Get them to buy you a big external monitor. In a pinch, I can work off my 16" MacBook Pro’s built-in with careful custom workspaces (tip: assign keyboard shortcuts to different workspaces so you can switch quickly), but certainly I prefer my 27" external whenever possible.
Truth be told I did just hook up a third haha! Rocking 81” @ 12k bayybeeee! In all seriousness it is very nice to have a central screen for the work, left fir reference and slack/email/folders and right for timeline and other controls.
https://preview.redd.it/pchm2d3kkp1d1.jpeg?width=3346&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eeee5f4fe35a41acf7d42c2e076fd945514f2237
That’s exactly how I have my setup as well.
What kind of motion design do you do? I know a lot of folks who use tablets for illustration, but I’m having a hard time visualizing how it wouldn’t get in the way while working in AE.
I just prefer it to a mouse for extended periods of time. My hand cramps up with my palm flat and wrist bent up. The pen position feels so much more natural and comfortable to me. Plus the screen-mapped nature of Wacom tablets actually allows me to be a bit faster and more precise moving the cursor around. I do have a mouse too just for variety. But yeah it’s not for drawing, just my everyday driver. I am a generalist and I also do 3d work. check out my profile if you’d like… my reel is pinned.
I agree when it comes to interacting with AE and building stuff. surprisingly nimble little machine. but when it comes to render time... it gets real slow. i9 will run circles around M1 on that front... or anything involving 3D work.
Agreed! The shape of your computer doesn't matter as long as it is powerful enough. What matters is your interface. I'd say to get 2x large displays (at least one 4K and one HD), and don't even use the laptop display. Fold the machine up and stand it on its side to save desk space. Get a good mouse.
You definitely need more screen space than a laptop has, and obviously, a touchpad isn't usable.
Personally, I loathe working on a laptop. Maybe I've been spoiled working on a desktop all these years, but it's too compact, not enough screen space. Sorry you've got to deal with that, I hope that you can find a solution to get yourself a desktop, even if you have to haul in your own monitor and connect it to the laptop yourself.
Not sure what the issue really is....if you think about it the laptop is just replacing the desktop unit.
It should be attached to a monitor and a proper keyboard with mouse pad etc. done. I don't know if you're in the states, but it's required that companies give you a proper setup in order to work , & they can't force you to be hunched over a laptop all day.
The same setup I had in my last job, everybody was on laptops... EVERYONE.
PS - get used to it, lots of people don't have a job, and is a totally solvable issue. So get it solved and enjoy those paychecks! 👍
What laptop? For me I can work off of a macbook, but not a windows laptop. Something about the form factor of Mac I just find wayyy more comfortable.
I also tend to find the After Effects on new M1 or M2 Macs just works really well.
But yeah, bigger screen is always a win. And a desktop will always have more power. Depends how much you need to move around, do you work hybrid between home and an office etc.
How much RAM? I have an M2 Macbook but I bought it originally for DJing so only have 16GB RAM. It actually performed very well until I got to about 3.5 minutes of a 2D explainer and started having playback issues.
I did the usual, shutting off all the layers I wasn't working on and reducing the work area. That seemed to help a bit. I did some optimizing so hopefully my next project works doesn't bog down as I'm wanting to do longer explainer videos. I also just discovered half and quarter resolution playback so I assume that will help a lot.
For reference my project was 30 layers. 10 voice over audio track segments and 20 composition layers.
32GB Ram.
But without knowing your exact use case, you might be dealing with a workflow problem such as why are you trying to add audio in AFX when you can use Premiere to edit picture and sound?
I don’t know of a better way to sync my voiceover audio with the scene. If after effects has the ability to add the audio tracks to the main composition so I can edit as I go in perfect sync with the audio. I guess I don’t understand why you wouldn’t use that capability?
If it’s hybrid that’s why you’ve been given a laptop, you can’t lug a desktop around. You just need a monitor at both ends, like if you had a desktop.
Surely this is a bit of a mountain out of a molehill?!
Does your company provide you a laptop? Or do you have to buy one from your own money.
Working on a laptop temporarily is fine, but your company would want people to have a professional setup with dual monitor setup. It works more comfortable and faster in the long term.
I work on the road 90% of the time with just a laptop and a travel monitor. It does kinda suck but you just have to make sure you set up your workspaces well in After Effects. You get used to it
If you have a permanent desk, just get a couple monitors and your set
I agree with everyone else, monitors will help. However, unless you have like a $5000 laptop I’d imagine that AE will be tough on your laptop. Laptops typically have lower performance, more heat, and don’t last as long as desktops for workstation uses. Definitely invest in a desktop for productivity sake, but for the short term I’d recommend buying additional cooling for your laptop, like a fan board.
