Cache Smarter, Not Harder

Stop Fusion from re-rendering the same seconds over and over.

If you keep scrubbing back and forth over the same few seconds of a Fusion composition, you may notice Fusion repeatedly recalculating the same frames. On a simple composition, that might not be a big deal. But on a heavy setup with 3D, particles, effects, or complex node trees, it can quickly become frustrating.

That’s where Fusion caching comes in.

Instead of making Fusion calculate the same frames every time you move the playhead, you can cache the expensive part of your composition.

Find the node just before the section that’s slowing everything down. Right-click the node and choose Cache.

Once Fusion has calculated and stored those frames, it can play them back from the cache instead of rebuilding the entire section of the node tree every time you scrub through it.

This can make a huge difference when you’re repeatedly reviewing the same part of an animation. Rather than waiting for the heavy section to calculate again and again, Fusion can use the cached frames for much faster playback and scrubbing.

If you’re working as part of a team, Fusion also provides Local and Remote Smart Caching options, which can be useful when managing cached data across a collaborative workflow.

The key is to cache strategically. You don’t necessarily need to cache your entire composition. Focus on the part that’s actually causing the slowdown, especially if it contains expensive processing.

Once that section is cached, scrub through it again and you should notice the difference immediately.

So if Fusion keeps re-rendering the same few seconds every time you scrub, don’t just wait for it.

Cache the slow part once, then let Fusion play it back instead of calculating it all over again.