Fall 2007 week 6 afternoon—10/24

Hi class,
If you haven't checked my links to the right side of these postings yet, do so when you have time. I have been putting them up gradually, compiling a list of my interests and some of which I think (I hope) may also interest you.

The top section contains links to art, animation, and computer oriented selections, so check them out and let me know what you think. Last night, Javier, a student in our class, gave me a new link with a fun animation. It is the top item, and I welcome any other ideas. If you have any suggestions of animations, or interesting computer art or designs, please let me know. The second section contains links to news and politics, another interest of mine; and, this being an election year (only 2 weeks away), they contain some timely information for us when it comes to voting. And finally, the last selection contains links to my other class blogs. Check those out too if you want.

Although I was a bit disappointed in the number of students who brought work to class in our class, it seems you guys have a pretty good handle on what we're doing in here. I'm sure, however, that you need a lot of practice on how to make stars as we did in the last class. So, although you all seem to know pretty much what to do you just have to sit down and do it!. For those of you who are having trouble, take a look at the drawings of your classmates to get ideas or a better understanding. There are some very nice ones.

Please class, don't take these things lightly. We will be beginning our animations this week, and using what you produce each week starting now. This is the start of the second half of the semester, the time when we really get into creating our animations. I am very eager to see your work. Some of you are really diving in, and this is very exciting for me. I'll help you as much as I can to get your animations to be what you want.

1. TOPICS:
   
   1. LINK   Drawing Examples: Trees & Clouds
      
      • LINK   more on using Symbols
        
      • LINK   Composing a Setting: a Landscape
        
      • LINK   more on using Layers
        
      • LINK   more on Scaling Objects: Foreground & Background
        
      • LINK   more on Symbol Effects: the fading, hazy distance
        
      
      
   2. LINK   Movie-Clips versus Graphics: Dynamic versus Static;
      
      • LINK   Creating a Movie-Clip Symbol;
        
      • LINK   Nesting Symbols: Graphic Symbols within Movie-Clip Symbols;
        
      • LINK   Animating a Movie-Clip Symbol: Shining Star;
        
      • LINK   Animating a Movie-Clip Symbol: Floating Note;
        
      
      
   
   
2. HOMEWORK:This week, work on your mid-term projects, due next week, which consist of the following:
   
   • File 1: characters.fla—All of your characters from the storyboard drawn in flash in the same movie and converted into symbols.
     
   • File 2: frame1.fla—Draw frame 1 or 2 from the storyboard in flash. Each object should be a symbol and in its own layer.
     
   • File 3: frame5.fla—Draw frame 5 from the storyboard in flash. Once again, each object should be a symbol and in its own layer.
     
   
   
   
3. STORYBOARD: below you will find links to each of the pages of the storyboard containing 3-frames each. Your animation MUST follow along with this storyboard. If you wish to make changes, please feel free to do so; however, you must RE-DRAW the frames of the storyboard that you wish to be different. To do this, all you need to do is sketch them out by hand and show them to me.
   
   • LINK   Frames 1-3
     
   • LINK   Frames 4-6
     
   • LINK   Frames 7-9
     
   • LINK   Frames 10-12
     
   • LINK   Frames 13-15
     
   • LINK   Frames 16-18
     
   • LINK   Frames 19-21
     
   • LINK   Frames 22-24
     
   • LINK   Frames 25-27
     
   • LINK   Frames 28-30
     
   • LINK   Frames 31-33—not yet complete.
     
   
    
   
4. SIMPLE DRAWING EXERCISES:
   

   Last week in class we put some of our flash skills—drawing, creating symbols, creating new layers—to work for us in creating an actual drawing, creating an actual scene of something recognizable, a landscape. To the right here, you will see a series of images of a couple things might go into creating a simple landscape, a cloud and a tree.
   Last week in class we put some of our flash skills--drawing, creating symbols, creating new layers--to work for us in creating an actual drawing, creating an actual scene of something recognizable, a landscape. To the right here, you will see a series of images of a couple things might go into creating a simple landscape, a cloud and a tree.

   
    
   
   1. Creating a simple Graphic Symbol:
      
      1. Once you draw your cloud or tree, it should be converted to a symbol (F8) like many of the other much more simple objects we have draw thus far, ovals and rectangles mostly.
         
      2. To do so, after you have drawn your cloud, for instance, you must choose the selection tool (V) and select the entire cloud.
         
      3. Then select F8, convert to symbol.
         
      4. Give it the name cloud, select graphic for behavior and then click okay.
         
      5. Now you will see that it has a blue box around it when it is selected. If you de-select by selecting escape or by clicking on the background somewhere, you will see the blue box disappears.
         
