- Getting started
- About animation
- Understanding the project file
- Animating position
- Changing the pacing and timing
- Animating transparency
- Animating filters
- Animating transformations
- Editing multiple frames
- Changing the path of the motion
- Swapping tween targets
- Creating nested animations
- Easing
- Frame-by-frame animation
- Animating 3D motion
- Exporting your final movie
- Review questions
- Review answers
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Animating filters
Filters, which give instances special effects such as blurs and drop shadows, can also be animated. You’ll next refine the motion tween of the actors by applying a blur filter to one of them to make it appear as if the camera changes focus. Animating filters is no different from animating changes in position or changes in color effect. You simply set the values for a filter at one keyframe and set different values for the filter at another keyframe, and Animate creates a smooth transition.
Make sure that the actors layer folder on the timeline is visible.
Unlock the woman layer.
Move the playhead to the beginning keyframe of the motion tween in the woman layer, at frame 23.
Select the instance of the woman on the Stage. You won’t be able to see her because she has an alpha value of 0% (totally transparent). Click the upper-right side of the Stage to select the transparent instance. Or click frame 23 in the woman layer in the timeline to highlight it, then click the Object tab in the Properties panel.
In the Properties panel, click the Add Filter (+) button in the Filters section, and choose Blur from the menu to add a blur to the instance.
In the Filters section of the Properties panel, select the link icon to apply equal values to the x and y directions if it isn’t already selected. Set the Blur X value to 20 pixels.
The Blur Y value also changes to 20 pixels.
Move the playhead along the entire timeline to preview the animation.
The woman instance is blurred throughout the motion tween.
Select frame 140 in the woman layer and choose Insert Keyframe above the timeline.
Animate establishes a keyframe at frame 140.
Select frame 160 of the woman layer and choose Insert Keyframe above the timeline to add another keyframe.
Select the Object tab of the Properties panel.
In the Properties panel, change the value of the Blur filter to X=0 and Y=0.
The Blur filter changes from the keyframe at frame 140 to the keyframe at 160. Animate creates a smooth transition from a blurry instance to an in-focus instance.
)
)
)
)
)
)
UNDERSTANDING PROPERTY KEYFRAMES
Changes in properties are independent of one another and do not need to be tied to the same keyframes. That is, you can have a keyframe for position, a different keyframe for the color effect, and yet another keyframe for a filter. Managing many different kinds of keyframes can become overwhelming, especially if you want different properties to change at different times during the motion tween. Fortunately, Animate provides a few helpful tools for keyframe management.
When viewing the tween span, you can choose to view the keyframes of only certain properties. For example, you can choose to view only the Position keyframes so that you can see when your object moves. Or you can choose to view only the Filter keyframes so that you can see when a filter changes. Right-click a motion tween in the timeline, choose View Keyframes, and then choose the desired property from the list. You can also choose All or None to see all the properties or none of the properties.
)
When inserting a keyframe, you can also insert a keyframe specific to the property you want to change. Right-click a motion tween in the timeline, choose Insert Keyframe, and then select the desired property.
You can also view an advanced panel, called the Motion Editor, to see and edit how the different properties of your object change over the course of the motion tween. You’ll learn more about the Motion Editor in the next lesson.