Projector renders several customized videos at the same time on one machine, where After Effects renders them one after another. By default it puts half of your processor cores to work, and you can change that with a slider. Getting the most from it comes down to two decisions: how the export step is configured, and how many workers you let loose on the computer.
This guide is for the producer or developer who already has a Templater template and a data source and now needs the finished files. We will walk through what parallel rendering means in Projector, how to set up the export step field by field, how to choose a worker count, and where the approach stops being the right answer. Everything about Projector here comes from Dataclay’s own documentation. Where we describe a general habit instead, we say so.
What parallel rendering means in Projector
Adobe After Effects uses sequential processing. It renders one video, finishes it, and starts the next. That is fine for a single spot. It becomes a wall when a data source asks for a few hundred versions of the same composition, because every version waits behind the one before it.
Projector changes the order of work. It uses each processor core in your computer to process a different video at the same time. Dataclay’s documentation puts the idea plainly: the more cores, the more videos you can process in parallel. Each core Projector uses for this is called a worker, and the term shows up in the interface, so it helps to hold onto it. A worker is one lane. One video travels in one lane.
The same documentation gives a rule of thumb. On a quad-core machine, you can process four videos in roughly the time After Effects would take to process one. Treat that as a way to picture the idea, not as a benchmark. Nothing in the saved documentation promises a particular speedup for a particular project, and a heavy composition on a modest computer will behave differently from a light one on a strong one.
Projector supports parallel processing for two different jobs, and it helps to keep them apart because the setup differs.
The first job is rendering replicated After Effects project files into finished videos. Templater can create a versioned copy of your project for every row of data. Each copy is a separate AEP file, which is exactly what Projector needs. The docs call these files replicates, and they note that Projector renders replicates into full videos using parallel processing. A replicate is not a video. It is an authored project, a versioned duplicate of the original that has your data inserted. Rendering is what turns it into a file you can send to someone.
The second job is taking a finished video file, such as a MOV or an AVI, and rendering it into videos with a different format. This is transcoding, and it uses the same parallel idea. Here there are no project files involved. You already have video, and you need it in another shape.
One distinction in the documentation is easy to skim past and worth a second look. Exporting and rendering are not the same thing in Projector. You can export versioned file replicates and then render them into finished videos, or you can transcode a finished After Effects video or a rendered Autograf into one or more new files. If you read a settings page and the words seem to slide around, this is the reason.
Projector is an installed application. It has to run on the same computer where Templater is installed and where the output files are stored, so the parallel work happens on a machine you control. Our post on what Projector is covers that design choice.
Setting up the export step
The export configuration sits in what the interface calls the Export pillar. The order of operations matters more than any single field, so start with the work that happens before Projector opens.
First, build your base video composition in After Effects with Templater. Second, set up your data source, which can be Que or Google Sheets, and make sure it includes the columns or keys Projector needs. Two of them are always required for Google Sheets, render-status and stream-status. Third, use Templater to create the customized replicates.
The documentation adds a note here that saves a lot of confusion. The task it links to for creating replicates mentions Adobe Media Encoder. You can ignore that part for this purpose. Templater simply creates each replicate as a separate AEP file, and those files are what Projector picks up. You do not need Media Encoder in the chain.
With replicates in place, open Projector and work through the export settings in this order.
Start with the Enable AEP rendering checkbox. This is the switch that decides which of the two jobs you are asking for. Check it if you want Projector to render completed videos from AEP files. Leave it cleared if you want Projector to render videos in new formats from an existing video. Everything after this depends on the answer.
If you checked it, set two fields. After Effects Version is a drop-down, and Projector tries to fill it with the version you are using. After Effects Location is the root directory on your machine that contains After Effects. You can find it in the installation path set under Creative Cloud preferences. If the drop-down comes up empty, the location is the first thing to look at.
Key Setting Choice
Enable AEP rendering: checked or cleared
- What is the input?
- Enable AEP rendering checkedAEP replicate files
- Enable AEP rendering clearedExisting finished video file
- What does Projector produce?
- Enable AEP rendering checkedFinished videos from project files
- Enable AEP rendering clearedVideos in a different format (transcoding)
- Extra fields required?
- Enable AEP rendering checkedAfter Effects version, location, output module, render settings
- Enable AEP rendering clearedTranscode settings; codec file type applies to every video
Do not also set a video file asset extension in your data source when Enable AEP rendering is checked, the two settings cannot be used together.
