Dispatch says “No comp”
Select comps or open one to dispatch means no target comp was found. Select comps directly in the Project panel, or open a comp when no Project panel comps are selected. Layer selections and selected folders do not supply target comps.
The wrong comp was queued
Project panel comp selection takes priority over the comp open in the viewer. Clear that selection to use the active comp, or explicitly select the comps you want. Repeated dispatches create new queue items, so inspect the queue before retrying.
Dispatch says “Save first”
Save the project first so renders have a home means the folder is relative or uses {project folder}. Save the project, then retry. The preview may also read Save the project to give renders a home.
An absolute folder can work without saving, but project-name tokens then use Untitled. Saving first makes the destination and project name predictable.
Dispatch says “No template”
No output module template matches … or No render settings template matches … means the active preset requests a template that this copy of After Effects cannot find. Open Presets and select an installed Output or Render choice. AE default uses the new item’s default for that choice.
The starting preset labels are examples, not bundled output templates. Dispatch removes the new batch if a missing-template refusal occurs; existing queue items remain. See template matching.
The template lists are empty
After Effects needs at least one comp or an existing queue item for Dispatch to read its templates. Create or open a comp and reopen Presets. A choice marked · not in this AE still needs a matching installed template or a replacement choice.
Dispatch says “No folder” or “Couldn’t create …”
The destination could not be read or created. Check that its volume is mounted and the folder is readable and writable. Correct Folder or choose a local destination. Couldn’t read … points to an existing folder Dispatch could not inspect for occupied names.
Recognized folder failures while queueing remove the new batch, though folders already created may remain. A Re-path failure can leave earlier outputs updated. Inspect the Render Queue and use undo if needed before retrying.
The preview is shortened, dimmed, or has the wrong extension
A shortened path is a display limit. Hover it for the full path. A dimmed sample means no target comp was available. Select a comp to resolve its details.
The preview estimates the format from the output template name. The real queued filename comes from the applied output module. Check that output in the Render Queue, especially for a custom template.
A preset click queued a comp when I only wanted to select it
Preset chips and entries in Dispatch with are dispatch actions. To change the active preset without adding items, open Presets and click its name inside the editor.
Re-path says “Nothing queued”
The selected comps have nothing queued means the Project panel selection excludes eligible queue items. Select the intended comps there, or clear that selection to include all Queued items.
Nothing queued to re-path means no item has Queued status. Completed and disabled items are skipped. Selecting rows in the Render Queue does not choose Re-path’s scope.
Re-path did not change the codec or render range
Re-path only changes folder and file patterns. It keeps each output module’s format and each queue item’s time span. To apply a preset’s templates and range, dispatch a new item and remove the old one if it is no longer needed.
The version number jumped
Dispatch counts past matching names on disk, queued outputs, and names reserved earlier in the same batch. It chooses the highest matching version plus one. It does not fill unused numbers between versions. See version rules.
Media Encoder or rendering did not start
Media Encoder isn’t available means After Effects could not queue the handoff. Open or install a compatible Media Encoder and check After Effects’ normal handoff first.
When the message ends with N comps wait in the Render Queue, Dispatch already added those items. Continue from that queue after correcting the problem. Clicking Dispatch again adds more items. An unexpected render-start error follows the same pattern.
My presets did not come back
Save the After Effects project after editing presets. The preset list travels in project metadata, while output templates remain local to each After Effects installation.
Project metadata isn’t available, Couldn’t save presets into the project, or Presets not saved means Dispatch could not retain the edit. Save the project, reopen it, and check the preset before queueing. If the metadata error persists, project presets cannot be relied on in that session.
Dispatch says “Not sent”, “Not done”, or another unexpected error
The nearby message carries the specific host error; Dispatch could not finish and Re-path could not finish are fallback messages. Inspect the Render Queue before retrying. An unexpected host error can occur after an item or path has already changed. Use After Effects’ undo history where appropriate, and correct any destination or template problem first.