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Lecture 9

Flash– Introduction

– Timeline

– Layers

– Keyframe

– Tweened Animations

– Demonstration– Creating Tweened Animations

– Shape Tweening– Motion Tweening

– Working with Text– Adding & Editing Text– Animating Text– Animating Individual Letters– Morphing Text

– Animating Bitmaps– Import Bitmap

– Animate and Distort Bitmap

– Bitmap Symbol

– Modify Color and Transparency of Bitmap

– Animating along Motion Path

– Creating Mask Effect

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Flash

Develop Rich Internet Content and Applications– Design motion graphics or build data-driven applications

Flash Movies = Graphics, Text, Animation, – Mostly compact vector graphics– Can contain imported video, bitmap graphics, and sounds. – Incorporate interactivity – Create nonlinear movies that can interact with other Web apps– Create navigation controls– Animated logos– Long-form animations with synchronized sound– Complete, sensory-rich Web sites

Flash Document = “.fla” filename extension– File > Save / Save As

Publish Flash Document (.FLA) Flash Movie (.SWF)– Macromedia Flash file format (SWF) is the format for deploying Flash content

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Workspace

Timeline– Controls movie’s content over time– Consists of frames and keyframes

– Layers to organize content

Stage– Draw or import artwork, add text or media– Compose content for individual frames

Property Inspector

Toolbox

Panels

Library– Stores reusable elements called Symbols

ActionScript– Built-in programming language

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Document Properties and Grid, Rulers & Guides

Create Document and set its Properties – File > New– Modify > Document

– Frame Rate– Dimensions– Background color

Using Grid, Rulers and Guides– Like in Fireworks– Grid

– View > Grid > Show Grid / Snap to Grid

– Rulers– View > Rulers

– Guides– Drag horizontal and vertical guides from rulers onto Stage– View > Guides > Show Guides / Snap to Guides

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Timeline

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Layers

Layers = Stack of “transparent sheets of acetate” – Insert > Layer or Click “Insert Layer” icon in Timeline– Drag & Drop Layer to change its position in stack – Name (double-click text), Hide, Lock Folder

Layer Folder = Organize Layers– Insert > Layer Folder or Click “Insert Layer Folder” icon in Timeline

Modify Layer– Select layer to make it active (only one layer can be active)– Pencil icon = Layer is active

Guide Layers Make drawing and editing easier

Mask Layers Help to create sophisticated effects

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Copying Layer & Layer Folder

Copy Layer1. Click layer name to select the entire layer.

2. Edit > Copy Frames.

3. Click Add Layer button to create new layer.

4. Select new layer and choose Edit > Paste Frames.

Copy Contents of Layer Folder1. Click triangle to left of folder name to collapse it, if necessary.

2. Click folder name to select the entire folder.

3. Edit > Copy Frames.

4. Insert > Layer Folder to create new folder.

5. Select new folder and choose Edit > Paste Frames.

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ToolsArrow (Selection) tool and Modifiers: snap to, smooth, straight

– Reshaping lines and shapes Reshaping pointer

Free Transform tool and its modifiers: scale, rotate, skew etc.– Transform dialog panel: Modify > Transform

Lasso tool and its modifiers = polygon etc.

Text toolCircle and Square tools and Modifiers: Object Drawing on / off

– Stroke and Fill properties of graphic in Property Inspector

Pencil tool and Modifiers = straight, smooth etc.

Paint Bucket tool and Modifiers = fill large gaps etc.– Apply Gradient and use Fill Transform tool

Eraser toolZoom tool and Modifiers: zoom in, zoom out

Line Color

Fill Color

Tool Options

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Graphic Objects

Graphic Objects = Items on Stage– Move, copy, delete, transform, stack, align, and group graphic objects. – Link graphic object to a URL. – Keep in mind: modifying lines and shapes can alter other lines and

shapes on the same layer if Object Drawing is not selected

Must first Select Object to Modify it

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Overlapping Shapes in Flash – if shapes were created Object Drawing off

Use Pencil, Line, Oval, Rectangle, or Brush tool to draw line across another line or painted shape, overlapping lines are divided into segments at the intersection points.

Use Arrow tool to select, move, and reshape each segment individually.

To avoid inadvertently altering shapes and lines by overlapping them, group shapes or use layers to separate them

Overlapping lines that you create with the Pen tool do not divide into individual segments at intersection points, but remain connected.

