Exporting images from patterns in Illustrator

Typically when I am given PDF or AI layouts they need to be broken apart into appropriate layers within Illustrator so that they will import as seperate objects when imported into After Effects. Ran into an interesting problem today and though I'd post the solution in case it can help anyone else.

I was given an Adobe XD file today as a source of artwork to animate in After Effects.  I opened the file in XD then exported to PDF.  I then opened the PDF in Illustrator and all the elements were there; vectors, text as vectors and images.  Usually I 'Unembed' the images from the PDF using the 'Links' panel and save them as PSD files.  This method gets the best rendering in AE and to also gets the full image in cases where and image hangs off the artboard or is masked.  The problem came up when the image files didn't show in the 'Links' panel.  The images were exported from XD as patterns in the PDF. I then figured out the following method to un-embed the images out of the patterns.

1. In Illustrator select the image object with the 'Direct Selection Tool'.
2. In the 'Appearance panel' you will see that the fill is set to a pattern containing the image.
3. Click and drag the pattern thumbnail beside 'Fill:' from the 'Apperance panel' to the 'Swatches panel'.
4. Double click on the thumbnail of the swatch you just created in the 'Swatches panel'.
5. The 'Pattern Options panel' should now open and you are in pattern editing mode.
6. Using the 'Direct Selection Tool' click on the image on the artboard. NOTE: The Pattern is likely tiling (repeating) on your artboard.  You have to select the image at the original location where the image was in the composition, inside a square masked area.
7. 'Rick click' on the image on the artboard and select 'Add to library' from the drop down menu.
8. In the 'Libraries panel' there will be a new item with a thumbnail of your image. Double click on this thumbnail in the 'Libraries panel'.
9. A new Ilustrator window will open showing the image.  You can now 'Unembed' the image from the 'Links panel' as you would normally.

Might be an easier way, this was the only way I could figure out how to do it.  Seems like Adobe could add an 'Unembed image' to the pattern menu and would streamline things.

John