Flash Animation Tweens
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There are three different types of Tweens that can be created in Adobe Flash. A TWEEN creates animation by filling in the logical steps between two keyframes. The three types of tweens are the CLASSIC tween, MOTION tween, and SHAPE tween.
Classic Tween
A classic tween works the way old motion tweens used to, in versions CS3 and earlier. In this kind of tween, you have to create your keyframes and connect them to move in a straight line. For more information on classic tweens, visit this link:
To use a classic tween:
- Insert a starting keyframe
- On that keyframe, create a symbol (Graphic) that you want to animate on the stage
- Insert a second keyframe that also contains the same symbol
- Move or change the symbol on the second keyframe
- Right-click on the starting keyframe and select Create Classic Tween
Motion Tween
A motion tween animates symbols moving in space; when you create a motion tween, then you can click on any frame in the tween, move the symbol on that frame, and watch Flash automatically build a motion path animating the frames between that frame and the next keyframe. Any frame where you've manually moved the tweened symbol becomes a keyframe. For more information on motion tweens, visit this link:
To use a motion tween:
- Insert a starting keyframe
- On that keyframe, create a symbol (Graphic) that you want to animate on the stage
- Right-click on the keyframe and select Create Motion Tween
- Adjust the length of the motion tween by moving the last frame and changing the length of the blue box/tween
- Move the red slider in the timeline to different frames in the timeline and make changes to the symbol (position, size, etc.). This will create a motion path for the symbol to follow.
Shape Tween
Shape tweens perform distortions on non-symbol shapes/vector graphics. If you create one shape on one keyframe and another shape on another keyframe, you can connect those two shapes with a shape tween. The tween will perform whatever calculations and morphs needed to transform the first shape into the second. For more information on shape tweens, visit this link:
To use a shape tween:
- Insert a starting keyframe
- Draw a shape on the stage at that keyframe. Do NOT convert this shape into a symbol.
- Insert a second, blank keyframe
- On the blank stage of this blank keyframe, draw a second shape that you want the first to transform into
- Right-click on the first keyframe and select Create Shape Tween
- If the line between the keyframes is solid, the tween is working properly. If it is a dotted line, the tween is broken.