Chapter 11: Timeline Animation

Overview

In This Chapter

Animating frame by frame

Editing multiple frames and using Onion skinning

Working with Shape tweens

Adding Shape Hints

Applying Motion tweens

Using Easing to enhance animation

Optimizing and integrating multiple sequences

In this chapter, we discuss the basic methods and tools used to create animations in Flash. Animation is the process of creating the illusion of movement or change over time. Animation can be the movement of an item from one place to another, or it can be a change of color over a period of time. The change can also be a morph, or change, from one shape to another. Any change of either position or appearance that occurs over time is animation. In Flash, changing the contents of successive frames (over a period of time) creates animation. This can include any or all of the changes we have mentioned, in any combination.

Note 

Animation is possible without extending Flash content beyond one frame, but this requires you to apply transformations to graphics using ActionScript commands and/or mathematical equations that are executed by code rather than triggered by the Flash timeline. We suggest you use The Flash 8 ActionScript Bible (Wiley, 2006) as a companion to this book when you are ready to go to the next level with your Flash projects.