Macromedia Flash MX 2004 – Design Professional Animations CREATING

Web Collection: Flash MX 2004 Chapter D2Creating Animations Create frame animations Create motion-tweened animation Work with motion guides Create motion animation effects Animate text Chapter Lessons

Web Collection: Flash MX 2004 Chapter D3Creating Animations Animation can be an important part of a Web site, CD-ROM, Demo, or game The perception of motion is an illusion made up from a series of still images “Persistence of Vision” is the basis for frame rates in animations Frames rates of fps generally provide smooth computer-based animation Introduction

Web Collection: Flash MX 2004 Chapter D4Creating Animations Frame rates lower than fps often result in jerky images, while higher frame rates result in a blurred image Flash uses a default frame rate of 12 fps Intro to Animation

Web Collection: Flash MX 2004 Chapter D5Creating Animations Animation is one of the most powerful features of Flash Basic animation is a simple process –Move an object around the stage –Change an object’s size, shape, color –Apply Special Effects, such as zooming, fading, or a combination of effects Two Animation Methods: Frame Animation, and Tweened Animation Macromedia Flash Animation

Web Collection: Flash MX 2004 Chapter D6Creating Animations Understanding Frame Animations Also called frame-by-frame animations Created by specifying an object that is to appear in each frame of a sequence of frames Useful when you want to change individual parts of an image Depending on the complexity of the animation, can require a lot of time

Web Collection: Flash MX 2004 Chapter D7Creating Animations Understanding Frame Animations Three images used in a Frame Animation

Web Collection: Flash MX 2004 Chapter D8Creating Animations Understanding Frame Animations A greater number of images generally suggests less change needed between each image — creating more realistic animation Consider the number of frames in which an image will appear –Fewer frames and the animation may appear jerky Consider the frame rate (10-12 fps)

Web Collection: Flash MX 2004 Chapter D9Creating Animations Creating a Frame Animation Insert a keyframe on the layer Place your first drawing on the stage Insert your next keyframe, and change the drawing “Onion skinning” may help you placing a series of images

Web Collection: Flash MX 2004 Chapter D10Creating Animations Creating a Frame Animation In each Frame, the car is in a different position

Web Collection: Flash MX 2004 Chapter D11Creating Animations Understanding Motion Tweening Motion tweening is far less tedious than Frame Animation –Create a Start and End frame –Flash creates the “in-between” frames Flash only stores the attributes that change from frame to frame, thus creating smaller file sizes than Frame Animation

Web Collection: Flash MX 2004 Chapter D12Creating Animations Understanding Motion Tweening Two types of tweening: –Shape tweening - a “morphing” effect –Motion tweening is used to animate objects which are moved, resized, re- colored, or rotated

Web Collection: Flash MX 2004 Chapter D13Creating Animations Motion Tweening requires only a Start and End Frame Light Blue Background represents a Motion Tween

Web Collection: Flash MX 2004 Chapter D14Creating Animations Creating a Motion Tween Insert a starting frame Insert an ending frame Make alterations to the ending frame Go back to the starting frame and choose Insert>Create Motion Tween Make adjustments through the Properties Panel

Web Collection: Flash MX 2004 Chapter D15Creating Animations Understanding Motion Guides A path that will guide moving objects around the stage in any direction Without Motion Guides, animations would always travel in straight lines Animations are placed on their own layer beneath a motion guide layer

Web Collection: Flash MX 2004 Chapter D16Creating Animations Creating Animation with Motion Guides Two ways to create this relationship –Create a guide layer with a path, then create a layer of animation an attach –Or, create an animation. Then create a motion guide layer with a path, and attach Depending on the type of object you’re animating, you may need to orient the object to the path

Web Collection: Flash MX 2004 Chapter D17Creating Animations Creating Animation with Motion Guides A motion guide layer and its associated animation Object oriented to path Object not oriented to path

Web Collection: Flash MX 2004 Chapter D18Creating Animations Working with Properties Tween - specifies Motion, Shape,or none Scale - tweens the size of an object Ease - specifies the rate of change between tweened frames –Ease values are between -100(slow) and 100(fast) Rotate - specifies the number of times an object rotates clockwise(CW) or counter clockwise(CCW)

Web Collection: Flash MX 2004 Chapter D19Creating Animations Working with Properties Orient to path - orients the baseline of the object to the path Sync - ensures that the object loops properly Snap - attaches the object to the path by its registration point Orient to Path Feature enabled in the Properties Panel

Web Collection: Flash MX 2004 Chapter D20Creating Animations Resizing an Object using a Motion Tween Select the object in the ending frame and then use the Scale Tool options from the Free Transform tool

Web Collection: Flash MX 2004 Chapter D21Creating Animations Rotating an Object using a Motion Tween Select the object in the start or end frame rotate with different options –Rotate with the Rotate Tool option of the Free Transform tool –Rotate Clockwise or Counter Clockwise a specified number of turns or degrees through the Properties panel –Use Modify > Transform to specify rotation

Web Collection: Flash MX 2004 Chapter D22Creating Animations Rotating an Object using a Motion Tween Specifying the rotate settings via the Properties Panel

Web Collection: Flash MX 2004 Chapter D23Creating Animations Changing an Object’s Color with Motion Tween Numerous ways to change an object’s color over an animation’s time –Change the Tint of the object in the last frame –Change the Alpha of the object in the last frame – Change the Brightness of the object in the last frame –Apply Advanced Effects

Web Collection: Flash MX 2004 Chapter D24Creating Animations The Advanced Effect Panel Onion Skin

Web Collection: Flash MX 2004 Chapter D25Creating Animations Onion Skin Feature A feature that allows you to view an outline of objects in any number of frames Helps in positioning animated objects on the stage –Turn Onion Skin feature on via the Icon in the timeline –Use The sliders to determine the range of Onion Skin display

Web Collection: Flash MX 2004 Chapter D26Creating Animations Timeline Effects Macromedia Flash allows you to combine various animation effects and provides several prebuilt Timeline effects You can apply Timeline effects to the following objects: Text Graphics Bitmap images Button symbols

Web Collection: Flash MX 2004 Chapter D27Creating Animations Apply a Timeline Effect

Web Collection: Flash MX 2004 Chapter D28Creating Animations Animating Text Like other objects, Text can be animated –The entire text block is animated unless “Broken Apart” –Text can be rotated, skewed, scaled, or re-colored –Motion Tweened Text blocks are automatically saved as Symbols

Web Collection: Flash MX 2004 Chapter D29Creating Animations Chapter D Tasks Create frame animations Create motion-tweened animation Work with motion guides Create motion animation effects Animate text