[BUG] AE 2026 Crashes on Advanced 3D renderer when Windows Computer Name is non-ASCII (CN/KR UI only)
Issue - After Effects 2026 crashes when enabling a layer's 3D switch under the "Advanced 3D" renderer, specifically when the Windows Computer Name contains non-ASCII characters (affecting Chinese/Korean localized versions).
Steps to reproduce -
- In Windows Settings, set the Computer Name to a string with Chinese/Korean characters (e.g., "我的电脑") and restart the system.
- Launch After Effects 2026 (v26.x) with the UI language set to Chinese or Korean.
- Create a new composition and set the renderer to Advanced 3D in Composition Settings.
- Create a new layer (e.g., a Solid or Text layer).
- Click the 3D Layer switch for that layer to enable 3D mode.
Expected result - After Effects should enable 3D mode for the layer and initialize the Advanced 3D environment normally.
Actual result - After Effects crashes immediately as soon as the layer's 3D mode is activated.
Adobe After Effects version - After Effects 2026 (v26.x)
Operating system - Windows 10 / 11
GPU - RTX5080
GPU driver version - NVIDIA Studio Driver 591.74
Comparative information -
- Environment Isolation: Both the After Effects installation path and the Windows User Account folder name are in pure English (ASCII). The crash is strictly tied to the Computer Name variable.
- Does it affect all projects? Yes, it affects all projects including brand-new ones.
- Cross-Language Test: The crash does NOT occur if the AE UI language is set to English or Japanese, even if the Computer Name remains in Chinese.
- Confirmed Workaround: Renaming the Windows Computer Name to a pure English (ASCII) string and rebooting resolves the crash entirely across all language versions.
Optional but useful - This is a clear character encoding conflict between the Advanced 3D engine and the OS Host Name (Computer Name) variable. The bug is triggered when the engine calls the localized Computer Name while running in specific Asian UI localizations (Chinese/Korean). This effectively renders the new 3D features unusable for many international users.
