How'd they do this drawing effect?

[huah]

Can anyone tell me how you would create a drawing effect like this one from a FreeHand tutorial? Go to http://209.41.112.127/clients/macromedia/default.html, then to slide 19 in tutorial number 1.

[axiamatt]

What I usually do is draw out the line, extend the frame over like 40 frames or so, select the frames and go to Modify/Frames/Converttokeyframes. Then I edit each keyframe, starting by erasing all but a small portion of the line, then going to the next frame and erasing all but a small portion of the line, but longer then the first frame. It's a bit pain staking, and slow, but it does the trick.

[huah]

Thanks. I've experimented a bit and have come up with a close approximation.
1. Create a new Mask layer, and use the pen tool to draw an elongated spiral pattern (or whatever pattern you want).
2. Select the line, and then use the convert lines to fills command.
3. Create several masked layers underneath the first layer.
4. On the masked layers, create shape tweens using rectangles or whatever to follow the contours of the line at the desired speed. For example, when you get to a curve, have the tween stop, and then use another layer for the curve, and so on.

This seemed to make a convincing drawing effect. Remember, the only visiible portion of the tween is that which the mask line reveals.

huah!

[gdstudios]

there has to be an easier way to do that effect, don't you think?