This record as markdown: /tools/ae/ae-render-preview.md
What ae_render_preview does on Ae
AI agents invoke ae_render_preview to trigger actions in Ae. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call: builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.
Why ae_render_preview is rated High
Rendering a RAM preview triggers an active computation process in After Effects — it executes a rendering pipeline that consumes CPU/GPU resources and writes frames to RAM. This is an external operation with resource implications, fitting the Execute category. It is not purely read (it triggers processing) nor destructive (it doesn't delete or overwrite saved project data).
From the tool's definition Render RAM preview for playback and testing animations in real-time
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs ae_render_preview safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Ae, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For ae_render_preview, this is the rule to start with:
ae_render_preview stays usable, but rate-capped: a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Ae, apply this rule, and every ae_render_preview call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about ae_render_preview
Render RAM preview for playback and testing animations in real-time. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Ae MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.
Register the Ae MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for ae_render_preview: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Ae. Nothing to install.
ae_render_preview is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the ae_render_preview rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for ae_render_preview. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
ae_render_preview is provided by the Ae MCP server (ae-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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