After Effects can't see new layers in AI file

Report · May 25, 2021

I make an Adobe Illustrator file with multiple layers and import it to After Effects as a comp. Later I add another layer to the AI file and try to import it as a footage item. AE continues to see the old version of the file; the new layer is not in the list of layers that can be imported as footage. The AI is RGB mode, saved with PDF compatability. I've tried Save As to no avail. The only thing that works is to save the AI file under a different name. This means I have two versions of it at the same time, which is very unsatisfactory. I've only been seeing this for the last few weeks. Any ideas? Thanks in advance to all.

Report · May 25, 2021

This is how AE works. Once you have imported an illustrator file as a composition, AE imports only the layers exist at the time of import. If you modify the original AI file adding more layers, it is mandatory to reimport the AI file again as a composition. Anyway, to maintain a live link between AE and AI, you must use the Edit > Edit original command. If you open the original illustrator file without using this command, AE will not see any changes made to the existing layers when saving into AI. Instead, you must reload the file File > Reload Footage in After Effects to update the changes.

Report · May 25, 2021

I've been using After Effects since 1996. This is an entirely new problem that I have not encountered before. The Reload Footage command is doing nothing. I can hit Reload Footage for hours to no avail. I am trying to import a new Illustrator layer as a footage item to AE and AE is unable to see the current layers in the Illustrator file, and unable to see if I have changed any currently imported layers in the Illustrator file. This has never been an issue before.

Report · May 25, 2021

More info: After I restarted my computer, AE was able to see the current state of the AI file. The only other workaround was to save the AI file under a different name.

Report · May 25, 2021

AE will never reads new layers if you have previously imported the illustrator files as compositions, only if you import as footage with merged layers. Not a problem but the way it works as I said previously. This never was a feature of AE.

The reload command will not see new layer in your AI file as you can only use this feature for imported layers, not for the ones you have not imported. At it has no sense for imported layers, as you said, you can reaload thousand of times with no result as you must import the new layers as new footage an adding them to the compositions.

Report · May 25, 2021

Reload Footage is also not seeing changes to previously imported layers. It's a more general issue than the specific case I described: AE is not seeing any changes made to already-imported layers in comps. It may be managing it now that I've restarted.

Report · Apr 20, 2023

Same issue here. After effects doesn't update the layers or can see new layers when importing the Ai file. It's like after effects have remebered the file as it was before and refuse to understand that it's updated.
Great to see that it still exists in 2023...