Can't paste copied motion onto new tween

[beks]

I can't figure out why but I can't paste a copied motion onto a new motion. Both layers are motion tweens but after I copy the motion from one and go to paste it on the blank motion tween, it doesn't let me. The paste motion option is greyed out. Neither layers are locked so I'm confused as to what I'm doing wrong. The things on both layers are movieclip symbols as they're meant to be.

Any help would be great, thank you.

[kglad]

create a new layer

copy the one movieclip that you want to tween from the problematic layer to the new layer

paste your tween onto that new layer.

[beks]

Unfortunately still didn't work, the option is still greyed out

[kglad]

after copying your motion, if you immediately right click (over the layer with the copied motion), do you see paste motion?

[beks]

Nope, no matter what layer I try to paste onto it's always greyed out, even the motion layer I directly copied it from

[kglad]

then you aren't copying the motion.

what makes you think you've successfully copied the motion?

[beks]

I've highlighted the entire thing and clicked "copy motion" is there a more direct way to do it? I'm definitely clicking copy motion..

Here's a gif of what I'm doing, maybe I am just doing this wrong. It was working fine yesterday but I'm still new to Animate.

[kglad · Accepted solution]

that looks correct (though i can't determine if you actually click 'Copy Motion').

try closing and reopening animate.

[Colin Holgate]

You may have Edit Multiple Frames turn on. Not sure if that makes a difference.

[kglad]

it doesn't cause a problem for me to have edit mult frames enabled.

[beks]

Restarting did the trick! What a simple solution, I would have tried it sooner if Animate didn't take so long to load.

I did find another solution in the meantime aswell though in case it happens again in the future or for anyone else, which is to instead of copy the motion to just save it as a motion preset in the right-click menu, that makes things a little faster overall too.

Thanks for helping me with something so small haha! I wonder why that happened.

[kglad]

you're welcome.

[chuck_9872]

I had this problem in 2025. So if anybody has trouble with the "Paste Motion" greyed out. I had to click on the object on the stage that I wanted to copy and click on the object on the stage that I wanted to paste, this changes your layer to a different color than your motion tween, and then right click the layer to "Paste Motion". This process helped me get past the problem original OP had but only 9 years later. haha Hope this helps any future Animators!

[kglad]

anything's possible