Start in watch-folder mode

Watch-folder mode applies only to rendering from a folder on your local computer.

To start After Effects in watch-folder mode automatically, save a project with the filename Watch This Folder.aep. After Effects watches the folder containing the project if you open that project.
To start After Effects in watch-folder mode when you start your computer, create a shortcut (Windows) or alias (Mac OS) to the Watch This Folder.aep project and move it to your Startup folder (Windows) or your Startup Items folder (Mac OS). After Effects watches the folder containing the project if you open that project.
(Windows only) To start After Effects in watch-folder mode from the command line, choose Start > Run, and then enter the following, modifying the application path to the exact name of the folder in which you installed After Effects, and replacing C:\[temp] with the path to your watch folder:“C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects CS4\Support Files\afterfx.exe" -wf C:\[temp]
Note: You can also use this command line in batch files.