Lesson 2Using Tweens

What is a Tween?

Tweening is the process of creating “in-between” frames in an animation.

It is used to create the animation effect of movement, or changing shape.

There are 2 types of tween we will learn today:

Motion Tween Shape Tween

Creating a Motion Tween

Create a new Flash Animation. In Frame 1, draw a small shape on the

background, this is the shape we will move.

Insert a Key Frame at Frame 30. Right Click between Frame 1 and Frame

30. Click – Create Motion Tween.

That’s it. Now preview your movie.

Creating a Motion Tween You can also speed up and slow down

the speed of your Motion Tween. To speed up, remove frames, to slow

down, add more frames. You can also make the shape accelerate

or decelerate. Make sure you have selected your

Motion Tween, then change the Ease, located in the Property Bar at the bottom of the screen. Set it at -100. Your shape now starts slowly and speeds up. Try it at 100. What happens?

Edit the Ease of your Motion Tween here.

Can’t see it? Click the Small arrow shown in the box below to display your Property Bar.

Creating a Motion TweenAfter creating your Motion Tween select

the Final Frame, click the Free Transform Tool and change your shape.

We can use this to make objects look like they are coming from a distance.

Try it!

You can rotate, flip and edit your shape to create some interesting looking animations.

Creating a Shape Tween

A Shape Tween is when one object transforms into a different object.

Create a new Flash Movie. Insert a shape or draw a simple picture.Then, at Frame 30, insert a Blank Key Frame.Select a Frame in the middle, and at the

bottom of your screen, click Tween, and select Shape.

You have created a Shape Tween. Preview it to view your animation.

We can use Ease in the same way as before. Try it.

Creating a Shape TweenThis does not always create a clear animation. Use of colours, more than one shape and text

can create strange looking animations, have a play and try to create some smooth Shape Tweens.

If you want to use Shape Tween on Text or an Imported Image, you must select the text/image and Select Modify – Break Apart TWICE before you create your Shape Tween.

Hint: Use Shape Tween with similar Shapes at different parts of the screen to create effects such as shapes coming from a distance.

Inserting a Background First, create a new Layer, by clicking

the icon shown below. Double click on Layer 1 to change

the name to Background.

Inserting a BackgroundMake sure you are on your background

layer.Now find your background, save it and use

File Import – Import to Stage, or just Cut and Paste your Image into the Movie.

Always keep different parts of your animation on separate Layers, it makes editing simpler and tidier.

Make sure you Insert Frame at the end of the animation on every layer to make sure the background does not disappear half way through your movie!

Task Today

Create a Flash Movie, that contains a nice photographic background, Motion Tween and Shape Tween.

I want the animation to be realistic. Try one of these:

A car driving along the road A bouncing ball A plane taking off A train passing by a city A sunrise

Task Today

You must Save and Store your Animation today.

Remember: File – Export – Export Movie to save your

COMPLETED Image. File – Save As to save your Image that you

have NOT FINISHED. Next lesson we will be uploading your

finished Animation to a simple website.