Output Destination Always "Not Yet Specified"?

[Matthew2412079097wq]

Hi All,

I am attempting to streamline my rendering process since I make make many renders a day, sometimes in batches from a single AE Project, and manually selecting output destinations is tedious. I have created a custom "File Name and Location Template", saved it, and set it to default, however, when I add to the render queue, the output destination is always "not yet specified", despite me having set my custom template to default. In fact, no matter what Template I set to default (even the stock ones), every comp's output destination is "not yet specified". Can someone assist me with this? Thanks!

[Mylenium]

Without any info about your computer, file paths, naming conventions and so on we can't really tell you much. From the sound of it this could be network related, if you render to external storage, but then the bad news could be that it's perfectly normal... Anyway, more info is required.

Mylenium

[Matthew2412079097wq]

Thanks for the quick response! Here's some additional info:

I am running After Effects 2022 on Windows 11 Pro 21H2, and almost every file path I'm working with is a locally synced dropbox server (since that's what my company uses for practically everything). The AE project is in it's own folder, and the template instructs to move up one level, then into an exports folder. Here's the template: 

[projectFolder]..\Exports\ICYMI\[compName] [dateMonth]_[dateDay]_[dateYear].[fileExtension]

Let me know if you need any other info!

[tristansummers]

Just to keep on about this. 

Every single time you I open a project, I have to manully select the render location.

It sometimes opens the right folder when I click on it.

It sometimes opens the location of the last Animation Preset used.

AE is basically not storing the last rendered location in the project file.

It isn't about having custom render settings.

Default settings always used to rememmber where you last rendered to and now it doesn't.

Probably permissions, registry issue but I do wonder if the Asus WRX is using bifurcation on the PCIe slot to support the third on board M2 slot and that somehow confuses or doesn't register.

[falldowngoboom]

I've had this issue come up on my end here and there, was good for a while but it showed up again... annoying. Have you tried resetting your preferences? It seems to work on my end, but make sure to save your output module presets if you have any, you can "save all" in the "Make Template" window.

Right after you click to open AE up push these buttons together:
-Ctrl+Alt+Shift

[Oleg Burinsky]

This solution doesn't work unfortunately. This is definitely something coming from Adobe's side. Since a specific version of AE 2022, then 2023 this file output is now "Not Yet Specified". Whereas before it pointed to the last folder used for rendering.

[falldowngoboom]

Yeah this solution was very temporary, it quickly reverted back to the "not yet specified". Pretty annoying, I remember it an issue years back and sad to see it resurfacing.

[tristansummers]

I have had this now for a year or so, so not sure when it started.

I do not think it is a system specific thing.

But if it is, it may be Ryzen/Threadripper Pro based. It may be Samsung 980 Pro based. It may be that I render to the AE cache drive on slot 3 of ASUS  WRX80 motherboard. 

I always render to the same RENDER folder.

Previous versions of AE always remembered this. 

That way I ALWAYS knew where my renders went.

But in the past 1 or 2 full versions of AE it says render location not specified on start up and occassionally on project opening.

There is definitiely a bug that is meaning the defailt location is not being stored.

If I use an animation preset before rendering, it defaults to that location.

So the default location is the last place AE has been, but only in this session.

Hopefuly this issue can be replicated and troubleshot as it is a major workflow issue, especially for automated rendering with Dataclay

[tristansummers]

Latest Windows 11, Latest AE, Latest Nvidia and Decklink drivers, always.

Asus WRX80/Threadripper Pro 3955WX/Samsung980Pro x 3 in onboard slots, not PCIE card/128GB None EC RAM/Geforece4090 

[jackthegiantslayer · Accepted solution]

Frankly I am so tired of this. There was a day when somehow After Effects was able to embed the render directory location within the project file, and it would remember where you last rendered to even on a network. Nowadays I can close a project without closing the app, reopen it with the same render queue set up, hit render and it will always, ALWAYS say "The directory originally specified in the selected output module no longer exists." Except it does exist and when I hit "Output To" it will literally show me the directory I had rendered to before. M1 Macbook Pro Max completely topped off, like it matters.

[CraigWasHere...]

I also have this same issue using my new Mac Studio M2 running Ventura.
Testing on both AE 2022 and AE 2023, every time I export anything it always has Output To: Not Yet Specified.
I am sarting to think that it must be one of two things, Permissions issue for the program via OS, or AE is not able to save/store last time used data... But so far I am having no luck.