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Object Manipulations

Grouping Objects– Select objects on Stage to group– Modify > Group

Stacking Objects– Within a layer, objects stacked based on the order of creation– Modify > Arrange > Bring to Front or Send to Back

Modify > Arrange > Bring Forward or Send Backward

Transforming ObjectsFree Transform tool in Tools

– Modify > Transform > … free transform, rotate, skew, scale, or distort– Modify > Transform > Remove Transform

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Text

Text tool in Toolbox

Property Inspector to change text properties

Static Text type– Appearance determined when you author movie.

Dynamic Text type– Updated text, such as sports scores or stock quotes.

Input Text fields type– Users enter text for forms, surveys, or other purposes.

Transform Text– Rotating, scaling, skewing, and flipping it - and still edit characters

Text Object & Grouped

Horizontal Text Linked to URLs– Select text and enter URL in Property Inspector

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Text

– Text tool in Toolbox

– Property Inspector to change text properties

Static Text type– Appearance determined when

you author movie.

Dynamic Text type– Updated text, such as sports

scores or stock quotes.

Input Text fields type– Users enter text for forms,

surveys, or other purposes.

Transform Text– Rotating, scaling, skewing, and flipping it - and still edit characters

Horizontal Text Linked to URLs– Select text and enter URL in Property Inspector

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Reshaping Text

Reshaping Text into its individual letter shapes– Select text with Arrow tool

– Modify > Break Apart

Distribute Text Letters to Layers – Select all letters

– Modify > Timeline > Distribute to Layers

Organize letters in Layer Folder– Insert > Timeline > Layer Folder

– Select layers containing letters

– Drag & drop in Layer Folder Static Text

Morph Text– Select Text and apply “Modify > Break Apart” TWICE

– Apply Shape Tween !

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Keyframes

Keyframe = Define Change in Animation – Flash can tween, or fill in, frames between keyframes – Change length of tweened animation by dragging keyframe in

Timeline.

Create Keyframe1. Select a frame in Timeline2. Insert > Timeline > Keyframe

Only Keyframes are Editable

Frame Management– Delete a frame, keyframe, or frame sequence,

– Select and Edit > Timeline > Remove Frame or Right-Click (Windows)

– Extend duration of Keyframe– Select, hold and then drag keyframe to new final frame

– Change length of a tweened sequence, drag the beginning or ending keyframe left or right.

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Animation

Animate Objects – Change object’s position, shape, size, color, opacity, rotation

and other properties.

Frame-by-frame Animation– Create a separate image for each keyframe.

Tweened Animation– Create first and last keyframes of animation– Flash creates frames in between

Motion TweeningShape Tweening

Frame Labels useful for identifying Keyframes – Use instead of frame numbers (which can change) when targeting

frames in actions such as Go To.

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Tweened Animation

Motion Tweening– Change Position, Size, and Rotation

Shape Tweening– Change Shape

Select Keyframe and in Property Inspector select “Tween” option

If you want Flash to tween the movement of more than one graphic, each must be on a separate layer.

To quickly prepare elements in document for tweened animation

– Select elements

– Use Modify > Timeline > Distribute to Layers

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Animations – Representations in Timeline

Motion Tweens – Black dot at beginning keyframe; intermediate tweened frames have black

arrow with a light-blue background.

Shape Tweens – Black dot at beginning keyframe; intermediate frames have a black arrow with

a light-green background.

Dashed line = – Tween is broken or incomplete

Cause?– Final keyframe missing– Motion Tween: does NOT contain symbol, groups or type– Shape Tween: contains symbol, groups or type

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Motion Tweening

Used for tweening:

• Instances of Symbol

• Groups

• Type = Text

• Bitmap

Instances, groups, and type tween:– Position, Size, Rotation, and Skew

Instances and type tween:

– Color shifts and Fade in / out (= Alpha) Bitmap needs to be converted into Symbol

To tween the color of groups or type, you must make them into symbols.

