For my first test, I simply wanted to see whether the Gaussian Blur filter in After Effects offered the same kind of performance optimization as the Gaussian Blur in Photoshop. So I applied a 10-pixel blur to a 13-second clip at 720 x 480 and rendered it out. [an error occurred while processing this directive]Result: Dual G4 1 GHz: 220 seconds; G4 933: 247 seconds.

For the second test, I created two 3D layers and rotated the top layer on the X, Y and Z axes and varied the layer's opacity over time. I rendered using the Advanced 3D Renderer.
Result: Dual G4 1 GHz: 219 seconds; G4 933: 306 seconds.

For the third test, I focused on text and color correction on a 2D layer. I used Brightness & Contrast; Channel Mixer; Color Balance; Color Stabilizer; Curves; Hue/Saturation; Levels; Posterize; and Basic Text, varying the size and tracking of the text over the course of the footage.
Result: Dual G4 1 GHz: 139 seconds; G4 933: 187 seconds.

The fourth test in the After Effects suite was designed to test effects and functions across multiple layers. In it, I used the same footage as the previous tests, as well as an adjustment layer and a still. The still had caustics applied, while the adjustment layer used Advanced Lightning with a high degree of complexity. The footage, sandwiched in the middle, included a Color Difference Key, a heavy Mesh Warp, Iris Wipe and Curves.
Result: Dual G4 1 GHz: 2,205 seconds; G4 933: 2,380 seconds.

Finally, the fifth project in the suite involved even more processor-intensive tricks. For this test, I created two solids, both functioning in 3D space. Both rotated on the Y axis, but did so at different rates. The top layer included Fractal Noise, Depth of Field and Fog 3D. The bottom layer use Fractal Noise, Vector paint, Glow, Scatter, Strobe Light and Depth of Field. On top of it, I used a custom camera.
Result: Dual G4 1 GHz: 3,012 seconds; 3,490 seconds.

After Effects test summary: The best result in the After Effects suite for the dual-processor G4 was clearly test 2 (3D layer rotation and opacity), where it completed the render in 71.6 percent the time it took the 933. But, overall, the dual G4 running After Effects didn't see much of an advantage, with a total time for completion at 87.7 percent of the 933's total completion time.

Discreet Combustion 2
And then comes Discreet, a relative newcomer to the Mac market. Discreet, with its background in 3D on the Windows side, clearly places a high value on multiprocessing. This has carried over to the Mac OS X implementation of Combustion 2 as well.

I ran five tests with Combustion, each testing various capabilities of the program, from color correction and 3D transformation to particles and effects. Each test used footage at 720 x 480 with a comp length of 10 seconds at 29.97 fps. Renders were done at "Best" quality with the default QuickTime output. The first three tests were done at 8 bits per pixel, while the fourth and fifth were in 16-bit mode.



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