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GDT 260 Animation for the Web: Winter 2003

Notes & Handouts February 6

Shape Tweening

• Keyframe - in between frames - keyframe
• One shape tween per layer
• Only one type of tween per layer in one set of frames
• Work on shapes only, not groups or symbols
• Modify > Break Apart if necessary

Text Tweens

• Text must be broken down into shapes; use Modify > Break Apart twice (once breaks your text into single-letter textboxes; twice into shapes); works just like any other shape
• Text generally needs to be legible before it changes shape (or after it becomes text), so leave enough frames before the tween begins to read it; structure: keyframe - static frames - keyframe - tween - keyframe

Color in Shape Tweens

Simply change the color between the keyframes, Flash will gradually change from one color to the next

Shape Tween Modifiers

• Easing
  • Easing in: accelerating
  • Easign out: decelerating
• Blend
  • Distributive: intermediate shapes are smooth, curvy
  • Angular: intermediate shapes have corners and straight lines preserved

Reversing Animations

1. Select the frames you want to reverse. There must be a keyframe at each end
2. Modify > Frames > Reverse

Shape Hints

Normally, Flash calculates shape tweens in the most efficient way possible, which yields strange results sometimes.

Shape hints indicate that a specific part of the original shape should become a specific part of the transformed shape.

Shape hints force Flash to use a less efficient tween, so the processor gets bogged down pretty quickly.

Adding Shape Hints

Shape hints must be added to the first keyframe of the tween. They must be individually positioned on both the first and last keyframe. There can be up to 26 hints per tween (each is labelled with a letter). Use as few shape hints as possible to achieve the desired effect.

1. Select your first keyframe
2. Modify > Shape > Add Shape Hint
3. Position on the first keyframe
4. Go to the final keyframe and position the hint. Click away from the shape, and you'll see that the hint becomes green, and that the hint on the first keyframe is now yellow. The color change indicates that both hints are successfully added.
5. Add addition shape hints in a counter-clockwise direction if possible

Removing Shape Hints

To remove one, drag off stage. To remove all, Modify > Shape > Remove All Hints