Imported Illustrator layer gets chopped…

[Zachary Guidry]

I am having a similar problem with Illustrator CS3 and AE CS3. I have a text layer in my Illustrator file and part of the text gets cut off when importing as a cropped layer in AE. I have tried converting that text to outlines, but get similar results.

If you could post those instructions you sent via email in the forum that might be helpful.

Otherwise, I am about to save that 1 problem text layer as a seperate AI file then import it as not cropped and place it in the comp. Arghh – Its just a lot of extra work that shouldn’t be required!

Thanks for the help!

[Felicia Van os]

I am having the same problem. Several layers imported just fine from Ai. I duplicated one of them (a distorted text layer, made into outlines again), changed the color, and that layer is getting cut off in AE. The original layer I duplicated from is working fine (also a distorted text layer). Very frustrating. Has anyone found a solution yet? Does the most recent version of CS4 fix this? Thanks, vanOs

[First Last]

This is a very late response, but for whoever else is having this problem, here’s the work around I got from, Adolfo.

“A workaround for now: Set the artboard area to match the whole art – of course, this will give you in AE a comp with all the content. But once in AE use Region of Intererest to set the true content area and then go to Composition > Crop to Region of Interest.”

Go fly fishing.

[Justin Falck]

I am having a similar issue. I am running Ai and AE in CS5. I brought the layers into my AE composition and it worked perfectly fine at first. They after spending countless hours on my motion graphic I decided that I wanted to add more detail to my artwork. After doing this several of my layers got chopped off when I reloaded the layers. This is extremely frustrating and I am scared I will have to start ALL over again. Any ideas?

[Andrew Jacobs]

I have found that adding a stroke to the object (however small) allows the layer to be correctly imported to the layer size. I realise this wont work for everything though.

Hope this helps ( if you haven’t sorted this already!)

[Tony Lehoven]

In Illustrator activate crop marks. Save file as an eps. Done!

[Alejandro Méndez]

I was having the same issue, didn’t find the answer but it has to do with the ai file set up for print.

The workaround is creating a new file with the appropiate document preset for video, copy paste all your artwork (make sure you have Paste Remember Layers checked) and overwrite your old file.

[Preston Hamamoto]

Ran into the same problem. Saving as video in AI worked. Thanks

[Michael Kurz]

I still run into this problem even though I’ve been working with illustrator and After Effects together for years. I sometimes forget the idiosyncratic process of importing AI files. If anyone knows a better, cleaner, new way, please post!

My AI to AE design and import process:
– Start AI design in Video Template (didn’t do this? See “Paste remembers Layers” tip below)
– Separate AI design into to Layers. *Only top level layers will be recognized by AE
– Import into AE as Composition-Retain layers – this will crop each Illustrator layer to the bounds of the art in just that layer. It ignores the artboard, so any vector art that is half on the artboard and half off is not cropped. After importing this way, AE also makes a composition with your layers in the correct location. I think AE defaults each layers anchor point to the center of the layer (not the center of the artboard or composition).
– Turn on Continuously Rasterize switch for all Illustrator Layers that appear cropped, or will scale more than 100%, or otherwise look pixelated in animation. (Beware that the Puppet Tool and many effects—especially effects with 3D distortions—aren’t friendly with the continuously rasterize switch.)

*All changes to the original AI file after the first step may require you to right click the Imported AI file in the AE Project Panel and Reload Footage.
**Also most changes in the original file after the first step above will adjust each layer’s anchor point (and the maybe other properties like position or rotation) and throw the composition in AE off and any precise animation you’ve already done in AE. In an ideal world you wouldn’t touch the original AI file after step one. But really, that’s not how projects usually work. From what I’ve found, I can change colors, and edit, add, or subtract from the original art as long as I don’t change its outline or bounds (by even a pixel). Unfortunately, I can’t add Illustrator effects (like grain or texture) to a layer in the original AI file, even though this doesn’t visibly change the layers outline.

Meanwhile, I have a tip that should be included on this thread. I often find I’ve designed a complex scene in illustrator and separated it into separate layers for animation only to realize I forgot to start in one of Illustrator’s Video templates. Now I need to copy all that work and paste it into a video template. But that means loosing all my work of separating into layers. Not quite, with this tip, though.

“Paste remembers layers” option in illustrator:
Before copying into a new video template, select this option in Illustrator’s Layer Panel menu (kind of a hidden gem).
This will keep all your precious layers when you paste to a new Illustrator document.
You probably want to uncheck this option when you’re done transferring because it’s not the default copy/paste behavior you expect .

A design and workflow side tip: If your video may be shown in multiple sizes (i.e. vertical posts or ads in Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), consider designing in illustrator on an art board 1920×1920 and have guide layers that show common video aspect ratios, both vertical and horizontal. It’s hard to design with vertical and landscape in mind at the same time, but a big square artboard is a good first step to help you have enough background to accommodate all formats.