Before you can use SheerVideo for rendering in After Effects, you need to load the output module templates for the renderer settings you want. There are a large number of SheerVideo output module templates, so you will probably only want to select those you're likely to use for your project. To load the SheerVideo output module templates,

1. Select Edit > Templates > Output Module… in After Effects's menu bar
   

to bring up the Output Module Templates dialog box.




2. Click the Load... button at the bottom of the Output Module Templates dialog box
   

to bring up the Open dialog box.




3. Navigate to the SheerVideo Installation:Extras folder and open the for Adobe After Effects folder.
   
4. Open one of the following subfolders depending on the precision of your project:
• for 8-bit Projects, if you are using After Effects Standard, or if you are using After Effects Professional and your project is set to 8 bits/channel.
  
• for 16-bit Projects, if you are using After Effects Professional and your project is set to 16 bits/channel.
  
5. Open one of the following subfolders to choose the appropriate codec or codecs for the work you are doing in After Effects:
• Sheer RGB[A] 8bf, to get templates for editing and composition in 8-bit projects or for outputting to RGB[A] 8bf for archival or transporting to other applications dealing in standard-precision scanned film and computer-generated imagery.

  details

  This codec perfectly encodes all RGB[A] 8bf renderings from After Effects 8-bit projects, as well as all imported RGB[A] 8bf sources, in real time, with an average compression power of 2.2, so that the rendered Sheer RGB[A] 8bf files take up only 45% as much space as uncompressed RGB[A] 8bf renderings, with zero loss of information.

  Sheer RGB[A] 8bf also decodes losslessly for playback in real time for After Effects RAM Preview, as well as for composing with imported Sheer RGB[A] 8bf sources.

  For transporting from and to other applications, note that Sheer RGB[A] 8bf both encodes and decodes losslessly in real time from and to all standard RGB[A] 8bf pixel formats (ARGB, and, on PC+Windows, ABGR, RGBA, BGRA, RGB, and BGR), making it ideal for editing in those formats.

  In applications that support low-precision RGB, the Sheer RGB[A] 8bf codec can also decode your renderings in real time to RGB 5b pixel formats (B555, and, on PC+Windows, L555 and L565) for even faster work, but at lower quality.

  For transport to high-precision film and video editors, this codec also losslessly decodes to RGB[A] >8bf pixel formats ('b64a', 'L64A', 'b48r', 'R10k', and 'r210'); and, using Synchromy, losslessly decodes to Y'CbCr[A] ≥10b 4:4:4[:4] pixel formats ('r4fl', 'V416', and 'v410').

  In addition, for transport to standard-precision video applications, Sheer RGB[A] 8bf uses Synchromy to decode with the minimal loss theoretically possible to Y'CbCr[A] <10b pixel formats ('v408', 'VUYA', 'r408', 'v210', 'v216', 'Y216', '2vuy', '2Vuy', and 'yuvs').

  
  
• Sheer RGB[A] 10bf, to get templates for editing and composition in 16-bit projects or for outputting to RGB[A] 10bf for archival, film-out, or transporting to other applications dealing in high-precision scanned film and computer-generated imagery.

  details

  This codec perfectly encodes all RGB[A] 10bf renderings from After Effects 16-bit projects, as well as all imported RGB[A] 8bf and RGB[A] 10bf sources, in real time, with an average compression power of 2.0, so that the rendered Sheer RGB[A] 10bf files take up only 50% as much space as uncompressed RGB[A] 10bf renderings, with zero loss of information.

  Sheer RGB[A] 10bf has the same precision, 10 bits per channel, as standard Cineon and DPX files, which is also the same precision as the AJA 'R10k' format and the Blackmagic-Design 'r210' format. If you need to preserve a full 16 bits per channel, use the 'b64a', 'L64A', or 'b84r' format instead.

  Sheer RGB[A] 10bf also decodes losslessly for playback in real time for After Effects RAM Preview, as well as for composing with imported Sheer RGB[A] 10bf sources.

