Flash 8 Cookbook

4.8. Viewing Multiple Frames Simultaneously

Problem

You want to see multiple contiguous frames of an animation simultaneously.

Solution

Use onion skinning.

Discussion

Onion skinning shows multiple contiguous frames of an animation, which is useful for previewing animations, as well as adjusting positioning and other features of animated graphic elements. Many of the screenshots in this chapter use onion skinning to depict the different frames of an animation all at once.

To activate onion skinning, toggle on either the Onion Skin or Onion Skin Outlines button (Figure 4-4). The Onion Skin button displays the graphic itself, as it appears in multiple frames, with lowered opacity in inactive frames. The Onion Skin Outlines button displays a low-resolution outline of the graphic in multiple frames. Onion skinning applies to all visible layers in the timeline.

Tip

If View Layer as Outlines is toggled on, onion skinning will display the outlines only, regardless of which onion skin button you toggle on.

When onion skinning is toggled on, Flash shows a span of five frames by default: two frames before the active frame through two frames after the active frame. If the active frame is (or is near) the first or last frame, it may show as few as three or four frames. Onion markers, which appear at the top of the timeline in the same area as the playhead, depict the range of frames that are displayed; the area between them is shaded.

Figure 4-4. Control onion skinning in the timeline

You can control how ...