MOTION & SHAPE TWEENING

A guided motion tween is dictated by a path. It requires two layers—one for the path, and the other for the symbol (see guide layers).

Place your symbol on the stage in the keyframe where you want the action to start. Then click on the “create motion guide layer” button at the bottom of the timeline. That layer must appear directly above the one on which you want the motion to occur. (You can always click and drag a layer to change its stacking order.)

On the motion guide layer, use the pencil tool to draw the path you want your symbol to follow. Remember you can adjust the curves with the arrow tool, and smooth things in general with Modify > curves. Create a last keyframe for this layer, so your symbol knows where to end up. Lock the layer so it’s out of the way.

In the first frame of the animation layer, place your symbol so its registration mark is at the beginning of the path. Click the magnet in the tools palette to make this snap nicely.

Create a keyframe where you want to action to stop and drag your symbol to the end of the line you drew in the guide layer. Make sure the registration point snaps to the end of the line.
Select the first frame of your action layer and choose “create motion tween” from the properties palette, or put your cursor over the first frame in the layer and click and hold until you get the popdown menu.

Play the movie with the controller to see if it worked!
There are several ways to create visual interest with color, size rotation and so forth.

Changing these behaviors between your first and last keyframes is quite simple. Select a frame where you want the transition to end (it will start with your first keyframe, automatically).

To change the size of your symbol, click once on a keyframe and use the scale tool to resize the symbol. Remember that as things get smaller, they tend to create the illusion of being farther away.

To make the symbol a different color, more or less transparent, or lighter or darker, click on the symbol itself to access the properties palette where these can be specified. Remember, an alpha of 0% is totally transparent.

Click on a keyframe and use the properties palette to set a symbol to follow the path direction in a motion tween, or to rotate.

You can adjust the speed of any tween you make with the “ease in” or “ease out” command in the properties palette. Easing in starts the tween slowly, and easing out ends the tween slowly.

Motion tweening isn’t always about something moving in a line or along a path. There may be occasions when you want something to spin for instance. You would insert 3 or 4 keyframes between the first and last keyframe, and rotate the symbol manually. Believe me, this is tedious. It is the only way, however, to get something to rotate less than 360º. The trick is to make sure the registration point is where you want the rotation to center around.

motion guide

start motion

end motion

Shape tweening is the final option available. In the case of shape tweening, you definitely CAN’T use symbols. You must use ungrouped objects.

Draw an object in the first keyframe and manipulate it into a different shape in the last keyframe, or simply draw a second object in the last frame.

Click on the first frame and select “shape” from the tween options in the properties palette. Note that instead of a nice periwinkle blue tint to the frames, they’re now green. This is so you can tell the difference between motion and shape tweens.

It is extremely helpful to use onion skinning to position the first object in relation to the final object.

As with motion tweening, keep different shape tweens on different layers

shape tween timeline

firstframe

last frame

MOTION & SHAPE TWEENING A guided motion tween is dictated by a path. It requires two layers—one for the path, and the other for the symbol (see guide layers). Place your symbol on the stage in the keyframe where you want the action to start. Then click on the “create motion guide layer” button at the bottom of the timeline. That layer must appear directly above the one on which you want the motion to occur. (You can always click and drag a layer to change its stacking order.) On the motion guide layer, use the pencil tool to draw the path you want your symbol to follow. Remember you can adjust the curves with the arrow tool, and smooth things in general with Modify > curves. Create a last keyframe for this layer, so your symbol knows where to end up. Lock the layer so it’s out of the way.
In the first frame of the animation layer, place your symbol so its registration mark is at the beginning of the path. Click the magnet in the tools palette to make this snap nicely. Create a keyframe where you want to action to stop and drag your symbol to the end of the line you drew in the guide layer. Make sure the registration point snaps to the end of the line. Select the first frame of your action layer and choose “create motion tween” from the properties palette, or put your cursor over the first frame in the layer and click and hold until you get the popdown menu. Play the movie with the controller to see if it worked! There are several ways to create visual interest with color, size rotation and so forth. Changing these behaviors between your first and last keyframes is quite simple. Select a frame where you want the transition to end (it will start with your first keyframe, automatically). To change the size of your symbol, click once on a keyframe and use the scale tool to resize the symbol. Remember that as things get smaller, they tend to create the illusion of being farther away. To make the symbol a different color, more or less transparent, or lighter or darker, click on the symbol itself to access the properties palette where these can be specified. Remember, an alpha of 0% is totally transparent. Click on a keyframe and use the properties palette to set a symbol to follow the path direction in a motion tween, or to rotate. You can adjust the speed of any tween you make with the “ease in” or “ease out” command in the properties palette. Easing in starts the tween slowly, and easing out ends the tween slowly. Motion tweening isn’t always about something moving in a line or along a path. There may be occasions when you want something to spin for instance. You would insert 3 or 4 keyframes between the first and last keyframe, and rotate the symbol manually. Believe me, this is tedious. It is the only way, however, to get something to rotate less than 360º. The trick is to make sure the registration point is where you want the rotation to center around.
Shape tweening is the final option available. In the case of shape tweening, you definitely CAN’T use symbols. You must use ungrouped objects. Draw an object in the first keyframe and manipulate it into a different shape in the last keyframe, or simply draw a second object in the last frame. Click on the first frame and select “shape” from the tween options in the properties palette. Note that instead of a nice periwinkle blue tint to the frames, they’re now green. This is so you can tell the difference between motion and shape tweens. It is extremely helpful to use onion skinning to position the first object in relation to the final object. As with motion tweening, keep different shape tweens on different layers