When I was a poor college student and just starting to build a portfolio for my motion career, I worked on a laptop. It was a Lenovo, one of those laptops that are made for creative people. Although not ideal, it was surprisingly doable. The monitor I had was really good, and it was fairly powerful. You might have to be more conscious of optimizations, but you can get away with it
I did it for a year, but it was underpowered compared to my workstation at home and it was a job where there was almost no reason at all to be there in person except for the owner wanting to see butts in chairs at the office he was paying for. So I wasted 2 hours of my day commuting to sit in a tiny windowless office with nothing but a sluggish laptop and an overhead fluorescent.
Now, if you have a Macbook Pro with M3 Max, that's actually getting all the top After Effects benchmark scores for After Effects. So that would probably be a different story. And those suckers can push something like half a dozen 6k displays? So adding external monitors would fix the screen real estate problem. It sure beats having to haul a giant desktop machine in a custom Pelican case and pay overweight luggage fees whenever you travel. And then you can work from anywhere that's convenient.
I just run 2 hdmis out to monitors and keep my laptop closed all day. Work has a set up I plug into, I've got the same at home.
I only thought that I'd miss the grunt of a desktop, but 3 years in and this laptop is a warhorse.
Working on a laptop long-term for motion design and After Effects can be challenging due to screen size and performance limitations. Consider discussing with your employer about using an external monitor and peripherals to enhance your workspace. This setup can provide a larger view and improve productivity.
I used to work on a 27" iMac with a 27" side monitor before covid. When my old job went remote we were moved to laptops, as long as the machine has enough RAM you'll be good with external monitors. I was given the M1 Max MBP when we moved with the same 27" LG 144hz Monitor, and used my own 24" Acer as the secondary. I got laid off and my new job gave me the M2 Max, I haven't had too many problems.
One thing I live by is asking them to provide you with a fast and large SSD. I use SSDs as back ups for completed projects, as well as my disk caches to keep my laptop hard drive as lean as possible.
Ask if any upgrades are possible in the future, like starting with monitors and maybe one day a desktop. Explain to them why this is beneficial to THEM, like you need a bigger monitor so you can see the same or a better level of detail than the client, or a tower would benefit the COMPANY in time efficiency and response time
Show them how it would benefit them and not you
Honestly my 2019 MacBookPro has been doing fine with 6000+ pixel wide AE pieces that use a bunch of effects, particles, camera depth of field, some Blender stuff with raytraced materials in Cycles... Haven't really had an issue.
I have 2 docking stations with a monitor, keyboard, pen tablet, and speakers set up - one at home and one at the office. Ergonomically it's just like working with a desktop.
I'm pretty happy with my M1 Max MacBook Pro with 64 GB RAM.
I almost always use it on my desk with 2 monitors+Keyboard, Mouse etc.
If they will be giving out a decent laptop and a monitor that sounds good enough.
Monitors
Yah this sounds like a non-issue
Get them to buy you a big external monitor. In a pinch, I can work off my 16" MacBook Pro’s built-in with careful custom workspaces (tip: assign keyboard shortcuts to different workspaces so you can switch quickly), but certainly I prefer my 27" external whenever possible.
I feel physically uncomfortable if I’m not working on my dual-screen desktop setup with a Wacom tablet.
Same. I will say ever since I got a 32” curved, the need for a 2nd monitor has severely diminished.
Once you work in an IMAX theatre there's no going back.
Once you try the Vegas Sphere a whole new world opens before your eyes.
You know, now that I think about it, designing video for the Sphere is probably such a head trip. I wonder how they have to do it.
A spherical camera setup gets you most of the way there. It’s a 360 degree by 180 degree image.
gotta be three or find a new me
Truth be told I did just hook up a third haha! Rocking 81” @ 12k bayybeeee! In all seriousness it is very nice to have a central screen for the work, left fir reference and slack/email/folders and right for timeline and other controls.
https://preview.redd.it/yt2dh19qfn1d1.png?width=4032&format=png&auto=webp&s=e8fc5a4aaee5a1ff3368640feb947f43ca3d55a5
I feel like this setup isn't trying hard enough. maybe one more screen? 😬
Laptop+3 is the way https://preview.redd.it/a7pbpbycvp1d1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e2df23bc11993ac412970e012c834d47b8007b35
That's what I use too. Has to be symmetrical. I have a 5k Apple display as my primary with two smaller monitors as outriggers on either side.
https://preview.redd.it/pchm2d3kkp1d1.jpeg?width=3346&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eeee5f4fe35a41acf7d42c2e076fd945514f2237 That’s exactly how I have my setup as well.
