Flash CS4: The Missing Manual

Chapter 7. Advanced Tweens with the Motion Editor

Tweens have always been a big tool in Flash’s animation toolbox, and, as explained in Chapter 3, in Flash CS4 they can do more than ever. Flash’s new motion tween (Motion Tweening) can do more than just show a car moving down a street—it can make the car stretch out and turn blazing red when it’s going really fast and scrunch up when it stops. It can even make the car’s shadow change position as the car and sun move across the screen.

You accomplish these sophisticated tweens by making multiple property changes at multiple points in time with the help of Flash CS4’s shiny new Motion Editor. This chapter shows you in detail how to apply and fine-tune your motion tweens, focusing in particular on Motion Editor control. You’ll start by learning how to use motion presets, which are simply predesigned tweens that you can apply to objects with a couple of mouse clicks. Then, you’ll learn some of the different ways you can edit your tweens on the stage, in the timeline, and using the Motion Editor. Along the way, you’ll learn how to apply filters for special effects and how to create more realistic motion (easing).

Note

If you need a primer on motion tween basics, or tweens in general, head back to Motion Tweening.

Applying Motion Presets

Designing a perfect tween can be a lot of work. It’s not so much that it’s difficult, but creating a complex motion tween where several properties change at different points in time can be time-consuming. Fortunately, ...