Animating Text
Part 1
Create a new flash document.
Select the text tool.
Write hello on the stage. Open the properties panel and adjust the font size to 36, colour to blue and type to Arial (Ensure it is Static Text)
.
Select Modify /break apart
Next select modify / timeline / distribute to layers, your timeline should look like below.
Now select the H layer and insert a keyframe in frame 10 and with the H selected in frame 10 move the H so it is towards the bottom of the stage.
Then select frame 1 of the H layer and open the properties panel, create a motion tween (you should be familiar with this).
Repeat the process for the other letters moving them to the bottom of the page to say hello.
Once complete control / test movie and see the animation.
Notice how it loops round we will stop this using ActionScript.
Double click on layer 1 and rename it actions. Then right click on frame 10 of the actions layer and insert a blank keyframe. Open the actions panel (F9) and type
stop();
This will prevent the play head from returning to frame 1.
Control / Test Movie to see than animation
Exercise
Now create some animated text using the same technique but this time within a movie clip and have the letters follow a motion guide. Once complete drag two instances of this to the stage and test your movie.
Part 2
Create a new flash document and select the text tool.
Change the font size to 36 in the properties panel ensure that the font is set to static text (also found in the properties panel) and then click on the stage and type ‘WELCOME’.
Ensure that the text is selected and then press F8 to convert to symbol. When the dialogue box appears type welcomeGr, set the type as Graphic and press ok. It needs to be a graphic so you can adjust the alpha of the symbol.
Right click on frame 20 of layer 1 and insert a keyframe.
Then select frame 1 and open the properties panel and select motion from the tween options.
Whilst on frame 1, click on the welcome text on the stage and open the properties panel.
Change the colour options to alpha and adjust the slider so the value is 0%.
Now control / test the movie to see the animation.
Exercise
Prevent the animation from looping round.
Part 3
Create a new flash document, click on the stage and open the properties panel and change the background colour to black.
Select the text tool.
Change the font size to 36 in the properties panel ensure that the font is set to static text (also found in the properties panel), font type ‘courier new’ colour to white and then click on the stage and type ‘WELCOME’.
Select frame 50 and then press F5 to insert frames from 1 to 50.
Create a new layer naming it text and another new layer naming it actions.
Lock layer one and then select the text layer. Select the rectangle tool and set the colour to black fill with no stroke. Draw a large rectangle that covers the entire text.
Ensure that the rectangle is selected and press F8 to convert it to a symbol.
Give it a name of ‘mymask’, select type Movie Clip and then press ok.
Double click on the mymask on the stage to open its timeline.
Then select the rectangle tool and draw a small white square over the left hand side of the rectangle as below.
Then insert a keyframe at frame 4 within this movieclip, and then select frame 6 and press F5 to insert a frame.
On frame 4 select the white square and open the properties panel to change the colour to black. From frames 4 to 6 you should just have a solid black rectangle.
Now click on scene 1 to return to the main time line.
You should be familiar with creating motion tweens by now!!
Ensure that all the text is covered by the movieclip and create your time line to match above. Note on frame 35 the movieclip is moved to the far right hand side to reveal all the text.
In the actions panel type:
stop();
is placed on frame 50 to prevent the play head looping around.
Control / Test Movie.
Save your work as type_text.fla.