Flash is the primary medium for animation on the Internet, and even in other formats such as television. Creating a simple Flash animation in a Flash program is actually quite simple to do, as Flash provides many useful tools that simplify the whole process. If you already have an idea for a Flash animation or cartoon, then you likely have a rough sketch created in just a few hours. See the guide below to learn how to create a Flash animation.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Creating a Frame-by-Frame Flash Animation
Step 1. Understand the basics of frame-by-frame animation
This method is considered the traditional method of animation, when each frame (an image that composes animation) has the same image but changes slightly. When the frames are played together, the image appears to move. This is the same basic technique used by traditional animators who draw each frame by hand, but takes more time than the tweening method (see next section).
By default, Flash will produce animation at 24 frames per second (FPS). This means that one second of animation will have 24 frames, but each frame doesn't have to be different. You can adjust this if you wish, and many Flash animations use 12 FPS, but 24 FPS will result in much smoother animation
Step 2. Install the Flash Professional program
There are various Flash animation programs available, but the best is Adobe Flash Professional CC. You can do a free trial installation, or you can use another product if subscribing to Adobe Creative Cloud doesn't appeal to you. The remainder of this article will refer to Flash Professional or other editing programs as "Flash".
Step 3. Create your assets
Since frame-by-frame animation requires multiple images with slight differences, you must create all of these assets by hand. You can create them all before you start, or you can create them after you start. You can use the Flash program to draw directly within the project, or you can draw assets in your favorite drawing program.
If you want an image to be resized without sacrificing quality, then you have to render it as a vector, not a raster. Vector images will be redrawn automatically when scaled, which means there will be no pixelation or aliasing (a checkerboard effect that appears when the image is enlarged). Raster images are traditional images you're used to seeing (photos, images from the Paint program, etc.). Raster images don't scale well, and can look pretty bad when they're enlarged
Step 4. Create the first frame
When you start the Flash program, you will get a blank layer and an empty timeline. When adding a frame, the timeline will be filled automatically. You can interact with layers much like you would in Photoshop.
- Before adding images, create a basic background for your film. Rename Layer 1 "Background" then lock the layer. Create a second layer and name it whatever you want. This layer will be the layer where you create the animation.
- Add an image to the canvas in the first frame. You can import images from your computer, or use Flash's drawing tools to create images directly within the program.
- Your first frame will be a "keyframe" (keyframe). Keyframes are frames that contain images, and form the core of your animation. You will create a new keyframe each time the image changes.
- Keyframes are marked with a black dot in the timeline.
- You don't need a new image in every frame. In general, having a keyframe every four or five frames will make for a good animation.
Step 5. Turn the image into a symbol
By turning an image into a symbol, you can easily add it multiple times within a frame. This is especially useful if you need to quickly create several objects, such as a group of fish.
- Select the whole image. Right click on the selected image and select "Convert to Symbol". This will add the image to the Library where you can quickly access it later.
- Delete image. Do not worry! You will add it back to the story scene by simply dragging the object from the Library. You can add multiple images of the same to a story scene easily!
Step 6. Add some blank frames
Once the first frame is ready, you can add a blank frame that will be between the first and second keyframes. Press the F5 key four or five times to add a blank frame after the first keyframe.
Step 7. Create a second keyframe
After adding a few blank frames, you are ready to create a second keyframe. There are basically two different ways to do it, namely you can copy an existing keyframe and make minor adjustments, or you can create a blank keyframe and insert a new image. If you are using an image created with another program, you will want the second method. If you are creating an image using design tools from Flash, use the first method.
- To create a keyframe using the contents of the previous keyframe, press the F6 key. To create a blank keyframe, right-click on the last frame in the timeline and select "Insert Blank Keyframe". Everything in the story scene will be removed.
- After creating the second keyframe, you'll need to make adjustments to the image to give it the effect of movement. If you use Flash's design tools, then you can use the Transform tool to select aspects of the image and move them around a bit, like the arms of a stickman.
- If you are inserting a new image for each keyframe, you will want to make sure that it is placed in the same or the next logical location on the screen. This ensures that the image doesn't jump between frames.
