Message text:

After Effects error: Not enough storage is available to complete this operation.

Message interpretation:

There is not enough drive space available to store a file.

Possible causes:

This is one of the classical cases of "The program gets it wrong!" and it was observed while attempting to save a layered PSD file to our company’s server. The file was a 4K document intended to be further modified for later printing, but could not be saved directly, even if there was enough free space. Only saving it locally resolved the issue.

Resolution or workaround:

Save the file to a local drive and then copy it to the server.

Message text:

After Effects error: Internal verifiaction failure, sorry! {can’t evaluate expr on parentless stream}.

Message interpretation:

An expression could not be evaluated, because it does seem to not belong to any property.

Possible causes:

This message is part of a series of errors (also see this error) triggered by a very specific scenario. In the given case, the user had linked mask shapes across layers using simple pickwhip expressions, a feature which has been introduced in CS4. In addition, he reversed the layer in time, which caused this issue.

Resolution or workaround:

The solution is actually quite obvious: Link the masks, but do so in a separate sub-composition. Then time-reverse that composition when it becomes the layer in the main composition. If that is not possible, avoid the linking of the masks all together and copy&paste the actual data instead.

Message text:

After Effects error: Root should be layer.

Message interpretation:

A function failed, because it could not associate its container element.

Possible causes:

This message is part of a series of errors (also see this error) triggered by a very specific scenario. In the given case, the user had linked mask shapes across layers using simple pickwhip expressions, a feature which has been introduced in CS4. In addition, he reversed the layer in time, which caused this issue.

Resolution or workaround:

The solution is actually quite obvious: Link the masks, but do so in a separate sub-composition. Then time-reverse that composition when it becomes the layer in the main composition. If that is not possible, avoid the linking of the masks all together and copy&paste the actual data instead.

Message text:

After Effects error: Unable to open resource file "ParticleWorld.plugin".

Message interpretation:

The CC Particle World plug-in could not be loaded.

Possible causes:

Similar to this error, this is a resource problem in a plug-in. Specific to CC Particle World, it occurred regularly at the time when new Nehalem MacPros with Hyperthreading became available.

Resolution or workaround:

For After Effects CS4, running the 9.0.2 update fixes the issue. For older versions, a user offered the following solutions on the Adobe user-to-user forums:

Solution a

- do a search for Terminal
- launch the Terminal from the search results
- type hwprefs cpu_ht=false
- hit enter to execute the command
- launch After Effects

Solution b

- do a search for AppleScript Editor
- launch the AppleScript Editor from the search results
- type do shell script “hwprefs cpu_ht=false”
- save the file to a location of your choice
- place the file on your dock
- double-click it to execute the command
- launch After Effects

Note: Executing the script will be required every time you have shut down the system because the setting is not persistent.

Message text:

After Effects warning: Memory inefficiency due to 2 unbalanced layer checkouts.

Message interpretation:

Memory used by the program was not released due to a plug-in not releasing it.

Possible causes:

This is a programmatic error that cannot be influenced by the user. In the given case it was experienced with a Beta version of an unreleased plug-in.

Resolution or workaround:

Not applicable

Message text:

After Effects: AEGP Plugin Media IO Plugin. There is a mismatch between Output Module settings and Transcode Settings. Please verify your settings and try again. Property Data Invalid!

Message interpretation:

A document could not be exported because property data contained in it could not be recognized as valid.

Possible causes:

The message may at first seem identical to 5027 :: 12, but the cause is a different one. In the given case, a user was trying to use the XFL export feature in CS4 to transfer his animation to Adobe Flash. However, since he used image files that exceeded the maximum size of 1080 pixels in either dimension, it did not work.

Resolution or workaround:

Resize your documents in Adobe Photoshop to fall below the critical threshold.

Message text:

After Effects error: Internal verification failure, sorry! {You can only assign RGB profiles}

Message interpretation:

An image file could not be imported because it doesn’t have correct RGB color info attached to it.

Possible causes:

This is very easily reproducible and is actually more of a bug in Adobe Photoshop. If you change your working color mode there to Greyscale in the Image >> Mode menu and then save to the PNG image format using File >> Save As…, the resulting file cannot be imported into After Effects. If you use File >> Save for Web & Devices… however, the file can be used without problems. Another case where this error might occur is naturally image files in a different color space such as CMYK or Lab that have color profiles attached to them. Some of them such as JPEG and TIFF can be handled via Adobe Camera Raw in CS3 and CS4, but others aren’t.

Resolution or workaround:

For the PNG file, follow the description above. For other formats, vonvert your image files to RGB and adjust the color profiles attached to them accordingly.

Message text:

After Effects error: Cannot close a closed file.

Message interpretation:

A file that is in use cannot be closed or replaced.

Possible causes:

This error was recorded in the context of Photoshop Live 3D in CS4. These files contain 3D models along with all their settings and textures. Because the whole procedure is implemented as a per layer effect that initialises a Photshop component, it can happen, that this component stays loaded in memory even if you remove the 3D file from your project, which is a bug. This will cause a warning every time you save the project or attempt to load or replace another item.

Resolution or workaround:

Close the program and launch it again. This problem should have been fixed with the 9.0.1 update, so make sure to run the updater.

Message text:

After Effects warning: A NULL interface pointer has been dereferenced.

Message interpretation:

An interactive interface function returned an invalid result.

Possible causes:

Once more this is a bug that can be easily reproduced. When you initiate the Puppet Tool in CS3 while holding down Ctrl/ Cmd, it will record your mouse movements as motion keys for the pin you are adding or moving around. Apparently this functionality was broken on some Mac systems in the initial release and had to be rectified by a patch update.

Resolution or workaround:

Install the 8.0.2 update eitehr manually or using the Adobe Update Manager.

Message text:

After Effects error: Invalid offscreen buffer size.

Message interpretation:

A workspace element (window or panel) could not be drawn.

Possible causes:

This error is easily reproducible with After Effects 7 on systems with very large screen resolution and dual screen layouts. If on such systems you drag a panel to re-arrange the workspace layout, it will not draw interactively and leave a "black hole". When you release the mouse to pop it into place, the warning will come up, but the panel suddenly reappears and is drawn correctly. Apparently this is a bug or limitation in the libraries used to draw the interface.

Resolution or workaround:

Not applicable.