Frames

Frames and layers are located in the Timeline panel.

Frames are numbered every fifth frame. Example: Frame 1 has a number. Frames 2, 3 and 4 don’t. Frame 5 has a number and so on.

Icons

• Center Frame
• Onion Skin
• Onion Skin Outlines
• Edit Multiple Frames
• Modify Onion Markers
• Current Frame is a  #
• Frame Rate is a # in fps
• Elapsed Time is a # in seconds
• Slider

            

Frame #1 starts with a Keyframe.

Keyframe is a Frame that defines a change to an object's properties for an animation or includes ActionScript code to control some aspect of your document.
The order in which Frames and Keyframes appear in the Timeline determines the order in which they are displayed in the animation. The arrangement of Keyframes in the Timeline can be edited to change the sequence of events in an animation.

Keyframe symbol is a circle

Frame symbol is a rectangle

Keyframe circle with content is black.

Keyframe circle with no content is white

Keyframe Span:

• Keyframes separate frames into sections or Keytframe Spans.
• Each Keyframe Span can have one or more different content.
• Keyframe Spans go from Keyframe to Frame

Frame Tinting:

• White Frames have no content
• Gray Frames have content. Gray area means there is a static object (doesn’t move)inside that section
• Light lavender Frames have motion tween content
• Light green Frames have shape tween content

         

                             

Selection (V)

Selected area turns black

• Click a Frame to select
• Double click inside a Keyframe Span to select span.
• Click layer to select all Frames

                     

Open a New Document

Layer 1

• Name ‘Stage’

Layer 2

• Click Insert Layer
• Name ‘One Span’
• Right click frame 15
• Insert Frame
• Click inside Keyframe Span
• Click Fill Color select Green
• Click Oval (O)
• Draw a circle
• Move Playhead

Layer 2 has a single Keyframe Span.

Layer 3

• Click Insert Layer
• Name ‘Many Spans’
• Click Playhead to deselect Keyframe Span
• Right click frame 5
• Insert Keyframe

Layer 3 has two Keyframe Spans.

• Click inside first Keyframe Span
• Change Fill Color to Blue
• Click Oval (O)
• Draw a circle
• Move Playhead

Frame 1 to frame 4 have content and are gray. Frame 5 to frame 10 have no content and are white.

• Right click frame 10
• Insert Keyframe

There are three Keyframe Spans

• Click inside last Keyframe Span
• Change Fill Color to Red
• Click Rectangle (R)
• Draw a square
• Move Playhead

Blue circle is in first Keyframe Span, no content in second Keyframe Span and red square in last Keyframe Span.

                             

Moving an Object

• Click Selection (V)
• Click inside last Keyframe Span
• Move selected square to a different location on the Stage

Objects inside a Keyframe Span can be moved anywhere on the Stage or Work Area

Adding an Object

• Click inside second Keyframe Span
• Change Fill Color to Purple
• Click Rectangle (R)
• Draw a square
• Move Playhead

Objects can be added by clicking anywhere inside a Keyframe Span.

• Click inside second Keyframe Span
• Press/hold Ctrl
• Deselect purple square
• Change Fill Color to Yellow
• Click Oval (O)
• Draw a circle
• Move Playhead

More than one object can be in a Keyframe span.

Deleting content

Layer 3

• Click insider first Keyframe Span
• Press Delete

Blue circle is deleted. Keyframe Span has no content and is white.

Convert to Keyframe

• Click frame 1 (Keyframe)
• Press/hold Shift
• Click frame 4 (Frame) to select
• Right click in selected area
• Concert to Keyframe

Frames 1, 2, 3 and 4 are Keyframes.

Insert Frame

Layer 2

• Click layer 2 ‘One Span’
• Right click inside the Keyframe Span. (All frames are selected)
• Insert Frame

15 frames are added to the last frame. Layer 2 has a Keyframe Span from frame 1 to frame 30.

• Click Playhead to deselected Keyframe Span
• Right click inside the Keyframe Span
• Insert Frame

A frame is added to the last frame. Keyframe Span is from frame 1 to frame 31.

Deleting Frames

• Deleting one frame
• Right click inside the Keyframe span
• Remove Frames

Keyframe Span is from frame 1 to frame 30.

• Deleting several frames
• Click on frame 10
• Press/hold Shift
• Click on frame 19 to select those frames.
• Right click inside selected frames
• Remove Frames

Frames are removed from the last frame toward the first frame. Keyframe Span is from Keyframe 1 to frame 20.

