Flash Masters,
I need help with something I've never been able to do, but I would think would be very easy to achieve. I need to animate a line. It has to start at a point and grow along a path. I've attached a picture that will hopefully explain what I mean. I'm using Flash 4. Thank you for taking the time to help.
-Colby
Let me think... what if you... created a mask with the spiral design... then create a layer below it... and fill it with the brush, frame by frame?
danielpoeira.org
Thanks Daniel. I've used that method before, but it's too time consuming. Especially since the animation lasts for 5 seconds at 30 fps. It's too much hassle to do it frame by frame.
-Colby
There are really no easy methods for this in Flash 4 or 5. It can be done using ActionScript in Flash MX with the new line functions.
http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/mx/flash/articles/precision_drawing.html
Thanks Megatoon!
I guess I'll just have to do it in some roundabout time consuming way. :(
-Colby
Hey Colby,
There is an easier way. Draw out the whole swirl you want. On a layer above, create a blob of color and make it a symbol and a mask. Create a line matching your swirl on another layer and make it a guide or a path. I'm not sure which. Then motion tween your mask symbol too the path. There is a way to animate it to the path. I'm at work, but I can figure it out for you when I get home. I hope that made some scence.
...we must all face a choice, between what is right... and what is easy."
Animated Ape- Thanks for the help. I'm not sure if that method works though. I don't think a layer can be both a guided layer and a mask layer. And if it was possible, I think it would only make the part with the blob above it visible. And I need the part of the line that the blob would've already passed over to be visble as well.
Let me know where I might be mistaken. I'd really like to be able to do this. Thanks again.
-Colby
Hi Colby,
It's alittle more involved than I explained. Shoot me off an email at anim8edape@hotmail.com and I can email you a better explination and maybe some visuals tonight.
...we must all face a choice, between what is right... and what is easy."
Ape- E-mail sent.
Ape's reply is the best explanation. It is the recurring how do I make it look like its writing itself. I didn't use a path but I used the mask function to do the writing trick.
http://www3.telus.net/drard/turkey.html