After Effects

The overall process of setting up After Effect with ButterflyNetRender is very straight forward:

Install:

(Windows):

• 1. Install After Effects locally on all the Windows Rendernode machines (in the same location on all machines)

IE: C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe After Effects CS

• 2. Set the Install paths in the BNR Controller

(OSX):

• 1. Install After Effects locally on the OSX Rendernode machines.
• 2. In the BNR OSX Client - set the install path location (The OSX Clients store the platforms paths - where the Windows Controller stores only the Windows Platform paths)
• 3. Setup the POSIX path matching in the Windows Controller (see POSIX path matching section)

Configure:

Configure paths and settings in BNR Controller:

In the BNR Controller:

• 1. Turn on the 'After Effects' platform: (Options->Configure Platforms)

• 2. Set the location of the ae render (the local path on each Rendernode) (Options->Configure Platforms - After Effects)

• 3. Confirm you have the correct command line settings:

(download the updated 'File:Rendertype15.cfg' file and place into the BNR install folder - replacing the current one - Make sure the Controller is not running when you replace the file)

• the command line settings should be: (Options->Configure Platforms After Effects - Settings button - Command Tab)

"%exe%" -project "%loadscn%" -s %sf% -e %ef% -output %prefix%[####].%extnam% -reuse -comp "%v1%" %addlog%

• 4. If running OSX Rendernode - you will need to setup the POSIX path matchine (Options->Configure Directories - OSX POSIX Path Matching)

This is used to match the Windows and OSX paths

• CS6 - License info - setup render only nodes:

http://help.adobe.com/en_US/aftereffects/cs/using/WS3878526689cb91655866c1103a4f2dff7-79a3a.html#WS3878526689cb91655866c1103a4f2dff7-79a2a

Just make sure you follow it verbatim (make sure the name of the text file is "ae_render_node_only.txt"

Restart:

Restart the BNR Controller.

Add:

Now add AE project (.aep) scene files for rendering:

Make sure you add the scene from the Shared Network folder (that all the rendernodes have access to - otherwise the rendernodes will not be able to load the scene)

After you add the AE project - you will need to:

• 1. Select the Frame range (Output Tab)
• 2. Select the Output Frame format (Output Tab)
• 3. Select the Comp name (Render Tab)

(NOTE: You will need to save the AE Project in After Effect with the Settings set to 'single frame output' (not avi) and select skip existing files or multi-machine sequence) and make sure all the Content is on the Shared Network folder

(These are the settings from CS4): File:Aftereffects multimachine.jpg

Test:

The best way to test a new After Effects setup:

• 1. Make sure After Effects is installed on the controller (in the same location as the RenderNodes)
• 2. Add a aep project into BNR
• 3. Select the 'Render' Tab
• 4. Press the 'Test Render Command" and then press 'Launch Locally'

This will run the same command the Rendernodes will get - but you will get to see more information directly (You will need to check the Task manager to see if its running)

• If all works -Then you will need to check the log file from the command line -log filename.log

-Or -

• Right click on the Scene and a select "Open Scene Trace Log folder" and you should find the ae output text "Render_*.txt" - Please open with notepad to view the text.

(note if you see *.csv files - these are BNR Controller state flows)