"The importer reported a generic error" when trying to import an After Effects file into Premiere.

Report · Dec 14, 2012

Currently quite new to using both pieces of software - I'm trying to grab a file, either a save or an export, from After effects into Premiere. I've googled around, but I can't find anyone with a similar problem with it being an AE file.

Just looking for some advice on what to do.

Report · Dec 17, 2012

It was ordered from the Amazon website. It was sold by them too, not a sub-seller on Amazon.

Also, a little update: I spent about 2 and a half hours chatting with an Adobe agent. We went through a lot of what we did here, updates and all that. Basically what he said it came down to is that Dynamic Link only had 3 ports available to it, when it should really have 6. Premiere had 0 ports, when it should have 6 and the same for After Effects. So I'm going to have a look at my router settings and see if I can forward those ports to the right programs. But 18 ports for 2 pieces of software seems a bit extreme, I can't see how no one else has had this problem before.

Report · Dec 17, 2012

That's all beyond my ken. Good luck to you.

Report · Dec 17, 2012

Hahah! But thanks for all the help and suggestions you made, they're appreciated.

Report · Dec 17, 2012

Okay, so for the last time. A final update, just incase anyone in the future has similar problems:

It turns out that some malicious software called RelevantKnowledge had found its way onto my machine. This software was blocking several connections, including the one in the Dynamic Link where the two programs couldn't connect with each other. Simply uninstalling this software and restarting the computer worked for me.

After all of the hassle, it was just a simple program I have somehow downloaded. Again, thanks for all the help, though.

Report · Dec 17, 2012

Well, the only place I had left to go was a complete reinstall of Windows. That would have solved it, but your solution was definitely easier.

Report · Jun 19, 2013

I have found that certain plug ins that are attached to the clip you are trying to work with will prompt a "Generic Error" Remove all external 3rd party effects that are attached to the clip and then try again. Let me know if that worked.

brian

Report · Jun 25, 2013

I am having the same problem, on a mac. In Premiere Pro, Adobe Dynamic Link is grayed out. When I try and import an After Effects file via straight import, I get the message "The importer reported a generic error." Anyone have any ideas for a Mac user?

Report · Jun 26, 2013

For anyone who was experiencing this same error, I found out that Adobe creative cloud apps don't work with CS6 apps. So for instance, in my case I was running After Effects CS6 and Premiere Pro creative cloud, and the two applications wouldn't "talk" to one another. Hope this is helpful!

Report · Sep 26, 2024

MAC

Report · Feb 02, 2015

I just found that I was getting this error because I was using a sequence in premiere that was using a frame rate (120FPS) that AE did not support. Once I dialed it down to 60 it worked.

Report · Jul 27, 2015

I had the same issues, and osullivanstudio's post solved my issue. Changed the frame rate from 119.99 to a lower frame rate, and everything was fine.

Report · Mar 25, 2015

I get this same issue when I try to "Replace With After Effects Composition".

Report · Jul 07, 2015

I'm getting the same error when "Replace With After Effect Composition", I can import an Ae project manually but dynamic link is not working going to Ae from Pr.

Report · Sep 30, 2015

Not sure if you still need help. I had this problem when having 'replaced with an affect effects composition' the dynamic link stopped working and i got the warning message. To resolve i created a new after effects project, successfully created a new composition from premiere and then closed that project and returned to my original AE project and then everything worked fine. Perhaps try that?

Report · Oct 15, 2015

Worked for me when I was having this problem with CC 2015

Report · Nov 13, 2015

My Premiere Pro CS6 gives a generic error regularly. The project file is then corrupt and I have to open an auto-saved version, often losing key creative changes.

It is extremely frustrating, Premiere Pro is a very buggy program. Better than it used to be, but it's not really a finished product ready for prime time

Report · Dec 16, 2015

The generic importer error was fixed when I made a new AE project. Its annoying since i have to redo the color correction to match the previous (couldn't save a template)...however by starting a new AE project the dynamic link worked again. dont know why, but it did.

Report · Dec 16, 2015

did you change the frame rate in the new project?

Report · Dec 16, 2015

nope. literally did nothing different. just saved the original project. opened a new project, called it color_correction_2 and then when AE was open, dynamic linked with the same premiere project and it went directly to the new AE project.

Report · Jan 23, 2016

I had this problem. I wanted to replace a clip with After Effects composition, and couldn't figure out why i would get the error message. Re-installation didn't work. I noticed that it was GoPro footage that I had imported into premiere at 120fps. However, when the sequence is made to match the footage, the sequence settings said 10fps. So I changed my sequence settings to 60fps, and now everything works.

Change your sequence settings to a normal framerate

Report · Jul 02, 2016

Similar problem here

Installed After Effects CC 2015 from the Adobe Cloud today after my trial expired.

In Premiere Pro CC 2015 I tried to bring some clips from my Premiere project into AE using 'Replace with After Effects composition' - only to be met with the dreaded beachball, no new composition in AE and then an error message from Premiere saying 'The importer reported a generic error'.

Had no problems doing the same thing with the same clips and project files in the trial version.

Haven't changed sequence framerates, and a re-installation of AE didnt work.

Tried opening a new Premiere project and bringing clips into AE again using "Replace with After Effects composition' - but met with the same error message, so its not a corrupt project file...

Any help would be awesome!

Report · Jul 22, 2016

I have the same problem. Adobe please help...

Report · Aug 04, 2016

This might be helpful. My experience is that: I'm using Adobe premier cc version 14 and my after effects is ver 15, I got the same problem, but when I uninstall my after effects ver 15 and change it back to ver14 the issue was solve. so, therefore, there is compatibility issue. They need to be the same version.

Report · Oct 08, 2016

I just fixed the issue by doing the following:

1. Update both After Effects & Premiere.

2. Launch each program by right-clicking on the icon and choosing "Run as administrator"

3. Approve the popup.

See if that works.

Report · Aug 30, 2017

I had the same error while using the "Replace with After Effects Composition" command in Premiere Pro CC.

I had already used this command successfully 5 times in the same project, and was feeling really good about Adobe CC and myself.

Then I selected 3 still photographs in my Premiere timeline and launched the same command. I received the cryptic error message about the importer finding a "generic error"

I tried the command on the still clips one by one - all worked except one.
I removed a position effect from the offending clip - it worked.

I realize it's not easy to eradicate all cases of error, even though I do believe Adobe R&D should be given the means to do that. But at least can we get error messages that give some indication as to what the problem is about, before we start re-installing CC, Windows, or messing around with the firewalls, as suggested in other posts?