[Svyatoslav5E3C]

Have you found the solution at last? I'm working on PC, Win10. I have this issue on my PC and on my laptop too (same, Win10). Every time I try to export my comps the "Output to: Not yet specified" appears. I tried to switch my prefs back to default, I tried exporting with Use Default File Name and Folder option and without it. Nothing helps. And it's a BIG problem when I try to export multiple comps, cause AE cannot change output module for all selected tasks. The chair under me is literally on fire...

[tristansummers]

I don't think this will ever be fixed. Think it is a disk permissions security thing. just have to specify every single cocking time. you can try building custom output templates so it always rendnes locally, but I couldn't get that to work

[Svyatoslav5E3C]

The strange thing is that I get this 'Not yet specified' alert with both default and custom output presets. Every time. But I had never faced this issue since AE CS4 till AE CC 2023! But now AE 2024 eats my brain every single day...

[FedeParodi]

Hi, I think I found the solution.

1) First, you need to go to Settings, Startup and repair, and then go to Reveal Preferences in Finder (or in Explorer on Windows, I suppose).

2) Then, you need to look for a file called Adobe After Effects 24.5 Prefs-indep-output.

Before making any modifications, make a copy of the file to have a backup.

3) Close After Effects before making modifications.

4) Open the file with a text editor and scroll to the end. There you will find a section with all the render presets, their save path, and their naming format. In my case, it looks like this:

["Output Module Spec Strings Section v28"]

	"Output Module Spec Strings Base Path 0" = ""
	"Output Module Spec Strings Base Path 1" = ""
	"Output Module Spec Strings Base Path 2" = ""
	"Output Module Spec Strings Base Path 3" = ""
	"Output Module Spec Strings Base Path 4" = ""
	"Output Module Spec Strings Base Path 5" = ""
	"Output Module Spec Strings Base Path 6" = ""
	(...etc)

	"Output Module Spec Strings File Pattern 0" = ""
	"Output Module Spec Strings File Pattern 1" = ""
	"Output Module Spec Strings File Pattern 2" = ""
	"Output Module Spec Strings File Pattern 3" = ""
	"Output Module Spec Strings File Pattern 4" = ""
	"Output Module Spec Strings File Pattern 5" = ""
	"Output Module Spec Strings File Pattern 6" = ""
	(...etc)

	"Output Module Spec Strings Name 0" = "AIFF 48kHz"
	"Output Module Spec Strings Name 1" = "Alpha Only"
	"Output Module Spec Strings Name 2" = "H.264 -  5 Mbps"
	"Output Module Spec Strings Name 3" = "H.264 - 15 Mbps"
	"Output Module Spec Strings Name 4" = "H.264 - 40 Mbps"
	"Output Module Spec Strings Name 5" = "ProRes 422"
	"Output Module Spec Strings Name 6" = "ProRes 4444 Alpha"
	(...etc)

• In the first part, "Base Path," you should write the default path.
• In "File Pattern," the format.
• In "Strings Name," you shouldn't modify anything. But this number helps you identify which preset number is your default preset. In my case, it was number 5, "ProRes 422."

 
If you don't know wich one is your default preset, you can search for "Default OM Index" in the document and it will be equals to the number you need to modify.

This is how it ended up for me:

["Output Module Spec Strings Section v28"]

	"Output Module Spec Strings Base Path 0" = ""
	"Output Module Spec Strings Base Path 1" = ""
	"Output Module Spec Strings Base Path 2" = ""
	"Output Module Spec Strings Base Path 3" = ""
	"Output Module Spec Strings Base Path 4" = ""
	"Output Module Spec Strings Base Path 5" = "/Users/fedeparodi/Desktop/Exports"
	"Output Module Spec Strings Base Path 6" = ""
	(...etc)

	"Output Module Spec Strings File Pattern 0" = ""
	"Output Module Spec Strings File Pattern 1" = ""
	"Output Module Spec Strings File Pattern 2" = ""
	"Output Module Spec Strings File Pattern 3" = ""
	"Output Module Spec Strings File Pattern 4" = ""
	"Output Module Spec Strings File Pattern 5" = "[compName].[fileextension]"
	"Output Module Spec Strings File Pattern 6" = ""
	(...etc)

Also in the After Effects settings I have the option Use Default File Name and Folder checked on.

Hope it helps!

[Svyatoslav5E3C]

OMG, IT WORKS! You're genius! Thank you so much!!!

[agatam26093673]

Finally, after all these years! Thank you SOOO much!

[tristansummers]

Thanks FedeParodi

for the ACTUAL CORRECT ANSWER (well work around)

Any way we can make this the correct answer.

I pasted the path and the pattern into all of the options and it works. 

Seems like a very easy fix for the AE preference section.

Must be a way to have most recent in the "" ?? or save a path in the project file?