      6. One thing you should remember is that since the cloud is now a symbol, you must not double-click on it, as this will take you into symbol-edit mode for the cloud.
         
      7. If you do wish to edit your symbol, then do double-click on it; however, you must remember to exit symbol-edit mode by clicking on Scene 1 in the upper-lefthand corner of the window.
         
      8. If you select F11 or ctrl-L the Library will open up. To close, you simply select F11 orctrl-Lagain. Once open, you will see a smaller representation of your circle symbol there. If there are more symbols, you will see them all listed there. Here is where your symbols are stored. What is on the stage is known as a symbol instance. It is like a clone, or a copy of what is in the library. Symbol instances may be deleted from the stage without affecting the symbol in the library. However, take great care of your symbols in the library. Do not delete the symbols from the library if you are using them in your movie. If you delete the symbols in the library, they will also be deleted from the entire movie.
         
      9. You may use as many symbol instances as you need. All you need to do is drag an instance from the library onto the stage.
         
      10. After you draw the tree, you should do the same and convert it into a symbol too (F8).
          
      
       
      
   2. Creating a Simple Landscape:
      

      If you haven't drawn your tree or cloud yet, or if you have not yet converted them into symbols, then look at the above exercise to do so first: LINK Once you have created your symbols, make sure that for now you have only one instance of each of them on the stage. Click one time on the tree and cloud to make sure they are symbols. If the blue box appears around them when they are selected, then they are probably symbols. Next, look in your library (ctrl-L) and make certain both symbols are there. If so, then you're all set, so delete both of them from the stage, but careful not to delete them from the library. Next, in the timeline, double-click where it says layer 1 and type the name ground Then, choose the rectangle tool (R) and draw a rectangle over the bottom part of the stage. Adjust the fill and stroke colors of the rectangle if you need to.

      
       
      
   3. Manipulating Layers:

      When creating an animation, it is important to put different objects on different layers, to segregate your content. This is important for several reasons, but primarily because there must only be one symbol per layer when using motion tweens. Now, lock the ground layer and add a new layer. Name this new layer, hills. Choose the line tool (N) and draw two diagonal lines above the ground rectangle as shown in the picture below. Continuing with the line tool (N) and starting with the end points of those two diagonal lines, draw a box over the ground rectangle. Once you do this, choose the selection tool (V) convert those two diagonal lines into curves. And continuing with the line tool (N), stretch the end of the lines so that they attach to each other to form a kind of upside-down W. Choose a new fill color and then, using the paint-bucket tool (K), fill in the two shapes with different colors. Notice that the one on the left is a little darker than the one on the right. Since we are creating a landscape, and since these are hills, it is good to note that as things get further away, they appear to get lighter. This is why the hill on the right is lighter than the hill on the left, because it is further away. Now, lock the hills layer, and create a new layer called mountains. With the line tool (N) draw a zig-zag line to mimic the outline of distant mountans. Further with the line tool (N) draw a box that connects the end points of the mountain lines and over-laps the hills. Choose a couple of light fill colors and using the paint-bucket tool (K), color in the mountains. Now, lock the mountains layer, and create a new layer called clouds. Open the, library (F11 or ctrl-L), and there you will see your cloud symbol. Drag several, cloud instances, from the library onto the stange. Change the size and shapeof the clouds using the free-transform tool (Q). Make certain they are small as they are in the background and far away. Lock all of the layers. Then, rearrange the layers to the following order: top-ground, 2nd-hills, 3rd-mountains, and bottom-clouds. Next, unlock the groundlayer. Using the selection tool (V) convert the horizontal line to a curve to make a kind of gentle slope. Save and test (ctrl-enter) the movie, and it will look like the following image. Now, lock the ground layer. Add a new layer and name ittree-middle. Open the library (ctrl-L or F11), and drag an instance of the tree symbol onto the stage. Use the free-transform tool (Q)to resize the tree appropriately. Place it so that it rests on the nearest hill Now, lock the tree-middle layer.

      
      
      
   
    
   
5. Foreground & Background: When objects are placed in a landscape, to give the illusion of depth, they take on different sizes. Objects that are far away from the viewer, the camera, appear smaller. Objects that are nearer appear larger. To convey this relative size and relative distance, the free-transform tol (Q) is used to resize an object such as trees that are either further away or closer to the camera.
   
