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Render Only Example

Use the platform's rendering pipeline to render existing After Effects project files directly, without running the full composition-building automation.

Use Case

Use this when you:

  • Already have a .aep file ready
  • Just want to render the video output
  • Don't need to modify layers or properties
  • Want a quick way to batch render compositions

Important: Understanding .aep Files

There are different types of .aep files in this project:

1. basic_template.aep (Template File)

  • Contains: IntroTemplate, OutroTemplate
  • Does NOT contain: FinalComposition
  • Use this for rendering individual template compositions

2. ae_automation.aep (Automation Output)

  • Contains: FinalComposition (with all scenes assembled)
  • Also contains: Duplicate scene compositions
  • Created by running basic_composition/run.py
  • Use this for rendering the complete video

Quick Reference

File Available Compositions How to Render
basic_template.aep IntroTemplate, OutroTemplate python render.py --comp "IntroTemplate"
ae_automation.aep FinalComposition python render.py --comp "FinalComposition"
Your custom .aep Check in After Effects python render.py yourfile.aep --comp "YourComp"

Usage

Interactive Mode

Run without arguments to get an interactive prompt:

python render.py

You'll be asked to:

  1. Provide a path to your .aep file, OR
  2. Use the basic composition template (auto-generated if needed)

Direct Mode

Provide the .aep file path directly:

python render.py path/to/your/project.aep

Specify Composition

Render a specific composition by name:

python render.py myproject.aep --comp "IntroSequence"

Custom Output Directory

Save the rendered video to a specific directory:

python render.py myproject.aep --output "C:\Videos\Output"

Examples

Example 1: Render existing project

python render.py "C:\Projects\MyVideo.aep"

Example 2: Render with custom composition name

python render.py myproject.aep --comp "MainComposition"

Example 3: Use basic template (auto-generates if needed)

python render.py
# Select option 2 when prompted

Example 4: Render specific comp from basic template

python render.py --comp "FinalComposition"
# Will use basic template automatically

Command Line Arguments

Argument Short Description Default
project_file - Path to .aep file Interactive prompt
--comp -c Composition name FinalComposition or prompt
--output -o Output directory {project_dir}/output

How It Works

  1. Find Project File

    • Uses provided path, OR
    • Prompts user interactively, OR
    • Falls back to basic_composition template, OR
    • Generates basic template if missing

  2. Configure Render

    • Determines composition name
    • Sets output directory
    • Prepares aerender command

  3. Render

    • Executes Adobe aerender CLI
    • Streams progress to console
    • Reports completion status

Output

The rendered video will be saved as:

{output_directory}/{composition_name}.mp4

Default output directory: ./output (current working directory)

For example:

  • If you run from examples/render_only/: Output goes to examples/render_only/output/
  • If you run from examples/basic_composition/: Output goes to examples/basic_composition/output/

Custom output directory:

python render.py myfile.aep --output "C:\MyRenders"

Requirements

  • After Effects installed with aerender CLI
  • Valid .aep project file
  • Composition exists in the project

Troubleshooting

"Composition not found"

Make sure the composition name matches exactly (case-sensitive). You can check composition names by opening the .aep file in After Effects.

"aerender not found"

Check that AERENDER_PATH is correctly set in ae_automation/settings.py.

"File not found"

Ensure the .aep file path is correct and accessible. Use absolute paths to avoid confusion.

Notes

  • This example does NOT modify the .aep file
  • It only renders existing compositions
  • For automation (modifying layers, properties, etc.), use the basic_composition example instead
  • aerender runs in a separate After Effects instance