Project 2: Creating a Snowflake Object
1: Create a new Flash document
– File:New…:Flash Document (Actionscript 2.0)
2: Set the Stage size, color, and framerate
– Modify:Document…
3: Drag guides out the edges of your stage
– If the rulers are not visible towards the edges of the stage, select View > Rulers
– Click-and-drag from the within the ruler areas on the left and top areas of the Stage so that you have two vertical guides and two horizontal guides set to the edges of the Stage
4: Import a bitmap image to the Stage for your background
– File > Import >> Import to Stage
5: Convert this image to a Symbol
– Modify > Convert to Symbol
– Give it a “Name” that relates to the image, Set “Type” to “Movie Clip”, set the Registration to top-left by clicking on the top-left square in “Registration”
6: Resize the image while maintaining the aspect ratio so that it covers all of the stage (no background color is showing through)
– A: Modify > Transform >> Free Transform
– B: Holding “Shift”, click-and-drag on one of the Symbols corners, moving away from the center
– C: Select the “Selection tool” from the Toolbar (or hit “V” on the keyboard) to exit the Transform mode
– D: Reposition the Shape so that it covers the Stage, pay attention to the guides
– Repeat the previous steps until you get a pleasing layout.
7: Name the layer “Background, lock it
– Double-click on the text “Layer 1″ in the Timeline, type “Background”
– Click the black dot in the “Lock Icon” column to the right
8: Create a New Layer, name it “Snowflake”
– Insert > Timeline >> Layer
– Double-click on the text “Layer 2″ in the Timeline, type “Snowflake”
9: Using the Line Tool (7th icon down from the top in the Toolbar), draw a vertical line and a few horizontal lines that cross the vertical towards the it’s top. You should have something that looks “tree-like”.
10: Select all of the lines
– Command+A OR Edit > Select All
11: Convert these lines to a Symbol
– Modify > Convert to Symbol
– Give it the name “snowflakeArm”, Set “Type” to “Movie Clip”, set the Registration to bottom-center by clicking on the bottom-center square in “Registration”
12: Copy, Paste-in-Place, and Rotate the Symbol 60ª 5 times
– Click on the instance of “snowflakeArm” you just created in the previous step
– Edit > Copy
– Edit > Paste in Place
– Modify > Transform >> Scale and Rotate
– Make sure Scale is set to 100%, set Rotate to 60ª
– Repeat these steps 5 times
13: Select all 6 instances of “snowflakeArm”, convert them to a new symbol
– Command+A OR Edit > Select All
– Modify > Convert to Symbol
– Give it the name “snowflake”, Set “Type” to “Movie Clip”, set the Registration to center by clicking on the center square in “Registration”
14: Position this symbol above the top horizontal guide on the Stage so that is cropped out of the SWF (Command+Return to preview your movie)
15: Click on the reddish “timeline scrubber” in the frame number area of the timeline
16: Add 20 frames
– Hit the “F5″ key 19 times
17: click on the “snowflake” layer in the timeline at the last frame, frame 20, so that a black rectangle is visible ON THAT FRAME ONLY.
18: Insert a Keyframe (hot the “F6″ key)
19: Still on Frame 20, select the instance of “snowflake” on the stage
20: Drag it beneath the bottom of the stage, below the second horizontal guide.
21: Click anywhere in the timeline on the “snowflake” layer between the two keyframes
22: Insert the Motion Tween
– Insert > Timeline >> Create Motion tween
23: Test your movie to see the animation!
