Setup and Licensing

Older versions of AFX required to be started once to create the AFX preferences and license AFX.

Please check this information from Adobe:

https://blogs.adobe.com/creativecloud/codecs-and-the-render-engine-in-after-effects-cs6

New versions of the AfterFX console do not require a license to render.
It still tries to request a license (Why?), but this can be disabled.

Windows: 

The rrJob option "CreateRenderLicense" creates the required license config file for rendering.

MacOS:

You either have to setup Afx with a cloud login that is remembered or you create an empty file named 
               /Users/<username>/Documents/ae_render_only_node.txt.

(Note: We have not enabled the functionality of the job option "CreateRenderLicense" on macOS

as this does not work if an Afx Artist is logged in with the same name as the rrClient is running with)

Windows Only: User preferences

Because of the license config file that RR creates, the user preference folder has changed.
If you want to change user preferences or if you have a plugin that creates a license file in your user preferences, then you have to copy the files.

Memory preferences:

Note: The memory setting of Adobe products is saved in the file \Adobe\dynamiclinkmanager\6.0\memorybalancercs6v2.xml.

macOS: First start

On its first start after installation, the process is checked by MacOS. (Window "verifying").

This can take a while and can cause the Afx console renderer app to loose connection with the renderer core.
In this case Afx reports: "aerender ERROR -1712: AESend failed to send apple event at line 909"
You might need to abort the render after 5-10 minutes to reset it.

macOS: System Security

Depending on your macOS version and System Security settings, you have to add some settings.
Please see Section "MacOS 10.15+  Security Restrictions" in rrHelp file Installation/MacOS.

Submission

You have to run the rrWorkstationInstaller install the submission plugin.

In Afx, you have to run the script as shown in the screenshot.        

Project File Settings

You have to enable:

Each comp ONCE in your render queue:

You have to add each composite to your render queue to define the render and output settings for each composite.

You can only have each composite once in your render quque. It is not possible to render multiple render queue items of one composite. 

Disable Adobe cloud updates

To disable automatic updates, please change this file:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\AAMUpdaterInventory\1.0\AdobeUpdaterAdminPrefs.dat

Info

Skip Existing Frames

It is possible to render Afx projects with skip existing frames (RR Sequence Divide disabled).

This way all clients get the full range of frames and afx distributes the frames.

The computation power of your clients is better used.

1. Edit the file RR\render_apps\_config\C12__Afx.cfg

      Change the line

     SequenceDivide= 0~1

      to

     SequenceDivide= 1~0

2.    In your render queue settings:

       Disable "Use Storage overflow"

       Enable "Skip existing files"

       You have to use this in EVERY composition.

       If you can not/want not enable it in your afx comp, then you HAVE TO enable Sequence Divide at the rrSubmitter for this comp file.

Errors

GPU render (Windows)

AFX has issues rendering with GPU features from within a background service.

Therefore you might need to start the rrClient in application mode.

Please read help section GPU render.

Import multi-layer .exr files rendered by RR as footage

RR has a feature to convert your multi-layer .exr files into multi-part EXR 2.0 files.

But in this case the EXR loader of AFX adds the part ID in front of each render layer name.

It is possible to disable the EXR 2.0 conversion in rrConfig, tab "Images".

Unable to load .ini file

We have several reports about AFX not wanting to render.

It printed the message "Error accessing ini file"

First definitely need to follow the steps in AfterFx/Setup.

XP:

    The solution was that the rrService user was not in the local admin group.

Windows7:

    UAC was enabled. The solution so far was to disable UAC. Then AFX rendered fine. (do not disable UAC on Windows 10)

    If it still does not work, please check that the rrService user is in the local admin group (a domain admin does not seem to be enough)

aerender ERROR An existing connection was forcibly closed by the remote host. 
Unable to receive at line 314

OR

aerender ERROR: After Effects can not render for aerender. Another instance of aerender, or another script, may be running; or, AE may be waiting for response from a modal dialog, or for a render to complete. Try running aerender without the -reuse flag to invoke a separate instance of After Effects 

These error messages are displayed if AFX does not know why it failed to load or render.

It can be a 3rd party plugin that is installed or even an Adobe filter used in your comp file.

We have reports that you cannot use these filters, at least not on OSX (It may be depending on the OS you use):

• Fast Blur (Legacy)
• Simple Choker
• Directional Blur

aerender ERROR -1712: AESend failed to send apple event at line 909

See section "Setup and Licensing" for this error message.