  For transport from and to other applications, note that Sheer RGB[A] 10bf both encodes and decodes losslessly in real time from and to all standard RGB[A] 10bf pixel formats (10-bit 'b64a' and 'L64A', 10-bit 'b48r', 'R10k', and 'r210') as well as all standard RGB[A] 8bf pixel formats (ARGB, and, on PC+Windows, ABGR, RGBA, BGRA, RGB, and BGR), making it ideal for editing in RGB[A] 10bf formats.

  In applications that support low-precision RGB, the Sheer RGB[A] 10bf codec can also decode your renderings in real time to RGB 5b pixel formats (B555, and, on PC+Windows, L555 and L565) for even faster work, but at lower quality.

  For transport from video editors and full-chroma video devices, this codec losslessly encodes imported Sheer Y'CbCr[A] 8bv 4:4:4[:4] sources.

  For transport to high-precision video editors, this codec also losslessly decodes to Y'CbCr[A] ≥12b 4:4:4[:4] pixel formats ('r4fl'), and, with minimal loss, to Y'CbCr[A] ≥10b 4:4:4[:4] pixel formats ('r4fl', 'V416', and 'v410'), using Synchromy.

  In addition, for transport to standard-precision video applications, Sheer RGB[A] 10bf uses Synchromy to decode with the minimal loss theoretically possible to Y'CbCr[A] <10b pixel formats ('v408', 'VUYA', 'r408', 'v210', 'v216', 'Y216', '2vuy', '2Vuy', and 'yuvs').

  
  
• Sheer Y'CbCr[A] 8bv 4:4:4:[4], to get templates for outputting final compositions to Sheer Y'CbCr[A] 8bv 4:4:4:[4] for transporting to other applications dealing in standard-precision full-chroma video, such as video editors.

  details

  After Effects only uses RGB[A] formats, so you should not use this codec for working compositions within After Effects, because it lossily compresses RGB[A] 8bf and RGB[A] 10bf by reducing the precision, and because it codes RGB[A] slower than the Sheer RGB[A] codecs. Use it only in final compositions, for transport from and to standard-precision video devices and applications.

  In final renderings, imported Sheer Y'CbCr[A] 8bv 4:4:4:[4] sources are losslessly decoded to RGB[A] 9bf in After Effects Pro 16 bpc projects, and when rendered back out to the same codec, they are losslessly re-encoded to Sheer Y'CbCr[A] 8bv 4:4:4:[4], so that any pixels not modified by the composition's effects will be bit-for-bit identical with the originals, making this codec ideal for transport of Y'CbCr[A] 8bv 4:4:4:[4] data through After Effects Professional.

  This codec lossily encodes RGB[A] 8bf renderings from After Effects 8-bit projects with an average compression power of 2.84, so that the rendered Sheer Y'CbCr[A] 8bv 4:4:4[:4] files take up only 35% as much space as uncompressed RGB[A] 8bf renderings, using Synchromy technology to ensure the minimal loss theoretically possible.

  For transport from and to other applications, note that Sheer Y'CbCr[A] 8bv 4:4:4[:4] both encodes and decodes losslessly in real time from and to all standard Y'CbCr[A] 8bu|v 4:4:4[:4] pixel formats ('v408', 'VUYA', and 'r408'), making it ideal for editing in those formats.

  In applications that support chroma-subsampled Y'CbCr[A], the Sheer Y'CbCr[A] 8bv 4:4:4[:4] codec can also decode in real time to Y'CbCr[A] 8bv 4:2:2[:4] pixel formats ('2vuy', '2Vuy', and 'yuvs'), for even faster work, but at lower quality.

  For transport to high-precision video and film editors, this codec also losslessly decodes to Y'CbCr[A] >8b 4:4:4[:4] pixel formats ('r4fl', 'V416', and 'v410'); and, thanks to Synchromy, to RGB[A] ≥9bf pixel formats ('b64a', 'L64A', 'R10k', and 'r210').

