CE.SDK Renderer - CE.SDK Glossary
Definition
A pre-packaged Docker container that runs the CreativeEngine server-side without a browser, exposing its capabilities through an HTTP API. The renderer is the production-ready deployment option for server-side creative automation: load a template, inject data, export to PNG, PDF, or MP4, all from a single HTTP request, at any scale.
The engine inside the renderer is identical to the one running in the browser editor and on mobile. A design approved in the editor exports identically from the renderer: no conversion, no rendering discrepancy, no separate QA pass.
What the CE.SDK Renderer Handles
Template Loading
Accepts a template URL, fetches and deserializes the scene file, and makes the full block tree and variable set available for manipulation, exactly as the engine does in any other environment.
Data Injection
Receives variable values and asset URLs as part of the request payload and sets them on the loaded scene before export. Supports any combination of text variable updates and image fill replacements.
Multi-Format Export
Exports the final design to PNG, JPEG, PDF, PDF/X, or MP4 depending on the scene type and the format specified in the request. Output is returned directly in the response or written to a storage location.
Stateless Request Handling
Each request is isolated. No state is shared between calls. The renderer can be scaled horizontally behind a load balancer, and each instance handles requests independently.
Node.js Runtime
Runs the same CreativeEngine that powers the browser and mobile SDKs, in a Node.js environment: no browser, no display server, no additional runtime dependencies beyond the Docker image.
HTTP API Surface
Exposes creative operations through a standard HTTP API, making it straightforward to integrate into any backend, pipeline, or orchestration system without embedding the engine directly.
Deployment
Docker Container
The CE.SDK Renderer is distributed as a Docker image. Pull the image, provide a license key via environment variable, and start the container. It runs the CreativeEngine in Node.js with all necessary dependencies bundled: no manual runtime setup, no browser installation, no system-level rendering dependencies to manage.
HTTP API
Once running, the renderer exposes an HTTP API that accepts render requests. A request specifies the template URL, the variable values to inject, and the desired output format. The renderer processes the request and returns the exported file. It integrates into any infrastructure that can make HTTP calls: backend services, serverless functions, workflow orchestrators, CI pipelines.
Because the renderer is stateless, it scales horizontally by running multiple container instances behind a load balancer. Each instance handles requests independently. There is no shared session state to synchronize across instances.
Renderer vs. Client-Side Headless
CE.SDK Renderer
Runs server-side inside a Docker container. No browser is required. Managed by your infrastructure: deploy to any container platform, scale independently, and keep rendering workloads off your users’ devices entirely. Well-suited for high-volume batch jobs, API endpoints, and workflows that must run without a client device being online.
Client-Side Headless
Runs the CreativeEngine headlessly in a browser context or in Node.js directly in your own application process, without the renderer container. Useful for background processing within a web app, on-device export on mobile, or Node.js scripts where you control the runtime directly. Does not require a Docker deployment but also does not provide the managed HTTP API surface.
Relevant Starter Kits
Design Generator
A full-stack starter kit for static creative automation: load a design template, inject variable data from a spreadsheet or API, and export PNG or PDF outputs at scale. Includes a pre-configured renderer setup and example pipeline code.
Automated Video Generator
A full-stack starter kit for video automation: load a video template, replace clip placeholders and text variables, and export MP4 outputs server-side. Demonstrates how the renderer handles time-based scene export at production scale.