Adobe Flash/Animate

Explore Flash and Animate as interchangeable tools for graphics, animation, and interactivity. Learn the history, capabilities for short films and games, and Action Script 3.

Explore Adobe Animate, formerly Flash, a 2d animation tool for films, e-cards, and interactive games, with limited 3d and integration with Photoshop and Illustrator.

Learn frame-by-frame animation in Adobe Flash by creating a bouncing ball sequence, setting up a guide layer, using onion skinning, inserting frames, and exploring straight-ahead and pose-to-pose techniques.

Learn frame-by-frame animation in flash, choosing on ones, twos, or threes at 24 fps, using holds, onion skinning, and in-betweens to craft smooth motion and timing.

Learn to animate with symbols by turning drawings into a symbol-based bouncing ball with squash and stretch, using the library, registration point, and symbol types (movie clip, graphic, button).

learn to create and name symbols like movie clips and buttons, and compare their properties with graphics. use the timeline to insert keyframes and apply tweens for motion.

Learn to animate a ball along a guide path using symbols in Adobe Flash/Animate, with guides, snapping, keyframes, classic tween, and squash and stretch for believable motion.

Explore classic, motion, and shape tweening in Flash by creating symbols and drawings, inserting keys, and adjusting position, rotation, scale, and easing to control motion curves.

Nest symbols to place animations inside symbols, such as a button with a hover shine. Build movie clip or graphic symbols using timelines and frames, and compose them inside symbols.

Import Illustrator graphics into Animate, convert layers to symbols, manage stage or library imports, and handle gradient mesh vs bitmap for puppet parts.

Learn how to import graphics into Animate, convert parts into symbols, reuse components, and prepare frame-by-frame animation with symbolized mouths, ears, and textures, including masking techniques.

Use masks to keep the pupil inside the eye and move with the head for frame-by-frame eye animation. Master masking techniques for puppets in Flash and streamline your workflow.

Explore how to use the Adobe Animate camera to create parallax scrolling, zooms, and rotations with keyframes and tweens. Learn to layer backgrounds and apply color effects for cohesive scenes.

Organize parallax scenes with layered objects and locked layers, and add trunk and leaf details for depth. Apply gradients, fills, and gradient transforms to simulate movement at varying distances.

Learn how to rotoscope by tracing over a live-action video imported into Flash, adjust the timeline and alpha for clear reference, and export using Adobe Media Encoder.

Trace over the imported video in Flash, using a reference layer and ruffs on separate layers, while adjusting opacity, color, and brush pressure for consistent, scalable rotoscoping.

Master rotoscoping techniques by adding in-between frames with onion skinning, tracing from reference video, and using smears and frame rate decisions to ensure smooth motion in 24 fps animation.

Explore rotoscoping with live-action references, using onion skinning and extreme poses first to keep frame-to-frame consistency, then gradually in-between frames while staying close to the source.

Explore rotoscoping techniques by tracing from live actors’ footage and selectively deviating for stylistic goals, while blocking out a character’s head, joints, and limbs to preserve motion.

Master rotoscoping techniques in Flash/Animate by tracking head turns, maintaining consistent snout and jaw proportions, using layers (ruffs), white boxes, and onion skin to refine motion and expression.

Learn how to create puppets in Flash, weighing frame-by-frame versus puppet animation, manage time and detail, and build reusable parts with gesture sketches, anchors, and perspective considerations.

Design a character in a side profile, then plan a puppet by outlining removable pieces, such as head, hair, neck, eyes, and limbs, with proper layering and movement.

Design and animate a puppet by segmenting character parts into separate layers, including arms, head, eyes, mouth, and hair, while managing front and back layering, inks, and expressions.

Continue with creating a puppet in Adobe Animate, organize moving parts on separate layers, clean up lines, remove artifacts, convert pieces to symbols, and place anchor points for natural rotation.

Set up a puppet rig in Adobe Animate by configuring anchor points on the head, chest, hips, and limbs, adjust rotation, and create back views for testing with an animation.

Test a rigged puppet with a basic walk cycle to verify mechanics, spot flaws, and plan minimal interchangeable parts for mouth and eyes.

Learn how to build a walk cycle for a puppet in flash animate, focusing on contact, weight transfer, and passing poses, plus classic tween, keyframes, and loop playback.

Learn to refine puppet animation in Adobe Flash/Animate by fixing foot overlap and pelvis issues. Adjust frames for smooth, continuous motion and manage parts with symbols and timelines.

rig a puppet in Adobe Animate by setting keyframes, anchors, and guides to control arms and legs, create seamless looping motion with classic tweens and frame adjustments.

Learn to integrate a walk cycle into a parallax scrolling scene by converting animation into a graphic symbol, nesting symbols, and applying motion tweens in Flash/Animate.

Compare ActionScript 3 and HTML5 canvas to decide video export or web interactivity; AS3 suits video and games but hurts SEO and mobile; HTML5 canvas with JavaScript excels.

Explore text in Adobe Flash/Animate, including static, dynamic, and input text, and learn to name instances, create buttons, and manage typography with embedded fonts, kerning, tracking, and alignment.

Learn to design interactive text in flash, applying drop shadow, inner shadow, knockout, and bevel, and connect a button to update dynamic text from user input using action script.

Create a code-driven animation in Adobe Flash/Animate by turning shapes into movie clip symbols, using registration points and keyboard and mouse input.

Create and animate a three-quarter puppet to speak dialogue, plan gestures first, and sync mouth movement with head pose to keep the character expressive when the mouth is not visible.

Animate dialogue by creating readable lip-sync with multi-frame mouth shapes, insert keyframes, and symbol swaps. Align head, eyes, and brows with body timing, and manage interchangeable parts for efficient animation.

Master controlling the Flash timeline and movie clips with go to and play or stop, jump to frames or labels, and switch graphics to movie clips for interactive scenes.

Build a chick puppet for an interactive e-card using movie clips and buttons that respond to user interaction and change position, then design an idle state.

Create an interactive eCard by turning the chick into a button, adding idle and hover states, eye and beak animations, and frame-based tweens to respond to user clicks and mouse-overs.

Design an interactive ecard by editing keyframes and symbols in Flash, using insert key, removing classic tween, and building hover states and a chick dance sequence.

Create an interactive ecard by making a symbol follow the cursor, hiding the mouse, and ensuring the clip doesn't block interactions while adding text and decorations.

Explore Flash's interface, animation, and interactive abilities to understand its use across projects. Identify whether you focus on animation, illustration, or script programming, or interactive content, and experiment with lessons.