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project: Animating Text 01
 
   
 

description: In this tutorial you will learn how to prepare text to animate in a letter-by-letter style.

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

  
   
 
   
  •Note: You already know how to make something fly around the stage so how 'bout we make a letter-by-letter animation? There's a few steps we have to take before we begin the animation process.
   
  step 1: Select your text and Modify > Break Apart (Command-B). (Figure A)
   
  A
   
  step 2: Click away to deselect, click on the first letter to select it, and Insert > Convert to Symbol (F8). Make sure the Behavior is set to Graphic and give your symbol an appropriate name. (Figure B)
   
  B
   
  step 3: Repeat for all other letters. (Figure C)
   
  C
   
  step 4: Select all letters and Modify > Distribute to Layers (Shift-Command-D). Look to the timeline to see your newly created pre-named layers. (Now you know why it's a good idea to name your Symbols.) Click on your original layer and delete it as shown. (Figure D)
   
  D
   
  step 5: Rearrange your layers so they make sense to you. (Figure E)
   
  E
   
  step 6: Proceed to Animating Text 02.
   
   
   
   
 
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