[TUT]How to cut out and animate sprites[TUT]

Cutting it out

(This works in Flash 8, and 9, but I haven't tested in any other version.)

Well as you may or may not have known, to cut out transparent sprites in flash all you had to do was press Ctrl+B.
But what about those non transparent sprites such as this?


Well once you have Flash open your file by going to:
File->Import->Import to stage or Library, and select your sprite sheet.


Now select the image, and go to:
Modify->Bitmap->Trace Bitmap


Now you should get a window like this.
Use the EXACT options that are shown here.


Now click on the background color (in this case it is blue) and press the Delete key, and now you should have cutout sprites ready to animate!


Now to animate!

Ok choose which person or thing you wish to animate, and delete all the rest.
Now we will highlight one of the persons or things and:
Right click->Convert to symbol, and name it what you want. Just remember to make it a movie clip!


Now do that to the rest of them.
Now go to:
Insert->New Symbol. Yet again it has to be movie clip.

Now look to the right of the screen where your library is and double click on the movie clip where your animation will be, and drag out from your library the first pic in your animation, and center it.


Now to keep the animation smooth raise the Frames per seconds to 25.

Now on the time line (above your workspace) Right click and press Insert key frame.
Yes I know it makes a copy of the last frame but this keeps the animation smooth.

Now press the onion skin option which shows you the shadow of the last few frames.
This helps you put the sprite in the EXACT same spot as the last.

Now right click the timeline again and press insert Blank key frame and put in the next image, and so on until you are done with all of the pictures, but remember the pictures must be in the EXACT location as the last or else it will look weird.


Now once you are finished go to the main movie by clicking scene one right below the time line, and drag your animation from the library to the main movie, and do a test animation to see if you did it right.

Download example:
http://rapidshare.com/files/40349552/spriteexample.fla.html


PLease post if you need ANY help with this at all.

 

hmm nice guide, would be better off in the graphics tutorials section

 

The animation part is where I was debating whether to put it in GFX or not, but then I figured General discussion = more attention.

 

or even better put it in both sections

 

No that would be against the rules