Bitmaps in Flash

Using Imported Bitmaps

Bitmaps (JPEGs, GIFs, PNGs) greatlly increase filesize

Can import bitmaps into Flash, directly onto movie stage, or into a symbol.

Trace Bitmap

• This command changes a bitmap into a native Flash graphic with discrete areas of color that you can edit.
• It affects the way the bitmap looks, depending on the settings
• Bitmaps with areas of flat color (e.g., GIFs) yield smallest vector-based images.
• separates vectorized image from bitmap you imported that sits in library
  
• If you want photo to look like original (and yield much larger file size), choose
  • low color threshold
  • low minimum area
  • Curve fit to pixels
  • Corner threshold: many corners

Trace Bitmap

• This command changes a bitmap into a native Flash graphic with discrete areas of color that you can edit.
• It affects the way the bitmap looks, depending on the settings
• Bitmaps with areas of flat color (e.g., GIFs) yield smallest vector-based images.
• separates vectorized image from bitmap you imported that sits in library
  
• If you want photo to look like original (and yield much larger file size), choose
  • low color threshold
  • low minimum area
  • Curve fit to pixels
  • Corner threshold: many corners

Do Modify>Bitmap>Trace Bitmap to open Trace Bitmap dialog box. Trace Bitmap Settings

• Color Threshold
  • Default is 100, range between 0 and 500
  • Compares RGB codes of adjacent pixels to value entered
  • averages the colors based on this setting + Minimum Area
  • lower settings delivers more colors & bigger files
• Minimum area
  • The radius in pixels which Color Threshold uses to determine what color to assign to center pixel
  • Default is 8
  • range is 1 to 1000
  • low minimum area will make vectoirzed image look more like bitmap
• Curve Fit
  • Determines how smoothly outlines are drawn
  • Very tight is for shapes that are complex and angular
  • Very smooth is for shapes that are smooth
• Corner Threshold
  • Determines how sharp edges are handled
  • Many corners retains edges.
  • Few corners smooth edges

Try it

• Insert a new graphic symbol (CTRL+F8)
• Import flamingo-clip-art.gif onto the symbol editing screen that appears
• Click Modify>bitmap>trace bitmap to vectorize him
  • Color threshold: 100
  • Minimum area: 8 pixels
  • Curve fit: Very Smooth
  • Corners: Many Corners
• Click OK
  
• Deselect the image
• If there is any white flat area around the image, select it by clicking on the lasoo tool, and selecting the magic wand at the bottom of the toolbox. Use it to select the background, and delete it with the delete key.
• Now you can put the symbol into your movie and use motion tween to animate it, change color, size, etc., just like you did other drawn vectorized shapes
• Try putting it in the movie and transforming it into larger size. As vectorized image, doesn't get pixelated.
• The gif is from I heart clipart.com

Break Apart -Modify>Break Apart or Ctrl+B

• Breaks a bitmap (or text) into its component parts
• These parts are no longer linked to original symbol stored in library
• Once you break apart a bitmap you can delete parts of it you don't want to use
• Can also use bitmaps to create fills or in shape tweening (morphing)

Break apart text ]

• turns text into a graphic that can no longer be edited with text tool
• if one letter, apply break apart one time
• if more than one letter, have to break apart two times

See the difference when you explode the text

• Create a symbol with several letters text
• Break apart one time
• Apply the Insert>Timeline Effects>Effects Explode effect to the text.
• Create a second symbol with several letters text
• Break the text apart 2 times to turn it into a graphic symbol
• Apply the same Explode effect.
• What is the difference?