Creating a Preview Render
If you’re finished with your project and you want to check the look of your resulting artwork for the current frame before exporting, you can use the File, Preview (Ctrl/Cmd+R) menu command. This command renders a quick preview of the current frame, as shown in Figure 33.1. Preview renders include details not visible in the working area, including certain effects and shadows.
The preview image appears in a separate window, and you can save the preview image using the Save As button located at the bottom of the window. Clicking the Save As button accesses options to save the image as a JPEG, BMP, Targa, or PNG image. There is also an option to copy the image to the clipboard.
Previewing an Animation
If you want to preview an animation sequence, you can press the F5 key. This creates a temporary preview file that automatically opens within your system’s default media player, as shown in Figure 33.2. The preview uses its own default preview render settings regardless of the settings in the Display Quality dialog box. It also renders the project at half the size specified in the Project Settings dialog box.
Figure 33.2. Animation preview.
Note
The Animation Preview command isn’t found in any of the menus or palettes. It can only be accessed using the F5 key.
Tip
The Animation Preview (F5) command will render the entire animation and does not have any way to cancel, so beware of rendering a long animation.