scale timeline?

[canuck rugger]

I was hoping someone could help me.

I'm doing a project while learning flash at the same time. I've got it pretty much done, but the one scene is too long. THe whole thing is showing how a machine works, and is animated at the same speed as the machine would run. Anyway, is there an easy way to speed up the last sequence which is showing the overall thing running? Right now it's almost seven minutes long, and I would like to have it run at maybe 3 times that speed. I know I could go in and delete 2/3 of the frames, but there are around 200 keyframes unevenly spread around 10 layers, so it would be a hassle.

Thanks!

edit:
I'm using mx 2004

[devilspawn]

If u are still a newbie to flash there is no really easy way to chance this.. u can set, as u may know, the frame/second (default 12) But htis will inflick on the whole movie.. the easy part, if its possible is to delite frames. Post a reply if this is not possible and i'll explain who to do it with action scripting
DSpawn

[canuck rugger]

Thanks for the reply,

I can't change the fps because I still want the other scenes to stay at their current framerate to show the machine running in real time.

The one I wasnt to speed up can be run at two or three times realtime because nothing too interesting is happening that fast.

So any help would be appreciated. I was hoping there was some tool in flash where I could just compress the timeline, but no luck.

[mekid21]

well my only suggestion would be to spped up the FPS and just make the rest of the movie more frames, for example if you go from 12 to 24 FPS then just double all the other frames and it should look the same but the end will move faster, 3x's would mean 36 FPS and extend all the key frames 3 times

[canuck rugger]

Thanks, I've already got it set at 20, so I don't want to bump it up too much. It'll actually be easier to start it over than go through and delete frames. I just thought there would probably be an easier way using some tools.

[Ask The Geezer]

Assuming the final sequence is in a movie clip:

onClipEvent(enterFrame){
this.gotoAndPlay(_currentframe + 3);
}

[canuck rugger]

Ok cool, so does that just play every third frame? and do I have to put that script at the first frame, or every one? and last question, will that get all the keyframes, even if they aren't the third one?

Thanks!

Edit:

I tried it on the first frame of the sequence, and it gave me an error. It says "Clip events are permitted only for movie clip instances". So if I export that sequence as a movie, can I just insert it into flash as a movie, then play it at whatever speed I want? That would be sweet.

[Ask The Geezer]

Your animation should be inside a movie clip, not the main timeline. and the code goes on the movie clip itself, just like on(release) goes on a button, not in a frame. And it plays every third frame, but you can play with it, try it at + 2. And no, it won't get a keyframe unless it lines up with the third frame.

Have fun with this.

[canuck rugger]

ok, I think I know what you mean. So instead of different scenes, I should have just had 1 main timeline, with each scene set on the main timeline as a movie. So to do that, if I understand it correctly, I create a movie as a symbol, and then put the scence in there. Then I can stick all these movie clips onto 1 main timeline instead of having different scenes, right?

Will it make a difference if it doesn't pick up a keyframe if there is a motion tween in there? or does it have to pick that up? I guess I'll give it a shot and find out. Thanks a lot!

[Ask The Geezer]

You can keep your other scenes, but that last one you want speeded up should be made inside a movie clip, then the clip added to the scene timeline to play.

[canuck rugger]

Awesome thanks a lot

Last question (I swear!): Where does the script go? I've tried it at the first frame of the movie clip, and at the frame of timeline where the movie is. Both give the same error, what am I doing wrong?

I created a movie clip in the library

I copied all the frames from the scene into it

then with a new scene, I dragged the movie clip from the library into the first frame

If I don't put in a stop(); funtion in the frame of the scene, it just flashes it for 0.05 secs and keeps looping.

If I take out the OnClipEvent { } parts, and just have the gotoAndPlay line in the first frame of the movie, it doesn't give an error but has no effect. I'd really like to get this working properly.

[Ask The Geezer]

The code goes on the movie clip. Like button code goes on a button. Click the clip to select it, then add the code to the actions panel.

[canuck rugger]

Great, thanks a lot, I finally got it. It was one of those things that was staring me in the face but I couldn't see it. Now the movie is looping endlessly, but at least it works. I just found out I've got an extra week to do it too, so plenty of time to read the tutorials and find out on my own.

Cheers!