   1. Add a new layer and name ittree-near.
   2. Open the library (ctrl-L or F11) again, and drag another instance of the tree symbol onto the stage.
   3. Again, use the free-transform tool (Q)to resize the tree until it is much larger. It should hang off the edges of the stage significantly. Place it so that it rests along the left edge.
   4. Next, select this tree on the stage using the selection tool (V), open the properties bar, and click where it says color and select brightness. Make the tree darker as it is nearest to the viewer.
   5. Now, lock the tree-near layer.
   6. Open the library (ctrl-L or F11) once again, and drag a third instance of the tree symbol onto the stage.
   7. Use the free-transform tool (Q)to resize the tree until it is much smaller. Place it so that it rests on one of the background hills.
   
    
   
6. Dim, Hazy Distance: To further provide an illusion of distance, objects that are further away from the viewer, from the camera, appear dimmer or lighter or hazier. This is due to the effects of the atmosphere and water-vapor. Color and symbol effects may be used to help provide this effect.
   1. Select this smallest tree on the stage using the selection tool (V), open the properties bar again, click where it says color and select brightness. Make the tree lighter as it is furthest from the viewer.
   2. Save and test (ctrl-enter) the movie, and it will look like the following image.
      
   3. Finally, you may also add these effects to the clouds, making them lighter, or, perhaps somewhat transparent with alpha.
      
   4. Save and test (ctrl-enter) the movie, and it will look like the following image.
      
   
   

 

SYMBOLS: There are three (3) different kind of symbol behaviors in Flash, but so far we have learned only about one kind, Graphic Symbols. We have used these symbol types primarily to create motion tween and to create re-usable graphics, graphics that may be used many times; however, there are many more uses for symbols, and last week's class was an introduction to another behavior type: Movie-Clip symbols.

1. Movie-Clip and Graphic Symbols: The main distinction between these two types of symbols is that one is a dynamic symbol, and one is primarily a static symbol. In other words, one involves activity (animation) and interactivity, and the other involves in-activityor the lack of activity or interactivity. When a web graphic or object is dynamic, such as a movie-clip, it usually involves animation or user interactivity of some kind. Static graphics, on the other hand, are NOT usually active and NEVER interactive. They are static, still, non-moving, inactive.
   
   1. Graphic Symbols: Graphic symbols are the most basic symbol types. It is the only type that we have learned up to now, but it possesses all of the fundamental properties of symbols: they are reusable graphics, in which multiple instances of the symbol may be used without drawing more, and without adding filesize to your movie; they allow you to create motion tween animations, and they reside in the library (ctrl-L || F11). All types of symbols have these three fundamental properties, but a graphic symbol is probably the type that is used most often. As its name suggests, it is for graphics, any ordinary drawing or object that you would create in Flash. Some graphic symbols do contain animation within them; however, the vast majority will not.
      
   2. Movie-Clip Symbols: Next to graphic symbols, Movie-Clips are the most widely used type of symbol; and, in fact, for web-sites or interactive movies, they are perhaps even more widely used than graphic symbols. This type of symbol, being dynamic, often contains animation within it. Unlike simple graphic symbols, which usually contain a simple drawing of some type, movie-clips may contain within themselves entire animations. More often, however, they contain snippets of animation, brief animated sequences. Furthermore, one of the properties of movie-clips is that they may be allowed to play endlessly in a loop. As a result, those brief snippets of animation are played over and over and over again, such as an eye blinking, a raindrop falling, or a bird's wings flapping. If the sequence requires repetitive movement of some kind, then it is ideal for being placed in a movie-clip symbol. The blinking eyes here are an example:
      
      Notice that not only do the eyes blink repetitively, but they also move from side to side at about the same interval. What we have here are basically three (3) layers: an eyelid layer, an iris (colored part of eye) layer, and then the eyeball (white of eye) layer. The eyelid layer simply blinks, moving up and down; and the iris layer moves side to side. In these two layers are just two simple motion tweens. I've used the free transform tool (Q) also, to give the illusion of 3D animation, but it is really flat as a pancake 2D Flash animation. The bottom layer, the eyeball layer, does nothing, so it just has one keyframe and simply sits there at the bottom. All of this is inside a movie-clip symbol. We will cover something like this in another class, but feel try to try it on your own until then.
    
2. Creating a Movie-Clip Symbol: Next, we will create our own movie-clip symbol. Doing this is like creating the simple graphic symbols that we have made up to now. We will start first with a drawing:
   
   1. Using the line tool (N) or the polygon tool (R - press down on the tool until the polygon shows itself, then click on options in the toolbar to select STAR) to draw a star. It may be any type of star you like, 5 points or 6 points, fat or skinny.
      