Next, choose an Output Module. If the drop-down is not populated, type the module name by hand. It has to match the name of the module in After Effects exactly, and a single wrong character is enough to break the match. Then choose a Render Settings template from the next drop-down, with the same rule: if it is empty, type the name, and it has to match exactly.
Export Setup Order
Set up the export step in this order
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Build your base compositionBuild your base video composition in After Effects with Templater.
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Set up your data sourceSet up your data source, which can be Que or Google Sheets, and make sure it includes the columns or keys Projector needs.
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Create the replicatesUse Templater to create the customized replicates, each is a separate AEP file that Projector picks up.
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Check Enable AEP renderingThis is the switch that decides which of the two jobs you are asking for.
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Set output module and render settingsChoose an Output Module and a Render Settings template; if the drop-down is empty, type the name by hand, it has to match exactly.
These two choices are worth a moment of thought, because together they decide how fast each worker finishes a video and what the file looks like. The documentation explains that output modules work in combination with render settings templates to output drafts quickly and to standardize final output formats across multiple machines. That second use deserves attention if more than one computer will ever render for you. A named pair of templates that exists on every machine means every machine produces the same thing.
The Dataclay templates
After Effects ships with its own output module templates, and Dataclay also provides a set of its own. To load it, open After Effects and launch the Templater panel. In the main menu, choose Edit, then Templates, then Output Module. In the lower left corner of the dialog, click Load, pick the file named dataclay-output-modules.aom, and click Open. The file lives in C:\Users\Public\Documents\Dataclay on Windows and in /Applications/Dataclay on macOS. If an error message appears, the documentation says you can ignore it and click OK.
The set covers a handful of situations. Two of the Windows-only choices are quick renders that trade file size for speed.
- dclay-AVILOSSLESS is an AVI with no compression. It is a Windows-only choice that renders quickly and produces large files. dclay-AVILOSSLESS_Alpha is the same with a transparency channel.
- dclay-PNGSEQ renders to a sequence of still images and works on Windows or Mac. dclay-PNGSEQ_Alpha adds transparency.
- dclay-QT422HQ is a QuickTime MOV using Apple ProRes 422 HQ. It is macOS only, offers excellent quality and compression at a reasonable size, and renders more slowly than uncompressed output because the compression is calculated per frame.
- dclay-QTANIM uses the QuickTime Animation codec, also macOS only. The documentation suggests it when the composition is mostly illustrative graphics, with decent compression and acceptable file sizes. dclay-QTANIM_Alpha adds transparency.
- dclay-QTLOSSLESS is an uncompressed MOV on macOS. Render times are quick because nothing is compressed, and the files are very large.
Output Module Templates
Dataclay output modules at a glance
| Module | Platform | Key trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| dclay-AVILOSSLESS | Windows only | Renders quickly; very large files |
| dclay-PNGSEQ | Windows or Mac | Still-image sequence; good for spot checks |
| dclay-QT422HQ | macOS only | Excellent quality and compression; slower render |
| dclay-QTANIM | macOS only | Decent compression; suited to illustrative graphics |
| dclay-QTLOSSLESS | macOS only | Quick render times; very large files |
Render settings templates load the same way, from Edit, then Templates, then Render Settings, using the file dataclay-render-settings.ars from the same folder. There are four, and the choice between them is a choice between duration and quality.
- dclay-best-comp renders the full duration of the target composition at Best quality. The documentation calls it the best choice for production quality. It also matters if you use Templater’s Time Sculpting, because it makes sure the entire composition duration is rendered no matter how Templater adjusts the length of the target composition.
- dclay-best-workarea renders only the work area at Best quality. It suits pre-flighting a project for a batch, or rendering only part of the timeline at the highest quality. Frames appear only inside the work area.
- dclay-draft-comp renders the full duration at Draft quality. It is the pick when speed matters most, and the documentation is frank that the output quality is very low.
- dclay-draft-workarea renders only the work area at Draft quality, also with very low quality.
A cheap way to check before the full run
One of the output modules deserves a separate mention. The PNG sequence module, combined with a target composition whose work area is a single frame long, renders one still per video. Dataclay’s documentation recommends this for spot checks, and calls it useful for quality control of batch processing. The reasoning is simple. A single frame per row is much less to render than a full video, so you can look for a misplaced name or a clipped line of text before the full run.
That is the same instinct as the pre-flight Dataclay recommends elsewhere: render one video, or a small batch, on a machine comparable to the production one, and look at it before you commit. Our guide to Templater preview modes and spot checks covers the options on the Templater side.
