There are many scenarios when it is desirable to render graphics and variables (such as text fields in a graphic) before a live production. This is especially true when working with complex After Effects designs that may have longer render times and be more demanding of system resources.
Captivate can pre-cache variables for native graphics layers and for After Effects layers respectively to eliminate on-air rendering. This action will render and store all values in the Cache List tab, so they can be played during the broadcast.
Topics Included:
Pre-cache your Graphic Layers
- Choose your graphic layer you would like to Pre-cache.
- Navigate to the Live Data tab in the Layer Properties Panel.
- Adjust any properties you would like to pre-cache for broadcast.
- Hit the Send to Cache button to pre-cache your graphic properties. Pre-cached values for the graphic will now be listed in a new row in the Cache List ready for playing live during broadcast.
Note: Renders for all values in the Cache List will be saved in the same directory as your Captivate project. They will be recalled next time you open the project.
Pre-cache your Spreadsheet Data
- Choose your graphic layer connected to a spreadsheet you would like to Pre-cache.
- Navigate to the Spreadsheet Data tab in the Layer Properties Panel.
- Select Send all to Cache.
Note: Utilize the shortcut by clicking on an individual row to cache that row of data as well. Choose the Ok button to pre-cache your graphic properties. Your pre-cached graphic will now be listed in your Cache List ready for playing live during broadcast.
Managing your Cache List
You may use the Cache List to control which data is visualized in your live Layers, similarly to operating a connected Data Controller. For more information on working with the Cache List, please see Operating Your Cache List during Broadcast here.
- In the Layers list, select the layer you wish to control
- Navigate to the Cache List tab in the Layer Properties panel.
- Click in any column of the Cache List to queue that set of variables for the selected layer. These variables will be shown in Preview.
Note: Variables in on-air graphics can be updated in two ways: - If the Auto-Update setting is enabled, the selected column of variables will be played in the live graphic immediately.
- If Manual-Update is selected, use the
button to send the selected variables on-air with animations or the
to update the graphic, while bypassing animations.
Quick Tip: Right-clicking a row also gives you the option to “Insert Row Above.” To delete a row from the cache list, right-click and select Remove Row.
You can save the Project + cache by navigating to the File > Save As > Project + cache.
Your saved project can now be opened within Captivate and broadcasted on a machine that does not have After Effects installed on it. The properties will not be available to update Live, however.