: This is a portion of main memory (RAM) used to store data that has been recently read from or written to a disk, such as a hard disk drive or solid-state drive. Disk caching helps reduce the number of read and write operations to the disk, improving the overall performance of the system.

The disk cache contains frames from all projects you've opened in the same or earlier sessions, so disk-cached frames from one project will be retrieved for reuse in other projects that need those same frames. As the cache is scanned, blue marks gradually fill in on your timeline.

purge all memory and disk cache will cause all of the temporary files to be deleted. temporary can consist of: pre-rendered layers, ram previewed comps, copied path/properties etc.

When you use a browser, like Chrome, it saves some information from websites in its cache and cookies. Clearing them fixes certain problems, like loading or formatting issues on sites.

If you have older projects you have completed, it is a good idea to delete these files to save storage space and to keep your computer's hard drive tidier. Keep in mind that a delay also occurs after you delete all cache files and then open a current project as the files need time to rebuild.

CHANGE DISK CACHE LOCATION

I typically have my project files on an external SSD and my disk cache on my local storage. To change your disk cache location navigate to After Effects > Preferences > Media and Disk Cache and select 'Choose Folder' under Disk Cache.