   2. Once drawn, select the selection tool (V), look closely, and select only the stroke or outline of the star.
      
   3. Now hit delete.
      
   4. Make sure the selection tool (V) is still activated, and then select the star on the stage.
      
   5. Choose convert to symbol (F8).
      
   6. Give it the name star_mc, select movieclip for behavior, and then select okay.
      
   7. Once done, it should have a blue box around it just like a graphic symbol does when it is selected.
      
    
   
3. Nesting Symbols: The star symbol is now a movie-clip symbol; however, it is not yet animated. We must create the animation inside of the symbol with symbol-edit mode.
   
   1. As you should know, to do this we must double-click on the symbol instance on the stage.
   2. Once you do so, look in the upper left-hand corner of the stage. There, it should say Scene 1 - star_mc. This means you are in symbol-edit mode for the star symbol. If it is not there, you should try double-clicking again on the star on the stage. To proceed, you must be in symbol-edit mode.
      
   3. Now, select the selection tool (V) and select the star on the stage by double-clicking on it. Once you do so, you should be able to tell it is selected because it should have the little dots all over it.
      
   4. Eventually, we are going to put animation inside of this movie-clip symbol by creating a motion-tween. But as you can see, this star graphic has little dots all over it when it is selected, and as you know, it must have a blue box around it.
      
   5. Try not to get confused, but remember we are inside the movie-clip symbol. Try to imagine it as a completely separate movie inside the movie-clip, and if we are going to make this star into a motion tween, we need to convert it into a graphic symbol. But before we do, once again, look in the upper left-hand corner and see if it still says Scene 1 - star_mc to make sure you're still inside the symbol.
      
   6. If so, then make sure the star is selected, and then convert to symbol (F8).
      
   7. Give it the name star, select graphic and then click okay.
      
   8. Now, it should have a blue box around it when it is selected. This means you have a nested symbol. In other words, it is a symbol WITHIN a symbol. To see for yourself, double-click on the new symbol there on the stage. Then look in the upper left-hand corner again, and you should see Scene 1 - star_mc - star: the star graphic symbol is inside the star_mc movie-clip symbol which is in Scene 1 of the main movie.
      
   9. To exit symbol-edit mode, click on where it says Scene 1 in the upper left.
    
   
4. Animating a Movie-Clip Symbol - Shining Star: Now that we have our symbols nested, a graphic symbol inside of a movie-clip symbol, we can go about creating our animated movie-clip.
   1. Select the selection tool (V) and double-click on the star on the stage to go into symbol-edit mode for the star_mc movie-clip.
      
   2. Once inside the movie-clip symbol, name the first layer star and add a second layer.
      
   3. Name the second layer shine and lock it
      
   4. Click in frame 1 of the star layer and copy (ctrl-C).
      
   5. Now lock the star layer and unlock the shine layer.
      
   6. Click in frame 1 of the shine layer and paste (ctrl-V).
      
   7. Now, click in frame 10 of the shine layer and add a keyfame (F6).
      
   8. Select the free transform tool (Q), hold onto the shift key, grab the corner of the star, and make it larger.
      
   9. After that, choose the selection tool (V) and select the star on the stage by clicking on it one time.
      
   10. Then open the properties bar, click where it says color, and set the alpha to zero.
       
   11. Now click in the timeline between the two keyframes, and add a motion tween.
       
   12. Also in the timeline, drag the shine layer so that it is below the star layer.
       
   13. Next, click in frame 10 of the star layerand extend the duration (F5).
       
   14. Finally, exit symbol-edit mode by clicking on Scene 1 in the upper left-hand corner.
       
   15. Save and test the movie, you will see your star shining over and over in an endless loop.
       
       
   
    
   
5. Animating a Movie-Clip Symbol - Floating Note:
   

Fall 2007 week 5 afternoon—10/17

Hi everyone,
First, I would like to apologize that this took me so long to post this week. All week I was fighting off a cold, and then at the end of the week I finally started feeling bad, with congestion and coughing and sneezing by Friday. In any case, I assure you it won't happen again.
    Below you will find the steps for the lesson that we covered in class last week. It was mostly a drawing lesson as you may remember, primarily because the MID-TERM PROJECT will primarily be a drawing assignment.

1. TOPICS:
   
   • LINK   Drawing Examples: Trees & Clouds
     
   • LINK   more on using Symbols
     
   • LINK   Composing a Setting: a Landscape
     
   • LINK   more on using Layers
     
   • LINK   more on Scaling Objects: Foreground & Background
     
   • LINK   more on Symbol Effects: the fading, hazy distance
     
   
   
   
2. HOMEWORK:
   
   
   • Frame 5 Landscape—Using Flash, and your own creativity or steps below (Simple Drawing Exercises) to construct a landscape for your "Hey, Diddle, Diddle!" script and storyboard. Read the script as a guide and look at the storyboard for what to include in your drawing, particularly frame 5 in the storyboard. You do not have to make your drawing look exactly as my drawings in my storyboard. You should use your own style; however, please use all the same elements: ground, background, fence, sky (with stars and moon), and trees in the foreground and background. Also, make sure each thing is converted into a symbol and gets its own layer.
     
