Intro to tweening in Flash

What is tweening?

• Flash will automatically animate the changes to elements between a set of beginning and an ending keyframes.
• Efficient workflow
• smaller files than in frame-by-frame animation where each frame has be redrawn.
• If tweening symbols, symbol only downloaded one time, then changed by changes in algorithm.
• Renders changes in size, shape, color, position, & rotation
• if image in beginning and/or ending keyframe is changed, Flash renders the changes in the tweened frames automatically
• When drawing objects to tween, toggle to Object Drawing to produce drawings that can be motion or shape tweened.
  • Drawings do not need to be in symbol library to motion tween.
  • Dreamweaver generates tween symbols automatically

Two kinds of tweening

Motion Tweening

• Primarily for elements that are symbols and exist in the symbol library
• shape primitives not in symbol library can be tweened
• Dreamweaver automatically generates a tween graphic symbol in the symbol library for a motion tween.
• Elements that can be motion tweened
  • Groups
  • Symbols
  • Drawing objects
  • Editable text
  • shape primitives
• Motion guide tweening tweens symbol on a guide line drawn on a guide layer
• mask tweening tweens symbol on a masked layer (only part of image on layer below that is underneath the masked image displays.
• Motion tweened frames are pale blue with a non-broken arrow between the beginning and ending keyframes.
• If the arrow line is broken, there is something wrong with tween, usually a missing end keyframe.

Shape tweening

• Morphs basic shapes or drawings on the stage that have NOT been converted to symbols
• morph one drawn shape to another drawn shape
• To morph other elements such as groups, instances, or bitmapped images, have to breat apart: Ctrl+B
• morph text that has been broken apart to shapes or to other text. Select element and click Modify>Break Apart or Ctrl+B
  • break apart single letters one time (Modify>Break apart)
  • Break apart text strings two times -- first to separate each letter from the others, then to break apart each letter
• Shape hints locate points on first image that should map to points on second image.
• Shape tweened frames are green with a non-broken arrow between the beginning and ending keyframes.