New to Flash (me that is)

[**Cheech**]

Hi, I am new to flash and I am having probs just starting out. I have done the onboard tutorials (Flash 4) and understand the basic principles. But when I start out with a blank stage and try to do a simple animation, ie just move a symbol across the page with tweening I only get the first and last stage of the tween. Looking at the lessons all the examples allready have a bit of the timeline "boxed" in or allready linked together. I know that there is some thing very basic that I am just not getting the point of and hope that some one will have pity on a poor guy who just wants to learn

..........exasperated....in...the.....UK.......Ple ase..help

[**Cheech**]

Cant someone please just post an answer even if they cant help??

[Harra]

Have you chosen tweening under frame properties?
If not do it on the 1st keyframe.
Elemental stuff.

[GI Joe]

Hi Cheech

Don't worry - someone will always help but most americans will be asleep now and there's just us europeans still awake

Try this:

First, always tween symbols. If you try to tween something else flash will indeed show the difernt positions on the key frames but nothing in between.

It will also create a symbol for you out of perhaps the first image and call it "tween1"or the like and place it in the library. Best is always to create the symbols first and name it something useful

then:

Once you have a symbol in two key frames double click the timeline between them to see the frame properties manager. select the tweening tab and set the tweening drop down to motion - close. the timeline will turn purple and show a line between.

A quick way is to right click the time line and select "create motion tween" to the same effect.

Note you should keep your tweens on different layers and if I can remeber you cant tween two symbols at once. The way to do that is to create a new symbol with the multiple symbols inside it.

How it helps, if it don't - reply back to this thread

[**Cheech**]

Thanks,
for your advise. I knew it was something simple I was doing wrong. But the guy doing my training wont give a simple answer he just tells us to go and find out.

(I am a mainframe operater getting webmaster traing to keep me sweet as the company I work for are going over to SAP and will make all of the operaters redundant in 12/18 months)

[Harra]

They don´t need to be symbols just grouped will do.
But using symbols is a must if you´re gonna reuse graphics.

[fishee]

Make a keyframe. Insert your graphic, make it into a symbol.

Put another keyframe about 20 frames down on the same layer. You'll see a grey area inbetween the two keyframes and your symbol will remain in static position throughout.

Goto the first keyframe and make a motion tween.

Go to the last keyframe (20) and move the symbol where you want it to end up.

Test movie.

Rejoice.

Have a beer.

Mess around with flash some more.

Hope this helps!

-fishee

[Elixer]

I am new to flash to but You will learn like the rest of us so just keep trying and always keep trying new things in flash.

[agent vivid]

good advice ...

cheech - if you get stumped, ask a question in the help section - and alternately look around in the flashkit tutorials... all are very good

remember - one symbol per layer (or grouping of symbols)

and motion tween of a symbol takes MUCH less time and CPU than a shape tween ... it took me like 5 days of hard flashing before i really understood the basics of tweening

action scripting is where the real madness starts - and that takes lots of late nights and fla downloads to get a handle on it (or straight-up experience)

=vivid=

[**Cheech**]

Thanks guys you restore my faith in human nature. I hope to be able to publish my works in Flash as soon as poss so keep an eye open for me. Cheers **Cheech**