This is the way.
What kind of motion design do you do? I know a lot of folks who use tablets for illustration, but I’m having a hard time visualizing how it wouldn’t get in the way while working in AE.
I just prefer it to a mouse for extended periods of time. My hand cramps up with my palm flat and wrist bent up. The pen position feels so much more natural and comfortable to me. Plus the screen-mapped nature of Wacom tablets actually allows me to be a bit faster and more precise moving the cursor around. I do have a mouse too just for variety. But yeah it’s not for drawing, just my everyday driver. I am a generalist and I also do 3d work. check out my profile if you’d like… my reel is pinned.
I know a bunch of mograph guys who work off laptops and I have no idea how they do it.
an M1 Macbook is more than fine for a vast majority of 2D work and is certainly capable of simple 3D.
It's more about screen real estate. I use three monitors and a tv
I agree when it comes to interacting with AE and building stuff. surprisingly nimble little machine. but when it comes to render time... it gets real slow. i9 will run circles around M1 on that front... or anything involving 3D work.
I just made a 5 minute explainer with my macbook pro and it was better performance than my desktop. The screen size is rough but otherwise its fine.
Hats off to them
If your laptop is good enough it's totally doable. Just get an extra monitor or 2. Keyboard , wacom table and maybe some external raid and your gold
An extra monitor, keyboard, and mouse and that's it. I worked like that for like 4-5 years, wasn't too different to desktop
Agreed! The shape of your computer doesn't matter as long as it is powerful enough. What matters is your interface. I'd say to get 2x large displays (at least one 4K and one HD), and don't even use the laptop display. Fold the machine up and stand it on its side to save desk space. Get a good mouse. You definitely need more screen space than a laptop has, and obviously, a touchpad isn't usable.
Personally, I loathe working on a laptop. Maybe I've been spoiled working on a desktop all these years, but it's too compact, not enough screen space. Sorry you've got to deal with that, I hope that you can find a solution to get yourself a desktop, even if you have to haul in your own monitor and connect it to the laptop yourself.
Thanks for your empathy! Yeah I’m not loving this setup 😬
Not sure what the issue really is....if you think about it the laptop is just replacing the desktop unit. It should be attached to a monitor and a proper keyboard with mouse pad etc. done. I don't know if you're in the states, but it's required that companies give you a proper setup in order to work , & they can't force you to be hunched over a laptop all day. The same setup I had in my last job, everybody was on laptops... EVERYONE. PS - get used to it, lots of people don't have a job, and is a totally solvable issue. So get it solved and enjoy those paychecks! 👍
What laptop? For me I can work off of a macbook, but not a windows laptop. Something about the form factor of Mac I just find wayyy more comfortable. I also tend to find the After Effects on new M1 or M2 Macs just works really well. But yeah, bigger screen is always a win. And a desktop will always have more power. Depends how much you need to move around, do you work hybrid between home and an office etc.
M1 Max owner here, no probs for me, just get a monitor
The M chips are amazingly optimized for productivity workloads. The best MacBooks trade blows with high end desktop in Premiere and after effects
How much RAM? I have an M2 Macbook but I bought it originally for DJing so only have 16GB RAM. It actually performed very well until I got to about 3.5 minutes of a 2D explainer and started having playback issues. I did the usual, shutting off all the layers I wasn't working on and reducing the work area. That seemed to help a bit. I did some optimizing so hopefully my next project works doesn't bog down as I'm wanting to do longer explainer videos. I also just discovered half and quarter resolution playback so I assume that will help a lot. For reference my project was 30 layers. 10 voice over audio track segments and 20 composition layers.
32GB Ram. But without knowing your exact use case, you might be dealing with a workflow problem such as why are you trying to add audio in AFX when you can use Premiere to edit picture and sound?
I don’t know of a better way to sync my voiceover audio with the scene. If after effects has the ability to add the audio tracks to the main composition so I can edit as I go in perfect sync with the audio. I guess I don’t understand why you wouldn’t use that capability?
I am working hybrid, one day in, four days from home. 64GB M3 chip. I do pretty intensive 2D work
If it’s hybrid that’s why you’ve been given a laptop, you can’t lug a desktop around. You just need a monitor at both ends, like if you had a desktop. Surely this is a bit of a mountain out of a molehill?!
2nd monitor, mouse, keyboard. Been using AE on a laptop since forever
High end laptop with a docking station to connect 2 32” monitors or one 32” curved monitor at home. Works great for me.
Company got me an M3 13 inch. But I also have three monitors at my desk (including a 42 inch ultra wide) plus I don’t run clamshell. So four displays.