     
   • Characters—If you hadn't created all five (5) of your characters by last week, you need to do so by the next class.
     
         Please bring your homework to class. We will use the drawings in another in-class exercise.
     
   
   
   
3. STORYBOARD: below you will find links to each of the pages of the storyboard containing 3-frames each. Your animation MUST follow along with this storyboard. If you wish to make changes, please feel free to do so; however, you must RE-DRAW the frames of the storyboard that you wish to be different. To do this, all you need to do is sketch them out by hand and show them to me.
   
   • LINK   Frames 1-3
     
   • LINK   Frames 4-6
     
   • LINK   Frames 7-9
     
   • LINK   Frames 10-12
     
   • LINK   Frames 13-15
     
   • LINK   Frames 16-18
     
   • LINK   Frames 19-21
     
   • LINK   Frames 22-24
     
   • LINK   Frames 25-27
     
   • LINK   Frames 28-30
     
   • LINK   Frames 31-33—not yet complete.
     
   
    
   
4. SIMPLE DRAWING EXERCISES:

   During the past two weeks in class we have put some of our flash skills—such as drawing, creating symbols, creating new layers—to work for us in creating an actual drawing, creating an actual scene of something recognizable. Two weeks ago it was animating a fish in an underwater scene. last week it was animating clouds above a pastoral landscape. So, to the right, you will see a series of images of a couple things might go into creating a simple landscape, a cloud and a tree. I demonstrated some possible drawing techniques last week for creating those two objects and I here recap them.

   
    
   
   1. Creating a simple Graphic Symbol:
      
      1. Once you draw your cloud or tree, it should be converted to a symbol (F8) like many of the other much more simple objects we have draw thus far, ovals and rectangles mostly.
         
      2. To do so, after you have drawn your cloud, for instance, you must choose the selection tool (V) and select the entire cloud.
         
      3. Then select F8, convert to symbol.
         
      4. Give it the name cloud, select graphic for behavior and then click okay.
         
      5. Now you will see that it has a blue box around it when it is selected. If you de-select by selecting escape or by clicking on the background somewhere, you will see the blue box disappears.
         
      6. One thing you should remember is that since the cloud is now a symbol, you must not double-click on it, as this will take you into symbol-edit mode for the cloud.
         
      7. If you do wish to edit your symbol, then do double-click on it; however, you must remember to exit symbol-edit mode by clicking on Scene 1 in the upper-lefthand corner of the window.
         
      8. If you select F11 or ctrl-L the Library will open up. To close, you simply select F11 orctrl-Lagain. Once open, you will see a smaller representation of your circle symbol there. If there are more symbols, you will see them all listed there. Here is where your symbols are stored. What is on the stage is known as a symbol instance. It is like a clone, or a copy of what is in the library. Symbol instances may be deleted from the stage without affecting the symbol in the library. However, take great care of your symbols in the library. Do not delete the symbols from the library if you are using them in your movie. If you delete the symbols in the library, they will also be deleted from the entire movie.
         
      9. You may use as many symbol instances as you need. All you need to do is drag an instance from the library onto the stage.
         
      10. After you draw the tree, you should do the same and convert it into a symbol too (F8).
          
      
       
      
   2. Creating a Simple Landscape:

      If you haven't drawn your tree or cloud yet, or if you have not yet converted them into symbols, then look at the above exercise to do so first: LINK Once you have created your symbols, make sure that for now you have only one instance of each of them on the stage. Click one time on the tree and cloud to make sure they are symbols. If the blue box appears around them when they are selected, then they are probably symbols. Next, look in your library (ctrl-L) and make certain both symbols are there. If so, then you're all set, so delete both of them from the stage, but careful not to delete them from the library. Next, in the timeline, double-click where it says layer 1 and type the name ground Then, choose the rectangle tool (R) and draw a rectangle over the bottom part of the stage. Adjust the fill and stroke colors of the rectangle if you need to.

