3D Camera Tracker : Unable to Obtain Dynamic Link Server Connection

[prodbyjoe_]

1. Adobe After Effects 23.4

2. Windows 10

AMD Ryzen 9 3900X

64GB RAM

RTX 3090

3. When trying to use the 3D camera, I will go to track a clip, it begins to initialize and then fails, and produces an error message saying "unable to obtain dynamiclink server connection." 

This is an entirely new project and composition, with one clip and no dynamic link attached. I believe Adobe uses the dynamiclinkmanager to enable 3D camera tracking, so that may be the source of the issue, but I have found no solution for weeks.

What I have tried so far :

1. Resetting preferences and clearing cache. 

2. Uninstalling and reinstalling after effects.

3. Downgrading my after effects version.

4. Uninstalling Creative Cloud, running the Creative Cloud Cleaner tool, and reinstalling.

I have followed to my knowledge every reccomended troubleshooting step on the forums, short of reinstalling windows entirely. Is this the last thing to try? Thank you in advance.

[prodbyjoe_]

Forgot to include in original post but I have also gone into the Windows Defender firewall and enabled both Premiere Pro and After Effects for local and public networks.

[jenkmeister]

I'm sorry you're having trouble with this. It's definitely not a very helpful error message. 

Can you go to your After Effects install folder and try running the "Adobe Analysis Server.exe" program. If no error shows up, open Task Manager and see if it is still running. That's the process that AE is trying to communicate with when it is failing with the error message you are seeing. I'd like to make sure there isn't a missing component on your system that is needed by the analysis server.

[prodbyjoe_]

Hi! First of all thank you for the quick response.

I went to my install location and clicked on the Analysis Server. I got no error from windows when it started, and I see it in my task manager. I tried killing the task and restarting it, then attempting to track. Unfortunately I am still having the same issue, the clip gets stuck on "Initializing..." and then eventually gives me the error again.

[Paul Uu]

Another thing to check. In either Task Manager (Win) or Activity Monitor (Mac). When you quit AE (and neither PPro nor AME are running), is there still a Dynamiclinkmanager process showing as active?

If so, can you terminiate it and again attempt to run 3D Camera Tracker in AE?

[prodbyjoe_]

When I close After Effects, there is no dynamiclinkmanager process showing.

[prodbyjoe_]

Hi Paul and jenkmeister, I've been investigating this issue and have found what I believe to be somewhat of a lead. 

I have been wathcing the details in task manager as I attempt to 3D track. When I begin a 3D track, the Adobe Analysis Server opens, the track initializes, and THEN a second instance of AfterFX.exe appears in the details tab with a separate PID. Then, when the track fails and I get the "unable to obtain dynamiclink server connection" popup, the second instance of AfterFX.exe closes. Is it possible that the Analysis Server is communicating with the wrong instance of AE? 

Just a theory. Thank you for all the help thus far.

[Paul Uu]

That second instance of AE is part of the current Warp Stabilizer/3DCT mechanism and is expected. Something is keeping all the moving parts here from conecting to each other, however.

I know you mentioned Windows Defender, but do you have any non-OS (or non-OS default settings) security or firewall software running? If so, could you attempt to disable it?

Another thing to investigate, what are the permissions on the drive where you have AE installed? Is there anything limiting your access? Is AE installed in the default location or elsewhere? 

Is it only AE that cannot make DL connections, or is the scenario the same if you try (for example) to connect AME to a Premiere Pro project via dynamic link?

Just trying to think of all the possibilities here.

[prodbyjoe_]

Hi Paul, thank you for helping me through this.

I do not have any additional antivirus besides Windows Defender. 

I have AE installed in the default location on my OS drive. I do not believe there are any limits on access in that drive, but I will double check that. 

I can still connect sequences between Premiere and After Effects, it is just 3DCT and Warp Stabilizer that are unable to connect for some reason. The dynamic link between Premiere and After Effects works for playback, but then if I attempt to export using AME, there is a similar crash. 

Thank you again for the help. I had my client 3D track the scenes for me and send me the .aep file so I can continue to work.

[prodbyjoe_]

Huge thank you to Sean @jenkmeister and Jamie, 

We've solved my issue! I enabled logging and then tried to track again. The crash was caused by a .dll file in the MediaCore folder, under KeenTools. The problem was coming from a 3rd party tracking plugin from KeenTools that I had installed. Even when launching in safe mode, the plugin must have caused the analysis server to be interrupted. Hopefully this helps others solve their issue!