Flash CS5: The Missing Manual

Animating Text Without ActionScript

You can animate text using the usual Flash tools, or you can use ActionScript. Which technique you choose depends on your own skills and inclinations. This section explains how to create some interesting animation effects for text using only Flash.

Note

If you'd like to see the finished animation before you begin, you can download 06-1_Text_Scram.fla from www.missingmanuals.com/cds.

The following steps show you how to make text move using frames and Flash's Modify commands.

1. Select File→New→Flash File (ActionScript 3.0).

   Make the document size 550 x 400 pixels, the frame rate 12 fps, and choose a light-colored background.

2. Use the Text tool to create a line of Classic static text with a font size of about 36 in a darker color that complements the document background color.

   You can use any word or phrase you want. "Make this text scram," for example.

3. Click Frame 12 in the text layer, and then press F5 to insert a frame.

   The text layer now has 12 frames. Equally important, when you create new layers, they'll automatically be 12 frames long, saving you a click or two of work.

4. With the text selected, choose Modify→Break Apart.

   The Break Apart command comes in very handy when you want to animate text. It puts each letter in its own text field, which gives you an opportunity to move the letters independently.

5. While the text is still selected, choose Modify→Timeline→Distribute to Layers.

   Flash places each letter in its own layer in the timeline and thoughtfully names ...