Flash: The Matrix - Animating the Random Characters	Home • Food • Mates • Members • Tutorials • Forum • Buy Templates • Contact Us

Flash Tutorial - The Matrix Special Effects

Free Flash Tutorial

Step Four: Animating the Random Characters - Foreground

There is one more Movie Clip to build. In this Movie Clip the letters and background are combined and animated.

Note: If you are not using random characters but specific characters such as ABC you would need to create three of these animation Movie Clips. One for each of the specified letters.

1. Create a new Movie Clip Symbol: Insert > New Symbol (Ctrl + F8)
2. Name the Movie Clip as: Animation



3. Click: OK
   
   
4. In the Timeline rename Layer 1 to: Characters
5. In the Timeline select: Frame 1
6. If the Actions Panel is closed, open it: Window > Actions (F9)
7. Type (or copy & paste) the following actions:

   stop ();

8. In the Timeline insert a Blank Keyframe: Insert > Timeline > Blank Keyframe (F7)

Note: This will place a blank Keyframe in Frame 2:



9. If the Library Panel is closed, open it: Window > Library (F11)
10. Drag from the Library an instance of the Characters MC into Frame 2: Characters
11. If the Info Panel is closed, open it: Window > Info (Ctrl I)
12. With your Movie Clip still selected set the registration to: Center
13. Set the both X & Y co-ordinates to Zero: 0

Your Movie Clip is in Frame 2 and centred on Stage:



14. If the Property Inspector is closed, open it: Window > Properties > Properties (Ctrl F3)
15. Set the Color Brightness to minus 50: Color > Brightness -50%.

Note: You will not be able to change the color brightness of the Instance of the Character Movie Clip unless it is still selected.


Choose the brightness option from the various options.


Click on the triangle next to the value and drag it down to -50%

16. With Frame 2 still selected go to: Insert > Timeline > Create Motion Tween
Select: Frame 4
17. Insert a Keyframe: Insert > Timeline > Keyframe (F6)


Frame 4 now has a Keyframe.

18. Set the Color Brightness to zero: Color > Brightness 0%.
    
    
19. Select: Frame 15
20. Insert a Keyframe: Insert > Timeline > Keyframe (F6)


Frame 15 now has a Keyframe.

21. Set the Color Brightness to minus 100: Color > Brightness -100%.

Note: The three instances of the Character should have the following brightness settings:

Frames:	2	4	15
Character's Brightness:	-50	0	-100

The first part of the animation is now complete. In the next section you will place a new Layer and create the animation for the background sphere.