Animate an armature



You animate IK armatures differently from other objects in Flash. With armatures, you simply add frames to the pose layer and reposition the armature on the Stage to create a keyframe. Keyframes in pose layers are called poses. Because IK armatures are typically used for animation purposes, each pose layer acts as a tween layer automatically.

However, IK pose layers are different from tween layers because you cannot tween properties other than bone position in the pose layer. To tween other properties of an IK object such as location, transform, color effects, or filters, enclose the armature and its associated objects in a movie clip or graphic symbol. You can then animate the properties of the symbol using the Insert > Motion Tween command and the Motion Editor panel.

You can also animate IK armatures with ActionScript 3.0 at runtime. If you plan to animate an armature with ActionScript, you cannot animate it in the Timeline. The armature can have only one pose in the pose layer and that pose must be in the first frame in which the armature appears in the pose layer.

The following video tutorial demonstrates how to animate an armature:

Animate an armature in the Timeline

IK armatures exist on pose layers in the Timeline. To animate armatures in the Timeline, insert poses by right-clicking a frame in a pose layer and selecting Insert Pose. Use the Selection tool to change the configuration of the armature. Flash automatically interpolates the positions of the bones in the frames between poses.

  1. In the Timeline, add frames to the pose layer of the armature to make room for the animation you want to create.

    You add frames by right-clicking (Windows) or Option-clicking (Macintosh) a frame in the pose layer to the right of any existing frames and choosing Insert Frame. You can add or delete frames later at any time.

    You can also drag the last frame of the pose layer to the right to add frames.

  2. To add a pose to a frame in the pose layer, do one of the following:

    • Place the playhead in the frame where you want to add the pose and then reposition the armature on the Stage.

    • Right-click (Windows) or Option-click (Macintosh) the frame in the pose layer and choose Insert Pose.

    • Place the playhead in the frame where you want to add the pose and then press the F6 key.

    Flash inserts a pose into the pose layer in the current frame. A diamond-shaped pose marker in the frame indicates the new pose.

  3. Add additional poses in separate frames to complete the animation to your satisfaction.
  4. If you want to change the length of the animation in the Timeline, drag the last frame of the pose layer to the right or left to add or remove frames. Flash repositions the pose frames in proportion to the change in duration of the layer and reinterpolates the frames in between.

When you are finished, scrub the playhead in the Timeline to preview the animation with the armature positions interpolated in between the pose frames.

You can reposition the armature in the pose frames or add new pose frames at any time.

Convert an armature to a movie clip or graphic symbol for additional tweened effects

To apply tweened effects to IK object properties other than bone position, the object must be enclosed in a movie clip or graphic symbol.

To enclose an IK armature on the Timeline in a movie clip or graphic symbol:

  1. Select the IK armature and all of its associated objects.

    For an IK shape you can simply click the shape. For linked sets of symbol instances, you can click the pose layer in the Timeline or drag a selection marquee around all of the linked symbols on the Stage.

  2. Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Macintosh) the selection and choose Convert to Symbol from the context menu.
  3. In the Convert to Symbol dialog box, enter a name for the symbol and choose either Movie Clip or Graphic from the Type menu. Click OK.

    Flash creates a symbol with its own timeline containing the pose layer for the armature.

  4. To use the new symbol on the main timeline of your FLA file, drag the symbol from the Library to the Stage.

    You can now add motion tween effects to the new symbol instance on the Stage.

You can nest symbols containing IK armatures within as many layers of other nested symbols as necessary to create your desired effect.

Prepare an armature for runtime animation with ActionScript 3.0

IK armatures connected to shapes or movie clip instances can be controlled with ActionScript 3.0. Armatures connected to graphic or button symbol instances cannot be controlled with ActionScript.

Only armatures with a single pose can be controlled with ActionScript. Armatures with more than one pose can only be controlled in the Timeline.

  1. With the Selection tool, select a frame in a pose layer containing an armature.

    The Property inspector displays the armature properties.

  2. In the Property inspector, choose Runtime from the Type menu.

The hierarchy can now be manipulated with ActionScript 3.0 at runtime.

By default, the armature name in the Property inspector is the same as the pose layer name. Use this name to refer to the armature in ActionScript. You can change the name in the Property inspector.