Animation Review for Final Exam
Helpful Notes for Flash
Interface: top right dropdown, select “Animator”
Basic Tools
Brush: (B) select Below to change brush size and shape, and pressure sensitivity
Eraser: (E) Change eraser size and shape
Selection Tool: (V) Arrow tool that selects objects and also to drag lines to alter shapes and size of lines
Paint Bucket: (K) quick color fill of shape. Select “gap size”: if there is a small gap in circle, paint bucket will fill circle
Zoom: (Z) Zoom tool. Use “ctrl” or “alt” to zoom in or out
Eyedropper (I): selects a color from elsewhere in the drawing to use on current object
Symbols (F8): select object and F8 to create and name a symbol
Properties: Menu on right- gives individual settings for each tool
Colors: located in paint bucket tool. Also found in “Color Palette” near “Properties” and “Library” menu
Library: Storage location for premade symbols you’ve created and saved
Saving: select from upper left corner “File” / “Export” / “Export Image”
F5: Adds to the frames you already have
F6: makes new frames with what you have on the previous frame
F7: Creates a new Blank Keyframe
Control/Enter: gives a quick preview of video
Project File: a file created to hold animation or video content.
Stage: the drawing area, or part of an animation program window where the
content is composed and manipulated.
FPS: Frames Per Second
Frame: a placeholder object used to contain text or graphics. It is also a single
image from the sequence of images that make up an animation.
Keyframe: a frame used to specify a change in the animation.
(Means: Something is about to change!)
Motion Path: a path drawn on a guide layer to control path animation.
Path Animation: a method of animating an object that requires the user to
draw of create a path on a guide layer that the object follows.
Timeline the part of Flash that organizes and controls an animation's content
over time using layers and frames.
Layer: a transparent level on the stage that can hold objects and enables them
to be manipulated separately from other layers. Adjusted in Timeline
Onion Skin: a feature that enables you to view the contents of multiple frames
onscreen at the same time.
Panels: floating windows that contain commands, options, palettes, menus, and
other features for quick reference while working in a program.
Playhead: the vertical red marker in the timeline that marks the progress of the
animation when it is previewed in the animation program.
Tween: the calculation of an object's path from a specified beginning point to a
specified ending point in an animation.
Motion Tween: a type of tween that has a blue background on the timeline.
Shape Tween: a type of tween that has a green background on the timeline.
Stroke: The outline of a shape.
Fill: The inside of a shape.
12 Stages of Animation
1. SQUASH AND STRETCH
This action gives the illusion of weight and volume to a character as it moves.
It can also be useful in animating dialogue and doing facial expressions. This
is one of the most important principles and is used often.
2. ANTICIPATION
This movement prepares the audience for a major action a character or effect is
about to perform, such as the start of a run or the pause before an explosion.
Almost all real actions display a major or minor form of this principle.
3. STAGING
This directs the audience's attention to the story or idea being told. The
background design shouldn't obscure the animation or compete with it
due to excess detail behind the animation. They should work together
in unison.
4. STRAIGHT AHEAD AND POSE TO POSE ANIMATION
Straight ahead animation starts at the first drawing and works drawing to
drawing to the end of the scene. This can produce spontaneity and freshness.
Pose to pose is more planned out and charted with key drawings done at
intervals throughout the scene. There is more control in the scene this way.
5. FOLLOW THROUGH AND OVERLAPPING ACTION
When the main body of a character stops, all other parts continue to catch
up to the main mass of the character. Nothing stops all at once. When the
character changes directions, things such as clothing or hair will continue
to move in the old direction and then catch up a few frames later..
6. SLOW-OUT AND SLOW-IN
This principle softens the action, making it more life-like. As the
action starts, we have more drawings near the starting pose, one or
two in the middle, and then more drawings near the next pose.
Fewer drawings make the action faster, while more drawings make
the action slower.
7. ARCS
All actions follow this type of path. It gives the animation a more
natural action and better flow. Many character movements and
special effects elements are subjected to this type of path.
8. SECONDARY ACTION
This action adds to and enriches the main action. It adds more dimension to the character animation. It supplements and/or re-enforces the main action. These actions should work together in support of one another.
9. TIMING
More drawings between poses slow and smooth the action.
Fewer drawings make the action faster and crisper.
Adding a variety of slow and fast actions within a scene
adds texture and interest to the movement
10. EXAGGERATION
This can consist of extreme distortion of a drawing through facial
features, expressions, poses, attitudes, and actions. It can add a more
dynamic feel to a walk, an eye movement, or even a head turn.
11. SOLID DRAWING
The basic principles of drawing (form, weight, volume solidity,
and the illusion of three dimensions) apply to animation as they
do to academic drawing. You draw cartoons in the classical sense,
using pencils sketches and drawings that reproduce life.
12. APPEAL
This principle includes an easy-to-read design, clear drawing, and personality development that will capture and involve the audience's interest. It gives the story continuity, allows for character development, and results in a higher quality of artwork throughout the production.
File Types
Text Files
.DOC Microsoft Word Document
Data Files
.PPT PowerPoint Presentation
Audio Files
.MP3 MP3 Audio File
.WAV WAVE Audio File
.WMA Windows Media Audio File
Vector Video Files
.SWF Shockwave Flash Movie
.FLA Adobe Flash editable movie or animation
.WMV Windows Media Video File
Raster Image Files
.BMP Bitmap Image File
.GIF Graphical Interchange Format File used for small animated files
.JPG JPEG Image
.PNG Portable Network Graphic
.PSD Adobe Photoshop Document
.TIFF Tagged Image File Format
Vector Image Files
.AI Adobe Illustrator File
Page Layout Files
.PDF Portable Document Format File
PowerPoint Animation Essay suggestions
-Add unique Entrance Effects
-Add unique exit Effects
-Add timing to automatically advance slides
-Apply Motion Paths
-Add sound effects