Animating with Text

 
 
 
 

1. Create a new Flash file.  Select Modify > Document and set the file properties to the following:

  • Width = 260
  • Height = 60 pixels
  • Background color = white
  • Frame rate = 12
  • Ruler units = pixels
 
 

2. Click here to copy the Swifty font file to the Font folder in the Control Panel.

Then select the type tool. Set the type tool properties to

  • Static text
  • font = Swifty
  • Size = 60
  • Color = black
  • bold
  • Character Spacing = -6(horizontal spacing)
 
 
 
  3. Type in the letters asdfghjkl;' on your keyboard. This represents the row for the a key typed in all lower case in order from left to right.  
  4. Use the move tool to center this on the stage.  
 

5. Select the text box with one click of the arrow tool.

  • Seclect Modify > Break Apart.
  • While still selected, click Modify > Timeline > Distribute to Layers.
  • While still selected, repeat by clicking Modify > Break Apart.

This will remove the issue of having to embed the font.  Each figure will move to its own layer and each layer will be called the letter of the font.

  
 

6. Use the move tool to grab the key frame starting with the s layer and move the contents to frame 2.

Move the contents of layer d to frame 3.

Move the contents of layer f to frame4  and so forth, until you have all the frames moved out one more frame from the last.

  
  7. Click File=> save. Then click file=> publish.  Since each frame is a different drawing of the runner, you have completed a frame by frame animation.