Animation - Object (shape or symbol) spanning across many frames

Hey Everyone,

I'm creating an animation kinda like a travel map, the best way to explain it is probably to show you what I'm hoping to get

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

where the x's equal the start and the end point, and the dashs are like your direction etc, a good example is if you've ever seen those pirate movies where they have the maps and it shows where they have to go!

I'm not asking how to do this specifically, what I am asking though, is if there is a better way to do it than I currently am (Still finding my way around the whole Animation thing - and I'm sure theres an easier way than this!)

At the moment I'm going frame by frame and in adding objects, so for example, in frame one I have my 'x' object, then frame two I pasted the 'x' object plus one 'dash' objects, and so on and so forth, and I have a feeling that doing this is going to take agessss, and I'm sure there must be an easier way! I essentially need the 'x' object to span across ALL of my frames, is there a command or something for this? I'm not too knowledgeable with tweening, but can it be done with that?

If anyone can help point me in the right direction I would be super grateful!

Cheers!

You can draw the whole path and then just animate a mask over it to only see parts, this takes a lot less time because you can be sloppy with the masking. I've included and example.

Wow thats awesome.
I didn't realise you could animate masks, probably because I never thought about it.
Perfect solution.
Thanks heaps for that :)
Cheers