Animate individual text characters separately– Break text apart– Place letters on separate layers

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Motion Tweening

Use Symbols or Groups or Type to Tween Motions

Create Motion Tween a) Create first keyframe

– Insert > Timeline > Create Motion TweenAutomatically turns graphic into symbol

– In last frame create keyframe and move object to new location

b) Create starting and ending keyframes – Select two keyframes and frames in between– Insert > Timeline > Create Motion Tween

Automatically turns graphic into symbol

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Shape Tweening

Similar to Morphing– One shape appears to change into another shape over time

Use Ungrouped Graphics to Tween Shapes

1. Create or select first keyframe

2. Create or place artwork in first keyframe

3. Create second keyframe and select it1. Select artwork in second keyframe 2. Modify shape, color, or position of artwork

(e.g. use “Free Transform” tool)

4. Select first keyframe in Timeline In Properties Inspector 1. Select “Shape” from “Tween” menu2. Select option from “Blend” menu:

a) Distributive: intermediate shapes smoother and more irregular.b) Angular: preserves apparent corners and straight lines.

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Animation – Misc

Moving Entire Animation1. Lock or hide all the layers don't want to move2. Click “Edit Multiple Frames” button in Timeline

– “Onion skin” markers appear in Frame view of Timeline3. Drag onion skin markers to enclose all the frames to select4. Edit > Select All5. Drag entire animation to new location on Stage

Extending Still Images1. Create image in first keyframe of sequence.2. Select frame to the right, marking the end of the span of frames that you want

to add.3. Insert > Frame.

Distributing Objects to Layers for Tweened Animation– Select Objects– Modify > Distribute to Layers

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Imported Artwork and Video

Bitmap– Can apply compression and anti-aliasing– Place directly in Flash document– Use as a fill– Convert to vector artwork

Video– Import video in MOV, AVI, or MPEG format– Importing video clips as embedded files

– Video clip becomes part of the movie, like an imported bitmap or vector artwork file. You can publish a movie with embedded video as a Flash movie.

Fireworks PNG– Can import files as editable objects that you can modify in Flash, or as

flattened files that you can edit and update in Fireworks.– File > Import Fireworks PNG Import Settings dialog box– If you import a PNG file from Fireworks by cutting and pasting, the file is

converted to a bitmap.

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Previewing Movies

Authoring environment– Control > Play– Window > Toolbars > Controller and click Play

Test Movie command – Control > Test Movie or Control > Test Scene

Web Browser– File > Publish Preview > HTML

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Exporting

File > Export Movie or File > Export Image

Flash Movie– Export entire document as a Flash movie, to place the movie in another

application, such as Dreamweaver.

Windows AVI (Windows)– Exports a movie as Windows video, but discards any interactivity

Export a movie directly into a single format: GIF, JPEG, PNG, AVI

– Animated GIF, GIF Sequence, and GIF Image

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Publishing

Flash Document (FLA file) Flash Movie (SWF file) – By default, creates Flash SWF file

and HTML document with inserted movie.

If you don’t want HTML, deselect it.

1. Choose Publishing File Formats: SWF or GIF, JPEG, PNG, and QuickTime

2. File > Publish

Test Before Publishing– Test Movie and Test Scene commands

Unicode Text Encoding

Exporting vs. Publishing FLA files – Exporting similar to publishing FLA files in alternative file formats,

except that settings for each file format are not stored with FLA file.

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Step 0 – Download files, Launch Flash, Create Document

Create folder “mp9” in “My Documents” folder

Download Files (select zip file & extract into “mp9”)

http://scils.rutgers.edu/~aspoerri/Teaching/MPOnline/Lectures/Lecture9/stepbystep/

Launch Flash– Start > Macromedia > Flash

Create Flash Document and Set its Properties – File > New– Modify > Document or use Property Inspector

– Frame Rate = 12 Dimensions = 600 x 400 Background color = White

Using Grid, Rulers and Guides– Rulers

View > Rulers– Guides

– View > Guides > Show Guides– Drag horizontal (200) and vertical (300) guides from rulers onto Stage

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Step 1 – Keyframes and Create Shapes

1. Select Layer 1 and name it “Shape Tween”

2. Select first keyframe in Timeline

3. Select Circle Tool and Draw Circle in the center of Stage– Select Arrow Tool to select Circle (both Line and Fill!)

– In Property Inspector, set Width = 50 and Height = 50

– In Property Inspector, set Stroke and Fill properties of circle

4. Create second keyframe at frame = 30– Select frame = 30 and use Insert > Timeline > Keyframe

– Select circle using the Arrow tool in second keyframe

– Modify position by moving circle

– Modify size by using Free Transform

– Select Arrow tool and deselect circle

– Modify shape by using “Arrow” tool to change contour (notice how cursor changes)

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Step 2a – Shape & Motion Tween and Create Layer with Text

