After Effects - Network Rendering using Multiple Computers

  • Copy files from transfer server (or your drive) to the "My Documents" folder on the PC.
  • On each computer that will be rendering, open and save the project.


  • Make a folder on the Transfer server to place rendered files (note the transfer server gets wiped every Monday morning at about 3AM.---No matter what!!)
  • Make sure you back up render files before they get deleted.


 Open the project on computer> Save it >then select the composition, and then choose >Composition > Add To Render Queue.

Set the following render settings:

Specify a sequence format in the Output Module area
Click on the Lossless setting

Choose TIFF Sequence

Click on Format options
And choose

Click OK to apply

Click on >Render Settings (Best Settings) and change the following

Make sure that Use Storage Overflow is not selected.

Select Skip Existing Files

This has to be selected so that multiple computers do not render the same frames.

Choose to render fields if working in interlaced 29.97 or 59.94

23.98P don't render fields

HD choose upper field first
N/A in a 23.98 project


Choose Length of Comp or Work Area Only

Comps Frame Rate shouldn't change

CLICK OK to apply

Select the Output To: Not yet specified

Change this to the folder that was just made on the Transfer server that will be accessed by all the computers rendering frames to the same folder.

Specify a folder in the "Output To" area. This folder must be available for all the computers that are rendering.

Select the folder on the Transfer server and click Open

Make sure Save as type is TIFF


Then Click Save

On each computer
Log on with UTEID and password
 Open the Render Queue panel on each computer and click Render. You do not need to start rendering on each computer simultaneously, but to ensure equal workloads, start them at approximately the same time. As each computer finishes rendering a frame, After Effects searches the Output folder for the next unrendered frame and starts rendering again.
 You can stop and start any computer at any time. However, if you stop a computer without starting it again, the frame that it was rendering may not be finished. If one or more computers stop during rendering, starting any one computer ensures that all frames in the sequence get rendered.