Adobe After Effects isn’t really the type of software that some professionals would want to upgrade right away. Not only is a major software upgrade a huge investment but some professionals don’t just see the need to upgrade as older versions like Adobe After Effects CS5 and even Adobe After Effects CS3 are still sufficient for doing serious visual work. While Adobe is known for adding improvements that may be considered by some to be minor in between major releases, Adobe is looking to reach to new heights with their new Adobe Creative Suite 6 bundle. All programs including After Effects CS6 feature numerous key improvements while still having the same familiar interface so you can continue with your Adobe After Effects training program even if it covers an older version.

The first major feature is the Global Performance Cache which should benefit those who are experiencing performance issues when working with older versions but do not have the budget to upgrade on the hardware end. This technology works by utilizing a global RAM cache to make frame rendering more efficient making it possible to reuse the same elements without waiting for previous frames to render again. This means that you can not only follow your Adobe After Effects training more smoothly but you can also practice different ideas and undo them as many times as you like without all the waiting. The persistent disk cache also contributes to this technology by keeping previously rendered caches in memory even if you close the project and reopen it. Preview playbacks are instantaneous as a result. Also, if you decide to make a new project that will utilize the same frames as another project recently opened, you can use those frames right away. The disk cache options are fully customizable in the "Preferences" window. Finally, the new graphics pipeline offloads some of the processing power to the GPU as it processes OpenGL more effectively. This should improve the overall responsiveness of the application.

Adobe After Effects CS6 adds more than 80 new effects along with some updates to the existing effects. Some CycoreFX HD effects that didn’t make it to past versions are included as well so you really have more of a creative edge if you decide to upgrade. Of course, older Adobe After Effects training programs won’t cover these effects, but you can experiment in the "Effect" menu knowing that the software performance is drastically better. One of the noticeable additions is the 3D Camera Tracker effect which uses a breakthrough technology in analyzing the various aspects of a 2D footage including the position, field of view and orientation. This effect uses the data to create a 3D track point overlay so you can attach any of the new 3D After Effects layers being offered. You could achieve similar results using After Effects CS5.5 with the Warp Stabilizer but the 3D Camera Tracker works a lot faster and is much easier to use. You might not need any Adobe After Effects training to try out this effect.

However, going for Adobe After Effects training programs and guides that specifically cover CS6 can really put you ahead in terms of creative power over the professionals that still rely on outdated software. Plus, Adobe After Effects CS6 works fine in Windows 8 too!