+\section{Batch Rendering}%
+\label{sec:batch_rendering}
+\index{batch rendering}
+
+Batch Rendering automates the rendering of audio/video files in that
+you can establish a set of job parameters, save them, and use them
+repeatedly. It also allows for \CGG{} to be run by external
+programs, with no need for the user to manually interact with the
+user interface (figure~\ref{fig:batch01}).
+
+\begin{figure}[htpb] \centering
+ \includegraphics[width=1.0\linewidth]{batch01.png}
+ \caption{Example of the Batch Render menu}
+ \label{fig:batch01}
+\end{figure}
+
+If you want to render many projects \index{project} to media files without having to
+constantly set up the render dialog for each one, batch rendering is
+a more efficient method of rendering. To use this feature you need to
+understand certain concepts.
+
+\begin{enumerate}
+ \item You must define a list of Batches (\textit{Job} \index{job}) before starting the rendering. This is created using the \textit{New} button and displayed in \textit{Batches to Render} dialog.
+ \item Each batch consists of a source project already created in \CGG{}, e.g. \texttt{aaa.xml}, to which we assign the rendering parameters.
+ \begin{itemize}
+ \item to associate \texttt{aaa.xml} to the batch we use the \textit{EDL Path} input field.
+ \item we decide a name and path for the output file.
+ \item let's set the \textit{File Format} of the output file.
+ \item We configure the file with the Audio/Video \textit{wrench}.
+ \item we decide whether to create different files for each \textit{label} and whether to use a \textit{Render farm}.
+ \end{itemize}
+ \item Created the first batch, we will see it appear in the dialog \textit{Batches to Render}.
+ \item Using the \textit{New} button again we create a second batch for another source project (\texttt{bbb.xml}) and configure it at will.
+ \item We continue with the source projects \texttt{ccc.xml}, \texttt{ddd.xml}, etc. until we run out of projects that we want to render in batch.
+ \item Note that each batch has its own name, path and rendering parameters.
+ \item Now we have our \textit{Job}, a list of batches. We can still configure it or modify it if we want to change something. In addition we can delete a batch from the list or we can disable it in the \textit{Enabled} field so that it is not taken into account during rendering, but without deleting it.
+ \item Finally we start batch rendering with the \textit{Start} button.
+\end{enumerate}
+
+Let's see in detail how to set the Batch Rendering.
+
+The first thing to do when preparing to do batch rendering is to
+create one or more \CGG{} projects to be rendered and save them as a
+normal project, such as \texttt{aaa.xml}. The batch renderer
+requires a separate project file for every batch to be rendered.
+You can use the same \CGG{} project file if you are rendering to
+different output files, as in an example where you might be creating
+the same output video in different file formats.
+
+You do not have to render an entire projects. We can limit ourselves to an \textit{active region} \index{active region} that we can set through a selection in Cut and Paste mode, with labels or In/Out Points. Or the rendering will start from the Insert Point position until the end of the project. Remember: if we want to render the entire project (and not just one active region) it is important to bring the Insertion Point to the beginning of the timeline. This is the only way we are sure to include the whole project.
+
+With all the \CGG{} xml project files prepared with active regions,
+go to \texttt{File $\rightarrow$ Batch Render}. This brings up the
+batch render dialog. The interface for batch rendering is more
+complex than for single file rendering. A list of batches must be
+defined before starting a batch rendering operation. The table of
+batches appears on the bottom of the batch render dialog and is
+called \textit{Batches to render}. Above this are the configuration
+parameters for a single batch; a batch is simply a pairing of a
+project file with a choice of output file and render settings.
+
+Set the \textit{Output path}, \textit{File format}, \textit{Audio},
+\textit{Video}, and \textit{Create new file at each label}
+parameters as if you were rendering a single file. These parameters
+apply to only one batch. In addition to the standard rendering
+parameters, you must select the \textit{EDL Path} to be the project
+file (such as \texttt{aaa.xml}) that will be used in the batch
+job. In this case, \textit{EDL Path} is not related in anyway with
+the EDL files as created by \texttt{File/Export EDL}. In batch
+render mode the program will not overwrite an existing output file
+and will simply fail, so make sure that no files with the same name
+as the output files exist before starting.
+
+If the batches to render list is empty or nothing is highlighted,
+click \textit{New} to create a new batch. The new batch will contain
+all the parameters you just set. Repeatedly press the \textit{New}
+button to create more batches with the same parameters. When you
+highlight any batch, you can edit the configuration on the top of
+the batch render window. The highlighted batch is always
+synchronized to the information displayed. You can easily change
+the order in which the batch jobs are rendered, by clicking and
+dragging a batch to a different position. Hit \textit{Delete} to
+permanently remove a highlighted batch. In the list box is a column
+which enables or disables the batch with an \texttt{X} meaning the
+batch job is enabled and will be run. This way batches can be
+skipped without being deleted. Click on the \textit{Enabled} column
+in the list box to enable or disable a batch.
+
+The description of each of the columns in the batch list are as
+follows:
+
+\begin{description}
+\item[Enabled:] an X in this column means the batch job will be run.
+\item[Labeled:] an \texttt{X} in this column goes hand in hand with
+ create new file at each label.
+\item[Farmed:] to use or not the render farm.
+\item[Output:] path and filename for the generated output.
+\item[EDL:] the path and filename of the source EDL for the batch
+ job.
+\item[Elapsed:] the amount of time taken to render the batch if
+ finished. If field is empty, it did not run.
+\end{description} To start rendering from the first enabled batch,
+hit \textit{Start}. Once rendering, the main window shows the
+progress of the batch. After each batch finishes, the elapsed column
+in the batch list is updated and the next batch is rendered until
+all the enabled batches are finished. The currently rendering batch
+is always highlighted red. To stop rendering before the batches are
+finished without closing the batch render dialog, hit \textit{Stop}.
+To stop rendering before the batches are finished and close the
+batch render dialog, hit \textit{Close}. Or you can exit the batch
+render dialog whether or not anything is being rendered, by hitting
+\textit{Close}.
+
+You can automate \CGG{} batch renders from other programs. In the
+batch render dialog, once you have created your list of batch render
+jobs, you can click the button \textit{Save Jobs} and choose a file
+to save your batch render list to. Once you have created this file,
+you can start up a batch render without needing to interact with the
+\CGG{} user interface. From a shell prompt, from a script, or other
+program, execute:
+
+\begin{lstlisting}[style=sh]
+{path_to_cinelerra}/cin -r batchjob.xml
+\end{lstlisting} substituting your actual filename for
+\texttt{batchjob.xml}. When invoked with these parameters, \CGG{}
+will start up and perform the rendering jobs in that list, without
+creating its usual windows.
+
+\subsection{Command Line Rendering}%
+\label{sub:command_line_rendering}
+\index{rendering!command line}
+
+The command line rendering method consists of a way to load the
+current set of batch rendering jobs and process them without a
+GUI\@. This is useful if you want to do rendering on the other side
+of a low bandwidth network and you have access to a high powered
+computer located elsewhere. Setting up all the parameters for this
+operation is somewhat difficult. That is why the command line aborts
+if any output files already exist.
+
+To perform rendering from the command line, first run \CGG{} in
+graphical mode. Go to \texttt{File $\rightarrow$ Batch
+ Render}. Create the batches you intend to render in the batch window
+and close the window. This saves the batches in a file. Set up the
+desired render farm attributes in \texttt{Settings $\rightarrow$
+ Preferences} and quit out of \CGG{} if you want to use the Render
+Farm capability. These settings are used the next time command line
+rendering is used to process the current set of batch jobs without a
+GUI\@.