Teach on Udemy

Turn what you know into an opportunity and reach millions around the world.

Learn More

Your cart is empty.

Keep shopping

Basics of Adobe Animate for Animators

Learn how to draw, rig and animate a cartoon car in Adobe Animate

Created byCristina Zoica Dumitru

Last updated 10/2024

English

What you'll learn

Fundamentals of Adobe Animate
How to draw using the primitive drawing tools
How to rig using the parenting system
How to animate with the cut-out and motion tweening
How to animate in several passes
How to work with the Timeline
How to export the final animation

Course content

5 sections • 10 lectures • 2h 43m total length

Forward Note5:35
A short note about the context of this course as a preview of a longer journey in learning 2D animation.

Scene Setup and Drawing27:21
OBJECTIVE
In this lesson you’ll learn how to draw a cartoon car in Adobe Animate. You’ll learn how to use the primitive drawing tools, how to create new layers and how to work with shape objects vs group objects. At the end of this lesson you'll have a car drawing object created from multiple drawing groups, all placed on one main layer.
TOOLS AND OPERATIONS
Stage Properties
Object Properties
Free Transform tool
Zoom tool
Rectangle tool
Selection tool
Sub-Selection tool
Anchor Points
LESSON CHAPTERS
Overview and the goal of the lesson
Scene setup, creating and saving the file
Scene setup, importing a reference image, creating/renaming a new Layer
Tools and objects
Shapes drawing and drawing groups
Completing the car drawing

Rigging Step 1. Layering11:44
OBJECTIVE
In this lesson you’ll learn how to break-up a group drawing into multiple layers where each layer represents a body part of the car. At the end of this lesson you’ll have a layering system with a naming convention.
TOOLS AND OPERATIONS
Distribute to Layers
Paste in Place
Show and Hide Layers
Timeline Folder
LESSON CHAPTERS
Overview and the goal of the lesson
Layers distribution Method 1. Automatic distribution
Layers distribution Method 2. Manual distribution
Cut and paste special, pasting a drawing in place
Show and hide multiple layers at the same time
Rearranging the order of the layers in the timeline
Create a folder layer for organizational purposes
Rigging Step 2. Hierarchy Setup20:17
OBJECTIVE
In this lesson you’ll learn how to create a cut-out rig setup for the car as a parent-child hierarchy, which is acts like relationship system between the multiple layers. At the end of this lesson you’ll have an animatable rig with several animation controls ready for the animation process.
TOOLS AND OPERATIONS
Change Layer Outline
Color, Parenting View
Convert to Graphic Symbol
Library Objects
LESSON CHAPTERS
Overview and the goal of the lesson
Changing layer outline colour
Creating animation controls
Creating the parent-child hierarchy for the animation controls
Conversion to graphic symbols and library visualization
Setting up the pivot points
Testing the rig

Animation Step 1. Distance vs Time12:18
OBJECTIVE
In this lesson you’ll learn how to set up the first keys in the timeline, the process is called motion tweening and it represents the overall transition in the screen space. you’ll have the car traveling the screen from left to right, in 2 seconds. At the end of this lesson, you’ll have the timeline as the first pass of the animation.
TOOLS AND OPERATIONS
Layer Properties Label
Insert Frame
Insert Keyframe
Motion Tween
LESSON CHAPTERS
Overview and the goal of the lesson
Reviewing the current scene setup
Creating label notes in the timeline
Transforming the drawing layers into motion tween layers
Setting the start and end position of the car
Animation Step 2. Jump Over Obstacle17:23
OBJECTIVE
In this lesson you’ll learn how to block the car jump over obstacles. This action involves anticipating the jump, the air time and then getting back into the normal cruise. The entire length of the animation is 2 seconds, 24 FPS. At the end of this lesson, you’ll have the timeline as the second pass of the animation.
TOOLS AND OPERATIONS
Insert a Keyframe
Clear a Keyframe
Auto Insert Keyframe
LESSON CHAPTERS
Overview and the goal of the lesson
Blocking the length of the jump
Posing the car: anticipation, air time, recoil
Enhancing the anticipation
Enhancing the recoil
Enhancing the air time
Animation Step 3. Contacts and Weight16:05
OBJECTIVE
In this lesson you’ll learn how to enhance the weight of the car during the jump sequence. This action involves creating squashing and stretching the wheels during the contact moments. The entire length of the animation is 2 seconds, 24 FPS. At the end of this lesson, you’ll have the timeline as the 3rd pass of the animation.
TOOLS AND OPERATIONS
Moving Keys in the Timeline
Copy / Paste Special Keyframe
LESSON CHAPTERS
Overview and the goal of the lesson
Adjusting the current timeline
Contact moments for enhancing the weight of the car
Recovering the weight of the car
Animation Step 4. Wheels Deformation19:41
OBJECTIVE
In this lesson you’ll learn how to enhance the momentum and inertia of the car during the jump over an obstacle. This enhancement involves working with all the body parts at the same time by adding in-sync keys. The entire length of the animation remains the same 2 seconds, 24 FPS. At the end of this lesson, you’ll have the timeline as the 4th pass of the animation.
TOOLS AND OPERATIONS
Auto Insert Keyframe
Frame-by-frame Keying
Motion Editor
Motion Graphs
LESSON CHAPTERS
Overview and the goal of the lesson
The physics behind the deformations
Exaggerating the anticipation moment
Exaggerating the impact moment
Exaggerating the airtime moment
Using motion graphs
Animation Step. 5 Finalising the Animation27:36
OBJECTIVE
In this lesson you’ll finalize the animation by polishing it a bit more. You’ll also learn to enhance the impact moment by adding a dust trail effect behind the car. The entire length of the animation remains the same 2 seconds, 24 FPS. At the end of this lesson, you’ll have the timeline as the 5th pass of the animation.
TOOLS AND OPERATIONS
Copy Key Properties
Paste Key Properties Special
LESSON CHAPTERS
Overview and the goal of the lesson
Cleaning the impact after the jump
Exaggerating the jump
Creating a dust effect
Final animation