  In addition, for transport to standard-precision applications, Sheer Y'CbCr[A] 8bv 4:4:4[:4] uses Synchromy to decode with the minimal loss theoretically possible to RGB[A] 8bf pixel formats (ARGB, and, on PC+Windows, ABGR, RGBA, BGRA, RGB, and BGR) and to Y'CbCr[A] 4:2:2[:4] pixel formats ('v210', 'v216', 'Y216', '2vuy', '2Vuy', and 'yuvs').

  
  
• Sheer Y'CbCr[A] 10bv 4:4:4:[4], to get templates for outputting final compositions to Sheer Y'CbCr[A] 10bv 4:4:4:[4] for transporting to other applications dealing in high-precision full-chroma video, such as high-precision video editors.

  details

  After Effects only uses RGB[A] formats, so you should not use this codec for working compositions within After Effects, because it codes RGB[A] slower than the Sheer RGB[A] codecs, and because, although it losslessly encodes RGB[A] 8bf, it lossily compresses RGB[A] 10bf, Use it only in final compositions, for transport from and to high-precision video devices and applications.

  In final renderings, imported Sheer Y'CbCr[A] 10bv 4:4:4:[4] sources are losslessly decoded to RGB[A] 12bf in After Effects Pro 16 bpc projects, and when rendered back out to the same codec, they are losslessly re-encoded to Sheer Y'CbCr[A] 10bv 4:4:4:[4], so that any pixels not modified by the composition's effects will be bit-for-bit identical with the originals, making this codec ideal for transport of Y'CbCr[A] 10bv 4:4:4:[4] data through After Effects Professional.

  This codec uses Synchromy to losslessly encode RGB[A] 8bf renderings from After Effects 8-bit projects with an average compression power of 1.72, so that the rendered Sheer Y'CbCr[A] 10bv 4:4:4[:4] files take up only 58% as much space as uncompressed RGB[A] 8bf renderings.

  In addition, this codec lossily compresses RGB[A] 10bf renderings from After Effects 16-bit projects with an average compression power of 2.58, so that the rendered Sheer Y'CbCr[A] 10bv 4:4:4[:4] files take up only 39% as much space as uncompressed RGB[A] 10bf renderings.

  For transport from and to other applications, note that Sheer Y'CbCr[A] 10bv 4:4:4[:4] both encodes and decodes losslessly in real time from and to all standard Y'CbCr[A] 10bv 4:4:4[:4] pixel formats (10-bit 'r4fl', 10-bit 'V416', and 'v410'), making it ideal for editing in those formats.

  In applications that support chroma-subsampled Y'CbCr[A], the Sheer Y'CbCr[A] 10bv 4:4:4[:4] codec can also decode in real time to Y'CbCr[A] 10bv 4:2:2[:4] pixel formats ('v210', 'v216', and 'Y216'), as well as to Y'CbCr[A] 8bv 4:2:2[:4] pixel formats ('2vuy', '2Vuy', and 'yuvs'), for even faster work, but at lower quality.

  For transport to high-precision film editors, this codec uses Synchromy to losslessly decode to RGB[A] ≥12bf pixel formats ('b64a' and 'L64A', ), and to lossily decode to RGB[A] 10bf pixel formats ('R10k', 'r210') with minimal loss.

  In addition, for transport to standard-precision applications, Sheer Y'CbCr[A] 10bv 4:4:4[:4] uses Synchromy to decode with the minimal loss theoretically possible to RGB[A] 8bf pixel formats (ARGB, and, on PC+Windows, ABGR, RGBA, BGRA, RGB, and BGR) and to Y'CbCr[A] 4:2:2[:4] pixel formats ('v210', 'v216', 'Y216', '2vuy', '2Vuy', and 'yuvs').

