Lecture 9
Flash
– Introduction
– Timeline
– Layers
– Symbol
– Keyframe
– Tweened Animations
– Demonstration
– Creating Tweened Animations
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Shape Tween
Motion Tween
Classic Tween
– Working with Text
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Adding & Editing Text
Animating Text
Animating Individual Letters
Morphing Text
– Animating Bitmaps
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Import Bitmap
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Bitmap  Symbol
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Animate and Distort Bitmap
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Modify Color and Transparency of Bitmap
– Animating along Motion Path
– Creating Mask Effect
© Anselm Spoerri
Flash
Develop Rich Internet Content and Applications
– Design motion graphics or build data-driven applications
Flash Movies = Graphics, Text, Animation,
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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
© Anselm Spoerri
Workspace
Workspace Settings: Designer or Classic
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 keyframes
Properties Panel
Toolbox
Panels
Library:
Stores reusable elements called Symbols
ActionScript:
Built-in programming language: version 2.0 or 3.0
© Anselm Spoerri
Document Properties and Grid, Rulers & Guides
Create Document and set its Properties
– File > New
– General: Flash File
ActionScript 2.0 used in CS4+ demos
ActionScript 3.0 for Flash CC (and 2.0 not supported amymore)
– Modify > Document
– Frame Rate
– Dimensions
– Background color
Using Grid, Rulers and Guides
– 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
© Anselm Spoerri
Timeline
© Anselm Spoerri
Layers
Layers = Stack of “transparent sheets of acetate”
– Insert > Timeline > 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 > Timeline > 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
© Anselm Spoerri
Resource: Copying Layer & Layer Folder and Paste in Place
Copy Layer
1. Click layer name to select the entire layer.
2. Edit > Timeline > Copy Frames.
3. Click Add Layer button to create new layer.
4. Select new layer and choose Edit > Timeline > Paste Frames.
Copy Contents of Layer Folder
1. Click triangle to left of folder name to collapse it, if necessary.
2. Click folder name to select the entire folder.
3. Edit > Timeline Copy Frames.
4. Insert > Timeline > Layer Folder to create new folder.
5. Select new folder and choose Edit > Timeline > Paste Frames.
Paste in Same Position
Edit > Paste in Place
© Anselm Spoerri
Tools
Arrow (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 tool
Circle 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 tool
Zoom tool and Modifiers: zoom in, zoom out (or use Alt-click)
Line Color
Fill Color
Tool Options
© Anselm Spoerri
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
© Anselm Spoerri
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, reshape each segment individually
To avoid inadvertently altering shapes / lines by overlapping them
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Group shapes
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Use Object Drawing
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Place on different layers
© Anselm Spoerri
Resource: 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 Objects
Free Transform tool in Tools
– Modify > Transform > … free transform, rotate, skew, scale, or distort
– Modify > Transform > Remove Transform
© Anselm Spoerri
Text
Text tool in Toolbox
Properties 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 Properties Inspector : Options
© Anselm Spoerri
Resource: 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 !
© Anselm Spoerri
Symbols and Instances
Symbols = Reusable Elements in Document
– Symbols = graphics, buttons, video clips, sound files, or fonts
– Symbol stored in file's library
– Use symbols for every element that appears more than once.
Create Instance
– Place symbol on Stage, you create an instance of that symbol.
– Modify properties of instance without affecting master symbol
– Edit master symbol to change all instances.
Symbols Reduce File Size
– Flash stores symbol in the file only once  greatly reduces file size
© Anselm Spoerri
Symbol - Behavior Types
Graphic Symbols
Button Symbols
for static images
to create interactive buttons
Movie Clip Symbols
to create reusable pieces of animation
Insert > New Symbol
Convert Element to Symbol
– Insert > Convert to Symbol
– Drag the selection to the Library panel
– Convert to Symbol from the context menu
© Anselm Spoerri
Keyframes
Keyframe = New Instance of Object Appears
Property Keyframe = Define Object’s Property Change
Use Keyframes to Create Change in Animation
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Flash can tween, or fill in, frames between keyframes
Create Keyframe
1. Select a frame in Timeline
2. Insert > Timeline > Keyframe
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.
