Lost the 'Make Movie' controls

so there are no options to select in the output module in the render queue?

i'd try holding cmd-opt-shift (osx) or ctrl-alt-shift (win) when starting ae. it should ask if you want to reset the prefs file, click ok -- note this will reset your prefs file to the default install settings, so you may need to set some setting back... like cache directories, multiprocessing, memory and third-party i/o card settings.

Kevin Camp
Senior Designer
KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW

[Sean Winn] "Yes, did that on the preference reset"

sorry i should have read your original post more closely...

i assume you have the same problem if you choose composition>add to render queue...?

you could try moving the entire preference folder out to the desktop.

in osx you'd find it in users/[username]/library/preferences/adobe/after effects. quit ae and try moving the entire folder that has the version number on it to the desktop, then restart ae.

Kevin Camp
Senior Designer
KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW

It sounds like what you're seeing is the expected behavior: The first time that you use Make Movie, a dialog box appears to ask what your target location is for output files. After that first time, the dialog box no longer appears because After Effects assumes that you always want to begin with that as your target location.

If you're just closing that dialog box without indicating a target location, then you don't add the item to the render queue.

BTW, this is one of the reasons that we removed the Make Movie command from After Effects CS6. For many years, the Add To Render Queue command has been a much better choice, with more functionality and fewer chances for confusion like this.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Todd Kopriva, Adobe Systems Incorporated
After Effects quality engineering
After Effects team blog
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Todd Kopriva] "It sounds like what you're seeing is the expected behavior"

sorry sean, i sent you on a bit of a wild goose chase... i had never used the make movie method, i had always thought that behaved the same as add to render queue, and that's the method i've always used.

i had wondered why there were 2 options that did the same thing (or nearly) but had never looked into the difference.

thanks todd

Kevin Camp
Senior Designer
KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW