Main panel
| Control or state | Action or meaning |
|---|---|
| Dispatch, paper plane | Adds the target comps with the active preset. Right-click opens Presets. |
| Preset chip | Immediately dispatches with that preset and makes it active. Right-click opens Presets. |
| Active preset dropdown | Opens Dispatch with when all preset chips do not fit. Choosing a preset dispatches; Edit presets… opens the editor. |
| Sliders button | Opens Presets to edit the active preset. |
| Work / Full | Toggles the active preset between work area and full comp for future dispatches. Existing queue items keep their ranges. |
| Path line | Previews the next output for the first target comp. Hover for the full path. A count prefix indicates multiple target comps. |
| Small queue count on the main button | Shows the number of items with Queued status. Click to show the Render Queue. Hidden when the count is zero or the slot is too small. |
| Flying plane and brief preset highlight | Confirms that items were queued. |
| Brief refusal badge | Summarizes a problem. A nearby message explains it. Very narrow buttons may omit the badge text. |
Project panel comp selection takes priority over the active comp. Other selected item types are ignored. If that selection contains no comps, Dispatch uses the active comp. It does not search inside selected folders. Every click adds another batch; existing items are not reused.
Dispatch modifiers
These apply to the main button, preset chips, and preset choices in Dispatch with. Alt is Option on macOS. Cmd/Ctrl has no separate action.
| Keys while clicking | Main button label | Action after queueing |
|---|---|---|
| None | Dispatch | Leaves the new items waiting in After Effects. |
| Alt/Option | Render now | Starts After Effects’ render queue. |
| Shift | Send to AME | Sends the eligible queue to Media Encoder without requesting immediate encoding. |
| Shift + Alt/Option | Encode now | Sends the eligible queue to Media Encoder and requests immediate encoding. |
The render and Media Encoder actions can include existing queue items. See rendering and handoff before using them.
Preset editor
| Control | Default or limit | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Preset name in the editor list | ProRes master starts active | Makes a preset active without queueing. |
| Trash icon | At least one preset remains | Deletes that preset. |
| New preset | Up to six presets | Copies the active preset. The copied name ends in copy. |
| Name | Up to 40 characters | Sets the preset’s label. Does not choose a format. |
| Folder | {project folder}/renders/{date}; up to 400 characters | Sets the destination folder pattern. |
| File | {comp}_v{##}; up to 200 characters | Sets the file name pattern without an extension. |
| Token buttons | Last focused Folder or File field | Insert a token at the remembered caret or replace the selected text. |
| Output | Depends on the starting preset | Chooses an After Effects output module template. AE default leaves the new item’s default output module. |
| Render | AE default | Chooses an After Effects render settings template. |
| Work area / Full comp | Work area | Sets the time span after the render settings template is applied. |
| Path sample | First target comp | Previews the active preset’s next output. |
| Re-path queued | Selected Project panel comps, or all Queued items | Applies folder and file patterns to existing outputs. See Re-path scope. |
| X, Escape, or click outside | Saves pending text edits | Closes the editor. Resizing the window also closes it. |
Text edits save when the field loses focus or you press Enter. Closing the editor keeps edits; it is not a cancel action. Leading and trailing whitespace is trimmed. An empty name becomes Preset N. Empty folder and file fields fall back to the module defaults, or the built-in defaults if those are empty.
Starting presets
All three start with the module’s folder, file, and range defaults. Render starts at AE default for each.
| Preset label | Requested output module template |
|---|---|
| ProRes master | ProRes 422 HQ |
| H.264 review | H.264 |
| PNG seq | PNG |
Matching templates must exist in After Effects. See template matching if the label and available format differ.
Folder and file tokens
Token names ignore case. Unrecognized tokens remain literal text. Date and time use the computer’s local clock at dispatch or Re-path time.
| Token | Value | Example |
|---|---|---|
{comp} | Comp name, with unsafe filename characters replaced by hyphens. | Intro |
{##} | Next matching version in File, padded to at least two digits. Use more or fewer # characters for other padding. | 01 |
{date} | Date as YYYY-MM-DD. | 2026-10-18 |
{time} | Time as 24-hour HH-MM. | 17-05 |
{project} | Project name without .aep or .aepx. | Launch |
{w}x{h} | Comp width and height. {w} and {h} also work separately. | 1920x1080 |
{fps} | Comp frame rate, rounded to at most three decimal places. | 29.97 |
{project folder} | In Folder, the saved project’s folder. In File, the project name. | /Projects/Launch |
The version token is processed in File only. In Folder, it remains literal. See naming rules for collisions, sequence folders, and preview limits.
Slot layouts
Dispatch starts as a half-width module and supports full width. Its declared minimum is 180 × 125 pixels. The content also adapts when a dock layout gives it less height.
A narrow slot replaces separate preset chips with the active preset's dropdown when the chips cannot fit. The sliders button remains beside it.
A short wide slot puts the main action on the left and preset controls on the right. The range and path line appear when there is room; long text may shorten or disappear.
With very little room, only the main action remains. Its label and active preset name appear if they fit. Right-click it to reach presets, range, paths, and Re-path. Modifier keys still work.
Undo and files on disk
Queue additions use the Dispatch: Queue undo group. Re-path uses Dispatch: Re-path. After Effects’ undo can reverse those project changes. It does not remove created output folders or rendered files, or reverse a Media Encoder handoff.