# adobe animate basics Random notes for using Adobe Animate for creating animations. _This is getting to be a huge page. Might have to break into smaller pages/another whole section of site._ ## should you use animate? A nice introduction to the program formerly known as Flash. <div class="iframeDiv"><iframe width="100%" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mRy7YNR99yI?si=ELR36Vm16Tnv9kqm" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> _[Devon Kong](https://youtu.be/mRy7YNR99yI?si=LV_n95KTvdqe232r)_ ## get started [Visual Glossary from Adobe Help](https://helpx.adobe.com/animate/using/visual-glossary.html) covers all the basics of tools, workspaces, timeline, elements, and tweens. This is a perfect starting place. Also,[ Elements from Adobe Help](https://helpx.adobe.com/animate/using/elements.html) covers all the different elements you will use, including symbols, graphics, shapes, drawing objects, etc. --- ## interface ![[animate interface.png]] ### properties panel The **Properties** panel is quite versatile. It changes to reflect options for whatever Tool you are using, whatever Object you have selected, the Keyframe you have selected in the Timeline, or the overall Document itself. You will spend a lot of time here tweaking settings and manipulating options. ![[177cffb7c727cb5c358a281b168401b3_MD5.jpeg]] ### breadcrumb trail The **Breadcrumb Trail** (_my name_) is in the upper-left corner of the Stage. Animate works by organizing content into Scenes and Symbols. Each Scene and Symbol can have its own Timeline and editable content. The Breadcrumb Trail helps you keep everything organized. In the image below, I am editing Symbol 1, which is placed in Scene 1. You can use this to swap to different scenes or symbols while working. The back arrow steps you back to a bigger container. The club icon lets you switch between symbols. ![[e4921422fe8710ceb5b976dce558f278_MD5.jpeg]] --- ## drawing in animate Animate is famous for having wonky drawing tools. The tools are powerful once you understand how they work, however it takes some experimentation to make sense of the differences between brushes. ### set the object drawing mode first When drawing in Animate, make sure you have the **Object Drawing Mode** turned on. This will draw your marks as editable vector filled shapes. This is what you want. If you don’t, the marks are a weird raster rash thing that is unstable and frustrating. Remember, if you have the rash, back up and reset. There are viable uses for the rash, but I’m choosing to ignore them. [You can learn more about Merge vs. Object Drawing Mode in this YouTube video from snorklTV](https://youtu.be/NgLPQpmBiNQ?si=FTGZTxGaCyCM_I57). ![[16ab95a3f6c2037a3e569368728179ef_MD5.jpeg]] ### the brushes The **Classic Brush** is simple and limited. Use the basic premade tips. Smoothing helps clean up your drawing marks. Your marks are actually closed vector shapes with adjustable anchor nodes all the way around the shape. The **Fluid Brush** is more complex and has better options. Smoothing and stabilization helps clean up your drawing marks. Roundness makes your marks thick and thin instead of uniform thickness. Tapering thins out your line at the start and end of your stroke. Pressure affects thick and thin of your stroke if using an enabled drawing tablet. Your marks are actually closed vector shapes with adjustable anchor nodes all the way around the shape. The **Paintbrush** stretches a prebuilt vector shape along your vector path. Kind of limiting but can be cool for stylized effects. Only a single vector path, not a fully outline shape. More about drawing in Animate… - [Draw and create objects with Animate from Adobe Help](https://helpx.adobe.com/animate/using/drawing.html) - bitmap, vector, drawing modes - [How to Get the BEST Linework in Adobe Animate YouTube video from TipTut](https://youtu.be/IaeFgTZKjMU?si=gU4TiM3MV_GVkgEB) - [Should you use Fills or Strokes? YouTube video from Devon Kong](https://youtu.be/yc8Zka-ecgY?si=ccY-TG3xvcy9ttmn) - [Clean Line Art! Digital Inking Tips YouTube video from BaM Animation](https://youtu.be/NBE-RTFkXDk?si=ncuh_8FtQy_UBnRz) - focused on tablet and software setup, not just Animate - [The Power of the Paintbrush Tool YouTube video from TipTut](https://youtu.be/aEu7_aoAyXM?si=fF68tNxtvvTeIskg) - neat trick using drawn elements as brushes ## draw with shapes instead Since Animate is primarily a vector animation tool, you can also draw with filled shapes either using the **Primitive Shapes** or the classic **Pen Tool**. Draw your shapes and play with color fills. Then Edit nodes to modify shapes. [Drawing in Animate from Adobe Learn](https://creativecloud.adobe.com/cc/learn/animate/web/drawing-in-animate-cc?code=eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsIng1dSI6Imltc19uYTEta2V5LWF0LTEuY2VyIiwia2lkIjoiaW1zX25hMS1rZXktYXQtMSIsIml0dCI6ImF0In0.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.c05i9U6gWaosl2norFNMYuNi2Oq9RPf0y8MDy8zLirAy8OyMNkPAlqgAY5IKjpGevQwfqFEFukTpOO9JLi6PM3AbrpYMTTTx7Q8XPFXAWhVaWmQAsX6GbljBeDpbILN_TQ7dYqWMY-uxsSejS3M08K11dAlcBToNGrr_QSS4li46424b7CVtapoHkyDc&locale=en) walks you through a workflow using and modifying primitive shapes. --- ## library and symbols ### the library is where you store all of your stuff Animate uses theater/film terminology to organize the workflow. Your working document area is called the Stage. Each section of an animation is called a Scene. The Library is where you store all your content: props, characters, audio, backgrounds, etc. The basic workflow is to organize everything in the Library and pull to the Stage whatever you need for a particular Scene. ### symbols are the boxes that hold drawings A confusing statement: Animate doesn’t actually animate your drawings. Instead, you put your drawings inside of boxes called **Symbols** and then animate those boxes moving around. (_Yes, this is a simple and non-fully correct statement. There is complexity we aren’t getting into right now._) A Symbol is the box that holds your content. Each object that moves separately from the rest needs to be its own symbol. You can have multiple objects within a symbol. You can even have symbols within symbols. Even better, symbols have their own timeline so you can have sub-animations within bigger animations. It gets complicated. Learn more… - [Working with Symbols in Adobe Animate from Adobe Help](https://helpx.adobe.com/animate/using/symbols.html) - [The Importance of Symbols in Adobe Animate from School of Motion](https://www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/symbols-adobe-animate) --- ## timeline and keyframes Working in Animate is very sequential and order of operations. Here’s a quick breakdown. 1. create layer with symbol (has a starter keyframe - **black dot**) 2. give it time to animate (right-click on end frame and select **Insert Frame**) 3. tell it to animate (right-click in the gray box and select **Create Motion Tween**) 4. start setting keyframes (right-click on frame you want to set and select **Insert Keyframe > All**) There are a ton of keyframe settings in the right-click menu. You will get very familiar with the right-click menu. Test play animation by pressing **Return**. Test output animation by pressing **Command-Return**. This saves a .swf file in the same folder as your working document file. --- ## tweening and motion Motion Tween vs. Classic Tween. Motion Path. Ease In and Ease Out. --- Animation channels related to Adobe Animate to follow… - [BaM Animation](https://www.youtube.com/c/BaMAnimation) - [Devon Kong](https://www.youtube.com/c/DevonKong/videos) - [This Guy Does Animation](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEGho5tkeuWNBinvVG4eWbA) --- Learn more… - [Animate workflow and workspace from Adobe Help](https://helpx.adobe.com/animate/using/workflow-workspace.html) --- tags: #animation #resources home: [[! animation]]