.ai files very slow to import and load

[JBrown321]

With the new 15.1.0 release, .ai illustrator files are extremely slow to import and load inside a project.  Anyone else experiencing this?

[Rameez_Khan]

Hi JBrown321,

Sorry to hear that you're having performance issues with .ai files.

Does this happen with every Illustrator file?

Let us know.

Rameez

[jjwiii]

Rameez,

I am having issues with .ai files as well.  They import and load fine, it's the render that is the problem. When I render a comp AE crashes at the exact frame that any .ai file appears in my comp. I have to convert the .ai file to a .psd file for the comp to render.  Do you have any insight into this problem?

Machine specs

MAC OS X El Capitan  10.11.6

MacPro (mid 2010)

2x2.66 GHz  6-core Intel Xeon

64 GB  1333MHz DDR3 ECC

Graphics  ATI Radeon HD 5770 1024mb

thanks

joe

[JBrown321]

It seems to be random. Some files come in fine. .EPS seem ok for now just some .ai files can take around 30 seconds or more for AE to build any kind of preview of that file. Not sure what causes some .ai files to load fast and others not.

[carlovega]

Hi all, encountering a very similar issue with a brand new computer running AE CC 15.1.1

(Intel Core i9-7920X (12-Core) 2.90GHz, 64GB RAM, GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB).

Very similar performance issue, and posting to see if anyone has any suggestions before I contact Adobe Support. Overall crazy amounts of delay opening, or importing, Illustrator files into After Effects. When I say CRAZY I mean, unmanageable, not able to work with these times, something is clearly wrong and it all points to being software related.

This all started when I noticed that an older AE client file takes forever to open - The file is complex and takes a whopping 17 MINUTES to open, and once opened it's impossible to work in. When I open the same file in an older MacPro (mid2012), no problems opening in 10 seconds, previews are a breeze and no issues at all.

After doing lots of tests, I have found it happens when the illustrator file includes raster images. On my end, it's taking minutes to import one of these illustrator files in After Effects. For example:

-An Illustrator file with 3 layers, one of them a raster image takes about 1.5 minutes to import into After Effects.

-An illustrator file with only 7 layers, 3 of those raster images takes about 7 minutes to import into After Effects.

-Finally, when I go into the same Illustrator files, and replace those raster images with square shapes, the import into After Effects is immediate. It takes less than a second. Like it should.

Before anyone starts with their newb suggestions let me give you a rundown of what I have tried:

1)Purged all memory and disk cache

2)Resetted Preferences (Ctrl+Alt+Shift)

3)Deleted, AE and all Adobe Apps (including Creative Cloud) and re-installed all. Running CCleaner in between.

4)Tried different AE versions to see if the version had something to do with this issue ( I tried it with : AE 15.1 and 15.0.0 and CC2017 14.2.1.34)

None of these have helped.

My next step is to reinstall windows and hope I get something different. Before I do that, I thought I would give you guys a try, has anyone encountered anything similar? any suggestions of how to fix? or what to try?

[Dave_LaRonde]

Folks, if you want to have the no-thought-required experience  you seek in After Effects, don't use CC 2018!!!

Use CC 2017, or better still, CC 2014.

"Well, those aren't the most up to date versions!  I want all the latest features!"

Okay, then make your choice --  reliability versus glitz.  For glitz, you need a computer science degree or you must be a 20-year After Effects veteran. 

[carlovega]

Wish it was that easy, tested installing CC2014 and CC2017 with same results. I know you're trying to help Dave, but really man, surprises me that you would even take the time to post that. What's the next big tip you'll give me? "reboot and see if that helps"?

If you have some actual knowledge about it that you forgot to post, would love to see some kind of actual tests with results in different machines performance using CC14, 17, 18. I've been working in motion with after effects for 19+ years, I'd love to see something like that before I purchase workstations or install software. Thanks for trying to help anyway Dave. It's the thought that counts.

[carloteofilo91]

4 years later I have the same issue with raster files in Ai imported in Ae. Wondering if you found out anything helpful on this...

[BesjanSertolli]

The problem is not random. The files that are so slow are the files that are linked with images the other files work well. I cant believe that in 2018 this issue is still here!!!