How to move an object to multiple destinations on the stage

How to move an object to multiple destinations on the stage

Powtoon's A to B feature moves an object from one position to another on the stage. By default, each A to B animation has a single starting point (A) and a single destination (B). Powtoon does not currently have a dedicated feature for moving one object to three or more destinations in a single animation.

The workaround below lets you simulate multi-stop movement by chaining copies of the same object across the timeline. The result gives the appearance of one object moving continuously from point A to B to C — and as many additional stops as you need.

Note: The steps below use a circle as the example object, but the same technique applies to any object on the stage.

Setting up the first A-to-B movement

1. Add your object to the stage and position it at the starting location (point A).
2. Set both the Enter and Exit effects for the object to No Effect.
3. Click Settings, then select A to B. Powtoon Studio creates a duplicate of the object on the stage — one copy represents the start position (A) and the other represents the destination (B).
4. Drag the B copy to the first destination on the stage.

Adding a second destination (extending to point C)

To move the object to a second destination after it reaches B, you need to paste a new copy of the object precisely at the point where the first movement ends. Follow these steps carefully — the timing of the paste is what makes the chain seamless.

1. Select the A object (the starting-position copy).
2. Copy the object.
3. Move the Play Head to the exact end time of the original object on the timeline.
4. With the A object still selected, paste the copy in the same position on the stage using the paste-in-place shortcut:
   • ► Windows: Ctrl + Shift + V
   • ► Mac: Cmd + Shift + V
   A new copy of the object appears directly on top of the original at the same stage position. This new copy will become the starting point for the next movement.
5. With the new copy selected, drag its B handle to the next destination (point C).
6. Select the A handle of the new copy. A grey shadow appears on the stage showing where the previous B position was. Drag the A handle to that shadowed area so the two movements connect without a visible jump.

After completing these steps, your object will appear to travel from A to B, then continue from B to C in one smooth sequence.

Adding more destinations

To move the object to a third destination (point D), or any number of additional stops, repeat the steps in the section above — copy the A object, paste it in place at the end of the previous movement, set the new B to the next destination, and align the new A to the previous B shadow. You can chain as many stops as your Powtoon requires.

For example, an A–B–C–D sequence creates the illusion of a single object moving to four different positions across the stage within one scene.

Key points to remember

• Set Enter and Exit effects to No Effect on every copy, not just the first one. Visible enter or exit animations will break the illusion of continuous movement.
• Use the paste-in-place shortcut (Ctrl + Shift + V on Windows, Cmd + Shift + V on Mac) to ensure each new copy lands exactly on top of the previous one.
• Align each new A handle to the grey shadow of the previous B position to keep the movement seamless.
• Move the Play Head to the precise end time of the previous object before pasting. Pasting at the wrong time point will cause the copies to overlap incorrectly on the timeline.