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After Effects
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RenderSmith
Render management for After Effects — proxies, pre-renders, finals, and auto-backup, all in one panel. Built for heavy projects.
RenderSmithRender easy. Render smart. Stay useful.
The Blacksmith of After Effects Rendering. Proxy, PreRender, Ghost Mode, Final Render, Safe Mode, Quality Guard, and Auto Backup - one panel, one click, one flawless output.
Why RenderSmith
Three pillars. Zero friction.
Feature 01
Ghost Mode - preview at the speed of thought.
Temporarily hide heavy layers with a single click. Preview the timeline at full frame rate without destroying your layer structure - toggle back with one click when you're ready to render.
One-Click Toggle Non-Destructive Layer-LevelFeature 02
Easy Proxy - heavy footage, light workflow.
Generate proxies with one click. Automatic link-back to originals, ownership tracking, and batch processing across multiple comps.
Auto Link Batch Enabled Background RenderFeature 03
Easy PreRender - bake only the heavy part.
Pre-render heavy nested precomps into a lightweight intermediate. Auto-link back to the source so you can re-render any time with one click.
Selective Bake Re-Render Safe Auto Link Background RenderFeature 04
Final Render - deliver with confidence.
Background aerender, live progress, and Auto-Versioning that prevents overwrites. Respects your Output Module settings and works inside your existing render queue.
Auto-Versioning appends _v01, _v02 to your output names so every render lands on a unique path. Image sequences with bracket notation [#####] are handled correctly.
Feature 05
Safe Mode - never lose a render.
If aerender crashes, RenderSmith detects it and offers a one-click Safe Mode retry. The affected comps are re-rendered through a stabler codec path (ProRes / Lossless) alongside the original output, often clearing the crash.
Crash origin is reported with the suspected cause (effect name, layer weight) so you know what to fix for next time.
Post-Crash Retry Crash Report Auto ResumeFeature 06
Quality Guard - silent failures, caught.
aerender rarely crashes on Element 3D - it silently renders wrong. Quality Guard scans your work area for known-risky plugins and auto-switches to AE internal rendering for accurate output.
Blacklist-driven and upgradable. Any compat issue found in the wild gets added for everyone's safety.
Pre-Render Scan Work-Area Aware Auto Mode SwitchFeature 07
Auto Backup - built-in safety, by design.
In professional workflows, even rare edge cases matter. Auto Backup ships as a built-in safeguard - every destructive operation silently snapshots your AEP first, so a single click never costs you a finished project.
Roll back to any past version with one click. The most recent 20 generations are kept by default, configurable up to unlimited. Async by design - the panel never blocks waiting on a copy.
Built-in by Design Async Copy 20 Generations Default One-Click Restore Beyond UndoFeature 08
Notifications - go make coffee.
Discord, Slack, Telegram, or Email - get notified the moment your render completes. Success or failure, the message includes comp name, duration, and any error details.
Discord Slack Telegram EmailQueue it. Walk away.
Batch-render multiple comps and watch live progress for the active comp plus the waiting queue. Names, positions, and ETAs update in real time.
Clear at a glance what's done, what's running, and what's next - no more switching between RQ tabs.
Technical
Built for professionals.
⚠ Important Notes Before You Start
Read this once before you run your first render.
aerendercore. If your first render doesn't start, see the FAQ below.Note 01
Project Structure Changes
RenderSmith creates and manages folders next to your AEP file:
_proxy/ — Easy Proxy outputs
_prerender/ — Easy PreRender outputs
_RSbackup/ — Auto Backup snapshots
These folders are essential for RenderSmith to function correctly. They live next to your AEP, never inside it.
Note 02
Auto Backup is Strongly Recommended
Auto Backup is enabled by default and creates project snapshots before potentially destructive operations.
We strongly recommend keeping it enabled. You can restore from any backup with one click via Settings > Auto Backup > Restore from backup.
Note 03
Test on Backup Copies First
Before applying RenderSmith to mission-critical or client projects, we recommend testing on a backup copy.
While RenderSmith is built with safety features (Crash Recovery, Auto Backup, Quality Guard), project files are your responsibility.
Note 04
Maintain Your Own Version Control
For long-running or high-stakes projects, continue using your existing version control or save practices alongside RenderSmith.
Auto Backup is a safety net, not a replacement for your studio's archival workflow.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Get Started
Stop babysitting your renders. Let the Smith handle it.
Available on aescripts + aeplugins
Discussions
Want to talk about it?
Head over to r/aescripts to chat with fellow users about this product.
Need Support?
Please open a support ticket to be connected directly with the author of this product
Version History
1.0.2 -
Jun 12, 2026
nested pre-rendered [PR] layers from the output.
- More resilient project save during render (transient hiccups are retried
instead of aborting).
1.0.1 -
Jun 5, 2026
render-incompatible plugin (e.g. Element 3D) is detected in the work area,
that comp automatically switches to AE's internal renderer for accurate output.
- Lightweight buttons now stack vertically on narrow panel widths.
- Clearer Quality Guard risk-warning messages.
- macOS: added a one-time setup note for the aerendercore Accessibility
permission (see manual / product page FAQ).
1.0.0 -
May 22, 2026
Compatibility
After Effects
2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022
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