      
      
       
      
   3. Manipulating Layers:
      

      When creating an animation, you must be very organized. It is important to put different objects each in a different layer. You should do this so as to segregate your content. Every object will be in a separate layer, much like a separate container so that later on when you try to find something, it will be easy because it is in its own labeled layer. However, this is also important for another reason that we have discussed in class a number of times: there must only be one symbol per layer when using motion tweens. Now, lock the ground layer and add a new layer. Name this new layer, hills. Choose the line tool (N) and draw two diagonal lines above the ground rectangle as shown in the picture below. Continuing with the line tool (N) and starting with the end points of those two diagonal lines, draw a box over the ground rectangle. Once you do this, choose the selection tool (V) convert those two diagonal lines into curves. And continuing with the line tool (N), stretch the end of the lines so that they attach to each other to form a kind of upside-down W. Choose a new fill color and then, using the paint-bucket tool (K), fill in the two shapes with different colors. Notice that the one on the left is a little darker than the one on the right. Since we are creating a landscape, and since these are hills, it is good to note that as things get further away, they appear to get lighter. This is why the hill on the right is lighter than the hill on the left, because it is further away. Now, lock the hills layer, and create a new layer called mountains. With the line tool (N) draw a zig-zag line to mimic the outline of distant mountans. Further with the line tool (N) draw a box that connects the end points of the mountain lines and over-laps the hills. Choose a couple of light fill colors and using the paint-bucket tool (K), color in the mountains. Now, lock the mountains layer, and create a new layer called clouds. Open the, library (F11 or ctrl-L), and there you will see your cloud symbol. Drag several, cloud instances, from the library onto the stange. Change the size and shapeof the clouds using the free-transform tool (Q). Make certain they are small as they are in the background and far away. Lock all of the layers. Then, rearrange the layers to the following order: top-ground, 2nd-hills, 3rd-mountains, and bottom-clouds. Next, unlock the groundlayer. Using the selection tool (V) convert the horizontal line to a curve to make a kind of gentle slope. Save and test (ctrl-enter) the movie, and it will look like the following image. Now, lock the ground layer. Add a new layer and name ittree-middle. Open the library (ctrl-L or F11), and drag an instance of the tree symbol onto the stage. Use the free-transform tool (Q)to resize the tree appropriately. Place it so that it rests on the nearest hill Now, lock the tree-middle layer.

      
       
      
   4. Foreground & Background: When objects are placed in a landscape, to give the illusion of depth, they take on different sizes. Objects that are far away from the viewer, the camera, appear smaller. Objects that are nearer appear larger. To convey this relative size and relative distance, the free-transform tol (Q) is used to resize an object such as trees that are either further away or closer to the camera.
      
      1. Add a new layer and name ittree-near.
      2. Open the library (ctrl-L or F11) again, and drag another instance of the tree symbol onto the stage.
      3. Again, use the free-transform tool (Q)to resize the tree until it is much larger. It should hang off the edges of the stage significantly. Place it so that it rests along the left edge.
      4. Next, select this tree on the stage using the selection tool (V), open the properties bar, and click where it says color and select brightness. Make the tree darker as it is nearest to the viewer.
      5. Now, lock the tree-near layer.
      6. Open the library (ctrl-L or F11) once again, and drag a third instance of the tree symbol onto the stage.
      7. Use the free-transform tool (Q)to resize the tree until it is much smaller. Place it so that it rests on one of the background hills.
      
       
      
   5. Dim, Hazy Distance: To further provide an illusion of distance, objects that are further away from the viewer, from the camera, appear dimmer or lighter or hazier. This is due to the effects of the atmosphere and water-vapor. Color and symbol effects may be used to help provide this effect.
      1. Select this smallest tree on the stage using the selection tool (V), open the properties bar again, click where it says color and select brightness. Make the tree lighter as it is furthest from the viewer.
      2. Save and test (ctrl-enter) the movie, and it will look like the following image.
         
      3. Finally, you may also add these effects to the clouds, making them lighter, or, perhaps somewhat transparent with alpha.
         
      4. Save and test (ctrl-enter) the movie, and it will look like the following image.
         
      
      
   
   

Fall 2007 week 4 afternoon—10/03

Hello everybody, Below you will find the posting for this week's class. It details all of the same issues that we covered in class, namely the drawing and animation. I have included here a lesson that we covered in our last class on the fish. It covers much of what we did in other previous classes, but if you have any difficulties or questions, please do not hesitate to email me or find me at TCI.

Regarding the Mid-term, please continue working on your characters. Also, start practicing drawing the various scenes. Experiment with what you want things to look like. Starting in our next class we will be drawing more and more.

Please, Please don't put things off. As most of you already know from taking this class before, if you don't keep up with the weekly work, you'll soon find yourself buried in it. Carter-

***Please remember, you will NOT come to my class this coming Wednesday as on that day you should follow a MONDAY's schedule. Go to your Monday classes on Wednesday of this week. The next time you will come to my class is the following Wednesday, October 17.***

1. TOPICS:
   
   • LINK   more on Symbols and the Library
     
   • LINK   more with Motion Tween Animations
     
   • LINK   more on Color Gradients
     
   • LINK   more on Symbol Effects (brightness, tint, alpha) and their use in Motion Tweens,
     
   • LINK   more on Scaling Objects and their use in Motion Tweens
     
   • LINK   Easing Motion Tweens IN/OUT
     
   
   
2. HOMEWORK:
   • Please complete the Flash drawings of all FIVE (5) of the characters of Hey, Diddle, Diddle by our class next week: the dog, the cow, the cat, the dish, and the spoon.
     
