How To Clear Cache in Adobe After Effects: An Easy Guide

After Effects is a powerful software video editors, animators, and motion graphics designers use. The software is used to create stunning visuals and animations but can also become slow and unresponsive if the cache is not managed correctly. The cache is a temporary storage area that stores files frequently used by the software. Over time, the cache can become large and take up valuable disk space, causing After Effects to slow down. Clearing the cache can help improve the software’s performance and prevent crashes.

In this article, we will discuss how to clear the cache in After Effects in detail. We will cover different methods to clear the cache, how to manage the cache and the importance of regularly clearing the cache.

Contents

• Why Clearing Caches in After Effects is Important?
• How to Clear the Cache in After Effects?
• Managing the Cache in After Effects
• Conclusion

Why Clearing Caches in After Effects is Important?

After Effects uses cache to store frequently used files to speed up the performance of the software. The cache can include files such as video footage, images, audio, and other assets. However, if the cache is not managed correctly, it can become large and take up valuable disk space. This can cause After Effects to become slow and unresponsive, leading to crashes and errors.

Clearing the cache is essential to ensure the software’s performance is not affected by a large cache. Regularly clearing the cache can also help free up disk space, preventing your computer from running out of space. By clearing the cache, you can ensure After Effects is running smoothly and efficiently, allowing you to focus on creating stunning visuals and animations.

How to Clear the Cache in After Effects?

There are different methods to clear the cache in After Effects. Let’s look at some of the most common methods below.

Method 1: Clearing All Memory and Disk Cache

This method clears all the cache stored in memory and on disk. It is the most effective way to clear the cache and can help improve the software’s performance significantly. Follow the steps below to clear all memory and disk cache in After Effects.

There are different methods to clear the cache in After Effects. Let’s look at some of the most common methods below.

Step 1: Open After Effects.

Step 2: Go to Edit > Purge > All Memory & Disk Cache.

Step 3: A dialog box will appear, asking you to confirm the action. Click “OK.”

Step 4: After Effects will start clearing the cache. This process may take some time, depending on the size of your cache and the speed of your computer.

Step 5: Once the cache has been cleared, you can close the dialog box and continue working in After Effects.

Method 2: Clearing the Cache for a Specific Composition or Layer

If you want to clear the cache for a specific composition or layer, you can use this method. Follow the steps below to clear the cache for a specific composition or layer.

Step 1: Select the composition or layer you want to clear the cache for in the project panel.

Step 2: Right-click on the item and select “Cache > Clear Cache.”

Step 3: After Effects will start clearing the cache for the selected item. This process may take some time, depending on the size of the cache.

Step 4: Once the cache has been cleared, you can continue working on the selected item in After Effects.

Method 3: Setting the Cache Preferences

You can also manage the cache by setting the cache preferences. This method allows you to control how After Effects manages the cache, which can help improve the software’s performance. Follow the steps below to set the cache preferences in After Effects.

Step 1: Open After Effects.

Step 2: Go to Edit > Preferences > Media & Disk Cache.

Step 3: In the Media & Disk Cache preferences, you can set the following options:

• Disk Cache: This option allows you to specify where After Effects stores the cache on your computer. You can choose a different location if you want to store the cache on a different drive or partition.

• Maximum Disk Cache Size: This option allows you to specify the maximum size of the cache on disk. After Effects will automatically delete older cache files when the cache reaches the maximum size.
• Clean Database & Cache: This option allows you to clean the cache and database files, which can help improve the software’s performance. You can choose to clean the cache every time you close After Effects or manually clean it.

Step 4: Once you have set the cache preferences, click “OK” to save the changes.

Method 4: Clearing the Conformed Media Cache

The conformed media cache stores files that have been imported into After Effects and converted into a format that can be used by the software. This cache can become large over time and can affect the software’s performance. Follow the steps below to clear the conformed media cache in After Effects.

Step 1: Open After Effects.

Step 2: Go to Edit > Preferences > Media & Disk Cache.

Step 3: In the Media & Disk Cache preferences, click on the “Clean Database & Cache” button.

Step 4: Select the “Conformed Media Cache” option and click “OK.”

Step 5: After Effects will start clearing the conformed media cache. This process may take some time, depending on the size of the cache.

Step 6: Once the cache has been cleared, you can close the preferences dialog box and continue working in After Effects.

Managing the Cache in After Effects

Managing the cache in After Effects is essential to ensure the software’s performance is not affected by a large cache. Here are some tips on how to manage the cache effectively.

1. Set the Cache Preferences: As mentioned earlier, setting the cache preferences can help you manage the cache effectively. You can specify the location of the cache on disk, set the maximum size of the cache, and clean the cache automatically or manually.
2. Clear the Cache Regularly: Clearing the cache regularly can help improve the software’s performance and prevent crashes. You can use any of the methods mentioned earlier to clear the cache.
3. Monitor the Cache Size: Monitoring the cache size can help you identify when the cache is becoming too large. You can use the Media & Disk Cache preferences to check the size of the cache on disk.
4. Use External Hard Drives: If you work with large video files or animations, consider using external hard drives to store the cache. This can help free up disk space on your computer and improve the software’s performance.

Conclusion

Clearing the cache in After Effects is essential to ensure the software’s performance is not affected by a large cache. There are different methods to clear the cache, including clearing all memory and disk cache, clearing the cache for a specific composition or layer, setting the cache preferences, and clearing the conformed media cache. Managing the cache effectively can help improve the software’s performance and prevent crashes. Use the tips mentioned in this article to manage the cache effectively and ensure After Effects is running smoothly and efficiently.