Why aren't my vector layers converting?

[Lindsey3052951729gr]

So I created this file with separate layers and when I go to after effects the layers don't show up. I'm not sure if this is an issue in Illustrator or after effects. 

I'm also brand new to after effects and Illustrator.

[Mylenium]

There is nothing to convert. A blend is a compound effect that renders as a single object in AI. You need to expand it. You may wish to take a step back and actually read the online help on some basics to understand some concepts and what actually is supported. None of this is intuitive and you'll run into walls all the time.

Mylenium 

[Rick Gerard · Accepted solution]

Does this workflow help:

There is almost never a good reason to convert a Vector layer to a Shape layer. The only exceptions are when you need to animate the vector path, use shape layer animators, or extrude the layer using the C4D rendering engine. 

There is a workaround if you need to pull in all of your Illustrator properties as separate layers and nested comps. Open Adobe XD. Start a new File. Import an Illustrator file. Select the Illustrator file, then choose File/Export/After Effects, and a new comp will be created with every one of the AI layers as a shape or text layer. That workflow will preserve gradients, blends, and a bundh of other stuff that you cannot get when converting a vector layer to a shape layer in AE.

[Lindsey3052951729gr]

Rick, thank you so much for your reply! I found the video to be the correct solution to my problem and was easy for a beginner to understand. 

thank you,

Lindsey