Troubleshooting

Solutions to the most common MotionLab issues. If you don't see your problem here, drop a line via the Contact form and we'll dig in.

Panel doesn't open or is blank

If Window → Extensions → MotionLab shows a blank panel or doesn't appear:

• Quit and restart After Effects.
• Confirm AE is version 2019 (v16.0) or newer.
• Try re-installing via the ZXP installer to ensure the extension is properly signed.

License key won't activate

• Double-check the key matches what was emailed to you exactly — no leading/trailing spaces.
• Confirm internet is reachable; activation requires an HTTPS round-trip to our license server.
• If you've activated on two devices already, sign out from one of them first.

Effects landing at the end of reversed clips

For layers with negative time stretch (reversed), AE swaps the layer's inPoint and outPoint — older effects code in MotionLab anchored to the wrong end. This is fixed in current builds. If you see a shake, flash, transition, or adjustment landing past the visible end of your clip, update to the latest version via Gear Releases.

Pre-Compose creates a tiny composition

If pre-composing multiple layers (especially with reversed time stretch) creates a comp that's only a few frames long, update to the latest build — this was fixed by adjusting the source-duration logic to use min/max on each layer's in/out range. See Pre-Compose with Attributes for the full reference.

Preview thumbnails aren't playing

Hover previews stream from our servers rather than shipping inside the extension, which keeps the download small. They need an internet connection the first time you view each one. After that they're cached by the panel and play instantly, including offline.

If a preview stays blank:

• Confirm internet is reachable — the same connection used for license activation.
• If you're on a corporate or VPN network, check that motionlab.tools isn't blocked by a firewall or content filter.
• Hover a different preset to see whether it affects one preview or all of them.

Previews are cosmetic only. Every preset applies to your timeline normally whether or not its preview loads.

ZXP installer won't open on an Apple Silicon Mac

If the installer you're using to add MotionLab quits immediately, or the terminal reports Bad CPU type in executable, the installer itself is an Intel-only app and your Mac has no translation layer for it. Recent macOS versions no longer include Rosetta 2 by default, and a major upgrade can remove it.

Install it from Terminal, then try again:

softwareupdate --install-rosetta --agree-to-license

Alternatively, use a ZXP installer that ships a native Apple Silicon build. This is a limitation of the installer app, not of MotionLab — the extension contains no compiled code and runs the same on Apple Silicon and Intel.

Still stuck?

Send us a note with your AE version, OS, and a short description of what you're seeing via the Contact form. Screenshots help.