How to disable the Preview completely

AramFingal

Newbie Joined: Jul 14, 2023 19:39 Messages: 6 Offline

Solved by

Jul 26, 2023 09:47

Hello. Sometimes I actually want to do a lot of small edits and clipping them together. I've found that, even with my fairly high end rig, there is a lot of slow down the more edits I put.

I'm a computer science guy so I can't imagine why the editor itself would be having trouble since an 'cut' would just be a value in the save file and shouldn't require any additional processing to store or change the value of a number. I can only guess that it's probably the preview. Other applications I've tried allow you to REALLY lower the resolution of the preview. However, in Powerdirector, for some reason, there's only these four options:

Ultra HD Preview Resolution
Full HD Preview Resolution
HD Preview Resolution
High Preview Resolution

There's also this 'non Real-Time Preview' option however, it's still doing all the processing in 'pseudo-real time' as I navigate through the timeline. It seems like all the non-realtime preview option does is turn off the audio so not sure the point of that (I usually mute all the audio anyway). It doesn't really make sense that the non-real-time refers to the audio and not the video, but I digress....

I've chosen the 'High' one but there's still a lot of latency why the preview loads. It's fine, I get it, there's a lot to process. This leads me to my question though. Is there a way to disable the preview completely? It seems like a waste of energy to have this application constantly rendering the preview when I end up minimising it to the point of it being pointless so I can focus on what I'm doing.

Again, this isn't really an issue per-se. I have a fairly nice rig so don't really have an issue, it's more of an annoyance that you have an option to reduce the quality and all these other options around the preview when all I want to do is turn it off.

This is actually double bad when doing the key frames. The act of moving to the next frame takes about 5 seconds to process ALL the layers of stuff I have even though I don't care what it looks like yet. I want to just add the key frames (which should be a super fast process) then see what that section looks like, tinker a bit, then see it as a whole. I can't imagine anyone is editing frame by frame and wondering what each frame looks like (that doesn't make sense - film is moving pictures). Usually people probably define the keyframes and then look at the WHOLE thing so it's strange that the application continues to insist on rendering everything all the time.

Also, yes, to solve this issue I usually just make many small projects and render them separately and then bring them together for the final bit which is much better. However, it's really clunky since after puting it all together, I'm kind of stuck with what comes out of each module unless I want to go back into the sub project and tinker with it then re-render, etc... All of this could be solved by turning off the preview.

Thanks!

tomasc

Senior Contributor Joined: Aug 25, 2011 12:33 Messages: 6464 Offline

Jul 26, 2023 10:30

Quote Is there a way to disable the preview completely? It seems like a waste of energy to have this application constantly rendering the preview when I end up minimising it to the point of it being pointless so I can focus on what I'm doing.

Again, this isn't really an issue per-se. I have a fairly nice rig so don't really have an issue, it's more of an annoyance that you have an option to reduce the quality and all these other options around the preview when all I want to do is turn it off.

This is actually double bad when doing the key frames. The act of moving to the next frame takes about 5 seconds to process ALL the layers of stuff I have even though I don't care what it looks like yet. I want to just add the key frames (which should be a super fast process) then see what that section looks like, tinker a bit, then see it as a whole. I can't imagine anyone is editing frame by frame and wondering what each frame looks like (that doesn't make sense - film is moving pictures). Usually people probably define the keyframes and then look at the WHOLE thing so it's strange that the application continues to insist on rendering everything all the time.

Also, yes, to solve this issue I usually just make many small projects and render them separately and then bring them together for the final bit which is much better. However, it's really clunky since after puting it all together, I'm kind of stuck with what comes out of each module unless I want to go back into the sub project and tinker with it then re-render, etc... All of this could be solved by turning off the preview.

Thanks!

Since you are a computer science guy, you are not making sense here. Go to the Preferences/General and uncheck the Render a preview…

JL_JL

Senior Contributor Location: Arizona, USA Joined: Oct 01, 2006 20:01 Messages: 6091 Offline

Jul 26, 2023 11:59

I assume your comment "constantly rendering the preview" simply referrs to the process of the timeline being decode to the preview window vs any "Render preview" PD options. If so, I'm not sure why CL removed it from the "Set preview quality" under the preview window, but if you set preview quality in pref > Display you have access to both a Normal and a Low setting vs the 4 options you listed. The low setting can reduce the rendering to the preview load significantly.

One can also undoc the preview window, and then minimize it, essentially the preview is disabled. With this you have no timeline playback capability but can scrub the timeline, edit PIP's since the designer windows have their own preview,....so on.

