Adobe After Effects - Manual (Page 721)

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All
For All Comps
For Selected Comps
For Queued Comps
None (Project Only)
Generate Report Only
Obey Proxy Settings
Note:
Reduce Project
Change Render Output To
Enable ‘Watch Folder’ Render
Collect files in one location
The Collect Files command gathers copies of all of the files in a project or composition into a single location. Use this command before rendering,
for archiving, or for moving a project to a different computer system or user account.
When you use the Collect Files command, After Effects creates a new folder and the following information is saved in the new folder:
A new copy of the project
Copies of the footage files
Proxy files as specified
A report describing the files, effects, and fonts necessary to re-create the project and render the compositions.
After you collect files, you can continue making changes to a project, but be aware that those changes are stored with the original project and not
with the newly collected version.
1. Choose File > Collect Files.
2. In the Collect Files dialog box, choose an appropriate option for Collect Source Files.
Collects all footage files, including unused footage and proxies.
Collects all footage files and proxies used in any composition in the project.
Collects all footage files and proxies used in compositions currently selected in the Project panel.
Collects all footage files and proxies used directly or indirectly in any of the compositions with a Queued status in the
Render Queue panel.
Copies the project to a new location without collecting any source footage.
3. Select other options, as appropriate:
Selecting this option does not copy the files and proxies.
Use this option with compositions that include proxies to specify whether you want the copy to include the current
proxy settings. If this option is selected, only the files used in the composition are copied. If this option is not selected, the copy contains
both proxies and source files, so you can later change proxy settings in the collected version.
If you choose For Queued Comps in the Collect Source Files dialog box, After Effects uses the proxy settings from the render
settings, not the composition.
Removes all unused footage items and compositions from the collected files when the following options are chosen in the
Collect Source Files menu: For All Comps, For Selected Comps, and For Queued Comps.
Use to redirect the output modules to render files to a named folder in the collected files folder. This option
ensures that you have access to your rendered files when you’re rendering the project from another computer. Rendering status must be
valid (Queued, Unqueued, or Will Continue) for the output modules to render files to this folder.
You can use the Collect Files command to save projects to a specified watch folder and then initiate watch-
folder rendering over a network. After Effects also includes a render control file called [project name]_RCF.txt, which signals to watching
computers that the project is available for rendering. After Effects and any installed render engines can then render the project together
across a network. (See Set up watch-folder rendering.)
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