Deleting Keyframe

Layer 3

• Click layer 3 ‘Many Spans’
• Click Playhead to deselect the Keyframe Spans
• Right click Keyframe 3
• Clear Keyframe

Frame 3 is now a Frame

• Right click Keyframe 10
• Select Clear Keyframe

Last Keyframe Span is deleted

Frame Span 5 to 15 has a purple square and yellow circle in it.

Moving Frames:

• Click on the frame 10
• Hold/drag to frame 20

Frame turns gray when it can be dragged

Keyframe Span is now from Keyframe 5 to Frame 19

Moving a frame puts a Keyframe with objects from Keyframe Span in the new location, frame 20.

• Right click frame 25
• Insert Frame
• Move Playhead

Moving a frame puts a Keyframe with objects from the Keyframe Span in the new location, frame 20.

Moving Keyframe

• Click Keyframe 4
• Change Fill Color to Orange
• Click Oval (O)
• Draw a circle

Keyframe 4 has content

• Click on the Keyframe 5
• Click/hold/drag to frame 10

Keyframe Span with purple square and yellow circle is from Keyframe 10 to Frame 19

Keyframe with orange circle is now a Keyframe Span from Keyframe 4 to Frame 9

• Click Show/Hide All Layers eye icon
• Click Lock/Unlock All Layers lock icon

All layers have a red cross in Show/Hide layer circle and all objects are hidden on the Stage.

All layers have a lock and cannot be altered

Layer 4

• Insert Layer
• Name ‘Keyframes’
• Right click frame 25
• Insert Keyframe
• Click inside Keyframe Span
• Change Fill Color to Purple
• Click Oval (O)
• Draw a circle

Keyframe Span is gray, has content

• Right click frame 5
• Insert Keyframe
• Place Keyframes in every fifth frame (10, 15, 20)
• Click Selection (V)
• Click inside second Keyframe Span and move object
• Click inside third Keyframe Span and move object
• Click inside fourth Keyframe Span and move object
• Click inside fifth Keyframe Span and move object
• Move Playhead

Circle moves to different location in each Keyframe Span.

                       

                         

• Move Playhead to frame 1
• Press Enter

Playhead moves from frame 1 to 25 showing animation

• Click inside first Keyframe Span
• Move circle to bottom left of Stage
• Click inside second Keyframe Span
• Move circle to middle top of Stage
• Click inside third Keyframe Span
• Move circle to bottom right of Stage
• Click inside fourth Keyframe Span
• Move circle to middle top of Stage
• Click inside fifth Keyframe Span
• Move circle to bottom left of Stage
• Move Playhead to frame 1
• Press Enter

Animated circle moves up and down

Frame Rate

12 fps is a good rate for movies on the internet

Motion Picture Default is 24fps

File Size:

• The higher the fps the larger the file size.
• Use the smallest fps while keeping the animation effect wanted.

Changing fps:

• Click gray space in Work Area
• Properties Document>Frame rate
• Change Frame rate to 5

Fps has changed in Frame Rate window

                                                        

                                                        

• Move Playhead to frame 1
• Press Enter

Animation is slower

• Double click Frame Rate window
• Change Frame rate to 20
• Move Playhead to frame 1
• Press Enter

Animation is faster

                               

• Modify>Document
• Change Frame rate to 40
• Move Playhead to frame 1
• Press Enter

Animation is faster

Elapsed Time

How to Figure the Animation Elapse Time

• Divide number of frames by fps.
• 25 Frames divided by 40 fps equals .6s

                       

Elapsed Time is .6s of animation

• Double click Frame Rate window
• Change fps to 12
• 25 Frames divided by 12 fps equals 2.0s

The decrease of fps the longer the animation Elapsed Time

The increase of fps the shorter the animation Elapsed Time

• Move Playhead to frame 10
• Elapsed Time is .8s
• Move Playhead to frame 20
• Elapsed Time is 1.6s

Playhead position shows Elapsed Time for that location

Elapsed Time

Converting Animation Elapses Time to Frames Required

• Multiply fps by total time
• Frames rate is 12 fps. Animation time is 4 seconds.
• 12 fps * 4 sec = 48 frames
• Frame rate is 24 fps. Animation time is 4 seconds
• 24 fps * 4 sec = 96 frames

Center Frame

• Open Timeline menu
• Select Preview

Frames change to show object in each Keyframe Span

                                          

• Click Center Frame

Frames move to center Playhead in view area

• Move Playhead to frame 10
• Click Center Frame

Frames move to center Playhead in view area

“Never discourage anyone who continually makes progress, no matter how slow.”

Plato