Render Frame at Markers

Will send to the render queue any frames that are marked by layer markers that are within the comp work area. This would be equivalent to going to a point in time in your comp and selecting “Save Frame As->File”.

"Name Your Own Price"
You can pay anything you want, the amount displayed in the cart is only a suggested amount.

Render Frame at Markers

Version: 1.8 Sign up to be notified by email when a new version of this script is posted

Based on a request on the AE-List, this script will render (actually send to the render queue) any frames that are marked by layer markers that are within the comp work area. This would be equivalent to going to each marker in your comp and selecting “Save Frame As->File”.

: Render Frame At Markers UI

Version History:

1.8 Fixed output directory bug, CS5 compatible 08/2010
1.71 Fixed layer name bug 06/2010
1.7 Added marker comment and comp name in file name option 11/2009
1.6 Fixed select output folder if cancelled bug, removed RQ queued item check, checked for layer-less comp 11/2009
1.5 Added new smarter interface options 10/2009
1.3 fixed mac output filename bug 08/2009
1.2 added numbering option 07/2009
1.1 changed to work within workarea only 01/2009
1.01 bug fixes 09/2008
1.0 Initial Release 09/2008

Last updated August 26th, 2010
4,484 views
Tags: AE7, CS3, CS4, CS5, Frame, Markers, Render Queue

Lloyd Alvarez

About the author

I am a freelance art director and After Effects artist in New York City. I aim to provide high quality scripts that provide clever solutions for After Effects workflows.

Pingbacks

21 Comments

Ryan Summers (Reply to this comment)
October 10, 2008

Great script: I only have a problem with it when I’m trying to fire it up from a Launchpad button. The pop-up window still comes up, but when I hit OK, the Render Queue isn’t updated. If I launch it from the Scripts drop-down it works like a charm. It’s not a dealbreaker, but I love the convenience of having it available in a palette. Thanks for any help!
inerxia (Reply to this comment)
October 10, 2008

This is great!

For this I had to render all the Comp with something like 1 frame/ secod.

Thanks.
Brian Williams (Reply to this comment)
November 4, 2008

AGGHHHGHHH ! i could have saved a boatload of time on my last job had I found this script. Thanks, next time the renders will fall like dominoes.
Heerko Groefsema (Reply to this comment)
November 21, 2008

Is it possible to export to a different format than listed? I would like to export to a transparent PNG.

Or is there a way to edit multiple render outputs at the same time?

Other than that very helpful and easy script! Thnx!
lloyd (Reply to this comment)
November 21, 2008

Heerko:
Sure, just create transparent PNG output module template first, then it will show up in the list.
This explains how to create Output Module Templates http://aeom.notlong.com
Once you create a template you can shift select the output module names in the RQ and select a new template to be applied to all the RQ items at once.
Heerko Groefsema (Reply to this comment)
November 21, 2008

Thank you very much! Nice work on your site btw
joergmark (Reply to this comment)
January 11, 2009

really great script!!!

is it possible to modify the script in a way thet it only works in the preview area? i used the scenedetection script to put the markers on a layer and now i have about 1500 markers, which allways bring ae to crash with the script… now i would like to feed it with chuncs of the layer.

thanks
joerg-mark
Joël (Reply to this comment)
March 18, 2009

Great script, but for one reason or another my files come out as: compname_frame_number.ext framenumber (i.e. Comp1_frame_001.png001) in AE CS4
Lloyd (Reply to this comment)
October 14, 2009

@Joël – This bug is fixed in version 1.3
Steve Kirby (Reply to this comment)
November 26, 2009

Handy script Lloyd, all it needs now is the ability to include the marker Comment within the file name string somehow. A simple prepend would be good enough.
- Lloyd Alvarez (Reply to this comment)
  November 26, 2009
  
  Great suggestion. I’ve updated the script to include two checkboxes. One to include the marker comment and one to include the comp name so you can tailor it to your needs.
  - Steve Kirby (Reply to this comment)
    November 28, 2009
    
    That’s great Lloyd! Thanks for the rapid update.
Amit (Reply to this comment)
March 9, 2010

Hi Lloyd.

i am working on a project that requires me to render each frame of a composition as a photoshop layered file. currently i am manually going to each frame ->composition->save frame as-> photoshoplayers. I wawnt to automate this process. I am unable to find the right command to execute this in the javascript scripting reference. I would really appreciate your help .

Thanks
Amit
Philip Rachford (Reply to this comment)
May 27, 2010

Is it possible to select a number of comps in the Project Panel and send them to the render queue for a single frame render to batch create thumbnails of the first frame of each comp.
I envision have a series of files in the project window, selecting them all and dragging them to the create comp button, then,when the new comps are created and while they are still selected, send them all to the render queue as you would if you were rendering a series of movies, Can this be scripted?
- Lloyd Alvarez (Reply to this comment)
  May 28, 2010
  
  It is definitely possible. I will add this to the requested scripts list.
- Philip Rachford (Reply to this comment)
  June 1, 2010
  
  Thanks Lloyd, I’ll be watching for it.
  Phil
Declan Zimmerman (Reply to this comment)
August 25, 2010

Hi Lloyd,

Excellent and useful script. However I’m having a problem and I don’t see that anyone else has commented on it so I’m not sure if it’s unique to me.

Regardless of what path I choose on using the “Browse” output folder button, the render queue always puts the output file on the Desktop.

Also, I’d love it if the output path would default to the previously used output path; not sure if this is the case if the above problem is not occurring.

I am running AE CS4, using Launch Pad to launch the script; my requested output path is not on my system/boot drive … if any of these help you troubleshoot this.

Thanks for your help!

Declan
- Lloyd Alvarez (Reply to this comment)
  August 25, 2010
  
  Can you try launching the script directly (ie: not from Launch Pad) to see if you still experience the same issue?
  - Declan Zimmerman (Reply to this comment)
    August 26, 2010
    
    Hi Lloyd – just did and it’s doing the same thing (aiming the output at the Desktop.)
    
    Thanks for looking into it!
    - Declan Zimmerman (Reply to this comment)
      August 26, 2010
      
      Thanks for the prompt fix!
    - Lloyd Alvarez (Reply to this comment)
      August 26, 2010
      
      Download the newly posted version which should fix that issue.

(to reply to a specific comment use the link by the comment)

After Effects Scripts