FFRend (Freeframe Renderer) is a renderer for Freeframe plugins. It allows you to chain any number of plugins together, automate their parameters using oscillators, and record the output to an AVI file. The input is a video (AVI/MPG), still image (BMP/JPG/GIF), or source plugin.
Most VJ softwares support Freeframe, and can record their output, so what makes FFRend different? FFRend is optimized for content generation, whereas VJ softwares are typically optimized for live performance. The key difference is that FFRend never drops frames, even when your project is too CPU-intensive to be rendered in real time.
It's also possible to perform with FFRend, though you may have to lower the resolution, simplify your plugin chain, or use a more powerful PC, in order to get an acceptable frame rate. All parameters and oscillator settings can be controlled via MIDI.
FFRend supports plugin authoring, which means you can export a FFRend project as a Freeframe plugin. The exported plugin is called a metaplugin, because it uses other plugins as components. A metaplugin can be used in any Freeframe-compatible host application, and behaves as if you were running the equivalent project in FFRend.
FFRend is free, open-source software for Windows 2000/XP. It includes comprehensive help, an installer, and a simple demo project. If you want to render complex effects at high resolution, using chains of automated Freeframe plugins, FFRend is your friend.