   • It is better that all of those character drawings are in the SAME Flash file, but not necessary. If you have drawn them in separate files, that is all right. Eventually, we will COPY and PASTE them from one movie to another.
     
   • Convert each of the character drawings into a graphic symbol.
     
   • Start thinking about coming up with a design for the title of the animation, "Hey, Diddle, Diddle". This is not due next week, but start to choose a font for the type, sizes for the words, and an layout on the stage. This will, however, be part of the mid-term project due in 3 1/2 weeks.
     
   
   
3. STORYBOARD: below you will find links to each of the pages of the storyboard containing 3-frames each. Your animation MUST follow along with this storyboard. If you wish to make changes, please feel free to do so; however, you must RE-DRAW the frames of the storyboard that you wish to be different. To do this, all you need to do is sketch them out by hand and show them to me.
   
   • LINK   Frames 1-3
     
   • LINK   Frames 4-6
     
   • LINK   Frames 7-9
     
   • LINK   Frames 10-12
     
   • LINK   Frames 13-15
     
   • LINK   Frames 16-18
     
   • LINK   Frames 19-21
     
   • LINK   Frames 22-24
     
   • LINK   Frames 25-27
     
   • LINK   Frames 28-30
     
   • LINK   Frames 31-33—not yet complete.
     
   
    
   
4. SYMBOLS and the LIBRARY: During the first four (4) weeks of class, you have been introduced to a vary important feature of Flash Graphics and Animation, creating Symbols:
   
   1. Creating a simple Graphic Symbol:
      
      1. Choose your stroke and fill colors.
         
      2. Set the thickness and type of your stroke.
         
      3. Choose the oval tool (O), hold onto the shift key and draw a circle.
         
      4. Choose the selection tool (V), and double-click on the fill of the circle to select both the fill and the stroke.
         
      5. Select F8 on the keyboard to convert the circle into a symbol.
         
      6. Type a unique name for the symbol, select graphic as the behavior, and then click okay.
         
      7. Once completed, a blue box will appear around the new symbol. This indicates that it is no longer an un-grouped object. If you double-click on it, you will be taken into symbol-edit mode. In symbol-edit mode, you will be able to edit your symbol. Once you have completed the edits, you must exit symbol-edit mode before you continue. To do this, click on Scene 1 in the upper-lefthand corner of the window.
         
      8. If you select F11 or ctrl-L the Library will open up. To close, you simply select F11 orctrl-Lagain. Once open, you will see a smaller representation of your circle symbol there. If there are more symbols, you will see them all listed there. Here is where your symbols are stored. What is on the stage is known as a symbol instance. It is like a clone, or a copy of what is in the library. Symbol instances may be deleted from the stage without affecting the symbol in the library. However, take great care of your symbols in the library. Do not delete the symbols from the library if you are using them in your movie. If you delete the symbols in the library, they will also be deleted from the entire movie.
         
      9. You may use as many symbol instances as you need. All you need to do is drag an instance from the library onto the stage.
         
      
       
      
   2. More with Motion Tweens
      Hopefully, you can see that the use of symbols, symbol instances, and the library is not limited to circles. To the right is a quick demonstration of a drawing of a fish. This too can be converted into a symbol. But before we get to that, let's make the CIRCLE SYMBOL created in the previous exercise move around the stage:
      
      1. If you haven't created a symbol yet, then look at the above exercise to do so: LINK
         
      2. Once you have created your symbol, make sure that you have one instance of it on the stage, and only one instance. Click one time on the circle to make sure it is a symbol. If the blue box appears around it when it is selected, then it is probably a symbol. Next, look in your library (ctrl-L) and make certain the circle symbol is there. If so, then you're all set, so move the circle symbol instance just offstage to the upper-right corner.
         
      3. Next, in the timeline, click in a new frame, say frame 30, and add a new keyframe (F6).
         
      4. Now, on the stage, move the circle across the stage to the upper-left corner.
         
      5. In order to make sure that all is correct, let's check the keyframes. Click in frame one. Here, the circle should be just offstage to the upper-right corner. If it is not, then you simply need to move the circle to where it should be.
         