Step 8. Repeat the process
Now that you've created the two keyframes, it's time to redo. In essence you will repeat the same process until the animation is complete. Add a few blank frames between each keyframe, and make sure that the animation moves smoothly.
Make small, incremental movement changes. The animation will look much smoother if you make very small changes to the keyframe. For example, if you want the stickman to swing his arm, your second keyframe shouldn't be the end of the arm swing. Instead, use multiple keyframes as a transition from the beginning of the swing to the end. This will result in a much smoother animation
Method 2 of 3: Creating a Point-to-Point Animation (Tweening)
Step 1. Understand the basics of tweening
Flash contains a function called tweening (a process that produces an intermediate image between two images at two points in time in an animation), which basically lets you set the start and end time points for objects. Flash will then move and change objects based on your settings between these two points in time, creating the illusion of animation. You don't need to create an image for each keyframe as you would with frame-by-frame animation.
- Tweening is especially useful for creating a morph effect where an object changes into another object during animation.
- Frame-by-frame animation and tweening can be used together within the same film.
- Only one object undergoes a motion tween at a time. This means that if you want multiple objects to animate at once, then they must be placed on different layers.
Step 2. Create the first object
Unlike frame-by-frame animation, you don't need to create multiple objects to animate using the tween function. But you will create an object, then change the object's properties during the tweening process.
- Before adding images, create a basic background for your film. Rename Layer 1 "Background" then lock the layer. Create a second layer and name it whatever you want. This layer will be the layer where you create the animation.
- It is highly recommended to use the design tools built into the Flash program or to import images from a vector drawing program. Vectors can be scaled easily without distortion, whereas traditional raster images will not scale and transform properly.
Step 3. Convert the object into a symbol
In order to generate an intermediate image of an object, you must convert it to a symbol. This is the format that Flash uses to organize objects. If you're trying to generate an intermediate image from an object that hasn't been converted to a symbol, you'll be prompted to do the conversion first.
Right-click the object and select "Convert to Symbol". Objects will be added to the Library, which makes cloning objects easier
Step 4. Make the first move tween
A motion tween moves an object from one location to another. Right-click the symbol in the story scene and select "Create Motion Tween". A total of 24 frames will be added to the timeline, as this is the standard length of a tween. Keep in mind, Flash will animate at 24 frames per second at default settings, which means this motion tween will take a second to animate.
When you create a motion tween, you are automatically moved to the last frame of the tween
Step 5. Draw the object's path
After creating the tween, you can move the object to the desired final location. Flash will display a path line, which is dotted to indicate the location of the object for each frame of the resulting intermediate image.
When you first create a path, it will be a straight line from the start point to the end point
Step 6. Extend the background frame
If you run the animation now, the object will move along the path, but the background will disappear after one frame. To fix this, you must extend the background to cover the entire frame of the animation.
Select the background layer in the timeline. Click the last frame on the timeline, which should also be the last frame of the motion tween. Press the F5 key to insert a frame up to this point in time, which will continue to display the background for the entire tween
Step 7. Add keyframes
Adding a keyframe to the path will allow you to change objects during motion tween. You can only make changes to an object if it has a keyframe. To add a keyframe to a track, first select the frame you want to convert to a keyframe on the timeline. Then click and drag the object to the position you want on the frame. The track will be adjusted automatically, and a keyframe will be added to the timeline. Keyframes are marked with a diamond icon on the timeline.
Step 8. Adjust the tween path
To change the path of an object, you can click and drag each frame position marker on the path to a new location. Avoid putting too many variations in the path, or the object will move erratically (unless this is really your goal!).
Step 9. Transform the object
Once the keyframe and path are defined, you can transform the object so that the object changes as it moves through the motion tween path. You can change the shape, color, rotation, size, and other things of the object.
- Select the frame you want to transform.
- Open the Properties panel of the object. You can press Ctrl+F3 if the pane is not currently visible.
- Change a value in the Properties section to affect the object. For example, you can change the color, add a filter, or change the scale.
