Create motion tweens



Tweens are applied to symbol instances and text fields. Only symbol instances and text fields can be tweened. All other object types are wrapped in a symbol when a tween is applied to them. The symbol instance can contain nested symbols, which can themselves be tweened on their own timelines.

The minimal building block in a tween layer is a tween span. A tween span in a tween layer can contain only one symbol instance. The symbol instance is called the target instance of the tween span. Adding a second symbol to the tween span replaces the original symbol in the tween. You can change the target object of a tween by dragging a different symbol from the library onto the tween span in the Timeline. You can delete the symbol from a tween layer without removing or breaking the tween. You can then add a different symbol instance to the tween at a later time. You can also change the type of the target symbol of a tween span.

You can edit individual property keyframes on Stage, in the Property inspector, or in the Motion Editor.

When you add a tween to an object or set of objects on a layer, Flash either converts the layer to a tween layer or creates a new layers to preserve the original stacking order of the objects on the layer, according to these rules:

  • If there are no objects on the layer other than the selection, the layer changes to a tween layer.

  • If the selection is at the bottom of the stacking order of the layer (under all other objects), a layer will be created above the original layer to hold the non-selected items and the original layer becomes a tween layer.

  • If the selection is at the top of the stacking order of the layer (above all other objects), a new layer is created, the selection is moved to it and that layer becomes a tween layer.

  • If the selection is in the middle of the stacking order of the layer (there are non-selected objects above and below the selection), two layers are created, one to hold the new tween and one above it to hold the non-selected items at the top of the stacking order. The non-selected items at the bottom of the stacking order remain on the original layer, below the newly inserted layers.

A tween layer can contain tween spans as well as static frames and ActionScript. However, frames of a tween layer that contain a tween span cannot contain objects other than the tweened object. To add additional objects in the same frame, place them on separate layers.

When a tween contains motion, a motion path appears on the Stage. The motion path shows the position of the tweened object in each frame. You cannot add a motion guide to a tween/inverse kinematics layer.

The following video tutorials demonstrate techniques for creating motion tweens:

For information about tweening Inverse Kinematic bones, see Animate an armature.

Create a motion tween

  1. Select one or more objects to tween on the Stage.

    The object can reside in any of the following layer types: Normal, Guide, Mask, or Masked.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • Choose Insert > Motion Tween.

    • Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Macintosh) the selection or current frame and choose Create Motion Tween from the context menu.

    If the object is not a tweenable object type, or if multiple objects are selected on the same layer, a dialog box appears. The dialog box allows you to convert the selection to a movie clip symbol. Convert the selection to a movie clip to proceed.

    If the tweened object was the only item on the layer, Flash converts the layer containing the object to a tween layer. If there are other objects on the layer, Flash inserts layers to preserve the original object stacking order and places the tweened object on its own layer.

    If the original object resided in only the first frame of the Timeline, the length of the tween span is equal to one second in duration. If the frame rate is 24 frames per second, the span contains 24 frames. If the frame rate is less than five fps, the span is five frames long. If the original object was present in more than one contiguous frame, the tween span contains the number of frames occupied by the original object.

    If the layer was a normal layer it becomes a tween layer. If it was a guide, mask, or masked layer it becomes a tween guide, tween mask, or tween masked layer.

  3. Drag either end of the tween span in the Timeline to shorten or extend the span to the desired length.

  4. To add motion to the tween, place the playhead on a frame within the tween span and then drag the object on the Stage to a new position.

    A motion path appears on the Stage showing the path from the position in the first frame of the tween span to the new position. Because you explicitly defined the X and Y properties of the object, property keyframes are added for X and Y in the frame containing the playhead. Property keyframes appear as small diamonds in the tween span.

    By default, the Timeline displays the property keyframes of all property types. You can choose which types of property keyframes to display by right-clicking (Windows) or Command-clicking (Macintosh) the tween span and choosing View Keyframes > property type.

  5. To specify another position for the object, place the playhead in another frame within the tween span and drag the object on Stage to another position.

    The motion path adjusts to include all the positions you specify.

  6. To tween 3D rotation or position, use the 3D Rotation or 3D Translation tool. Be sure to place the playhead in the frame where you want to add the 3D property keyframe first.

Note: To create multiple tweens at once, place tweenable objects on multiple layers, select them all, and choose Insert > Motion Tween. You can also apply motion presets to multiple objects in the same way.

Tween a non-position property with the Property inspector

Use the Property inspector to edit the value of any property on tween in the current frame.

  1. Select an object on the Stage.
  2. Choose Insert > Motion Tween.

    If the object must be converted to a symbol, click OK in the dialog box that appears. Flash converts the object to a movie clip symbol.

    When you apply a tween to an object that exists only in a single keyframe, the playhead moves to the last frame of the new tween. Otherwise the playhead does not move.

  3. Place the playhead in the frame of the tween span where you want to specify a property value.

    You can place the playhead in any other frame of the tween span. The tween starts with the property values in the first frame of the tween span, which is always a property keyframe.

  4. With the object selected on the Stage, set a value for a non-position property such as alpha transparency, skew, and so on. Set the value with the Property inspector or with one of the tools in the Tools panel.

    The current frame of the span becomes a property keyframe.

    To display different types of property keyframes in tween spans, right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Macintosh) a tween span and choose View Keyframes > property type from the context menu.

  5. Scrub the playhead in the Timeline to observe the tween on the Stage.
  6. To add additional property keyframes, move the playhead to the desired frame in the span and set a value for the property in the Property inspector.
Note: You can also tween properties along an entire tween with the Motion Editor. See Editing property curves with the Motion Editor for more information.

Add an additional tween to an existing tween layer

You can add additional tweens to an existing tween layer.

 Do one of the following:

  • Add a blank keyframe to the layer (Insert > Timeline > Blank Keyframe), add items to the keyframe, and then tween one or more of those items.

  • Create a tween on a separate layer and then drag the span to the desired layer.

  • Drag a static frame from another layer to the tween layer and then add a tween to an object in the static frame.

  • Insert a blank keyframe on the tween layer and then add an object to the blank keyframe by dragging one from the Library panel or pasting from the clipboard. You can then add a tween to this object.

    Note: You can copy the target object of a motion tween to the clipboard at any frame in the tween span.