> ## Knowledge Base Index > Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://help.comicink.ai/sitemap.xml > Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further. > Pure-Markdown content can be obtained by appending a '.md' suffix to the content URLs listed in the sitemap (without the trailing slash). # Rendering scenes — per-scene vs Generate All Once you have scenes in your script, you can turn any of them into video from the **Video** tab — there's no approval step to unlock it first. There are two ways to render: **one scene at a time** or **Generate All** to kick off a batch. For credit costs and the pre-charge / reconcile model, see [Story Video credits and costs](https://help.comicink.ai/en/article/story-video-credits-and-costs-1lj1797/). For the Script / Storyboard / Video toggle and the rail, see [The Video Studio: Script, Storyboard, and Video](https://help.comicink.ai/en/article/the-video-studio-script-storyboard-and-video-1inv6x3/). For editing scenes before you render, see [Editing the script and scenes](https://help.comicink.ai/en/article/editing-the-script-and-scenes-1xdu4o6/). --- ## Your first scene is free Your **first scene render is free** — so you can see your story in motion before spending any credits. - **It applies automatically.** It's used on whichever scene you render first on your first video, whether that's a single-scene render or the first scene picked up by **Generate All** — you don't need to opt in. - **It runs on fixed settings.** The free render uses a specific model, at **10 seconds** and **720p**, regardless of that scene's own Model and Time selectors. See [Choosing a model and scene length](https://help.comicink.ai/en/article/choosing-a-model-and-scene-length-1qc3bfq/). - **It's one free scene per account, not per video.** After you've used your free scene, every render from then on — including on future videos — is charged at the normal per-second rate. - **You only lose it if it works.** The free render is consumed only when it succeeds. If it fails or you cancel it, your free scene is returned and you can try again. - **Then render the rest.** Rendering the remaining scenes costs credits — see [Generate All](#generate-all) below. The estimate for "the rest" never includes the scene you already got free. --- ## Rendering a single scene Every scene tile in the Video tab has its own **Render** button showing the estimated credit cost for that scene, based on its own **Model** and **Time** selectors — see [Choosing a model and scene length](https://help.comicink.ai/en/article/choosing-a-model-and-scene-length-1qc3bfq/). A scene carrying more reference images (including storyboard frames) than its chosen model supports is blocked from rendering until you reduce the references or switch models. Click **Render**, confirm the cost in the dialog, and that one scene is queued. **When to use per-scene renders:** - You want to preview one clip before committing to the whole video. - You edited a scene after a full render and need to re-render only that scene. - You have just enough credits for one scene and want to top up before doing the rest. **What to expect while a scene renders:** - The scene tile shows a progress indicator with the current status (queued, rendering, or uploading). - The estimated credit hold (~1,500 cr for a 720p scene at the 10-second estimate) is deducted immediately when you confirm. - Once the clip finishes, the charge is reconciled to the actual footage length — you're refunded the difference if the clip is shorter, and a small additional amount is charged if it runs longer (bounded by the difference between the 15-second maximum and the 10-second estimate). - If the render fails for any system reason, the pre-charged credits are refunded automatically within a minute or two. **Re-rendering an already-rendered scene:** clicking Render on a finished scene queues a fresh render. The current clip is archived as a version you can restore later via the scene's version history. You are charged for the new render. --- ## Generate All **Generate All** renders all your unrendered scenes in one batch. The button is in the Video tab header and shows the total estimated credit cost for the batch. ### Which scenes are included Generate All only renders scenes that do not yet have a finished clip. Scenes you have already rendered — with a visible clip — are skipped. Scenes that are currently rendering as individual per-scene renders are also skipped (they are already in progress and charging separately). ### The greedy-prefix affordability rule When you click Generate All, the system checks your credit balance against the cost of each unrendered scene **in scene order**. It renders the longest consecutive run of scenes from the beginning that your balance can cover — stopping permanently at the first scene whose cost would exceed your remaining balance. For example, if you have 8 unrendered scenes and can afford scenes 1–5 but not scene 6, the batch renders scenes 1–5. Scenes 6–8 are not rendered and are not charged. To render the remaining scenes, top up your credits and run Generate All again (or render them individually). This means **Generate All never partially charges a scene** and **never skips ahead to a cheaper scene later in the list**. It always starts from scene 1 and works forward in order. ### Credit deduction in a batch Credits are not deducted all at once at the start. Each scene's credits are deducted individually as that scene's render job is submitted. Scenes render a few at a time — if a scene fails, its credits are refunded and the batch continues with the next scene. ### Stopping a batch mid-run While Generate All is running, a **Stop** button appears in the Video tab. Clicking Stop cancels scenes that have not yet started rendering — they are not charged. Scenes already sent to the AI render to completion and are charged normally. ### Running Generate All again on a partially rendered video After a partial batch (stopped, or some scenes failed), you can click Generate All again. Only the remaining unrendered scenes are included — already-rendered scenes are skipped so you are never charged twice for the same scene. --- ## Every scene needs a cast member A clip is rendered from your characters' reference art, so **a scene renders only the characters listed in its cast** — naming someone in the description or narration is not enough on its own. If no scene in the video names a character, there is nothing to render from and the render is refused before it starts (you aren't charged). If you hit that, the message tells you which of the two problems it is: - **"No characters with a usable image yet"** — you have no character with finished art. Create a character and generate its portrait. - **"…is ready to render, but no scene names one of them"** — your character and its art are fine; the *scenes* are what's empty. Add them to the scenes' cast. Sidekick can do the second one for you — ask it to add the character to the scenes and it will set each scene's cast. When Sidekick writes a script for you from scratch, it attaches the cast as it writes, so this doesn't come up. ## Frequently asked questions **Can I run Generate All and also render individual scenes at the same time?** Not for scenes that are unrendered. If a Generate All batch is in progress, the per-scene Render button is disabled for any scene that hasn't rendered yet (the batch is already handling those). You can, however, re-render a scene that has already finished — that per-scene render runs alongside the batch without conflict. **What if my balance changes while a batch is running?** Credits are deducted atomically, one scene at a time. If your balance drops mid-batch so that the next scene's cost can't be covered, that scene and any later ones are not rendered. Already-completed scenes are not affected. **I clicked Generate All but only some scenes rendered. What happened?** Either your balance covered only those scenes (greedy prefix), or some scenes failed and were refunded. Check your credit balance and the scene tiles for any error indicators. If scenes failed, you can re-render them individually or run Generate All again after topping up. **Does re-rendering a scene cost the same as the first render?** Yes — each render is priced the same way: by scene duration at the active rate. Re-renders also use the pre-charge / reconcile model, so the initial hold is the same ~1,500 cr estimate and the final charge settles to the actual clip length. --- ## Related articles - [Story Video credits and costs](https://help.comicink.ai/en/article/story-video-credits-and-costs-1lj1797/) — per-second rate, the pre-charge hold, and reconciliation - [Choosing a model and scene length](https://help.comicink.ai/en/article/choosing-a-model-and-scene-length-1qc3bfq/) — per-scene Model and Time selectors, and when a scene is blocked from rendering - [The Video Studio: Script, Storyboard, and Video](https://help.comicink.ai/en/article/the-video-studio-script-storyboard-and-video-1inv6x3/) — the full studio workflow from script to export - [Editing the script and scenes](https://help.comicink.ai/en/article/editing-the-script-and-scenes-1xdu4o6/) — changing narration, dialogue, and settings before or after rendering