Learning Adobe Animate CC (2021)

Module 1: Animate CC Basics

Module 2: Animate CC Extended Exercises

The tutorials can be used onscreen next to the software package, from a tablet or printed.   Assignments are provided at the end of each chapter and the multi-user version provides projects at the end of each module.   Support files that provide all the images, videos and sample animations required to complete the activities are included with the product.

Module 1

Introduces the Animate CC drawing tools, using symbols, creating motion tween animations, shape tweening, classic tweening, fixed-point animations, circular animations, frame by frame animations, movie clip animations, animating still photos, applying and animating masks, using the Motion Editor panel, Animate buttons and publishing animations.

Module 2

Covers adding and editing sounds, the 3D Rotation tool, the 3D Translation tool, the Bone tool, the Asset Warp tool, using the Camera tool, using the Assets panel, Lip Syncing, the Pen tool, the Width tool, using invisible buttons, using Code Snippets, formatting and animating text, importing video clips and creating scenes.

Module 1 Chapter Descriptions

Chapter 1: Getting Started With Animate

This chapter introduces students to the Animate interface. It includes:

• the components of the Animate screen including the workspace and the panels.

• using rulers, grids and guides.

• using simple drawings tools - rectangle, oval, line and brush.

Chapter 2: Drawing Tools

This chapter introduces the Animate Drawing Tools in more detail including:

• 

  cookie cutting.

• the Selection tool.

• the Pencil, Brush, Paint Bucket and Ink Bottle tools.

• the Eyedropper and Eraser tools.

• Object Drawing.

Chapter 3: Symbols, Libraries and Layers

Demonstrates how to use symbols, libraries and layers which are an integral part of Animate animations. It includes:

• how to create a symbol and use it from the Library panel.

• how to create layers, change their order, lock them and turn them on or off.

• the assignment involves the creation of a simple web page using layers.

Chapter 4: Motion Tween Animations

Demonstrates how to create simple motion tween animations. It includes:

• creating symbols.

• setting a motion tween.

• rotating objects in animations.

• scaling objects.

• adjusting the motion path.

• inserting keyframes.

• adjusting the length of animations.

• clearing keyframes.

Chapter 5: Multiple Object Animations

Demonstrates how to combine more than one object in an animation. It includes:

• setting fixed objects in layers and locking them.

• inserting frames.

• setting the stage colour

• animating objects in their own layers.

• adjusting the shape of animated objects.

• creating a bouncing ball animation.

• easing in and out.

Chapter 6: Shape and Classic Tweening

Demonstrates the two other tweening types that Animate provides, Shape Tweening and Classic Tweening. It includes:

• 

  changing a circle into a rectangle then back to a circle again by reversing frames.

• using shape hints.

• reversing animations.

• copying frames.

• creating classic tweens.

• inserting keyframes.

• easing in and out.

Chapter 7: Fixed Point Animations

Demonstrates how to make objects animate around a fixed point. It involves:

• editing symbols to set the registration (rotation) point.

• setting the rotation.

• animating the hands of a clock.

• animating more that one object.

Chapter 8: Circular Animations

Demonstrates how to set objects to animate around an enclosed path. It includes:

• creating symbols.

• adjusting motion paths.

• setting beetles to race around a track.

• stopping an animation.

• adding and removing frames.

• the assignment involves students creating a solar system animation.

Chapter 9: Frame By Frame Animations

Demonstrates how to set Frame By Frame animations, which mimics how animations were created before the use of computers. It includes:

• drawing an eye, copying the eye then making one eye wink.

• inserting blank keyframes.

• using the paint bucket, paint brush and classic paint brush tools.

• keyframes are duplicated and the contents of the duplicate modified.

Chapter 10: Creating Movie Clips

This chapter introduces:

• the creation and use of movie clip symbols.

• self-contained animations are created then placed in other animations.

• onion skin is ued to help create the bird shape

• multiple instances of the movie clips are added to the animation.

Chapter 11: Animation Still Photos

Demonstrates how to animate sections of a still photo to give the impression that they are a moving object. It includes:

• breaking a photo into pixels.

• erasing the sections to be animated.

• converting the sections to symbols.

• setting the registration point.

• animating the sections.
  

Chapter 12: Using Masks

Demonstrates how use masks in animations. It includes:

• creating a mask layer.

• setting the mask effect.