Requirements

Curiosity in being introduced to 2D Animation
No prior experience with the software
No prior experience with animation in general

Description

ABOUT THE COURSE

Basics of Adobe Animate is a concise introductory course in 2D animation, focusing on the tools and workflows behind cut-out animation. In this course, you will complete a single practical exercise where you’ll learn to draw, rig, and animate a cartoony car. The final animation will be 2 seconds long, with a frame rate of 24 FPS.

The aim of this course is to guide students through the process of cut-out animation, from a blank canvas to the finished sequence. This multi-pass workflow is essential for game animation, regardless of the animation style or character. By understanding the animation workflow within the software, you will discover that the animation process is progressive, built up in several steps.

Additionally, this course provides insights into cut-out rigging in relation to character animation. As 2D animators, we typically create our own setups and characters before bringing them to life through animation.

HOW TO APPROACH THE COURSE

The recordings are in real-time from start to finish, making it easy to follow along and work simultaneously. Each lesson begins with a brief introduction that outlines the lesson's goals and expected outcomes. You will also receive specific working files, including FLA files, to enhance your learning experience.

Throughout the course, I will explain the interface and tools as they are used, ensuring that you grasp their functionality at the right moment.

COURSE MODULES AND LESSONS

This course is divided into four sections, or modules. Each module will introduce essential tools and workflows through a practical exercise. In these exercises, you will create a 2-second animation featuring a cartoon car that travels across the screen and jumps over an obstacle.

Section 1. Forward Note

A short note about the longer journey in learning 2D animation.

Section 2. Scene Setup

Lesson 1. Scene Setup and Drawing

Section 3. Rigging

Lesson 2. Rigging Step 1. Layering
Lesson 3. Rigging Step 2. Hierarchy Setup

Section 4. Animation

Lesson 4. Animation Step 1. Distance vs Time
Lesson 5. Animation Step 2. Jump Over Obstacle
Lesson 6. Animation Step 3. Contacts and Weight
Lesson 7. Animation Step 4. Wheels Deformation
Lesson 8. Animation Step 5. Finalizing the Animation

Section 5. Export

Lesson 9. Export the Final Animation

WORKING FILES:

The animation exercise is developed with each lesson, and a new FLA file is saved for each corresponding lesson.

1 JPG reference sheet for drawing
2 JPG reference sheets for Adobe Animate interface and common shortcuts
8 FLA files saved as progressively with each lesson
Exported animation in multiple file formats, SWF and MP4

Who this course is for:

Total beginners with 2D animation
Total beginners with Adobe Animate
Students in animation and game design
Anyone intrested in leaning 2D animation
Anyone intrested in getting familiar with Adobe Animate

Basics of Adobe Animate for Animators

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Forward Note1 lecture • 6min

Scene Setup1 lecture • 27min

Rigging2 lectures • 32min

Animation5 lectures • 1hr 33min

Export1 lecture • 6min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: