Flash MX 2004 Layers and Animation Explained

By Oleg Lazarenko
2005-03-15


Flash MX 2004 Layers and Animation Explained
This tutorial is for people who want to know the basic techniques of layers manipulation and animation creating.

a. Launch Flash MX 2004

b. Create new Flash file. Click File > New...




c. Select Flash Document in a new window




d. Now let's take closer look at the panels you get by default in your Flash program window. The "Timeline" (at the top of the window) and "Properties" (at the bottom) panels are most important in this tutorial.





e. Basic operations with layers: add a layer and rename it.
To add a new layer click the "Insert Layer" icon



To rename a layer, double click a default layer name (for example "Layer 1" label) and when it changes to the text input field type in your new name. Name Layer 1 to "Shape" and Layer 2 to "Motion". There are two types of animation available in Macromedia Flash MX 2004: Shape and Motion. Inside the "Shape" layer we will make Shape animation and inside "Motion" layer – Motion animation.
When you use Shape animation you change one shape to another and Motion animation allows you to change the place and size of single object. You will see what I mean after we complete the tutorial.



f. We start with the Motion animation. Select "Motion" layer and draw a simple rectangle shape in it, then count 10 blank frames from the first keyframe and right click on the 10th blank frame. Select "Insert Keyframe" option (picture A). Now you have 2 keyframes and 8 frames in the "Motion" layer (picture B).



Picture A.



Picture B.

g. Click on the shape, drag and drop it on the other place anywhere on the working area.




Tutorial Pages:
» Flash MX 2004 Layers and Animation Explained
» Layers & Animation Cont'd

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