installing After Effects CC render engines with Adobe Creative Cloud

[Todd_Kopriva]

We just published instructions for how to install After Effects CC render engines with Adobe Creative Cloud.

If you have any questions after reading these instructions, let us know here on this forum thread.

[Eric5252]

Hey Todd,

I am currently trying to install After Effects render engines to our render farm. However, even after following all the steps in your article (thanks for that by the way) it doesn't seem to work. We have Creative Cloud for Teams which is where I got the CCP. I've created the package and deployed the msi through GPO to specific machines. The only thing that I can see that may cause this problem is that I don't have Creative Cloud installed on any of the machines I want After Effects on. Could you help me figure out what I'm doing wrong.

I have also added the blank text file as instructed under the user profile on each machine (they are the same user profile). When I made the package where the source destination has to go I put it under that user profile. It did give a warning that if this source is not available over the network then it may not work, so do I have to put the source on my network for each computer to have access to it? And if so, where does the blank text file come into play?

Thanks for any help you can give me.

[Tim Kurkoski]

Eric,

You say "it doesn't seem to work". That's non-specific. What doesn't work? What do you do and what is the result? How does this result differ from what you expect to happen?

This forum isn't well-suited to help with Creative Cloud Packager. I recommend you bring related questions to the Enterprise Deployment forum, or contact technical support.

https://forums.adobe.com/community/download_install_setup/creative_suite_enterprise_deployment/conte...

[drewg]

Todd,

Trying to install the render engine for CC 2014. I have followed the instructions, but no matter where I place the ae_render_only_node.txt file, when I launch either AE or the render engine shortlink, I get a prompt to login to CC. Once I've logged in, I get the expected render engine interface, but then haven't I used up an activation slot?

(As an aside, is there a point to the CC 2015 render engine until Watch Folder functionality is restored?)

edit: Win 7

thanks!

Drew

[Tim Kurkoski]

Drew,

Correct, if you have logged in, then one of your activations has been used. You should choose Help > Sign Out and quit After Effects.

If you only get the Watch Folder panel when you launch the regular (non-Render Engine) application, then the ae_render_only_node.txt file is being recognized. However, it clearly should not be causing the login prompt to appear. What type of Creative Cloud license do you have? Single user or a team or enterprise license?

(As an aside, is there a point to the CC 2015 render engine until Watch Folder functionality is restored?)

Not yet, no. You should continue to use the After Effects CC 2014 (13.2) Render Engine. It can process projects saved by After Effects CC 2015 (13.5).

[drewg]

This is a single-user license.

[Tim Kurkoski]

Drew, just to confirm, when you launch After Effects CC 2014 (13.2), the splash screen shows "Render Engine" in smaller letters next to "After Effects CC"? And when the UI appears, the Render Queue panel is the only panel and consumes the entire UI? A screenshot of the latter would be handy.

I did a quick test to confirm, and this is working fine on my machine. The only suggestions I have at the moment are general: try reinstalling After Effects CC 2014 (13.2), then make sure you are signed out of the Creative Cloud application on the machine.

[drewg]

If I'm signed out, the first thing I see when launching is a "Sign In Required" window. No AE user interface or splash screen at all until I sign in.

I will try uninstalling and reinstalling, though I have seen this on two machines now.

[Tim Kurkoski]

If I'm signed out, the first thing I see when launching is a "Sign In Required" window. No AE user interface or splash screen at all until I sign in.

It would be very helpful for me if you could post screenshots. I would like to see the splash screen and the After Effects UI once it has launched.

[drewg]

logged in, using regular AE icon:

logged in, using AE render engine shortcut:

logged out, either AE or render engine.

[Tim Kurkoski]

What I'm looking for is, on the last case, for you to sign in and take the screenshots using the regular After Effects icon. Thanks.

[drewg]

That's what the first screenshot is.

[Tim Kurkoski]

Indeed. My bad.

That screenshot clearly indicates that the ae_render_only_node.txt file is NOT being recognized. Please share the exact path you have it in.

Also, double-check the filename. Both Windows and Mac OS like to hide the file extension of .txt files by default, and if you weren't aware of this the file may be named ae_render_only_node.txt.txt. On Windows I think it's in Explorer's View menu > Options > View Options, then something like "Show file extensions for all file types".

[drewg]

Ahhh... it was the txt.txt filename. I knew about this, but just wasn't thinking about it. Thank you for your help and patience

[meo@ILLO]

Hi Tim, I ask you too: I experienced again (at a month of distance) the same problem reported in my previous message, any idea about this problem?

Thanks for your support!

Matteo

[Tim Kurkoski]

Matteo,

You describe a problem with Adobe Media Encoder. Your question would be better posed on the Adobe Media Encoder forum than here, on the After Effects forum.

If you need immediate assistance, you should contact technical support.

Note that the ae_render_only_node.txt only applies to using After Effects. Adobe Media Encoder does not recognize this file; it does not participate in the After Effects watch folder workflow, and has no similar workflow for rendering across multiple machines. For each machine you wish to run Adobe Media Encoder on, you will need to sign into your Creative Cloud account.

[meo@ILLO]

Hi Todd!

I'm experiencing this problem: I have 7 machines currently working as render engines, with After Effects and Adobe Media Encoder installed and ae_render_only_node.txt put in the right places (they render .aep projects)

All seems to work, but periodically AME stops working, on ALL the 7 machines: the render becomes very slow (10 times slower than normal) and after re-open AME, it gives me an AMT Subsystem Error, saying "Thank you for using Adobe Media Encoder. The grace period has expired. In order to continue using Media Encoder, please purchase a Creative Cloud subscription."

The only workaround is to uninstall and reinstall AME: after reinstalling, it works again for another period of time.

Is there a way to avoid this problem?

Thanks for your support!

Matteo

[pc1x1]

Hi Todd, perhaps you can help me a bit.

I have 3 Computers.

My Workstation: Windows 10 Pro - Wired - Adobe Creative Cloud Activated

Macbook Pro: MacOS - Wireless - Adobe Creative Cloud Activated

Render Station: Windows 10 Pro - Wireless

File Server: NAS - Wired / Wireless

Note: Because my setup has a mix of wireless and wired connections, I figured setting up as a render farm isn't going to be very good, since it would nuke my connections, and from what I read the ideal setup would have been a separate gigabit network dedicated to this outside my internet connection.

So I figured the next best thing, is to setup a watch folder system using my file server, that I can be working on my workstation and or macbook, and drop the render composition to the watch folder on my File Server, and my Render Station would begin rendering it.

Goals:

As soon as a render composition is sent/saved to the Watch Folder, the Rendering Station would begin rendering, in AE, Premiere Pro / Adobe Media Composer?

Questions:

The reason I pose this question here, is I want to confirm if I installed AE correctly. I had to login to my creative cloud account, I installed AE, Premiere Pro, and Adobe Media Composer, then I signed out, and put the text file as in your post for AE. AE seems to launch in render mode. I then listed the watch folder in AE. So it seems this isn't using my activation? I did it correctly? I just thought it was odd I had to login first to CC.

Is there a similar step or way to do this with Premiere Pro? I don't need to be able to edit in the Render Station, but I would like to launch the app, and basically drop the composition there, and it does its thing, while I can keep working.

The end goal, is not to stop work, so my macbook and workstation are not rendering, but worst case scenario, if need be, I need the ability to put all 3 to render at the same time. The Macbook and Workstation will use the activation licenses, and the Render Station just rendering mode.

Am I going about this correctly? and lastly is this replicable with Adobe Premiere Pro and how should I do it, is it via Premiere Pro Application itself or Adobe Media Composer? Or both?

Thanks alot!