Optimize Shapes and vector layers
Currently the biggest bottleneck or noticeable speed degredation for me after getting a CPU with more cores and a lower clockspeed has been shape layers and vectors. If I have a comp with lets say 100 small shape circles, the FPS in After Effects drops to such a low level it is hard to even work. Since things are being optimized in After Effects and tasks are being moved to the GPU, this is one area of the program I would really like to be improved. Shapes and vector layers are very commonly used, so it shouldn't be such a huge bottleneck with modern hardware.

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Scott Crozier commented
Shape layers are slow. But wait till you use complicated shape layers in 3D! Then the true pain begins as you try to move an align layers as the interface updates at 1FPS.
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Lasse Gjertsen commented
See an improvement you say? Well I recently opened a project I worked on 7 years ago. Character rig animation using Shape Layers, with expressions for IK and stuff. Now the character comps are so laggy and unresponsive that I can't use them anymore.
So AE is performing slower on newer and faster hardware. Quite an improvement!
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Влад Курс commented
I have 12 core CPU, and gtx 980 ti, how it comes to character animation and working with a large number of layers, I want to ask the developers, do they even know what optimization is?
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OLp2edQMJGXgTFcDMhsaP5znXAXsCB5N/view?usp=sharing
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Colin Harvie commented
Seconded, shape layers unfortunately add so much lag to my compositions that I use them only as a last resort, which is a shame since i love many of the features they bring to the table.