1. Select first keyframe in Timeline

2. Specify Shape Tween for first keyframe

– Select “Shape” from “Tween” menu in Properties Inspector

– Select option from “Blend” menu: Distributive

3. Play Movie so far– Control > Play or Display Controls: Window > Toolbars > Controls

4. Create New Layer and Name = Text– Insert > Timeline > Layer and select it

5. Create Text = “Hello”– Select first frame and Select Text tool and type “Hello”

6. Create second keyframe at frame = 30– Select frame = 30 and use Insert > Timeline > Keyframe

– Select text using the Arrow tool in second keyframe

– Modify position by moving text

– Modify size, angle and distort by using Free Transform

7. Specify Motion Tween for first keyframe of Text Layer

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Step 2b – Animating Individual Letters

1. Create and Select Text in “text” layer at keyframe = 1

2. Break Text into Individual Letters using Modify > Break Apart

3. Distribute Individual Letters to Separate Layers– Modify > Timeline > Distribute to Layers

4. Create keyframe at frame = 30 for all the created text layers– Shift Select the column of frames = 30 and apply Insert >

Timeline > Keyframe or right click and select Insert Keyframe

5. Select first keyframe for the different letters and move each letter to desired location.

6. Select all the keyframes that contain a letter at frame = 1 and apply Motion Tween.

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Step 2c – Morphing Text

1. Create and Select Text in “text” layer at keyframe = 1

2. Break Text into Individual Shapes by applying Modify > Break Apart twice!

3. Create Blank Keyframe at frame = 30

4. Create and Select Text in “text” layer at keyframe = 30

5. Break Text into Individual Shapes by applying Modify > Break Apart twice!

6. Select first keyframe and Shape Tween

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Step 3a – Animating Bitmap

1. Select first Keyframe

2. File > Import to Stage “bilbaodog” (creates record in Library)

3. Create Keyframe = 30 and Select it

4. Distort Bitmap using Free Transform tool

5. Apply Motion Tween at first keyframe

6. Play Animation – Control > Play

– Control > Test Movie

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Step 3b – Modify Color and Transparency of Bitmap

Bitmap needs to be part of Symbol so that color and transparency can be changed

• Insert > New Symbol and select “Movie Clip”

Flash opens a new symbol for editing in symbol-editing mode.

2. On the Timeline, click Frame 1 on Layer 1

3. Drag “bilbaodog” bitmap from Library or use “File > Import”

When finished creating symbol content, do one of the following to return to movie-editing mode: – Click the Back button at the left side of the information bar above the Stage. – Choose Edit > Edit Document. – Click the scene name in the information bar above the Stage.

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Step 3c – Modify Color and Transparency of Bitmap

1. Drag Symbol with Bitmap onto Stage

Creates instance of symbol.

2. Select first keyframe, then Select Instance on Stage

3. In Property Inspector, select Color pull-down

4. Select “Advanced”, modify “Alpha” & “Color Channels”

5. Select next keyframe, then select instance on Stage

6. In Property Inspector, select Color pull-down and Select “Advanced”, modify “Alpha” & “Color Channels”

7. Apply Motion Tween (if not done already)

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Step 4a – Motion Tweening along Path

Tweening Motion along Path

1. Select layer containing motion-tweened animation

2. Insert > Timeline > Motion Guide or Right-click layer and choose “Add Motion Guide”

3. Use Pen, Pencil, Line, Circle, Rectangle, or Brush tool to draw desired path

4. Lock Motion Guide layer

5. Snap center of graphic to beginning of line in the first frame, and to end of the line in the last frame

Link Layer to Motion Guide Layer a) Drag existing layer below motion guide layer.

All objects on this layer automatically snap to motion path.

b) Create new layer under motion guide layerObjects tweened on this layer are automatically tweened along motion path.

c) Select layer below motion guide layer. Choose Modify > Timeline > Layer Properties and select Guided.

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Step 4b – Creating Mask Layer

1. Select or create layer objects that appear inside mask

2. With layer selected, choose Insert > Timeline > Layer – Mask layer always masks layer(s) immediately below it

3. Place a filled shape or symbol instance on mask layer

4. Right-click (Windows) mask layer's name in Timeline, and choose Mask from the context menu.

5. Display mask effect in Flash, LOCK mask layer and masked layer(s)

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Previewing Movies

Authoring environment– Control > Play– Window > Toolbars > Controller and click Play

Test Movie command – Control > Test Movie or Control > Test Scene

Web Browser– File > Publish Preview > HTML