© Anselm Spoerri
Animation
Animate Objects or Shapes
– Change object’s position, shape, size, color, opacity, rotation …
Frame-by-frame Animation
– Create a separate image for each keyframe.
Tweened Animation
– Create first and last keyframes of animation
or
Specify object properties in different frames
– Flash creates frames in between
Motion or Classic or Shape Tween
Frame Labels
useful for identifying Keyframes
– Use instead of frame numbers (which can change)
© Anselm Spoerri
Tweened Animation
Select Keyframe, Right Click and Select Tween option
Motion Tween
– Change Position, Size, Rotation, Alpha of Object
– Specify object property in one frame and another value for that
same property in another frame.
Classic Tween
– Like motion tweens, but more complex to create
Shape Tween
– Change Shape
If you want Flash to tween the movement of more than one
object, each must be on a separate layer.
– Select elements
– Use Modify > Timeline > Distribute to Layers
© Anselm Spoerri
Animations – Representations in Timeline
Motion Tween
– Black dot at beginning keyframe; intermediate tweened frames have black
arrow with a light-blue background.
Classic Tween
– Black dot at beginning keyframe; intermediate frames have a black arrow
with a blue background.
Shape Tween
– 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
– Classic Motion Tween: does NOT contain symbol, groups or type
– Shape Tween: contains symbol, groups or type
© Anselm Spoerri
Motion Tween
Used for tweening:
• Instances of Symbol
• Type = Text
Instances and type tween:
– Position, Size, Rotation, and Skew
Instances tween:
– Color shifts and Fade in / out (= Alpha)
To Motion Tween a Bitmap
• Bitmap needs to be converted into Symbol
• Modify > Convert to Symbol
To tween the color of type  convert into symbols
© Anselm Spoerri
Create Motion Tween
Layer needs to contain Symbols or Type
and uses Property Keyframes
and can have only one object instance
1. Select keyframe
2. Insert > Motion Tween
or
Right click frame, select “Motion Tween”
3. Select frame and then select object
4. Move to new location (notice the motion trail)
and/or
In Properties panel, change object property
Repeat steps 3 and 4
© Anselm Spoerri
Classic Tween
Layer needs to contain Symbols or Groups or Type
and uses Keyframes
Create Classic Tween
a) Create first keyframe
– Insert > Classic Tween
or
Right click frame, select “Classic Tween”
Automatically turns content into Graphic 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 > Classic Tween
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Right click frame, select “Classic Tween”
Automatically turns start and end keyframes into symbols
© Anselm Spoerri
Resource: Motion versus Classic Tween
Motion tween uses property keyframes, whereas Classic tween uses keyframes.
Both motion and classic tweens allow only specific types of objects to be tweened.
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Motion tween will convert all non-allowed object types to Movie Clip symbols.
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Classic tween will convert them to Graphic symbols.
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Motion tweens consider text a tweenable type.
Classic tweens convert text objects to graphic symbols.
Only classic tweens allow frame scripts.
Only motion tweens can be used to animate 3D objects.
Only motion tweens can be saved as motion presets.
You can use classic tweens to animate between two different color effects, such
as tint and alpha transparency.
Motion tweens can apply one color effect per tween.
With motion tweens, you cannot swap symbols or set the frame number of a
graphic symbol to display in a property keyframe. Animations that include these
techniques require classic tweens.
© Anselm Spoerri
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 it
1. 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
1. Insert > Shape Tween
or
Right click frame, select “Shape Tween”
2. Properties panel: select option from “Blend” menu:
a) Distributive: intermediate shapes smoother and more irregular.
b) Angular: preserves apparent corners and straight lines.
© Anselm Spoerri
Imported Artwork and Video
Bitmap
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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.
© Anselm Spoerri
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
© Anselm Spoerri
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
© Anselm Spoerri
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.
