Batch FileR

Dani K Daniel in Rendering

Batch FileR Documentation

Batch FileR queues your .blend files and renders them one after another in the background, without leaving Blender. This page explains how to install it and how every part of it works. The same guide is included as a PDF: click the ? button in the Batch FileR panel to open it.

Requirements

Blender 4.2 or newer (tested with Blender 4.3 and 5.2).
Windows 10/11. Shut down PC when done is a Windows-only option.
Enough free disk space in your output folders.

Installation

Download batch_filer-1.0.0.zip. Do not unzip it: Blender installs the zip directly.
In Blender, open Edit > Preferences > Add-ons.
Click the down-arrow menu in the top-right corner and choose Install from Disk...
Select the zip file and click Install from Disk.
Make sure Batch FileR is ticked in the add-on list.

Updating to a new version

In Edit > Preferences > Add-ons, expand Batch FileR and click Remove (Uninstall).
Close and reopen Blender. This step matters: skipping it can cause a "cannot find the file" error.
Install the new zip as described above. Your render queue is kept.

Opening Batch FileR

3D Viewport: press N to open the sidebar and click the Batch FileR tab.
Properties editor: open the Output tab and expand the Batch FileR panel.

The panel at a glance

Part	What it is for
Add Files / Add Folder	Add .blend files. The small button next to them adds the file you have open.
File list	Your queue, in render order. The checkbox includes or excludes a file from Render All. The right side shows the frame range and the result.
Side buttons	Move up or down, remove, skip or un-skip, clear finished files, clear all.
File details	Settings of the selected file: Blender version, render mode, frames and output.
Render buttons	Render All, Render Selected, Retry Failed, and Shut down PC when done.

Adding files

Add Files opens a file browser. Select one or more .blend files (Shift or Ctrl + click).
Add Folder adds every .blend file in a folder and all its subfolders. Backup files (.blend1, .blend2 ...) are ignored.
Add Current File adds the file you have open. Batch FileR renders the saved version, so save your changes first.
A file that is already in the queue is not added twice.
After adding, Batch FileR reads each file's frame range and output path in the background. The list shows reading... for a few seconds.

Settings for each file

Click a file in the list to see its settings below the list. Changes are saved immediately and only affect the render. Your .blend file is never modified.

Setting	What it does
Blender	The Blender version that renders this file. This Blender is the one you are using. Other versions found on your PC are listed, or choose Browse for Blender.... A file saved in a newer Blender cannot be rendered by an older one.
Render	Auto renders an animation if the file has a frame range, otherwise a still. Animation or Still force one or the other.
Frames	Start and End for an animation, or the Frame for a still. They start with the values saved in the file.
Output	Where the frames are saved. Starts with the path saved in the file; // means "relative to that .blend file". Type a path or click the folder button. Renders to shows the full path.
Reset button	The circular-arrow button next to Frames or Output appears when you change a value. Click it to go back to the file's own setting.

If the output folder is on a drive that is not connected, Batch FileR shows a red warning. Choose another folder before rendering.

Rendering

Button	What it does
Render All	Renders every ticked, pending file from top to bottom. The number shows how many files will render.
Render Selected	Renders only the selected file. While the queue is running, it is added to the run instead. A finished or failed file is rendered again.
Pause After Current	Lets the current file finish, then pauses the queue. Click again to cancel.
Skip	Cancels the current file and continues with the next one.
Stop	Cancels the current file and stops the queue.
Retry Failed	Sets failed and stopped files back to pending so they render again.

While the queue runs

The banner at the top of the panel shows which file is rendering, its position in the queue, the current frame, samples and frames done.
That file's row in the list shows Rendering with its percentage, and the selection follows the render from file to file.
The bottom box shows the progress of the whole queue, the elapsed time and the estimated time left for the current file.
You can keep working in Blender, or even open other files. Rendering continues in the background.
The settings of the file that is rendering are locked until it finishes.

Results

Status	Meaning
Pending	Waiting to render.
Rendering	Being rendered right now.
Done	Finished. The message shows the number of frames and how long it took.
Failed	Blender reported an error, or no frames were rendered. The message shows Blender's reason; open the Log for details.
Skipped	Skipped by you. Click the skip button again to un-skip it.
Stopped	Cancelled by Stop. Retry Failed renders it again.

Below the file settings:

Output opens the folder with the rendered frames.
Log opens Blender's full console output for the last render of that file.
Re-read reads the frame range and output path from the file again. Use it after you change and save the .blend.

When the queue finishes

A sound and a popup tell you how many files are done and how many failed.
Shut down PC when done (Windows) shuts the computer down 60 seconds after the queue finishes, if at least one file rendered. A Cancel Shutdown button appears so you can stop it. Stopping or pausing the queue never shuts the PC down.

Preferences

Open Edit > Preferences > Add-ons and expand Batch FileR:

Option	What it does
Render at low CPU priority	Keeps Blender and your PC responsive while rendering (on by default).
Notify when the queue finishes	Plays a sound and shows the popup (on by default).
Read frame range and output path	Reads each file's settings when you add it (on by default). When off, each file renders its own saved frame range.
Find Blender Versions	Searches your PC again for installed Blender versions.
Open Data Folder	Opens the folder with the saved queue and the render logs.
User Guide	Opens the PDF guide.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
A file fails with "newer version of Blender"	The file was saved in a newer Blender. Pick that version in the file's Blender setting.
A file fails with "Can't create output folder"	The drive or folder isn't available. Choose another output folder with the folder button.
A file fails with "No camera"	Set an active camera in that file's scene and save it.
My latest changes are not in the render	Batch FileR renders the saved file. Save the .blend, then click Re-read.
The frames or output path look wrong	Click Re-read, or use the reset buttons to go back to the file's settings.
Another Blender version is missing from the list	Click Find Blender Versions in the preferences, or use Browse for Blender...
Error "cannot find the file ... batch_filer.py" when installing	An older version was still loaded. Close Blender completely, open it again, and tick Batch FileR in the add-on list.
Rendering is slow	Each file uses the render settings saved in it (samples, resolution, devices). Turn off Render at low CPU priority for maximum speed.

Uninstalling

In Edit > Preferences > Add-ons, expand Batch FileR and click Remove. To also delete the saved queue and render logs, click Open Data Folder first and delete the batch_filer folder.

Support

Questions, bugs or feature ideas? Message me through Superhive. Including the Log of a failed render helps me find the problem quickly.

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Details

Published	about 6 hours ago
Blender Version	4.2 - 5.2
Extension Type	N/A
Render Engine Used	Cycles
License	GPL

Dani K Daniel

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