[2024] Solution For "Unknown BIB Error" in After Effects

After Effects Unknown Bib Error

The “After Effects Unknown Bib Error” is a common problem that many After Effects users face. It can prevent you from previewing, opening, or launching your project, and it can be very frustrating. But don’t worry, there are some possible solutions that you can try to fix this error. In this article, I will explain some of the causes and solutions for this error, and how to apply them in After Effects. I will also provide some examples and screenshots to help you follow along.

Cause: Corrupted or Outdated Illustrator Files

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 This can happen if the files are corrupted, outdated, or have complex vector shapes. 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. However, sometimes this conversion process can cause errors, especially if the Illustrator files have too many points or curves, or if they are not compatible with the current version of After Effects.

Solution

To fix this error, you can try to reload or replace the Illustrator files in your project. Here are the steps to do this:

Step 1: Open your project in After Effects and locate the Illustrator files in your project panel. The project panel is the window that shows all the files and compositions in your project. You can find it on the left side of the screen, or by going to Window > Project. The Illustrator files will have a .ai extension, and they will look like this:

Step 2: Right-click on one of the Illustrator files and select “Reload Footage”. This will refresh the file and try to fix any errors. You can also select multiple files by holding down Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS) and clicking on them, then right-click and select “Reload Footage”. You will see a progress bar at the bottom of the screen, indicating that the files are being reloaded. If this works, you should be able to preview, open, or launch your project without the error. If not, proceed to the next step.

Step 3: Open the Illustrator file that is causing the error in Adobe Illustrator. You can do this by right-clicking on the file in the project panel and selecting “Reveal in Explorer” (Windows) or “Reveal in Finder” (Mac OS). This will open the folder where the file is located. Then, double-click on the file to open it in Illustrator. If you don’t have Illustrator installed, you can download a free trial from Adobe’s website.

Step 4: In Illustrator, select all the elements in your file by pressing Ctrl+A (Windows) or Command+A (Mac OS). Then, copy them by pressing Ctrl+C (Windows) or Command+C (Mac OS). Next, create a new Illustrator file by going to File > New. In the new file, paste the elements by pressing Ctrl+V (Windows) or Command+V (Mac OS). This will create a copy of your original file, but with a new name and a new format. You can save the new file by going to File > Save As, and choosing a different name and location. For example, if your original file was called “logo.ai”, you can save the new file as “logo_new.ai”.

Step 5: Go back to After Effects and import the new file by going to File > Import > File. In the import dialog box, navigate to the folder where you saved the new file, and select it. Then, click on “Import As” and choose “Composition - Retain Layer Sizes”. This will import the file as a composition, which is a collection of layers that can be edited and animated in After Effects. You will also see a pop-up window asking you to choose the layer you want to use. You can select the layer that matches the original file, or you can select “All Layers” to import all the layers in the file. Click OK to confirm.

Step 6: In the project panel, you will see the new file as a composition, with a .aep extension. You can double-click on it to open it in the timeline panel, which is the window that shows the layers and keyframes of your composition. You can find it on the right side of the screen, or by going to Window > Timeline. The timeline panel will look like this:

Step 7: In the timeline panel, you can adjust the settings and properties of your layers, such as position, scale, rotation, opacity, etc. You can also add effects, masks, and animations to your layers. To preview your composition, you can press the spacebar or the 0 key on the numeric keypad. This will play your composition in the composition panel, which is the window that shows the output of your composition. You can find it on the center of the screen, or by going to Window > Composition. The composition panel will look like this:

Step 8: If you are satisfied with your composition, you can replace the original file with the new file in your project. To do this, go to the project panel and drag the new file onto the original file, while holding down the Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) key. This will swap the files and update the references in your project. You will see a confirmation message at the bottom of the screen, indicating that the footage has been replaced. If you have used the original file in multiple compositions, you will need to repeat this step for each composition. Alternatively, you can delete the original file from your project, and use the new file instead.

Step 9: Save your project by going to File > Save, or by pressing Ctrl+S (Windows) or Command+S (Mac OS). This will save your changes and create a backup of your project. You can also save a copy of your project by going to File > Save As, and choosing a different name and location. For example, if your original project was called “project.aep”, you can save a copy as “project_new.aep”.

Step 10: Try to preview, open, or launch your project again, and see if the error is gone. If it is, congratulations, you have fixed the error! If not, don’t worry, there are other possible solutions that you can try. Continue reading to learn more.