  
  
• Sheer Y'CbCr[A] 8bv 4:2:2:[4], to get templates for outputting final compositions to Y'CbCr[A] 8bv 4:2:2:[4] for video output, broadcast, or for transporting to other applications dealing in standard-precision chroma-subsampled video, such as for encoding to MPEG, Photo JPEG, MJPEG, DV-50, or DV-25.

  details

  After Effects only uses RGB[A] formats, so you should not use this codec for working compositions within After Effects, because it lossily compresses RGB[A] 8bf and RGB[A] 10bf by precision reduction and chroma subsampling, and because it codes RGB[A] slower than the Sheer RGB[A] codecs. Use it only in final compositions, for transport from and to standard video devices and applications.

  In final renderings, imported Sheer Y'CbCr[A] 8bv 4:2:2[:4] sources are lossily decoded, both to RGB[A] 8bf in After Effects 8-bit projects and even to RGB[A] 16bf in After Effects 16-bit projects, and are lossily re-encoded when rendered back out to the same codec. The information loss is due to the chroma resampling, despite the fact that with Synchromy, the Y'CbCr[A] 8bv → RGB[A] 9bf → Y'CbCr[A] 8bv part of the cycle is lossless.

  This codec lossily encodes RGB[A] 8bf renderings from After Effects 8-bit projects with an average compression power of 3.64, so that the rendered Sheer Y'CbCr[A] 8bv 4:2:2[:4] files take up only 27% as much space as uncompressed RGB[A] 8bf renderings.

  For transport from and to other applications, note that Sheer Y'CbCr[A] 8bv 4:2:2[:4] both encodes and decodes losslessly in real time from and to all Y'CbCr[A] 8bv 4:2:2[:4] pixel formats ('2vuy', '2Vuy', and 'yuvs'), making it ideal for processing in those formats.

  For transport to high-precision video and film applications, this codec also losslessly decodes to Y'CbCr[A] >8b 4:2:2[:4] pixel formats ('v210', 'v216', and 'Y216'), and lossily decodes to RGB[A] >8bf pixel formats ('b64a', 'L64A', 'R10k', 'r210') and Y'CbCr[A] >8b 4:4:4[:4] pixel formats ('r4fl', 'V416', 'v410').

  Similarly, for transport to standard-precision film and video applications, Sheer Y'CbCr[A] 8bv 4:2:2[:4] lossily decodes to RGB[A] 8bf pixel formats (ARGB, and, on PC+Windows, ABGR, RGBA, BGRA, RGB, and BGR) and to Y'CbCr 8bu|v 4:4:4[:4] formats ('v408', 'VUYA', 'r408').

  
  
• Sheer Y'CbCr[A] 10bv 4:2:2:[4], to get templates for outputting final compositions to Y'CbCr[A] 10bv 4:2:2:[4] for broadcast or high-precision video output, or for transporting to other applications dealing in high-precision chroma-subsampled video, such as real-time broadcast effects systems.

  details

  After Effects only uses RGB[A] formats, so you should not use this codec for working compositions within After Effects, because it lossily compresses RGB[A] 8bf and RGB[A] 10bf by subsampling the chroma and (for RGB[A] 10bf) reducing the precision, and because it codes RGB[A] slower than the Sheer RGB[A] codecs. Use it only in final compositions, for transport from and to broadcast video devices and applications.

  This codec uses Synchromy to lossily encode RGB[A] 8bf renderings from After Effects 8-bit projects with an average compression power of 2.36, so that the rendered Sheer Y'CbCr[A] 10bv 4:4:4[:4] files take up only 42% as much space as uncompressed RGB[A] 8bf renderings.

  Similarly, this codec lossily compresses RGB[A] 10bf renderings from After Effects 16-bit projects with an average compression power of 3.31, so that the rendered Sheer Y'CbCr[A] 10bv 4:4:4[:4] files take up only 30% as much space as uncompressed RGB[A] 10bf renderings.

