Updating the Adobe illustrator file in After Effects.

[Hafsah29208798qsfg]

Hello all!

I have a project where I have five layers in an Adobe Illustrator file. I have to apply trim paths to each layer so that it appears as if being drawn. I import Adobe Illustrator file as composition with document size and create vector shapes on each layer by left click on each layer. Then I add Trim Paths and animate the End from 0 to 100%. It works fine, however I wish that I just replace one Adobe illustrator file with another, so that I don't have to repeat the animation process. I tried making changes to original Adobe illustrator file and saving it but it doesn't incorporate the changes to created vector shapes. Is there a way I can just replace the Adobe illustrator file so that I don't have to apply trim paths animation repeatedly? (All files of Adobe illustrator have 5 layers labelled 1,2,3,4, and 5).

[RobShultz]

Have you tried making a copy of the original layer (so that you don't lose it.) Then dragging the new layer from the project panel onto the layer with the trim paths in the Timeline while holding Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows?)

[Warren Heaton]

Once After Effects Shapes have been created from Illustrator Objects, the resulting paths are part of the After Effects project.  As such, editing the original Illustrator file or replacing it won't affect Shapes made from a prior version of a file or replaced Layer Source.

Import the new or the edited Illustrator file, add it to the current Composition or a new Comp, use Layer > Create Shapes from Vector Layer, and then copy and paste attributes from the Shapes that are already animated to the newly created Shapes.