How do I export a movie using the Write node?

There are multiple ways to export a movie from Harmony. This article will show you how to use the Write node to export a movie. If you would like to use the Export to Video dialog box instead, please see How do I export a movie? 

Step 1: Set up the Write node

The following steps will walk you through setting up a Write node, and then exporting a movie.

1. In the Node view, locate the Write node. It typically can be found underneath the bottom-most Composite, next to the Display node. If you don’t see a Write node see Adding a Write Node for more information. 

2. Click on the yellow square on the left side of the Write node.

3. The Write node Layer Properties window will appear:

4. Near the bottom, make sure the checkbox next to the Movie field is selected.

5. Select a format from the dropdown menu on the right.
6. Click the Choose… button and pick a location the movie will be saved to. If left as the default, it will export to the scene’s ‘frames’ subfolder.
7. In the Movie Output field, type a name for the movie file.
8. Next to Movie Options, click on the Customize button if further adjustment of the audio and video settings are necessary.
9. When you’re done, click the Close button.

Step 2: Render from the Write node

1. To start the render do one of the following:
   • Go to the Top menu, File > Export > Render Write Nodes
   • Use the hotkeys, Ctrl + Shift + Y (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + Shift + Y (macOS).
2. The Render Write Nodes window will appear:

3. Near the top, select the Range
   • All Frames: Renders all of the frames in the scene
   • Selected Frames: Lets you choose a specific start and end frame
4. The Field Composite Options are only relevant if your project is intended for broadcasting on NTSC compatible televisions.
5. Check the Preview box if you want the renders to play after the render is complete.
6. When you’re done, click the OK button.
7. The movie file will be exported to the location specified in the Write node.

Q&A 

Question 1: 

When I try to export I get a dialog box asking if I want to replace my files?

Answers: 

1. If you have one file location you’re saving the files to, double check that you’ve chosen a unique filename for each version before running the render.
2. If it's a Harmony scene file that multiple people have used and the default location is still set to be the ‘frames’ subfolder, a render might have been run at some point. If there only needs to be one version, click on the Overwrite button. If you need multiple iterations, close the window and adjust the filename, or choose a different file path for each version before running the render.

Question 2: 

Why am I getting an error when I try to render a QuickTime movie?

Answers: 

1. Apple QuickTime must be installed on Windows in order for Harmony to export specific QuickTime codecs. Install QuickTime and see if the issue resolves.
2. Double check the codec settings in the export settings are compatible with your system.
3. The file settings might be too large. Try adjusting the compression settings to be lower.

Question 3:

Why am I being prompted to install a codec when I try to run the render?

Answer:

If you select H.264/MPEG-4 (*.mov) as your movie file format, the very first time you export you will be prompted to download the OpenH264 library from Cisco. Click the Yes button when prompted, and Harmony will automatically download the library, then export the movie. You will only need to do this once.