What happens after export
The documentation draws a fork at the end of the export step. If you are using Projector to render videos from AEP files, skip ahead to connecting a data source. Otherwise, move on to configuring transcoding. In the transcode settings there is one line that matters for export. If you do not enable export, Projector uses the file type of the codec you choose for every video in the payload, even if your Google Sheets data source includes an output-ext column that names a different type. So a column that looks like it should control the format does not, in that case.
There is also a conflict to avoid. If Projection reports that there are no missions to deploy, check whether you selected Enable AEP rendering and also set a Video file asset extension in your data source. The two cannot be used together on the same project. Pick the one that matches what you are doing. If you suspect the AEP side is the problem, you can clear the AEP Output Module and AEP Render Settings fields by hand in Projector, which the release notes describe as a way to isolate issues.
Choosing how many workers to run
At the bottom of Mission Control there is a slider that controls how many of your processing cores are allocated to Projector. By default, Projector uses half of the available cores. The release notes give the example directly: on a quad-core machine, Projector defaults to two cores as workers.
That default looks conservative next to the quad-core rule of thumb, and it is. The rule of thumb describes what is possible. The default describes what Dataclay chose to leave alone. A machine that does nothing else may have room for more workers, and one that is also in daily use may not. Dataclay names excessive RAM usage as a reason to lower the worker count, so memory is the thing to watch.
Dataclay says as much. If you notice slowness in rendering or excessive RAM usage, decrease the number of workers. Go to the Mission Control section, drag the Number of Workers slider to the left, and click Save. The symptom to watch is the one the documentation names, a render that slows down, and the habit to build is to change one thing at a time and watch the effect.
A practical way to find the right number follows from that. This is general practice, not something the documentation prescribes. Start at the default. Run a small batch that looks like your real work, with similar length and similar effects. Watch how the machine behaves, then move the slider one step and run the same small batch again. A change you can measure on a small batch is a change you can trust on a large one, and you never risk a whole overnight run on a guess.
An example
Picture a producer who has built a lower-third template and has a few hundred replicates waiting, one per roster entry. Her machine is a quad-core workstation, and she is also editing on it during the day. At the default, Projector uses two workers. Two videos render at once, and the machine stays responsive enough to keep working.
She tests a small slice of the batch at the default, then raises the slider by one. If the editing software starts to stutter, that is her signal to set it back, and she can raise it again when the workstation is free overnight. This is a made-up illustration of the habit, not a measured result. The count of videos is the same either way. What she controls is when the machine pays for them.
Mission Control helps with exactly this kind of juggling. It gives a graphical view of each mission’s status, and Dataclay lists the situations where it earns its keep: a payload with many missions, longer videos, several Projector capabilities in use at once, a need to show someone else the progress by taking a screenshot, or other tasks running alongside the production.
What the licensing and requirements mean here
Two facts from Dataclay’s own answers shape how you scale. First, Projector has no floating license. It is node-locked, licensed like Templater with a key that carries one or more activations set at purchase, and keys can be deactivated by hand and moved. So the machine Projector runs on is the machine you activated. If you need to move the work to a different computer, you deactivate and reactivate rather than checking out a seat. Our explainer on floating licenses covers how that differs from the floating arrangement for other tools.
Second, the system requirements. Projector needs After Effects 2021 through 2026. It runs on macOS 11 Big Sur through macOS 26 Tahoe, on Intel or native Apple Silicon, and on Windows 10 or newer or Windows Server 2016 or newer. It must run on the same computer where Templater is installed and where the output files are stored. The current list is on the downloads page, so check there before you buy hardware.
Where parallel rendering fits, and where it does not
Parallel rendering on one machine solves one problem: the machine has idle cores while After Effects works through a queue one video at a time. If that describes your situation, Projector with a sensible worker count is a direct answer.
It does not solve every throughput problem. Cores are a finite resource, and a machine with a limited number of them has a ceiling. When one computer is not enough, Dataclay’s documentation points to a different lever: running Templater Bot on more than one machine, each rendering part of the workload. Its stated arithmetic is that two machines cut production time in half and three cut it to a third. The two ideas stack, since a machine running Projector can use its cores in parallel, and a second machine adds more. If you are sizing hardware for a deadline, our guide on sizing a render farm for deadline-sensitive volume takes that question further.
It also does not fix a slow template. Each worker renders a complete video, and a composition stuffed with expensive layers is expensive in every lane. Cleaning up the project, trimming unused layers and watching what actually changes from row to row will help more than another core. Our piece on render time costs of After Effects techniques at scale goes through where the time goes.
