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I’m trying to create moving clouds. using the motion key framer i applied it to a layer source, created keys and changed the position in the last key. when I pressed play i could see it was moving the way i wanted in the preview, but when i pressed 'apply fx stack' the movement disappeared and it was only the first position through the whole scene. How do i fix this ?

Did you select all the frames before you applied?

i did - i selected all the frames i wanted useing the cursor in the timeline bar.

There is something you must have left out; Could you describe step by step what you are doing?
Just briefly:
1. You start with an image layer which has a cloud on frame one followed by 200 instances
or
2. You start with an animlayer with one cloud followed by 200 repeats of the same frame

3. You create a key on frame one and go to frame 200, move the cloud to where you want it to finish, which automatically creates a second (and last) key.

4. You highlighted all the frames by double-clicking under the frames and hit Apply FX Stack

etc....

1. i started with an anime layer which is blank on frame one followed by 200 instances

2. in the keframer randering i chose the image layer with the cloud as a source

3. i created a key on frame one and went on to frame 200, and moved the cloud

4.pressed play and saw it was working in the preview

5. then i highlighted all the frames by double-clicking under the frames and hit Apply FX Stack

6. closed the keyframer window

7. press play - and saw that it's only the first image playing (the cloude image layer is off)

also, after i move the cloud, i can see on the screen that it is where i want it. the moment i press apply fx stack it returens to its original position.
i also tried to do the same thing with an anime layer that had the clouds in it and got the same result...

If I follow you correctly, you want to make a new layer within a project to create the moving cloud while the original layer with the cloud remains untouched.

If this is so you are missing the step in KeyFramer where under the tab Render/Source/Layer List you first select the layer with the original cloud.
Then you go to your new, empty layer and create the keys, highlight all the frames of the empty layer and the cloud from the original layer will appear in the new layer in motion.

i have selected the clouds layer as my source in the rendering tub. i know i must be missing a step but it seemes to me that i did all the steps you have mentioned.

Render Tab:
Pre Behavior: Hold First
Anim: Normal
Post Behavior: Hold Last
Blend: Color

Question:

When you move your cloud with the canter of the binding box and drag it to your end position, do you see a red line this drag creates?

ok i got it! i did the exact thing i did erlier after ive restarted tvpaint, and this time it worked! XD
thanks for the help:)

Well, at least we've walked someone completely new who will search out this topic, through all the steps ... including restarting TVP.

hmmm, were you not using an image layer instead of an anim layer ?

I thank you for this thread as I just started animating again after drawing nothing but illustrations since December. I feared I forgot elements to motion keyframing, so I hoped I'd find here in the forum some refresher info. And here it is! Thanks.