Overview
This document describes the procedure to be used when performing the initial installation and configuration of the AE render module. Platform software is capable of utilizing the Render Engine mode of Adobe After Effects CS6, CC, and CC2014 to locally render After Effects Project files sent to the unit by connected workstations.
Installing the AE Render Module
Install and configure After Effects as a Render Engine
1) Use your CD installer or Adobe Creative Cloud login to download and install a trial version of Adobe After effects on the Platform System.
2) Navigate to the following folder on the C:\ of the Platform
C:\users\admin\documents
3) Create a new .txt file.
4) Rename the new file to the following name:
ae_render_only_node.txt
5) Launch After Effects and confirm that the splash screen prominently says “Render Engine” below the After Effects title.
6) Reboot the Platform Server (this is required for the Platform to acknowledge the presence of the software).
Convert a Platform Space into an AE Render Space
1.) Launch the Platform Manager
2.) Create a new Platform Space that will act as your Render Space.
3.) In the Platform Spaces screen, choose the “options” button of the new Platform Space and
select “Convert to AE Render Space”.
4.) Confirm that the new space now displays “AE” in the Type column.
Using the AE Render Node on a Workstation
Mount the AE Platform Space
1.) Launch the Platform Client
2.) Log in
3.) Double click on the Newly created AE Render Space to mount it to your workstation
Sending a Project to the Server for render
1.) Select to Compositions > Add to render queue
2.) Choose the “Render Queue” Tab
3.) Configure the output format of your project in the render queue options
4.) Save your Project
5.) Choose File > Dependancies > Collect Files
6.) Choose “Queued comps only” from the “Collect files from” Drop-down menu at the top of the
“Collect files” dialog box
7.) Select “Change output destination” and leave the default setting in place
8.) Select the “Collect Files” option, and choose to collect the files to the root of your AE Render
Space.
Monitoring the Render
Currently the user may monitor the render by mounting the AE render space on their workstation and checking the following file (the XXX’s represent a time and date code when the file was submitted):
AE PROJECT NAME/AE PROJECT NAME.aep Logs/AE XX-XX-XXXX X-XX-XX XM.txt
Inside this file a frame by frame render information is listed. Note that this file will not update in real time and the user will need to close the file and reopen it to update the progress of the job.