And it does not replace the earlier steps. Projector takes replicates that Templater made from a data source you prepared. If the data is wrong, a faster render only produces wrong videos sooner. Dataclay’s documentation describes Templater Rig as the edition for setting up a project and Pro as the one that processes batches, and it says Que does not offer load balancing across satellites. Parallel rendering is a stage in the pipeline, not the pipeline.
If you are deciding between Projector and Que for a given job, Que versus Projector lays out the split, and the Projector page has the product itself.
The bottom line is short. Check Enable AEP rendering first, because it decides everything that follows. Pick an output module and a render settings template and make sure the names match exactly. Spot check with a single-frame PNG sequence before the full run. Leave the worker slider at the default until a small test tells you otherwise, and lower it the moment the machine slows or memory runs short. Then, if one machine is still not enough, add machines rather than expecting the slider to do more than a computer’s cores allow.
Before You Run
Do these before turning Projector loose
- Check Enable AEP rendering first, it decides everything that follows
- Pick an output module and render settings template and make sure the names match exactly
- Spot check with a single-frame PNG sequence before the full run
- Leave the worker slider at the default until a small test tells you otherwise
- Lower the worker count the moment the machine slows or memory runs short
The honest trade-off is the one Dataclay itself names: more workers finish more videos sooner, and every worker costs memory and attention from the machine. You are choosing how to spend a fixed amount of computer. Spend it on purpose.
The Templater page shows how replicates get made in the first place.
That covers the settings. Here are answers to the questions worth settling before you turn Projector loose on a real batch.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cores does Projector use by default?
Half of the available cores. Dataclay’s release notes give the example of a quad-core machine, where Projector defaults to two cores as workers. Each core it uses is called a worker, and each worker renders one video at a time. You can change the number with the Number of Workers slider at the bottom of Mission Control. Drag it, then click Save. The default is a starting point.
Is Projector’s parallel rendering the same as running Templater Bot on several machines?
No. Projector parallelizes inside one computer by giving each processor core a different video. Running Templater Bot on several machines divides the workload across computers. Dataclay’s documentation describes both as ways to produce more videos per hour, and they can be combined, since a machine can run its own cores in parallel while a second machine takes part of the batch. Projector also has to run on the same computer where Templater is installed and where the output files are stored.
Do I need Adobe Media Encoder to use Projector’s export?
No. The documentation notes that the linked task for creating replicates mentions Adobe Media Encoder, but Templater simply creates each replicate as a separate After Effects project file, and those files are what Projector needs. Media Encoder is not part of the chain. Projector renders the replicates itself, using the After Effects version and location you set in the export step, with the output module and render settings template you choose.
What does the Enable AEP rendering checkbox do?
It chooses the job. Check it if you want Projector to render finished videos from AEP replicate files. Leave it cleared if you want Projector to render an existing video into new formats. If you check it, you then set the After Effects version and location, an output module and a render settings template. Do not also set a video file asset extension in your data source. Dataclay’s troubleshooting page says the two settings cannot be used together, and the symptom is Projection reporting no missions to deploy.
What should I do if rendering slows down or the machine runs out of memory?
Lower the number of workers. Go to Mission Control, drag the Number of Workers slider to the left, and click Save. Dataclay names slowness in rendering and excessive RAM usage as the reasons to do it. Fewer workers means fewer videos rendering at once. If the problem looks like it comes from the AEP side, you can also clear the AEP Output Module and AEP Render Settings fields by hand to help isolate the issue.
Which render settings template should I pick for a production run?
Dataclay’s documentation calls dclay-best-comp the best choice for production quality, because it renders the full duration of the target composition at Best quality. It also matters if you use Time Sculpting, since it makes sure the whole composition length is rendered however Templater adjusts it. Use dclay-best-workarea when you are pre-flighting a project or only want part of the timeline at top quality. The two draft templates favor speed and produce very low quality output.
Can I spot check a batch without rendering every full video?
Yes. Use the dclay-PNGSEQ output module and set the work area of the target composition to a single frame. Projector then renders one still per video. Dataclay’s documentation recommends this for spot checks and calls it useful for quality control of batch processing. It works on Windows or Mac. Look at the stills, fix any problem in the template or the data, then switch to your production output module for the full run.
Does Projector have a floating license?
No. Dataclay’s answer is that Projector is licensed like Templater, with a key that carries one or more activations set at purchase, and it has no floating license. It is node-locked. Keys can be deactivated by hand and moved to another machine. If you plan to render on more than one computer, plan the number of activations accordingly.
