Re: FLASH: dumbass question...

[Marc Hoffman, Poison Dart Frog Media]

At 09:17 PM 1/16/00 , you wrote:


>Arsis also offered.. but I'm nearning the end of the project, and the file

>size is too big to mail....

>

>  Thanks for the offers Cheri & Arsis..

>

>I found a work around for this particular project... but as soon as it's

>done, I'm going back to the motion guides....


Okay, here is the step-by-step, Dart Frog Media Motion Guide Tweening 

procedure. Not that I invented it; I'm sure others use a very similar 

method. But if you follow this, I guarantee it will work or your money back:


1) Start with a single symbol in its own layer. Make sure there is nothing 

else current in the layer, even a single stray pixel (to find such 

a  single pixel, zoom out and use Select All to force it to show itself);


2) Add the second keyframe down the timeline and move the symbol in that 

keyframe to its ending position;


3) Turn on the Snap tool (I believe this has not yet been mentioned and it 

is critical);


4) Right-click on the symbol's layer (in the name field) and choose Create 

Motion Guide;


5) It may be easiest to create the guide with all other layers locked. 

Personally, I like to begin with just a straight line from the center 

position of the symbol in the first keyframe to the center position of the 

symbol in the ending keyframe. make sure you're drawing in the motion guide 

layer, not the symbol layer, however. It's then pretty easy to use the 

arrow tool to bend the line the way you want it, adding nodes by hold the 

control key while dragging from a point close to the line (the line should 

not be selected, however, or you'll be moving it instead of modifying its 

shape);


6) If the symbol's layer is locked, now is the time to unlock it. Go to the 

first keyframe. Drag the object some distance away. Release it. Re-drag it 

and you will notice the center point has become a circle. Snap this circle 

to the starting point of the motion guide (the guide layer must be unlocked);


7) Do the same for the symbol in the end of the tween.


Flash4 has added some software intelligence that keeps the symbol snapped 

to the motion guide. Way back in the olden days we had to walk miles 

through the snow...no, wrong story. But it did use to be tougher!


Marc Hoffman


Poison Dart Frog Media: Specializing in Flash Animation and Digital Audio 

Production

Our latest Flash job is on display at <http://www.dartfrogmedia.com/rickfrnd>

See our Flash portfolio at <http://www.dartfrogmedia.com/sampler>

(featured in Flash 3 Web Animation, by Ken Milburn)




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