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Created September 21, 2017 01:50
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Setting up After Effects on AWS with Windows Server 2012

Setting up After Effects on AWS with Windows Server 2012

Hold on to your pants. This is a bit nuts.

Generating an Adobe After Effects installer:

  • Sign in to our Adobe Team account, go to 'Manage Team', download CCPLauncher.exe for windows.
  • This can be used to create a promptless installer for After FX.
  • Boot up a windows VM, preferably Windows 7 or newer.
  • Copy the CCPLauncher.exe to the VM's Desktop
  • Run the program. Follow the prompts in a windows box to generate the installer package.
  • Alternatively, you can use the preconfigured one on Delila (TODO)
  • We'll be copying the generated package installer to our Server machine, once it's set up.

Configuring a Windows Server for video rendering

https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/error_on_launch.html

Install these, in this order, to resolve the above issue: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2919355 https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2999226

  • Run the package installer you generated earlier.

  • Create an empty text file: C:\\Users\\Public\\Documents\\Adobe\\ae_render_only_node.txt

  • Install nodejs

  • Install the render.js node script from the repo to somewhere useful, eg C:\\video\render.js

  • Point the render script at the AFX install path: C:\\Program Files\\Adobe\\Adobe After Effects CC 2015.3\\Support Files\\aerender.exe

  • Copy the project files onto the hard drive somehow.

  • Ensure any custom typefaces are installed on the system.

  • You've got a mostly functional remote renderer now.

  • Shut down your server instance from the AWS console.

  • Save the instance as an AMI: http://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/WindowsGuide/Creating_EBSbacked_WinAMI.html

  • Pour yourself a cold one.

Considerations/TODOs

  • TODO: Install h264 or some decent codec?
  • Lossless video will be seriously huge. 186mb/second. 17GB for 90 seconds.
  • Need to balance transfer speed with render speed.
  • Need a solution to automatically install fonts to the system when the project is delivered to it for rendering.
  • Orchestration service might be required. I hear Deadline is good.
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