All About Macromedia

Flash

Adobe Flash (formerly called Macromedia Flash and Shockwave Flash) is a multimedia and software platform used for creating vector graphics, animation, browser games, rich Internet applications, desktop applications, mobile applications and mobile games. Flash displays text, vector and raster graphics to provide animations, video games and applications. It allows streaming of audio and video, and can capture mouse, keyboard, microphone and camera input.

Various common used animation techniques in macromedia flash 8

1. Frame by frame

The simplest style of animation in all series of macromedia flash. This animation technique is used by either beginners or experts. The animation changes the contents of the Stage in every frame and is best suited to a complex animation in which an image changes in every frame instead of simply moving across the Stage. However, This type of animation increases the file size more rapidly than tweened animation because Flash stores the values for each keyframe.

          Steps to create a simple frame by frame animation:

1.   Draw the object of own desire at one blank keyframe

2.   Insert a keyframe(F6) and move the object slowly to a direction (i.e. draw a head moving in motion(see picture below))

 

2.                 Motion Tween

Animation technique  that helps you to save time because it helps you to make the object move in a motion of one direction with the desired frame.

                 To make animation with motion tween, you:

1.   Select your artwork, and then right/Control-click and choose Create Motion Tween (see Figure 20). Click OK to convert the instance into a movie clip. Optionally, you can rename the symbol in the Library.

3.              Shape tween

Similar functions like the motion tween, but used to change one shape to another, or a shape to a text.

4.                   Masking

Masking are used for spotlight effects and transitions, use a mask layer to create a hole through which underlying layers are visible. A mask item can be a filled shape, a type object, an instance of a graphic symbol, or a movie clip. Group multiple layers under a single mask layer to create sophisticated effects.

          Steps to make masking:

1.   To create a mask layer, place a mask item on the layer to use as a mask.

5. Motion guide

A technique used in order to guide the tweened object to move as you desire.

          Steps to make motion tween with motion guide:

1.   On the tweened object frame, insert a motion guide.

2.   On the motion guide, create lines of direction you want the object to move to

3.   Insert keyframe at the end of the tweened object on the motion guide frame