<p align="center"> <img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/2182108/60247318-22ba6480-98c9-11e9-8447-1cbb01db15fe.png" /> </p> <div align="center"> <a href="https://github.com/inlife/nexrender/releases"><img alt="GitHub Release Date" src="https://img.shields.io/github/release-date/inlife/nexrender" /></a> <a href="https://stand-with-ukraine.pp.ua"><img alt="Made in Ukraine" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/made_in-ukraine-ffd700.svg?labelColor=0057b7" /></a> <a href="https://github.com/inlife/nexrender/releases"><img src="https://img.shields.io/github/downloads/inlife/nexrender/total?label=release%20downloads"/></a> <a href="https://www.npmjs.com/package/@nexrender/core"><img src="https://img.shields.io/npm/dt/@nexrender/core?label=npm%20downloads"/></a> <a href="https://discord.gg/S2JtRcB"><img src="https://discordapp.com/api/guilds/250389725406429199/embed.png" alt="Discord server" /></a> </div> <br /> <div align="center"> Automate your <a href="https://github.com/inlife/awesome-ae">Adobe After Effects</a> rendering workflows. Create data-driven and template based videos. </div> <div align="center"> _{Built with love using nodejs &bull; Brought to you by <a href="https://github.com/inlife">@inlife</a> and other <a href="https://github.com/inlife/nexrender/graphs/contributors">contributors</a>} </div>

Table of contents

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• Introduction
  • Features
  • How it works
  • Alternatives
• Installation
• Usage
  • Job
    • Assets
    • Actions
    • Details
    • Job States
  • Programmatic
    • Information
• Template rendering
  • Footage items
    • Fields
    • Example
    • Original source
      • Example
  • Static assets
    • Example:
  • Data Assets
    • Fields
    • Example
  • Script Asset
    • Fields
    • Dynamic Parameters
    • Supported Parameter Types
    • Parameter Types examples
      • String
      • Number
      • Array
      • Object
      • Null
      • Functions
        • Warnings
        • Self-Invoking Functions Example
      • Named Functions
      • Anonymous Functions
      • Complete functions example
    • Examples
      • No dynamic parameters.
      • Dynamic variable - Array type parameter
        • Default Dynamic Variable Keyword Parameter
    • Example JSX Script with defaults:
    • Example JSX Script without defaults:
• Network rendering
  • Using binaries
    • nexrender-server
      • Description:
      • Supported platforms:
      • Requirements:
      • Example
    • nexrender-worker
      • Description:
      • Supported platforms:
      • Requirements:
      • Example
  • Using API
• Tested with
• Additional Information
  • Protocols
    • Examples
  • WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux)
    • Linux Mapping
    • Windows Pathing
    • Binary
    • Workpath
    • Memory
  • Problems
  • Development
  • Project Values
  • Awesome External Packages
  • Awesome Related Projects
    • Custom Actions
  • Migrating from v0.x
    • Naming
    • Structure
    • Assets
    • Rendering
    • CLI
  • Customers
  • Plans
  • Contributors
    • Code Contributors
    • Financial Contributors
      • Individuals
      • Organizations
  • Need a quick solution or help?
  • Showcase your achievements

<!-- END doctoc generated TOC please keep comment here to allow auto update -->

Introduction

nexrender is a simple, small, carefully designed application with the main goal of rendering automation for Adobe After Effects based rendering workflows.

The information in this document is targeted at people at least somewhat comfortable with scripting or development, and who have basic knowledge of javascript language and json formats.

If coding isn’t your thing or you want a quick managed solution, we got you! We offer a range of services to help you get started much faster and hassle-free.

• Nexrender Cloud is a ready-to-use SaaS rendering platform created with ease in mind and supplemented with additional features.
• If you’re looking for something super flexible, tailored specifically to your unique needs, we also build custom infrastructures based on your requirements and integrated with your existing setup.
• In case, you just need to render something very quickly, let us know too! We offer batch rendering just for such cases.

Features

• data-driven, dynamic, personalized video rendering
• automated video management, processing, and delivery
• network-oriented project structure, render farm
• highly modular nature, extensive plugin support
• works only in cli mode, never launches After Effects GUI application
• does not require licenses for Adobe After Effects on any worker machine
• free to use and open source

How it works

• rendering: It uses Adobe After Effects' aerender command-line interface application.
• compositing: It creates a temporary folder, copies project and replaces assets with provided ones.
• personalization: It uses AE's expressions, scripting, and compositing (noted above).
• scheduling: It stores projects in a local database, managed from anywhere using http api.
• network: It renders project per machine, and can be used to render several projects simultaneously.
• farm: Can be used to render a single project on several machines via Multi-Machine Sequence.

Alternatives

The main alternative to our open-source project is Nexrender Cloud - our hosted SaaS platform with easy setup, additional features and best price on the market.

Among more expensive and less flexible alternatives, there is Plainly, a tool built on Nexrender infrastructure that offers cloud rendering. Another noteworthy option currently available is Dataclay's Templater bot edition.

Installation

You can download binaries directly from the releases section, or install them using npm, whichever option works better for you.

However, please note: the npm version of the binaries doesn't include all optional plugin packages that are covered in the usage section. If you wish to install them as well, please do so by providing each one individually:

npm i -g @nexrender/cli @nexrender/action-copy @nexrender/action-encode ...

Usage

We will be using nexrender-cli binary for this example. It's recommended to download/install it if you haven't already.

⚠ If using WSL check out wsl support

Job

A job is a single working unit in the nexrender ecosystem. It is a json document, that describes what should be done, and how it should be done. Minimal job description always should contain a pointer onto Adobe After Effects project, which is needed to be rendered, and a composition that will be used to render.

The pointer is src (string) field containing a URI pointing towards specified file, followed by composition (string) field, containing the name of the composition that needs to be rendered.

Note: check out supported protocols for src field.

// myjob.json
{
    "template": {
        "src": "file:///users/myuser/documents/myproject.aep",
        "composition": "main"
    }
}

or for remote file accessible via http

// myjob.json
{
    "template": {
        "src": "http://example.com/myproject.aep",
        "composition": "main"
    }
}

Submitting this data to the binary will result in start of the rendering process:

$ nexrender-cli '{"template":{"src":"file:///home/documents/myproject.aep","composition":"main"}}'

Note: on MacOS you might need to change the permissions for downloaded file, so it would be considered as an executable. You can do it by running: $ chmod 755 nexrender-cli-macos

or more conveniently using the --file option

$ nexrender-cli --file myjob.json

Note: its recommended to run nexrender-cli -h at least once, to read all useful information about available options.

More info: @nexrender/cli

After Effects 2023

Please note