FAQ: Dynamic link between After Effects and Adobe Media Encoder doesn't work. Next steps?

[Rameez_Khan]

UPDATE: 

If you render your After Effects projects via Media Encoder to create MP4 files, there is good news. 

After Effects Beta version 23.0x11 allows you to render H.264 (.MP4) directly from the After Effects Render Queue. The integration utilizes Media Encoder's backend encoding system without leaving After Effects. For more details, see: Exporting H.264 from the After Effects Render Queue

How to download After Effects Beta: 

However, if you are rendering your After Effects project via Media Encoder for other file formats, sometimes you might run into an issue where Media Encoder opens but the composition isn't added to the queue. Follow the troubleshooting steps given in this article to solve the problem: https://adobe.ly/2VenHZr

If the steps given in the article don't help you, we need to collect dynamic link logs from your computer and share them with the After Effects team. Please follow these steps on your computer and share the log files with any Adobe staffer in the community.

1. In After Effects, choose Help > Enable Logging
2. Restart After Effects and open your project that exhibits the problem
3. Send your composition to Adobe Media Encoder
4. After you have successfully replicated the problem, choose Help > Reveal Logging File in After Effects. A bunch of folders will open revealing different kinds of After Effects logs
5. Look for the file named "LiveLink Log.txt"
6. Upload the "LiveLink Log.txt" file to Adobe Creative Cloud and share the URL with us. Instructions here: https://helpx.adobe.com/in/creative-cloud/help/share.html. Feel free to use any other file-sharing service if you want.

NOTE: Sharing the logs with the After Effects team doesn't assure an immediate fix. In some cases, you may get an immediate resolution while in others, it will help the After Effects team to get to the root of the problem and drive product enhancements.

[Philippe5E75]

Hi Rameez,

I'm having the same issue. Sending to AME triggers an autosave in AE even if this option is disabled in the preferences then crashes AE.

I'm then still able to render the file in AME but only that single file, it won't render the rest of the queue if there is more than 1 sequence queued up.

The same happens if I send an AE linked comp from Pr to AME, it then adds it then crashes Pr but works fine with any other timelines that I have in Pr with no AE dynamic links.

The issue started randomly from one render to the next on the same project with no new plugins used or any significant changes made. I upgraded to the latest version of AE (18.2.0) from 17 and the issue still persists.

I've also tried all the usual suspects - clearing the caches and peak files, removing plugins, copying sequences to a new project, etc but nothing seems to fix it so far.

Here are my log files - https://shared-assets.adobe.com/link/0bffb4a8-60c1-4120-5425-0ad93dd1c29d

Thanks!

Phil

[Sergio5E8E]

Hi there, I have the same issue, even more, what I was able to render yesterday in 30 seconds, now it takes about 20 or 25 minutes! when I'm lucky and AME loads my composition. Have a real problem with this. We've already formated the computer and worked fine for a couple of days, then the same problem. Were using BIG SUR. 

https://shared-assets.adobe.com/link/b44ba7f6-1fd2-483e-4df0-12cb808eda59

Thanks.

[jordanb12515343]

My 'solution' is to render a prores file from AE using it's internal renderer and then use that file in AME to make an mp4, etc.

While not elegant it does keep me from pulling out my hair and I can get on with my day.

Thanks

[Cal24Marketing]

here is the only log file that shows when I try exporting from AE to ME

Hope this helps.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1m3XEcoGVEI66UpTReGtQ1Eyj8nb720Rk&authuser=callumpearson%4024market...

[hannacarter]

Experiencing this issue as well: https://shared-assets.adobe.com/link/0a41c138-8aca-41b0-7b38-2909b28d0559 

[Tolembs]

Hi! I've encountered this issue with AE 22.0 and AME 22.0. My issue is comps doesn't show up when queued directly in AE to AME. If it was queued in AE renderer then queued to AME, the comp shows up in AME, but if I try to render it's stuck in a "connecting to project" loop. 

[multimedia-communications]

Same here. This just started with the 22 releases. The AME menu Add After Effects Composition… is unable to add any After Effects Composition. The menu command does nothing.

[multimedia-communications]

None of the workarounds at https://adobe.ly/2VenHZr has any effect on this problem.

