Write File Node Settings

Use these settings to define how individual Write File nodes are processed and to specify a destination for each processed result.

The Write File node is available in Batch and Batch FX and work the same way in both views. However, in Batch FX, the Write File node can only render a portion of your schematic, not the entire schematic. That is always handled by the Batch FX Output Node.

To access Write File Node settings, double-click a Write File node in the schematic. If you have multiple Render nodes and Write File nodes in your Batch pipeline, you can manage them in the Render List.

A default and automatically-incremented name for all Write File nodes can be set in the Timeline FX / Batch / Batch FX Preferences.

Note: When rendering to an Open Clip with Clip Version enabled, make sure the frame rate remains the same between versions: having differing frame rates within one Open Clip is not supported by the format.

Basic Settings

Basic button
Opens the Basic menu where you set Write File formatting, rendering, and naming settings.
Export Format box
Select the type of clip rendered by the node. RGB-A sets one red RGB input tab and one blue matte tab. Stereo sets two RGB input tabs (one for each eye) as well as two blue matte tabs (one for each eye). Stereo requires a <polarity> token in the Naming field; if there is no <polarity> token, the application automatically adds it to the name of the exported files.
Frame rate box
Select the frame rate of the output clip.
File Format box
Select the file format of the images to export.
File Extension field
Select the extension for the file type selected in the File Format box. Editable.
Output Depth box
Select the bit-depth of the output clip.
Source Timecode field
Displays the source timecode for the output. Editable.
Record Timecode field
Displays the record timecode for the output. Editable.
Frame Pad field
Displays the padding of the frame ID appended to the file name. "4" indicates that up to four zeros are prefixed to the file name for each frame; frame 1 is written as 0001, frame 22 as 0022, frame 555 as 0555.
Offset field
Displays any timecode offsets that you made in the Render List. For example, if you specify a timecode of 00:00:00:00 and render from frame 10, the first frame of the render has TC 00:00:00:09.
Transfer Characteristics box
Select an option to identify the attributes associated with a particular film or video format, such as resolution, frame rate, or colour space. Active when File Format is set to DPX.
Compress button
Enable to apply compression to the exported file. This results in smaller file size but lower image quality. Available for Tiff, Sgi, and OpenEXR format types.
JPEG Quality field
Displays the degree of quality versus compression for the Jpeg format type. 0 gives the lowest quality (and highest compression). 100 gives the best quality (but applies no compression). Editable.
Create Clip Data button
Enable to create an Open Clip file, which includes extended clip data with the exported files. Required to create versioned clips.
Include Setup button
Enable to include the Batch setup information with the rendered media. This allows someone accessing the Open Clip file to view and modify the original Batch setup, similar to how you can edit Clip History.
Clip Versioning box
Select Custom Version or Follow Iteration to version the rendered exports with an Open Clip. The resulting Open Clip has versions accessible through a clip node in Batch, or from the Timeline. Follow Iteration keeps the version number in sync with Batch's Iteration number. Consider using a <version> token in the Clip Naming field or the next rendered version will overwrite previously rendered media.
  • No Versioning: No versioning in the created Open Clip.
  • Custom Version: Versioning in the Open Clip, with a version number set by the Version Field. This is the standard behavior.
  • Follow Iteration: Displays the value of the current Batch Group's Iteration in the Version field. With Follow Iteration, the Version number always matches the value of the Iteration: iterating the Batch Group automatically updates the Write File node's version.
Version field
Displays the version identifier, which automatically increases at each subsequently rendered export if Clip Versioning is set to Custom Version. Or set the version value manually. Ctrl+click to display the next available value. Re-using a previous value overwrites that version with the new export. Editable.
Version Pad field
Displays the number of zeroes to left-pad the version number with. Editable.
Version Name field
Displays the Version Name. Editable.
Range From field
Displays the first impacted frame. Editable.
Range To field
Displays the last impacted frame. Editable.
Render Range button
Click to output based on the ranges in the To and From fields.
Burn Range button
Click to burn based on the ranges in the To and From fields.
Name field
Displays the name of the exported files. Build a dynamic naming scheme using the Add Token menu, as well as use any of the characters allowed in a Linux file name. Create folders using the slash ( / ) character. The application always appends the file ID and the extension of the file format selected for the export. Editable.
Destination Path field
Displays where the exported files are created. Also used for Open Clip (Create Clip Data enabled) and Batch setup (Include Setup enabled). Polarity and Version are automatically added unless specified in the Name field. Editable with Change Path.
Add Token menu
Inserts in the adjacent field the selected token.
Clip Name field
Displays the name of the exported Open Clip. Build a dynamic naming scheme using the Add Token menu, as well as use any of the characters allowed in a Linux file name. Create folders using the slash ( / ) character. Defaults to the name of the Write File node. Editable.
Setup Name field
Displays the name of the exported Batch setup. Build a dynamic naming scheme using the Add Token menu, as well as use any of the characters allowed in a Linux file name. Create folders using the slash ( / ) character. Defaults to the name of the Write File node. Editable.

Resize Settings

The Resize settings are the same as when using the Resize node in Batch. Click the Active button to activate the Resize settings.

RGB LUT Settings

The RGB LUT settings are the same as when using the LUT Editor node in Batch. Click the Active button to activate the RGB LUT settings.

Matte LUT Settings

The Matte LUT settings are the same as when you are using the LUT Editor node in Batch. Click the Active button to activate the Matte LUT settings.

Advanced: OpenEXR Compression

It is possible to define the OpenEXR compression used in the Batch Write File output (when using compressed OpenEXR target), using the DL_OPENEXR_COMPRESSION environment variable.

OpenEXR available compressions are:

To set the Write File node to generate PIZ OpenEXR files:

  1. Exit the application.
  2. In the shell used to launch the application, type:

    setenv DL_OPENEXR_COMPRESSION piz

  3. Start the application from that same shell.
  4. Render from Batch to a Write File node, making sure OpenEXR is the selected File Format and Compress is enabled.
Note: To avoid having to manually define this variable, add this to the .cshrc file located in the home of the application. To be able to use the modification, you can either open a new shell or source the .cshrc with the following command: source .cshrc
Parent topic: About Batch Rendering