FAQ: How to fix "Unknown BIB Error" in After Effects

One of the possible causes of this error is that you have imported some Illustrator files in your project, and After Effects is having trouble reading them. This happened to me as well when my files were corrupted and were having have complex vector shapes that i used for my client project [1]. Illustrator files are vector graphics, which means they are made of mathematical curves and points, rather than pixels. After Effects can import Illustrator files and convert them into shape layers, which are also vector graphics.

• Step 1: Open After Effects, find the Illustrator files (.ai) in the Project panel or via Window > Project.
• Step 2: Right-click an Illustrator file, select “Reload Footage” to fix errors, or select multiple files for a batch reload.
• Step 3: Open the error-causing Illustrator file in Adobe Illustrator via “Reveal in Explorer” (Windows) or “Reveal in Finder” (Mac).
• Step 4: In Illustrator, copy all elements (Ctrl+A, then Ctrl+C) and paste them into a new file (Ctrl+V), save as a new name.
• Step 5: Import the new Illustrator file into After Effects as a composition with “Composition - Retain Layer Sizes.”
• Step 6: The imported file appears as a .aep composition in the Project panel.
• Step 7: Adjust layer properties and add effects in the Timeline panel; preview with spacebar or 0 on the numeric keypad.
• Step 8: Replace the original file with the new file in your project by dragging it while holding Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac).
• Step 9: Save your project (Ctrl+S or Command+S) or save a new version via File > Save As with a different name.

Thanks and Hope it helps too.

N

They were corrupt AI files but even after reloading them the error kept happening. I copied and pasted my elements into a new  AI file an resaved under a different name and tried again and nothing worked. I cleared the cache, unsyced my fonts, resynced, updated my driver, changed AI preview to CPU and off, updated AE and AI, nothing.

If this is happening to you even after doing all of this, do your AI files have links to PSD elements? Remove those elements and try again. I deleted all those layers that were just linked assets and the error stopped. This project got collected and passed around 5+ times, so Im sure along the way those assets got corrupted, but the vector parts themselves were fine, obviously. I just had to manually replace the missing AI layers that were originally the PSD link, and manually replace them in AE with the ACTUALY photoshop file, and not just the AI layered version that comes in when you import as a composition/retian layer sizes.

Took 2 days but it was the PSD links in AI the whole time. 

"Unknown BIB Error" in After Effects is quite uncommon and could be caused by various issues, such as outdated software, corrupt files, or hardware issues. Here are some steps to help you resolve the problem:

1. Update After Effects: Make sure you're running the latest version of Adobe After Effects. Outdated software may contain bugs or compatibility issues that can cause errors. To check for updates, open After Effects, go to Help > Updates, and follow the on-screen instructions.

2. Clear cache: Clearing the cache can help resolve issues caused by corrupt or outdated temporary files. Go to Edit > Purge > All Memory & Disk Cache, and then click "OK" to clear the cache.

3. Delete preferences: Corrupt preferences can cause errors in After Effects. To reset preferences, close After Effects, then hold down Ctrl+Alt+Shift (Windows) or Command+Option+Shift (Mac) while launching the software. You will be prompted to delete the preferences file. Click "Yes" to continue.

4. Check file formats: Ensure that the files you are using in your project are compatible with After Effects. Unsupported or corrupt files can cause errors. Replace or convert any incompatible files before importing them into your project.

5. Run as Administrator (Windows): Right-click on the After Effects shortcut, select "Run as administrator," and see if the issue persists. Running the software with administrator privileges can help resolve permission-related issues.

6. Check hardware: Ensure that your computer meets the minimum system requirements for running After Effects. If your hardware is outdated or incompatible, consider upgrading to improve performance and stability.

7. Reinstall After Effects: If none of the above steps work, consider uninstalling and reinstalling After Effects. This can help resolve any issues caused by corrupt or missing files. Remember to back up your projects and custom settings before uninstalling.

If you still encounter the "Unknown BIB Error" after trying these steps, consider contacting Adobe Support for further assistance. They can help identify and resolve more complex issues that may be causing the error.

solution worked for me ./... 

After effects warning: unknown BIB Error Source sream Error, CT, 0 (83::3)

not able to fix this issue by adobe team

I found out it could also happen if Ae is having trouble reading Ai files so reloading all imported Illustrator files fixed it for me 😄