Motion Guides

Introduction


You first need to understand Motion Tweening before using a Motion Guide. You create a Motion Tween by defining properties for an instance, a grouped object, or text in a starting keyframe, and then changing the objects’s properties in a subsequent keyframe. Flash creates the animation from one keyframe to the next in the frames between the keyframes.

To create a Motion Tween, first make a symbol of what you want to be tweened. Then insert a new Keyframe in the same layer. Move the symbol to a different location or change something about it. Lastly, right-click on a frame in between (on the same layer) and click “Create Motion Tween”.

Creating a Motion Path


Motion guide layers let you draw paths along which tweened instances, groups, or text blocks can be animated. You can link multiple layers to a motion guide layer to have multiple objects follow the same path. A normal layer that is linked to a motion guide layer becomes a guided layer.

  • Create a motion-tweened animation sequence. If you select Orient to Path, the baseline of the tweened element orients to the motion path. If you select Snap, the registration point of the tweened element snaps to the motion path.
  • Do one of the following:

    • Select the layer containing the animation and select Insert > Timeline > Motion Guide.
    • Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Macintosh) the layer containing the animation and select Add Motion Guide from the context menu.










    NOTE

    Flash creates a new layer above the selected layer with a motion guide icon to the left of the layer name..

  • Use the Pen, Pencil, Line, Circle, Rectangle, or Brush tool to draw the desired path.
  • Snap the center to the beginning of the line in the first frame, and to the end of the line in the last frame.









    NOTE

    For best snapping results, drag the symbol by its registration point.

  • To hide the motion guide layer and the line so that only the object’s movement is visible while you work, click in the Eye column on the motion guide layer.
    The group or symbol follows the motion path when you play the animation.

Linking Layers to the Motion Guide Layer



  • Drag an existing layer below the motion guide layer. The layer is indented under the motion guide layer. All objects on this layer automatically snap to the motion path.
  • Create a new layer under the motion guide layer. Objects you tween on this layer are automatically tweened along the motion path.
  • Select a layer below a motion guide layer. Select Modify > Timeline > Layer Properties and select Guided in the Layer Properties dialog box.

Unlinking Layers



  1. Select the layer you want to unlink.
  2. Do one of the following:

    • Drag the layer above the motion guide layer.
    • Select Modify > Timeline > Layer Properties and select Normal as the layer type in the Layer Properties dialog box.





Practice:


  1. Go the class folder on the network and copy the folder called Motion Guides (in Tutorials) into your folder.

  2. Take a look at the examples in this folder.

  3. Then practice making your own motion guide and attach a symbol to it.

Taken from “Tweening motion along a path” under Using Flash on Flash Help.