Motion Tweening Lecture Notes -

Objective #1: Be able to create frame-by-frame animations.

• many consecutive keyframes each with a different graphic
• frame animations have larger file sizes than motion-tweened animations because the attributes of every object in every keyframe must be saved into the file
• should be displayed at over 10 fps (frames per second)
• turn on onion-skinning to be able to compare the positions of objects in consecutive keyframes

Objective #2: Be able to create motion-tweened animations.

• define the starting position of a symbol in a keyframe and then define the ending position of the symbol in a later keyframe. If you don't place symbols into these keyframes, Flash will change the objects into symbols anyway
• use the Insert/Create Motion Tween menu command to apply the motion tween to the frames between the start and end keyframes
• if you change the size or even the shape of an object in one of the keyframes of a motion tween animation, the change will occur over the duration of the animation
• by the way, you can import an animated gif into Flash, convert it to symbol and then create a motion-tweened animation

Objective #3: Be able to apply motion guides to motion-tweened animations.

• a motion guide is a path to which you attach a motion tweened animation
• one way to create an animation that follows a motion guide is to create a motion-tweened animation and then insert a new motion guide layer. Draw a path in the motion guide layer with the Pen, Pencil, Line, Circle, Rectangle, or Brush tools. Attach the object to the path by dragging its registeration point to the beginning of the path in the first frame and to the end of the path in the last frame.
• A number of options that appear in the Property Inspector when you've selected a tween can be used:
  • the Ease option causes an object to appear as its accelerating
  • the Rotate option makes an object rotate clockwise or counterclockwise a specified number of times
  • the Orient to path option causes the object to move "parallel" to the motion path. The baseline of the object is fixed to the motion path.
• You can use a motion guide for objects on two different layers. Drag a second layer with an object that you'd like to guide underneath the guide layer.
• You can set an object to be bound to a motion guide with an offset distance. Double click the first instance and drag the object away from its registeration point which is attached to the beginning of the motion guide.

Objective #4: Be able to create motion animation effects

• Besides movement, motion tweening can also be used to resize, rotate, and change the color of an object through a number of frames.
• To cause the size of an object to change, you can use the Free Transform tool to change the size of the object in one of the keyframes.
• To make an object rotate throughout a tween, you can use the Free Transform tool's Rotate Tool option (the curved arrow mouse cursor that appears when the mouse is near a corner anchor point of an object) or you can use the Rotate option in the Property Inspector when a tween is selected.
• To make an object change color you can simply change the object's color in one of the keyframes. Over the motion tween, Flash will blend the original color into the second color. Or, you can use the Brightness, Tint, Alpha, and Advanced Color options that appear in the Property Inspector when an instance is selected in a keyframe.

Objective #5: Be able to animate text.

• Motion tween's can be applied to text blocks as well. Once you do so, you cannot edit the text within the text block however.
• The following motion tweens are possible and can be applied to text blocks just as they are to instances of a symbol.
  • You can make text appear to move across the stage.
  • You can make text change in size.
  • You can make text rotate.
  • You can change a piece of text's color or brightness.