Really stuck here. MacOS Sierra, AE CC 2018, Media Encoder 2018. Several different files, converted from older 2017 files, as well as a test newly created in AE CC 2018. This machine (2016 MacBook Pro) was fine with doing these tasks yesterday, by the way.
Updated yesterday from AE CC 2017 to AE CC 2018 and problems began as it now takes about 5 minutes to get over the "Initialize MediaCore" start-up, all while the fans start going full tilt and spiking out in the MacOS Activity Monitor.
Also updated Media Encoder to the new CC 2018 version - it also now takes 5 minutes to start.
Something is wrong, yes.
Ok, let's put a pin in that for a sec.
After coming back to my computer 10 minutes later, I am eventually able to get into AE and work on animations. Inconvenient, but whatever - I'm working again. However, when I'm done and I try to render, using AE's "Add To Render Queue," I get the usual set-up window, but file destination is not the comp's name - it is instead replaced with the italicized phrase "Unknown output destination". Clicking on it opens an error dialog that reads "After Effects warning: Cannot output to this format because it is not currently installed (error 39 :: 99)"
This error also comes up if I attempt to change the output format in the format dialog.
Online, I find that someone thinks maybe this is because the new AE no longer includes the codecs for the various output options I have had in earlier versions. True? Not sure, but if so - how could I make them an option again?
Ok, well, so I try the "Add to Adobe Media Encoder Queue..." and I immediately get a spinning beach ball. After 1-2 minutes, it simply goes away. And even if Media Encoder is open, there's no file to render added to the queue.
It's a disaster. Reinstalled Media Encoder. Cleared out my Quicktime codec folder, reinstalled the pro codecs from Apple. Cleared the prefs. Uninstalled AE CC 2018, reinstalled it. After getting the same results, I went to "Other Versions" in the Adobe CC AE 'Apps' section and installed AE CC 2017 again, which now also hangs on start-up of MediaCore. Currently going way back to installing the 2015 version also.
Going back to the pinned aforementioned issue that I'm experiencing those all-new extremely long start-up times for AE and Media Encoder.
So it may be a few things, but if I can start with attacking this MediaCore mystery, that would be great. It seems to be at the heart of what's wrong.
Maybe something to hunt down in my applications/preferences/library?
Yes, I have watched a lot of videos and fruitlessly visited a lot of old posts that claim to address this, but very little addressing the error I'm getting.
Any thoughts on what might help get my ability to render back?