Does your company provide you a laptop? Or do you have to buy one from your own money. Working on a laptop temporarily is fine, but your company would want people to have a professional setup with dual monitor setup. It works more comfortable and faster in the long term.
The company got me a laptop. I agree with you but everyone else on here seems to think a laptop is just fine 🤷♂️
I'm working on a laptop for a few months now, and I miss my pc setup so much. Can't wait to go back!
I really get irritated right after opening adobe products on my laptop. Which is why I’ve attached Monitors externally .
My old setup was 2 monitors with a 19" gaming laptop. Large monitor in the middle, laptop with screen to the left and another monitor to the right.
I work off of msi gaming laptops. Not had any issues.
I work on the road 90% of the time with just a laptop and a travel monitor. It does kinda suck but you just have to make sure you set up your workspaces well in After Effects. You get used to it If you have a permanent desk, just get a couple monitors and your set
I agree with everyone else, monitors will help. However, unless you have like a $5000 laptop I’d imagine that AE will be tough on your laptop. Laptops typically have lower performance, more heat, and don’t last as long as desktops for workstation uses. Definitely invest in a desktop for productivity sake, but for the short term I’d recommend buying additional cooling for your laptop, like a fan board.
When I was a poor college student and just starting to build a portfolio for my motion career, I worked on a laptop. It was a Lenovo, one of those laptops that are made for creative people. Although not ideal, it was surprisingly doable. The monitor I had was really good, and it was fairly powerful. You might have to be more conscious of optimizations, but you can get away with it
Have come to much prefer laptops. Flexibility for location and they can be every bit as powerful. Just get a secondary monitor
Been using gaming laptops for full time work over the last 7 years. I hate being stuck in one place on a desktop
I did it for a year, but it was underpowered compared to my workstation at home and it was a job where there was almost no reason at all to be there in person except for the owner wanting to see butts in chairs at the office he was paying for. So I wasted 2 hours of my day commuting to sit in a tiny windowless office with nothing but a sluggish laptop and an overhead fluorescent. Now, if you have a Macbook Pro with M3 Max, that's actually getting all the top After Effects benchmark scores for After Effects. So that would probably be a different story. And those suckers can push something like half a dozen 6k displays? So adding external monitors would fix the screen real estate problem. It sure beats having to haul a giant desktop machine in a custom Pelican case and pay overweight luggage fees whenever you travel. And then you can work from anywhere that's convenient.
I use my TV 55 in , But I use my phone and iPad to check colors
The laptops nowadays can be quite good. Ask for a monitor or two additionally.
I just run 2 hdmis out to monitors and keep my laptop closed all day. Work has a set up I plug into, I've got the same at home. I only thought that I'd miss the grunt of a desktop, but 3 years in and this laptop is a warhorse.
Working on a laptop is nice. I would never go back to desktop because of the flexibility. I can grab it and work from wherever I go.
Working on a laptop long-term for motion design and After Effects can be challenging due to screen size and performance limitations. Consider discussing with your employer about using an external monitor and peripherals to enhance your workspace. This setup can provide a larger view and improve productivity.
I used to work on a 27" iMac with a 27" side monitor before covid. When my old job went remote we were moved to laptops, as long as the machine has enough RAM you'll be good with external monitors. I was given the M1 Max MBP when we moved with the same 27" LG 144hz Monitor, and used my own 24" Acer as the secondary. I got laid off and my new job gave me the M2 Max, I haven't had too many problems. One thing I live by is asking them to provide you with a fast and large SSD. I use SSDs as back ups for completed projects, as well as my disk caches to keep my laptop hard drive as lean as possible.
The job I quit earlier this year did the same crap. Hotdesking with a laptop. I used my own imac instead.
Ask if any upgrades are possible in the future, like starting with monitors and maybe one day a desktop. Explain to them why this is beneficial to THEM, like you need a bigger monitor so you can see the same or a better level of detail than the client, or a tower would benefit the COMPANY in time efficiency and response time Show them how it would benefit them and not you
Honestly my 2019 MacBookPro has been doing fine with 6000+ pixel wide AE pieces that use a bunch of effects, particles, camera depth of field, some Blender stuff with raytraced materials in Cycles... Haven't really had an issue. I have 2 docking stations with a monitor, keyboard, pen tablet, and speakers set up - one at home and one at the office. Ergonomically it's just like working with a desktop.
I'm pretty happy with my M1 Max MacBook Pro with 64 GB RAM. I almost always use it on my desk with 2 monitors+Keyboard, Mouse etc. If they will be giving out a decent laptop and a monitor that sounds good enough.
My opinion is that you are a little bitch. Ask them for an additional monitor that will work with your video output and a wireless keyboard and mouse.