4.3 Animating along a path 1

The animation does not have to flow along a straight path. You can set your own animation path. To do this, you adjust the path that is added to an animation.

Flash animation exercise 2

Animating along a path

Skills practised
  • Editing motion paths
  • Editing animations
  • Inserting keyframes

The instructions in this exercise feature Adobe Flash, but may also be followed step-by-step for Adobe Animate.

  1. Open your Flash Exercise 1 file that you saved from the previous exercise.
  2. TS0407.png
    Select the SELECTION TOOL from the Tools panel and move the pointer over the motion path until an arc is added to the pointer.
  3. Drag the path to create a curve.
  4. Test the movie to see the effect.
  5. TS0408.png
    In the TIMELINE panel, move the red PLAYHEAD marker to FRAME 12.
  6. Use the SELECTION TOOL to drag your name to a different part of the stage. Another PROPERTY KEYFRAME is added to the TIMELINE panel and you now have two separate paths.
  7. Test the movie to see the effect.
  8. Try adjusting the two paths using the SELECTION TOOL.
  9. Try moving the PLAYHEAD in the TIMELINE panel to a different frame and adjust the position of your name. Another PROPERTY KEYFRAME is inserted.
  10. Use SAVE AS from the FILE menu to save the movie in your storage folder under a different name, such as: Flash Exercise 2.