© Anselm Spoerri
Step 0 – Download files, Launch Flash, Create Document
Download Files
http://scils.rutgers.edu/~aspoerri/Teaching/MPOnline/Lectures/Lecture9/stepbystep/
Launch Flash
– Start > Macromedia > Flash
Create Flash Document and Set its Properties
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File > New : General: Flash File (CS4+: ActionScript 2.0; CC: ActionScript 3.0)
Modify > Document or use Property Inspector
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Frame Rate = 12
Dimensions = 600 x 400
Background color = White
Using Grid, Rulers and Guides
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Rulers
View > Rulers
Guides
– View > Guides > Show Guides
– Drag horizontal (200) and vertical (300) guides from rulers onto Stage
© Anselm Spoerri
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)
© Anselm Spoerri
Step 2a – Shape & Motion Tween and Create Layer with Text
1.
Select first keyframe in Timeline
2.
Specify Shape Tween
3.
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Insert > Shape Tween or
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Properties Inspector: select option from “Blend” menu: Distributive
Control > Play
or Display Controls: Window > Toolbars > Controls
Create New Layer and Name = Text
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Right Click and Select “Shape Tween”
Play Movie so far
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for first keyframe
Insert > Timeline > Layer and select it
Create Text = “Hello”
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Select first frame and Select Text tool and type “Hello”
3.
Specify Motion Tween
4.
Create property keyframe at frame = 30
for first keyframe of Text Layer
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Select text using the Arrow tool in frame
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Modify position by moving text
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Modify size, angle and distort by using Free Transform
© Anselm Spoerri
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.
Select all the keyframes that contain a letter at frame = 1
and apply Motion Tween
5.
Select frame = 30
6.
Select a letter and move it to desired location
7.
Repeat step 6 for next letter
© Anselm Spoerri
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
© Anselm Spoerri
Step 3a – Animating Bitmap
1. Select first Keyframe
2. File > Import to Stage “bilbaodog”
(creates record in Library)
3. Convert “bilbaodog” to Movie Clip symbol
– Modify > Convert to Symbol: Movie Clip = “dog”
4. Apply Motion Tween at first keyframe
5. Insert Frame at Frame = 30
(if needed)
6. Select instance of “dog” in Frame = 30 and change position
7. Select instance of “dog” in Frame = 1 and Distort it
using Free Transform tool
8. Select instance of “dog” in Frame = 30 and Remove
Transform using Modify > Transform > Remove Transform
9. Fade in “dog”
– Select instance in Frame = 30
and Properties > Color Effect: Set Alpha = 100%
– Select instance in Frame = 1 and Properties: Set Alpha = 0%
© Anselm Spoerri
Step 3b – Multi-part Motion Tween
10. Select Frame = 31 and Insert Blank Keyframe
11. Select dog in Frame = 30 and Edit > Copy
12. Select Frame = 31 and Edit > Paste in Place
13. Select Frame = 46 and Insert Keyframe
using Insert > Timeline > Keyframe
(instead of Right Click and then Insert Keyframe)
14. Create Property Keyframes at frame = 55 and 65
15. Edit motion path associated with motion tween
© Anselm Spoerri
Step 4a – Create Classic Tween
1. Select first Keyframe
2. File > Import to Stage “bilbaodog”
(creates record in Library)
3. Convert “bilbaodog” to Movie Clip symbol
– Modify > Convert to Symbol: Movie Clip = “dog”
4. Insert Keyframe at Fame = 30
5. Select instance in Frame = 30 and change position
6. Apply Classic Tween at first keyframe
(should see solid arrow)
© Anselm Spoerri
Step 4b – Classic Tweening along Path
1. Select layer containing classic tween animation
2. Right-click layer and choose “Add Classic Motion Guide”
3. Use Pen, Pencil, Line, Circle, Rectangle, or Brush tool to draw
desired path in motion guide
4. Snap center of instance to beginning of line in the first
keyframe, and to end of the line in the last keyframe
© Anselm Spoerri
Step 4c – Creating Mask Layer
1. Select or create layer with objects to 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
– Mask layer can contain tween(s)
4. Right-click (Windows) mask layer's name in Timeline,
and choose Mask from the context menu.
5. Display mask effect in Flash,
masked layer(s)
LOCK mask layer and
© Anselm Spoerri