Edited - macOS Illustrator version 25.3 or later compatability with ArcGIS Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud

[MadhuraPhaterpekar]

Illustrator version 25.2.3 and ArcGIS Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud version 3.0.0 continue to remain the latest supported versions for macOS users. Windows operating system users can utilize the version 3.0.1 update for plugin.

A dependency issue with a recent Illustrator version for macOS causes the map sync process to fail. Teams at Adobe and Esri are working together for a resolution toward this. For further assistance please contact Adobe and Esri technical support with information about the operating system version, Adobe apps versions and plugins version. 

What can you do? 

• If possible, macOS users are recommended not upgrade to Illustrator version 25.3 or later
• If upgraded and need to work with ArcGIS Maps for Adobe, then you will need to 
  • Revert to a previous version (25.2.3) using steps outlined here and
  • Reinstall ArcGIS Maps for Adobe to continue work. 

Related links: 

Adobe support for Apple M1 chips 

Edited : This article was edited on September 13, 2021 to reflect the current state of compatability between Adobe apps and Maps for Adobe versions. 

[NigelBaker]

can you please tell me if (and more importantly... when) ESRI plans to upgrade this extension?

as we work in ArcPro and can no longer export a layout in .ai, we need this extension to work so we can turn the .aix into a usefull .ai file so our designers can work on our maps.

[XingdongZhang]

Hi NigelBaker,
It is in our plan. But I don't have an estimate of when we will have a fix. Adobe did a major update on its extension framework in Illustrator 25.3 and introduced some breaking changes. We are investigating the compability issue and looking for a solution. Meanwhile, you could keep using Maps for Adobe with Illustrator 25.2.x release. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Xingdong
Maps for Adobe Team

[RichardHeathCoffey]

Any further news on this? Adobe Illustrator is now at 25.3.1. And I have to go backwards to get my maps out of Pro and into Illustrator.

Please sort this out soon. This 'inconvenience' costs time and energy and disrupts workflow - therefore costs your current subscribers and users money. If you are to continue to force users of ArcGIS Pro to need the AIX translation to Adobe Illustrator, then you need to be 100% up to date and compatible. Otherwise, return to the 'export to AI' option available in ArcMap and stop forcing people to adopt a workflow that does not work.

[RodneyOdom1]

And Illustrator is now at 25.4.1.  I have to agree with RichardHeathCoffey from the previous post.  Adobe moved on and it would be a good idea for Esri to devote real resources to upgrading the plug-in because this inconvenience costs REAL time and money.  This is NOT theoretical.  

[MadhuraPhaterpekar]

A new Maps for Adobe patch that supports compatibility with recent Adobe apps in a Windows environment is now publicly available. See release announcement.

This should help folks using ArcGIS Pro, Adobe Illustrator and Maps for Adobe in a windows environment continue utilizing AIX based workflows and leveraging plugins capabilities with the latest versions of Adobe apps. 

[Brianna_Eaton]

Does anyone know if any progress has been made with this issue regarding Mac? It has been 4 months, and we are forced to be MULTIPLE illustrator versions behind so our extension will continue to work!

We use the extension everyday and do not understand why a solution has not been found yet!

[ChrisMyers_NewQuest]

Hi ESRI team - I'm being told that the most recent Adobe Illustrator update (26.0) is not compatible with the CC Mapping Extension on Windows. AI 26.0 was just released this month, so I understand there might be some lag time but are you able to provide a timeline for compatibility?

Thanks, 

Chris 

[XingdongZhang]

@Brianna_Eaton 

Sorry for the inconvenience of keeping multiple versions of Illustrator due to the compatibility issue. I have good new news. Adobe fixes the defect in Illustrator v26 for macOS, which was released two days ago. With this fix, we are able to move Maps for Adobe forward.  Our Team is working on a new release, which will support the latest Adobe apps with many enhancements on application usability and stability. The new version will be available very soon. Stay tuned for the new announcement on this channel.

Thank you for using our product for your work.

Xingdong

Maps for Adobe Team

[MadhuraPhaterpekar]

Hello,

Earlier today Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud released a new update v3.1. This update supports the latest Adobe releases for Windows and macOS. Note due to an underlying issue with a specific previous version of Illustrator on macOS 25.4.1, the extension will not support this specific version, on macOS only. More info on the new update can be found here. We appreciate your patience as we worked to resolve this. I hope this helps. Please let us know if there are additional questions. 

Best regards,

Madhura

[Brianna_Eaton]

After installing the new v3.1 update - when trying to download a map we get an error saying the .aix file cannot be opened. If we use the legacy profile the map download will work. Any idea as to why this would happen?

[XingdongZhang]

The compatibility issue of Maps for Adobe with Illustrator 2021 (25.3) is now resolved. Users can run the ArcGIS Maps for Adobe application on the latest Illustrator 2021 version (25.4.5). See the announcement for details.