      6. Then, click in frame 30 in the timeline. In this frame, the circle should be in the upper-right corner of the stage. Likewise here, if the circle is not where it should be on the stage, you simply need to move it where it belongs.
         
      7. Finally, place the mouse over the timeline, in between the two keyframes over the grey area somewhere in the middle, and right-click.
         
      8. A menu should appear, so choose Create Motion Tween. LINK
         
      
       
      
   3. Gradients
      1. Now let's apply some color to our background using linear gradients. A gradient is a gradual change from one color to another. First, using the rectangle tool (R), draw a rectangle for the ground. It is all right whatever color you choose for now, because we will change it with the gradients. Also, the rectangle should hang over the edges of the stage some. Don't try to draw exactly to the edge of the stage.
         
      2. After you draw the first rectangle, draw a second one for the remander of the background. The color for this one will also be altered by the gradients.
         
      3. Next, open the color mixer panel.
         
      4. Notice in the panel where it says solid. Click there and select linear, and then next notice the horizontal line below that appears. It represents the gradient, and by default goes from black to white.
         
      5. The gradient colors can be changed by manipulating the square boxes below the horizontal line. To change the color of one of them, simply double-clip on it and the color selection panel appears.
         
      6. Choose a color that you like, and the gradient is altered. If you double-click on the other box, you can select its color also.
         
      7. Use the paint bucket tool (K) to fill the bottom rectangle with the gradient, and the fill transform tool (F) to rotate it so that it goes from light to dark from bottom to top.
         
      8. Repeat the previous 4 steps for the top rectangle.
         
      9. This will be the background of your animation, so name the first layer backgound and lock it.
         
      10. Add a new layer and name it fish.
          
      11. Place the fish graphic symbol that you created in this layer.
          
      12. On the stage, move the fish symbol to the middle of the right side of the stage.
          
      13. In the timeline, click in frame 20 and add a keyframe (F6).
          
      14. On the stage, move the fish to the center of the stage.
          
      15. n the timeline again, click in frame 40 and add another keyframe (F6).
          
      16. On the stage again, move the fish to the left-hand side of the stage.
          
      17. Now, place the arrow between frames 1 and 20, right-click, and select Create Motion Tween.
          
      18. Finally, place the arrow between frames 20 and 40, right-click, and select Create Motion Tween again.
          
      19. The final fish animation is here: LINK
          
      20. To add the easing click here: LINK
          
      
       
      
   4. Symbol Effects
      
      
      
      1. As you should already know, if you edit a symbol (using symbol-edit mode), then all instances of it will be edited to look exactly the same; however, you may change various properties of a symbol instance using the properties bar.
         
      2. Go to the previous movie with the circle, choose the selection tool (V), and click one time on the circle on the stage to select it.
         
      3. Open the properties bar, look in the center where it says color, click and select tint.
         
      4. Select a tint color and a percentage. This will change alter the color of your symbol, the fish.
         
      5. Now click in frame 30.
         
      6. Select the circle in the center of the stage by clicking on it one time.
         
      7. Open the properties bar again, and alter the tint color again. Click here to see the results: LINK
         
      
       
      
   5. Motion Tween Easing
      
      Motion Tween Easing is a tool that is used to alter the speed of an object through a motion tween. As in the fish animation above (and here), the fish slows down toward the middle, and then speeds off again, as if swimming against the rhythmic current of the ocean waves.
      
      1. Returning to the fish lesson, click in the middle of the first tween in the timeline, that is between frame 1 and frame 20 in the lavendar area.
         
      2. Next, open up the properties bar, locate the ease setting, click there, and select 100. This will cause the fish to slow down at the end of the tween.
         
         
      3. Then, click in the second tween between frame 20 and frame 40, look in the properties bar again, and set the ease to -100. This will cause the tween to start slow and speed up toward the end of the tween.
         
         
      
       
      
   6. Scaling Objects & Motion Tweens
      
      You should already be familiar with how to scale objects up and down (making them larger and smaller) using the free-transform tool (Q). However, you may not know that this can be combined with the motion tween to cause an effect which makes an object like it's changing size over the course of a motion tween.
      
      1. Let us return to the circle motion tween that was discussed earlier. Click here to see it: LINK
         
      2. Click here to see the instructions to create it: LINK
         
      3. To add a scaling effect to this little animation, first click in frame 1. This automatically selects the circle on the stage.
         
      4. Then select the free-transform tool (Q) and change the size or shape of the circle with it.
         
      5. Next, click in last frame. This automatically selects the circle on the stage again.
         
      6. And again, using the free-transform tool (Q), and change the size or shape of the circle with it. The circle will now gradually change shape and/or size through the course of the animation.
         
      7. View the final circle animation. Click here to see it: LINK