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project: Motion Guides
 
   
 

description: In this tutorial you will learn how to animate an instance along a path using motion guides.

Files: The motion_guide.fla file is in the fla_files folder.
   
 
   
 

step 1: Open motion_guide.fla and watch the following movie. (Figure A) Click on Ball to select all frames, click on the Add Motion Guide icon, select the Pencil Tool (Y) and draw a path for the ball to travel. The shape is your choice but beware of lines that cross because Flash will occasionally balk at such challenges.

Once you understand this simple process feel free to see what Flash will and won't do. With a little persistence you can coax the program to follow your implicit instructions.
   
  A
   
  step 2: Click on the Guide Layer to select all frames and nudge the path into position. You can also ask Flash to refine the path by selecting the Arrow Tool (V) and clicking on the appropriate Option in the Toolbar. (Figure B)
   
  B
   
  step 3: Once you have the Guide Layer just so, lock it (so we won't inadvertently move it), and select the first keyframe of the Ball Layer. Using the Arrow Tool (V), click and drag the CENTER of the instance and position it at one end of its path. Repeat the process for the last keyframe as shown. (Figure C)
   
  C
   
  step 4: If your animation plays too fast or too slow just select the end frames, pause, then click and drag to reposition. (Figure D)
   
  D
   
  step 5: Command-Return to check the results. (Figure E)
   
  E
   
  step 6: But what if you wanted the instance to travel along a more refined, looping path? Open motion_guide_oval.fla, select the Guide layer, and with the Eraser Tool (E) remove a bit of the path. Now the instance has a beginning and ending point (once we position it on the Guide Layer). (Figure F)
   
  F
   
  step 7: Command-Return. (Figure G) (Are you beginning to see how useful Motion Guides can be?)
   
  G
   
  step 8: Sure, you say, that's great for a circle, but what if my instance needs to turn with the turns? Okay, maybe you didn't say that but we will learn how to "turn with the turns" when we Orient to Path.
   
   
   
   
 
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