# ae_render_preview

Render RAM preview for playback and testing animations in real-time

Agent View of the PolicyLayer registry record for `ae_render_preview`. HTML page: https://policylayer.com/tools/ae/ae-render-preview

## Facts

- Tool: `ae_render_preview`
- Server: Ae (`ae-mcp-server`) — https://policylayer.com/tools/ae.md
- Install: `npx -y ae-mcp-server`
- Homepage: https://www.npmjs.com/package/ae-mcp-server
- Risk category: Execute (High risk)
- Registry record: grade F, identity unverified
- Server rate-limited: no
- Parameters: 0
- Recommended policy verdict: Rate-limited

## Example call (MCP tools/call, JSON-RPC 2.0)

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "ae_render_preview",
    "arguments": {}
  }
}
```

## 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 own definition: "Render RAM preview for playback and testing animations in real-time"

## Use case

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.

## Recommended policy (PolicyLayer)

Verdict: **Rate-limited**. Enforced by the PolicyLayer MCP gateway (https://policylayer.com/mcp-gateway) before a call reaches Ae:

```json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "ae_render_preview": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "ae_render_preview_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

## Other tools on Ae (34)

- `ae_delete_layer` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/ae/ae-delete-layer.md
- `ae_remove_effect` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/ae/ae-remove-effect.md
- `ae_add_expression` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/ae/ae-add-expression.md
- `ae_select_layers` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/ae/ae-select-layers.md
- `ae_check_connection` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/ae/ae-check-connection.md
- `ae_get_composition_info` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/ae/ae-get-composition-info.md
- `ae_get_effect_info` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/ae/ae-get-effect-info.md
- `ae_get_layer_info` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/ae/ae-get-layer-info.md
- `ae_get_render_queue_info` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/ae/ae-get-render-queue-info.md
- `ae_get_screenshot` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/ae/ae-get-screenshot.md
- `mcp_health_check` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/ae/mcp-health-check.md
- `mcp_performance_metrics` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/ae/mcp-performance-metrics.md
- `mcp_system_diagnostics` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/ae/mcp-system-diagnostics.md
- `ae_add_audio_markers` — Write — https://policylayer.com/tools/ae/ae-add-audio-markers.md
- `ae_add_keyframe` — Write — https://policylayer.com/tools/ae/ae-add-keyframe.md
- `ae_add_text_animator` — Write — https://policylayer.com/tools/ae/ae-add-text-animator.md
- `ae_animate_camera` — Write — https://policylayer.com/tools/ae/ae-animate-camera.md
- `ae_animate_property` — Write — https://policylayer.com/tools/ae/ae-animate-property.md
- `ae_apply_color_grading` — Write — https://policylayer.com/tools/ae/ae-apply-color-grading.md
- `ae_apply_effect` — Write — https://policylayer.com/tools/ae/ae-apply-effect.md
- `ae_apply_effect_preset` — Write — https://policylayer.com/tools/ae/ae-apply-effect-preset.md
- `ae_create_composition` — Write — https://policylayer.com/tools/ae/ae-create-composition.md
- `ae_create_layer` — Write — https://policylayer.com/tools/ae/ae-create-layer.md
- `ae_create_null_controller` — Write — https://policylayer.com/tools/ae/ae-create-null-controller.md
- `ae_create_particle_system` — Write — https://policylayer.com/tools/ae/ae-create-particle-system.md
- `ae_duplicate_layer` — Write — https://policylayer.com/tools/ae/ae-duplicate-layer.md
- `ae_enable_motion_blur` — Write — https://policylayer.com/tools/ae/ae-enable-motion-blur.md
- `ae_export_video` — Write — https://policylayer.com/tools/ae/ae-export-video.md
- `ae_import_file` — Write — https://policylayer.com/tools/ae/ae-import-file.md
- `ae_parent_layer` — Write — https://policylayer.com/tools/ae/ae-parent-layer.md
- …and 4 more: https://policylayer.com/tools/ae.md

## For agents

This record is a snapshot. Live verdicts and the full registry:

- Check every server in your MCP config at once: `npx -y policylayer stack`
- Vet a server before you add it: install the mcp-precheck skill — `npx skills add https://policylayer.com` (skill text: https://policylayer.com/skill.md)
- Query the registry over MCP: endpoint `https://api.policylayer.com/mcp` — tools `check_mcp_server`, `check_mcp_stack`, `check_tool`, `search_registry`, `get_change_events`

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Source: the PolicyLayer MCP registry — one continuously verified record per MCP server. Full record: https://policylayer.com/registry?q=ae · API: https://policylayer.com/registry/api · Policy library: https://policylayer.com/policies/ae