Shape Tweening & Motion Guides
- When creating a shape tween, you must always break apart the image to its simplest form. This may require using the Modify?Break Apart command twice.
- To get a bitmap in its simplest form, you may have to use the Modify?Trace Bitmap option.
- A shape tween requires two objects; the beginning shape/text and the ending shape/text. These should be in the same layer. Begin by inserting the first shape/text, then insert a blank keyframe (F7) in the frame where the second shape/text should be inserted.
- Shape hints should be used when necessary to direct the change of the shape.
To use shape hints:
- Select the first keyframe in a shape-tweened sequence.
- Choose Modify > Shape > Add Shape Hint.
- The beginning shape hint appears as a red circle with the letter a somewhere on the shape.
- Move the shape hint to a point that you want to mark.
- Select the last keyframe in the tweening sequence.
- The ending shape hint appears somewhere on the shape as a green circle with the letter.
- Move the shape hint to the point in the ending shape that should correspond to the first point you marked.
- Run the movie again to see how the shape hints change the shape tweening. Move the shape hints to fine-tune the tweening.
- Repeat this process to add additional shape hints. New hints appear with the letters that follow (b, c, and so on).
Motion Guides:
- Import/Create your object and make it a symbol.
- Create a motion tween using the object from step 1.
- Right-click on the layer containing the object and select Add Motion Guide.
- In the Guide layer, use the pencil tool to draw the desired path.
- Drag the symbol in the first keyframe and snap it to the beginning of the guide. Drag the symbol in the last keyframe and snap it to the end of the guide. To ensure the snap feature will work properly, click on the View menu and make sure Snap to Objects is checked.
Now the object should follow the path in the Motion Guide layer. The guide layer will not be visible in the Test Movie mode.
Motion Guide Tips:
- With the motion tween layer selected, check the Orient to Path box in the properties panel. This will make a more natural movement along the path.
- Setting the Ease property in the properties panel for the motion tween will also help the movement to look more natural. Negative values mean the object will start out slowly and accelerate. A positive value will cause the object to begin moving quickly, then decelerate.