[multimedia-communications]

CORRECTION

The workaround that succeeds is Number 5 on this page: https://adobe.ly/2VenHZr.

Delete AME preferences folders in both places: Library > Preferences and Documents > Adobe. That did it for me.

Now, if only After Effects were capable of exporting an MP4…

[Tolembs]

Nice! I'll test this out if it works in my system. I'm close to nuking my drive and reinstalling my OS just for AE and AME to work. 

[Jqke]

I ran into this issue as well. For me, I just went to a panel to the left and navigated to where my project was and eventually it started working. Then it froze so I tried to open it in AME again and it worked fine... I would say just play around with it because what I did probably won't work for you. I also converted it to a Premiere Pro project first.

[troth_nee_adobe]

With a bit of isolation, I can fairly reliably repro this problem, for AME renders attempted after cancelling a previous render.

So I suggest variations of the following:

1) Add any job to the AME queue from AE

2) Switch to AME and start to render the job, but make sure to cancel rendering before it finishes.

3) Then try to add another AE job. On my machine this often fails.

If the bug manifests, my theory is that AME is basically wedged after step 2, and nothing will work again until you restart your machine (I'm on Mac, dunno about PCs.) And at this point, check Activity Monitor for AME/AE-related processes - sometimes I've seen multiple dynamiclinkmgr instances running, or unresponsive aerendercore instances.

But getting this to repro also appears to be a timing issue - it depends on when you cancel the job. Unfortunately I've not been able to pin down a pattern to this...

And in this workflow, I've verified no "LiveLink Log.txt" file is generated, so I can't post that.

I'm happy to provide more details if it's helpful.

[troth_nee_adobe]

With version 22.0.1 (Build 2), I can still repro the problem, but no longer have to involve the cancel steps in AME that I previously described. And now I can generate the LiveLink Log file, so I've attached it. Verified the "Enable Multi-Frame Rendering" perf. pref. doesn't change the the behavior. And testing was done immediately after rebooting machine (iMac Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2019, running Big Sur).

[threadandbutter]

Hi, My media encoder stopped being able to connect to projects. It used to work. I tried all the steps, can you help?

Thank you

[MattTheLast]

I've recently been having the same issue.   It was working for me around a week or so ago.   Now I can't add to media encoder, and I can't directly open the project from the encoder. 

I've included my log as well as an image of AME endlessly working to connect to my project.

[kirkeric]

I think you'll find the answers above. Deleting the preferences as described above.

That would probably do the trick.  Now, I will say that sometimes when it doesn't connect that shutting down encoder, AE, ensuring they are not still running in task manager does often also do the trick.  If more than that is required then I'd delete the preferences. 

Or do all of the above can't hurt and a complete reboot is a good idea as well.

Eric

[Lanzer]

Hello,

Same problem here. Here's the link: https://shared-assets.adobe.com/link/5402f1c4-507b-4aa3-7472-83f32d44a70d

Erik

[andreasa10145310]

Same problem here.

Link to AEM from AE stoped working after updating both to 22.

But exporting and link to AEM from Premier P works as before. So strange.

I hope for a swift solution for this problem. 

[OutlineG]

hope this helps... 😞

[Ultra5EEA]

Finally got a solutions to this, and thought I should share it.

I got in hold of Adobe Support and a legend called Prashant went into After Effects > Preferences > Memory & Performance > Disabled "Multi-Frame Rendering".

Then opened Activity Monitor and closed "aerendercore" and restarted the MacBook.

After that, everything was back to normal and worked perfectly.

[Lanzer]

Fantastic! This worked!

In my case, I didn't have "aerendercore" active, so it worked by just disabling "Multi-frame Rendering". No restart required. I've tried exporting a couple of times and it seem to go through. I'll have to see how it develops.

Thank you @Ultra5EEA !

[OutlineG]

this worked for me too! #happyagain

[Lanzer]

@TAEKKRA Have you tried this?

[andreasa10145310]

Thank you!

Can confirm this works as well for Windows 10.

Great job. But Multi-Frame has to be fixed. The idea is great and it will be good when it works.

[Brent5FD2]

Tried this just now! Prashant you're a legend. Give that guy a raise! I've been toiling on this for a good day now. Nothing worked until this trick. Legendary.