- You can also use the Free Transform tool to freely change the shape of the object however you like.
Step 10. Make the final touches on the intermediate image
Test the motion tween by pressing Ctrl+↵ Enter. Make sure that the transformation looks good and that the animation moves at the correct speed. If the animation moves too fast, you can lower the FPS or increase the tween time range.
- By default, the FPS of the animation is 24, so try lowering it to 12. To do this, click outside the story scene and then change the FPS in the Properties panel. Changing the value to 12 will double the duration of the animation, but the motion of the animation can be more "flaky".
- To change the time span of a tween, select the layer containing the tween and use the slider to drag it. If you want the tween to be twice as long, extend it to 48 frames. Make sure to insert a blank frame inside the background layer so that the background doesn't half disappear during the animation. To extend the background, select the layer, click the last frame of the animation in the timeline, then press the F5 key.
Method 3 of 3: Adding Sounds and Music
Step 1. Record or search for sound effects and music
You can add sound effects to the actions that occur in the animation to make it different from the others and give it a character of its own. Music makes your animations feel more lively, and can make good animations extraordinary. Flash supports a variety of sound file formats, including AAC, MP3, WAV, and AU. Choose the format that provides the best quality with the smallest file size.
The MP3 format will usually provide sound quality that is still good and has a minimum file size. Avoid using the WAV format if possible, as they are usually quite large
Step 2. Import the sound files to the Library
Before you can add sound to a project, the sound file must be added to the Flash Library. This will allow you to quickly add sound to your project later. Click File → Import → Import to Library. Browse for sound files on your computer. Make sure the sound file has an easy-to-remember name, so you can quickly find it later from the menu.
Step 3. Create a new layer for each sound file
This isn't really necessary, as you can add sound to an existing layer, but placing each file on a separate layer will give you a lot more control in terms of fading in and out (fading in and out) sound settings. or stop the sound, and it's easier to move the sound to another part.
Step 4. Create a keyframe where the sound will start
On the sound layer, select the frame in the animation where you want the sound to start. Press the F7 key to insert a blank keyframe. For example, if you want to include a music file that plays for the duration of the animation, select the first frame on the layer of the music file. If you are adding dialogue for a character, select the frame in which the character begins to speak.
Step 5. Add sound or music files
Inside the Properties frame, you will see the Sound section. You may have to open it to see the options. Click the "Name" menu and select the file you want from the Library.
Step 6. Organize sound files
After selecting a file, you can set how it will be played. What you choose will be based on the intended use of the sound in the animation. You can change the Effect, Sync, and Repeat settings of each sound using the menu located under the Name menu in the Properties frame.
- Effects. This setting adds effects to the sound, such as the sound gradually appearing or disappearing, or adding echo. You can choose from the existing settings in the drop-down menu, or click the pencil icon next to the menu to create your own custom settings.
- Sync. This setting determines how the song plays in the animation. The event will play a sound until it's finished. If the same sound is triggered again before the previous sound ends, the original sound will continue to play until it finishes. Start is similar to Event, but stops when the sound is played again. Stop stops the sound on that frame. If you want to use this option in conjunction with other sound options, create a new keyframe where you want the sound to stop and use this option. The stream will try to match the sound being played with the number of frames on the other layers. This option is best used for dialogue.
- Repeat. This setting allows you to set how long the sound repeats. You can set it to play only once, or repeat as many times as you want. If your animation is a looping animation, you must set the music to repeat indefinitely.
Step 7. Complete the project
When you finally finish working on the project, save it as an SWF file. This is the format used to play movies. You can play it in almost any web browser, or use a Flash player that is used specifically to watch it. There are also various sites where you can upload it for others to watch, such as Newgrounds, Albino Blacksheep and Kongregate.
Step 8. Develop your future project further
This guide covers the basics of creating animations, but there's so much more you can learn and do. Add a few buttons and a branching plot and you've got your pick-your-own-adventure game. You can take crash courses in ActionScript and gain much more control over the finer details of your animations. Keep experimenting, and you'll soon learn all kinds of tricks and their implementations.
