The first thing to do is turn on Spec Preview (Ctrl + Space) and then forget about it. Nucleo Pro immediately starts to generate a RAM preview but still lets you work. Once you make a change to your comp, Nucleo Pro will only regenerate the frames that need to be updated. Just hit the space bar at any point to play through the cached preview.
STEP 2: Pre-render finished layers
The best way to trim down your comp is to use Commit to Disk to pre-render layers you no longer need to adjust. Select the layers to export and then hit Ctrl-Alt-Space/Ctrl-Option-Space. Choose the appropriate render and output module, specify the destination, then hit Start. A Commit to Progress layer is temporarily created in your timeline until it is replaced with the newly rendered file. Your original layers are turned into shy layers.
STEP 3: Fast preview without the cache updates
Maybe a constantly caching preview isn’t your thing. If you prefer to like to continue making minor adjustments to a layer and find the constant cache update distracting, you can turn off Spec Preview and invoke a Fast Preview instead by hitting Shift-Spacebar. This is similar to a RAM preview except that Nucleo Pro will maximize your CPUs, resulting in a dramatically faster render in most cases. Check out GridIron’s Web site (www.gridironsoftware.com) for any exceptions.
STEP 4: Background render while you keep working
Start by right-clicking on the Nucleo Pro icon in the taskbar. Under Render Options verify that Nucleo Pro Background Render is selected. Add your comp(s) to the render queue and hit render. Nucleo Pro opens its own render queue and starts rendering in the background, which lets you continue working without losing performance in After Effects. This is a real life-saver on tight deadlines. No more leaving renders until the end of the day.
STEP 5: Render a comp while you’re building it!
This one is great for projects that need to get out the door fast. Hit Alt-Space/Option-Space to turn on Spec Render. Though similar to Spec Preview in that it’s always caching and "listening" to any changes you make in your comp, Spec Render renders to your final file instead of giving you a RAM preview. Take a second and let that sink in. It’s rendering your comp while you’re building it.
Sean Says Keep In Mind...
I use Nucleo Pro, along with After Effects 7, on every single project. It’s become so completely integrated into my workflow that I have already lost count of how many hours I’ve saved by using it. These setups will show you how to use Nucleo Pro to cut your regular design times in half.
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