You don't have to export one thing at a time, and you don't have to stop working while it renders. Lightworks lets you queue several exports together and runs them as background tasks, so you can keep cutting while files are made.
Background tasks
Exports, imports, transcodes, and proxy generation all run as background tasks. Once started, they proceed while you keep editing - you don't have to wait at the Export panel. This keeps the application responsive even during long renders.
Exporting several items at once
The Export panel includes a Source Export list for adding multiple items - sequences, clips, or subclips - to export in one go, with a count of what's queued. Add everything you need to deliver, choose settings (or a preset) for each, and start them together. This is the efficient way to render a master, a web version, and a review copy in a single pass. See Export overview.
Monitoring progress
Background work is shown on the Tasks page of the project settings panel, where each job reports its status - running, pending, paused - and its progress. A Tasks Log keeps a record of completed work. On a project card, a progress ring indicates a task is running for that project.
Pausing and cancelling tasks
You can stop tasks from the Tasks page - aborting asks whether to abort just that task or all tasks. Aborting an export discards that render; the project and other tasks are unaffected.
When a task is aborted, the results window still opens and reports what happened - which items failed and how many were never reached. On a large import that you stopped part-way, this is the only record of how far it got, so it is worth reading before you start again.
Note: Background tasks must finish (or be aborted) before you can exit the project - Lightworks warns you if any are still in progress.
Handling export errors
If an export fails, the task reports the problem so you can act on it. Common causes and fixes:
- Offline source media - reconnect or relink the originals and export again (see Media management).
- No disk space - free space or choose another destination drive, then retry.
- A specific clip fails - check that clip plays in the sequence; replace or relink it and re-export.
Tip: For a big delivery, export one short test first with your chosen settings. Confirm it's right, then queue the full batch - far better than discovering a wrong setting after a long render.