  The Sheer Y'CbCr[A] 10bv 4:2:2[:4] codec can also decode in real time to Y'CbCr[A] 8bv 4:2:2[:4] pixel formats ('2vuy', '2Vuy', and 'yuvs'), for even faster work, but at lower quality.

  For transport from and to other applications, note that Sheer Y'CbCr[A] 10bv 4:2:2[:4] both encodes and decodes losslessly in real time from and to all Y'CbCr[A] 10bv 4:2:2[:4] pixel formats ('v210', 10-bit 'v216', and 10-bit 'Y216'), making it ideal for processing in those formats.

  For transport to high-precision film and video applications, this codec also lossily decodes to RGB[A] >8bf pixel formats ('b64a', 'L64A', 'R10k', 'r210') and Y'CbCr[A] >8b 4:4:4[:4] pixel formats ('r4fl', 'V416', 'v410').

  Similarly, for transport to standard-precision film and video applications, Sheer Y'CbCr[A] 8bv 4:2:2[:4] lossily decodes to RGB[A] 8bf pixel formats (ARGB, and, on PC+Windows, ABGR, RGBA, BGRA, RGB, and BGR) and to Y'CbCr 8bu|v 4:4:4[:4] formats ('v408', 'VUYA', 'r408').

  
  

Note: The template file names and internal template names both use terser naming conventions than the folder names and codec names, due to filename-length restrictions in some operating systems and restrictions on the length of the Settings Name in After Effects. Use the following key to interpret the names:

RGB	{Red, Green, Blue}, for digitized film and computer-generated imagery
Y'CbCr	{Luma, Blue-Yellow Chroma, Red-Cyan Chroma}, for video (digital terminology)
YUV	{Luma, Blue-Yellow Chroma, Red-Cyan Chroma}, for video (analog terminology)
A	Alpha (straight, unmatted)
xA	Premultiplied Alpha (matted)
8b	8 bits per channel (Millions of Colors)
10b	10 bits per channel (Billions of Colors)
v	Video-range data
444[4]	Chroma sampled at every luma pixel
422[4]	Chroma sampled at every other luma pixel
p	Progressive-scan coding
i	Interlaced coding
SD	Standard-definition video standard color space (ITU-R BT.601-4)
HD	High-definition video standard color space (ITU-R BT.709-2)
QT	QuickTime movie (.mov) protocol
8	After Effects project precision set to 8 bits per pixel
16	After Effects Pro project precision set to 16 bits per pixel
.aom	After Effects output template filename extension

6. Choose the appropriate coding method depending on the content of your project:
• p: progressive, if you want SheerVideo to take advantage of interfield coherence. This method generally compresses better for progressive-scan material and for interlaced material with little interfield motion, although it is generally slightly slower than the interlaced method.
• i: interlaced, if you want SheerVideo to code the fields independently of each other. This method generally compresses better for interlaced material with large interfield motion, and is generally slightly faster than the progressive method.

The coding method is denoted by a 'p' or 'i' in the template file name, following the codec name (Sheer), the color space (RGBA, YUVA), the precision (8b, 10b), the range (v) - if any, and the sampling scheme (4444, 4224) - if any.

7. Choose the appropriate video color standard depending on the video target of your project:
• SD: Standard Definition, if the video target (if any) conforms to ITU-R BT.601-4. This is the appropriate choice for NTSC, PAL, and SECAM.
• HD: High Definition, if video target (if any) conforms to ITU-R BT.709-2. This is the appropriate choice for HDTV 1920 x 1080 and 1280 x 720.

The video color standard, for Y'CbCr[A] (YUVA) templates only, is indicated by the letters 'SD' or 'HD' in the template file name, following the coding method (p, i) and preceding the protocol (QT).

8. Click the Open button at the bottom right of the Open dialog to dismiss the Open dialog and load the template file.
   
9. If you need to load additional SheerVideo output module templates, return to one of the preceding template-selection steps, as appropriate.