Think of proxies as lightweight doubles for your heavy compositions. When your timeline starts crawling because of complex effects or high-resolution footage, Simple Proxy steps in to save the day. It creates smaller, faster versions that play smoothly while you work, then switches back to full quality when you render, or use proxy material for faster final rendering, if you used high-quality proxy files.
With fast preparation, the script handles everything automatically. Select your compositions, run the script, and watch as it organizes the render queue intelligently. It even creates a dedicated Proxy folder to keep everything organized.
Before running the script, you need to create a Proxy Preset in your project settings. We recommend using ProRes 4444 or another format that supports alpha channels. This ensures your transparent areas render correctly. If you need more compact files, you can use any codec you prefer, just make sure you handle the transparency areas properly.
Here's how the process works: the script analyzes your selected compositions, prioritizes nested compositions for rendering first, then automatically assigns the finished proxies to their respective layers.
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During rendering, After Effects may appear frozen or unresponsive. This is completely normal. The script continues working behind the scenes, even when you can't see progress updates. Resist the urge to force-quit or interrupt the process.
Heavy compositions take time to render. Plan accordingly and let the script finish its work. The wait is worth it when you experience buttery-smooth playback afterward.
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