> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://captivatehelp.newbluelive.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://captivatehelp.newbluelive.com/design-and-customize-graphics/chapter-index-6/after-effects-approach-b-live-render.md).

# After Effects: live render via Harmonizer (Approach B)

Import an After Effects project (`.aep`) or Motion Graphics Template (`.mogrt`) directly into Captivate and let After Effects render frames live during the show. The composition stays an After Effects file; Captivate drives it as if it were a native title and exposes text properties as variables.

This is the current, live-render path. For the alternative — baking the composition into a native Captivate title and leaving After Effects out of the loop — see [After Effects: native export with the NewBlue plugin](/design-and-customize-graphics/chapter-index-6/after-effects-approach-a-native-export.md). To decide between the two, see [Which After Effects approach to use](/design-and-customize-graphics/chapter-index-6/after-effects-which-approach.md).

## When to use this approach

Choose live render when:

* The design is still iterating in After Effects and you want the latest version on air without re-exporting.
* The composition uses After Effects features that do not survive the native export.
* Your team’s workflow keeps After Effects in the loop during production.

This approach is available in Captivate Broadcast.

## What you need

* Adobe After Effects, installed on the playout machine.
* The NewBlue Harmonizer extension panel, installed in After Effects.
* A Captivate Broadcast license.

After Effects runs in the background during the show, rendering frames on demand. It must stay running while the imported title is in use.

## How the live link works

Captivate talks to After Effects through the Harmonizer extension panel that runs inside After Effects. When you import an `.aep` or `.mogrt`:

1. Captivate discovers the running Harmonizer panel.
2. The composition path is sent to After Effects, which loads the project.
3. Captivate requests frames; After Effects renders them and ships them back.
4. Text properties in the composition are auto-exposed as Captivate variables on the title.

The `.aep` is not converted into a native title. It stays a live After Effects file, and frames come from After Effects at playback. Close After Effects and the title can no longer render new frames.

**❗ IMPORTANT**

Save the `.aep` or `.mogrt` in the same folder as the Captivate project file. Re-opening the project later relies on the saved reference path to find the After Effects file.

## Import the file

1. Open your project in Captivate.
2. Choose **File > Import > After Effects**, or right-click in the Project List and choose **New > After Effects**.
3. In the **Select Motion Graphics File** dialog, pick the `.aep` or `.mogrt` and click **Open**.
4. If the project contains multiple compositions, select the composition to import.

The title appears in the Project List. On first import, After Effects opens in the background and the Harmonizer connection is established. A connection dialog appears if the handshake takes longer than expected.

For composition prep that produces clean imports, see [Prepare After Effects designs for import](/design-and-customize-graphics/chapter-index-6/preparing-your-after-effects-designs-for-import.md).

For the full import procedure including resolution scaling, frame-rate matching, and resolving Harmonizer connection issues, see [Import an After Effects design](/design-and-customize-graphics/chapter-index-6/importing-your-after-effects-design.md).

## Editable properties

The live-render path exposes a fixed set of property types as Captivate variables.

For `.aep` files:

* Text
* Image

For `.mogrt` files (with properties prepared in the After Effects Essential Graphics panel):

* Source Text
* Image
* Color
* Media (Image, Video, PSD, and Illustrator files)
* Checkbox Expression Control
* Anchor Point, Position, Opacity, Scale, Rotation

The MOGRT path supports more variable types and packages external media inside the `.mogrt`. The `.aep` path is faster to set up but limits variables to text and images.

For setup details per file type, see [Prepare After Effects designs for import](/design-and-customize-graphics/chapter-index-6/preparing-your-after-effects-designs-for-import.md).

## Bind data to the imported design

Once the After Effects title is in Captivate, link Data Controllers to its variables the same way as for a native graphic. See [Linking data to After Effects designs](/design-and-customize-graphics/chapter-index-6/linking-data-to-after-effects-designs.md) for the procedure.

The playout’s **Show All Variables** toggle in the Live Values tab filters non-dynamic properties so you can focus on the ones that can change on air.

## When After Effects is not available

If After Effects is closed, or the Harmonizer panel is not running, the title cannot render new frames. Common causes and fixes are covered in the Resolving AE Connection Issues section of [Import an After Effects design](/design-and-customize-graphics/chapter-index-6/importing-your-after-effects-design.md).

There is also a Force AE Offline mode for cases where you want to deliberately disable the After Effects connection on the playout machine.

## Pre-caching for playback on a machine without After Effects

You can pre-cache an After Effects title’s frames so the show plays back on a machine that does not have After Effects installed. Properties remain editable up until pre-cache; once cached, the cached property values are used during playback.

For the pre-cache procedure, see [Pre-cache graphics before a show](/control-your-show/chapter-index/pre-cache-graphics-before-a-show.md).

## Related

* [After Effects: native export with the NewBlue plugin (Approach A)](/design-and-customize-graphics/chapter-index-6/after-effects-approach-a-native-export.md) — bake the composition into a native title.
* [Which After Effects approach to use](/design-and-customize-graphics/chapter-index-6/after-effects-which-approach.md) — pick between live render and native export.
* [Import an After Effects design](/design-and-customize-graphics/chapter-index-6/importing-your-after-effects-design.md) — full import procedure and troubleshooting.


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