Migrating Macros from X7 to 2018. Automation trigger in ThisDocument no longer works.

I'm at a dead end with connecting our C# application to 2018, as it was in X7. Hoping someone in this awesome community can point me in the right direction.

 We use an "Automate" layer as a trigger to grab order information for our macros and read embedded data from a shape on the page. This is not working in my initial tests on 2018. The Macros work just fine manually, but not in our Automation process which is fed by an external C# application feeding the appropriate order information.

Stored in ThisDocument within each template:

Option Explicit

'Trigger build if layer created named "Automate"
Private Sub Document_LayerCreate(ByVal Layer As Layer)
      If Layer.Name = "Automate" Then
             ActivePage.Layers("Automate").Delete

            Dim s As Shape
            Set s = ActivePage.FindShape("OrderData")

            If s Is Nothing Then
            MsgBox "OrderData not found."
            Exit Sub
            End If

            Dim size As Double
            Dim spec As Double
            Dim size As Double
            Dim word1 As String
            Dim size As Double
            Dim word2 As String
            Dim word3 As String
            Dim word4 As String
            Dim names() As String

            size = s.Properties("order", 1)
            spec = s.Properties("order", 2)
            word1 = UCase(s.Properties("order", 3))
            word2 = UCase(s.Properties("order", 4))
            word3 = UCase(s.Properties("order", 5))
            word4 = UCase(s.Properties("order", 6))
            names = s.Properties("order", 7)

            s.Delete

            Build size, spec, word1, word2, word3, word4, names
       End If
End Sub

The "Automate" layer is being created, as is the "OrderData" object. The process stops there. Debugging hasn't caught anything for me.

Example of the "OrderData" Invisible Object that contains the META data for the order.

This is the section of code for the C# program that creates the "Automate"  layer and the "OrderData" META info.

I'm a bit baffled as the "Automate" layer as well as the OrderData shape is being created, so the communication to 2018 appears to be working as it did in X7.

If anyone has any suggestions or ideas I would be extremely grateful!

Thanks, Matt