ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS 7.0
User Guide
630
To render a single-frame sequence with multiple systems
Although the preferred method of rendering for multiple systems is using the Watch Folder feature, you can also use
multiple systems and multiple copies of After Effects to render a project across a network. You can use multiple
systems to render only single-frame sequences; you cannot use multiple systems to render movies.
When you render a single-frame sequence with multiple systems, rendering in each copy of After Effects starts at
approximately the same time. By specifying that each copy skip existing frames or frames in progress, multiple
systems can render the project simultaneously, writing the single-frame sequence to a single folder.
There is no limit to the number of systems you can use for rendering; in general, the more systems, the faster the
rendering. However, if too many systems are used across a busy network, network traffic may slow down the entire
process. You can detect network slowdown by observing the time spent in the Compressing & Writing stage in the
Show Details section of the Render Queue panel. Rendering with multiple instances does not work if you run two or
more instances of After Effects on the same computer running Mac OS X.
Note: Adobe does not provide technical support for general network configuration; consult your network administrator.
Note: If you are rendering a project using After Effects Professional effects on multiple systems, each system must be
running After Effects Professional.
1 Install After Effects on each system rendering the project. Make sure that you have the same fonts installed on
each system.
Note: Do not share plug-ins across a network. Make sure that you have a copy of the plug-ins folder on each system that
is running After Effects. When using third-party plug-ins, also be sure that the same plug-ins are available on all systems
and that you have sufficient licenses for the plug-ins.
2 Open the project on one system, and then choose Composition > Add To Render Queue.
3 In the Render Queue panel, select Skip Existing Files in the Render Settings section so that multiple systems do
not render the same frames. Make sure that Use Storage Overflow is deselected.
4 Specify a single-frame sequence in the Output Module area, and specify a folder in the Output To area. This folder
must be available for all the systems that are rendering.
5 Save the project on the system where you opened it in step 2.
6 On each system that will be rendering, open and save the project. This ensures that After Effects records the new
relative paths to each system in the following step.
7 Unless the network can handle large file transfers rapidly, copy the project file and all its source footage to each
rendering system.
8 Open the Render Queue panel on each system and click Render. You do not need to start rendering on each
system simultaneously, but to ensure equal workloads, start them at approximately the same time. As each system
finishes rendering a frame, After Effects searches the Output folder for the next unrendered frame and starts
rendering again.
9 You can stop and start any system at any time. However, if you stop a system without starting it again, the frame
thatitwasrenderingmaynotbefinished.Ifoneormoresystemsstopduringrendering,startinganyonesystemwill
ensure that all frames in the sequence get rendered.
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