Jeff

Warry

Senior Contributor Location: The Netherlands Joined: Oct 13, 2014 11:42 Messages: 853 Offline

Jul 26, 2023 14:32

I guess that we are all wondering and trying to guess what it is you are really experiencing? Unless you press the render preview button (all the time), for which there is no reason other than to “quickly” see how a large number of complex changes to the clips will look like when played as a video in the preview screen, the process and displaying of small edits as you state, does not take much time and PD allows -to my experience- a very reasonable fast editing process, even when keyframes are being used and a fair number of effects and other alterations to the clips.
But maybe we overlook something, so can you explain what kind of editing you do, what type of input material, how many tracks and what kind and how many effects and keyframes? It would also be good to understand what kind of computer you use to do this editing? There are many factors that can be of influence of a speedy editing process.

AramFingal

Newbie Joined: Jul 14, 2023 19:39 Messages: 6 Offline

Aug 05, 2023 21:44

Quote

Since you are a computer science guy, you are not making sense here. Go to the Preferences/General and uncheck the Render a preview…

I forgot I posted this, I didn't think I'd get replies. I truly do appreciate that you take the time out of your day to visit these forums to help with the application but I think you're attitude could use some work. Maybe I'm reading it wrong.

Anyway, the checkbox doesn't work.

AramFingal

Newbie Joined: Jul 14, 2023 19:39 Messages: 6 Offline

Aug 05, 2023 21:57

Quote I guess that we are all wondering and trying to guess what it is you are really experiencing? Unless you press the render preview button (all the time), for which there is no reason other than to “quickly” see how a large number of complex changes to the clips will look like when played as a video in the preview screen, the process and displaying of small edits as you state, does not take much time and PD allows -to my experience- a very reasonable fast editing process, even when keyframes are being used and a fair number of effects and other alterations to the clips.
But maybe we overlook something, so can you explain what kind of editing you do, what type of input material, how many tracks and what kind and how many effects and keyframes? It would also be good to understand what kind of computer you use to do this editing? There are many factors that can be of influence of a speedy editing process.

Thanks so much for the response! My question was more of a suggestion. It just seems strange to me that there isn't a close button on the preview pane. This led me to the next part of the question, why does the 'Non Real-time preview' option just mute the sound? I have questions abound!! XD

I really like this application though, that's why I cared enough to post a question on this forum so I'm not complaining. Also, it's fine if you don't know, i figured out how to work around it so I'm good.

AramFingal

Newbie Joined: Jul 14, 2023 19:39 Messages: 6 Offline

Aug 05, 2023 22:10

Quote I guess that we are all wondering and trying to guess what it is you are really experiencing? Unless you press the render preview button (all the time), for which there is no reason other than to “quickly” see how a large number of complex changes to the clips will look like when played as a video in the preview screen, the process and displaying of small edits as you state, does not take much time and PD allows -to my experience- a very reasonable fast editing process, even when keyframes are being used and a fair number of effects and other alterations to the clips.
But maybe we overlook something, so can you explain what kind of editing you do, what type of input material, how many tracks and what kind and how many effects and keyframes? It would also be good to understand what kind of computer you use to do this editing? There are many factors that can be of influence of a speedy editing process.

Sorry, I didn't expect to actually get replies. Thanks so much! I ended up figuring a workaround.

I agree there are likely a lot of factors, I figured a way to work around it so no worries. I guess my core question is why it's not possible to close the preview pane? Then led me to, why is there a 'Non Real-time Preview' option which doesn't seem to work. Then why is there a 'Render Preview' checkbox in the options which, when unchecked, also doesn't seem to do anything.

Please don't misunderstand my post as being ornery. I was simply racking my brain: why no way to close the preview?

AramFingal

Newbie Joined: Jul 14, 2023 19:39 Messages: 6 Offline

Aug 05, 2023 22:27

Quote I assume your comment "constantly rendering the preview" simply referrs to the process of the timeline being decode to the preview window vs any "Render preview" PD options. If so, I'm not sure why CL removed it from the "Set preview quality" under the preview window, but if you set preview quality in pref > Display you have access to both a Normal and a Low setting vs the 4 options you listed. The low setting can reduce the rendering to the preview load significantly.

One can also undoc the preview window, and then minimize it, essentially the preview is disabled. With this you have no timeline playback capability but can scrub the timeline, edit PIP's since the designer windows have their own preview,....so on.

Jeff

Yes! Thanks! I'm new to this so am still learning. Ok, first of all, it's wierd that there's no way to close the preview window, right? Now, why did they hide the lower res options in there? Anyway, thanks for the help!