• animating the mask to create a spotlight effect.

• creating masks as movie clips.

• animating the movie clip mask.

Chapter 13: Creating Buttons

Demonstrates how to create Animate buttons. It includes:

• setting button symbols.

• setting the up, over and down states.

• setting the hit area.

• creating a navigation bar for a web site.

Chapter 14: The Motion Editor Panel

Demonstrates how to use the Motion Editor panel to edit and fine-tune motion tween animations. It includes:

• opening the Motion Editor panel.

• adjusting anchor points and paths.

• applying easing effects.

• adding animation properties.

• closing the Motion Editor panel.

Chapter 15: Publishing Animations

Demonstrates how to publish animations. It includes:

• the difference between .FLA and .SWF files.

• publish settings.

• document size.

• publishing HTML5 canvas files.

• converting ActionScript 3 Files to HTML canvas files

• using File Presets.

Project 1:

This project is only available in the multi-user versions. It involves students creating a detailed animation.

Module 2 Chapter Descriptions

Chapter 17: Adding Sounds to Animations

Demonstrates how to include and control sounds by adding an engine track to the car speedo animations created in an earlier chapter. The chapter includes:

• adding sounds to the library panel.

• synchronizing sounds.

• using fade in effects.

• removing sound effects.

• editing sound effects.

• adding sounds to buttons.
  

Chapter 17: Using the 3D Tools

Demonstrates how to use the 3D Rotation and 3D Translation tools to add 3D effects to animations. It includes:

• rotating movie clips over x, y and z axes.

• adjusting the perspective angle.

• adjusting the vanishing point.

• adding the rotations to animations.

• translating movie clips in the x, y and z axes.

• creating movie credits that vanish into the screen.

• applying the 3D tools on imported images.

Chapter 18: Using the Bone Tool

Demonstrates how to use the Bone tool to produce arm

• the Bone tool basics.

• adjusting the Bone tool styles.

• selecting Runtime so that the user has control of an object's movement.

• animating imported images.

• animating shapes drawn in Animate.

• applying the spring effect.

Chapter 19: Using the Asset Warp Tool

Demonstrates how to use the Asset Warp Tool to add warp movements to bitmap or vector images . The chapter includes:

• Setting asset warp handles to images.

• Adusting the asset warp handles at inserted keframes.

• Setting the asset warp options.

• Rotating or moving asset warp handles

• turning the mesh on or off.

• applying asset warp movements to a detailed animation.

Chapter 20: Code Snippets

Demonstrates how to add Code Snippets to movie clips. The chapter includes:

• controlling objects with the keyboard arrows.

• attaching a movie clip to the mouse pointer.

• attaching web links to objects.

• fading a movie clip.

• applying multiple code snippets.
  
  

Chapter 21: Invisible Buttons

Demonstrates how to use button symbols to create invisible buttons with a hit area that can be clicked on to start an animation. An invisible button is created to trigger a gun to fire a bullet. The chapter includes:

• creating a button.

• setting just a hit area so that the button is invisible.

• stopping the overall animation.

• entering actionscript to set the gun to fire when clicked on.

• adding a sound to the button.

Chapter 22: The Camera Tool

Demonstrates how to use the Camera Tool to pan across animations, zoom in on specific parts of an animation and to rotate the view of the animation at set positions. The chapter includes:

• panning and zooming-in on positions in an animation.

• using the Camera Properties.

• rotating the camera view.

• adding colour changes, for example to fade out at the end of an animation.

• animating the camera effects.

• applying easing to camera effects.

Chapter 23: Using the Assets Panel

Demonstrates how to use the provided assets from the Assets Panel. It includes:

• looking at the provided assets.

• saving assets in the custom section of the panel.

• inserting backgrounds.

• animating a background with the Camera Tool.

• inserting animated characters.

• flipping characters

• using animated characters in an animation.

• adjusting animated characters.

Chapter 24: Lip Syncing

Demonstrates how to link spoken words to mouth movements using Animate's auto lip syncing feature. It includes:

• 

  creating a mouth symbol.

• inserting different mouth movements to keyframes in the symbol.

• naming keyframes.

• importing a spoken sentence.

• linking the sentence to the mouth shapes.

• assigning the mouth shapes to the lip sync shapes.

• making fine adjustments to the lip syncing.

Chapter 25: Text Formatting

Demonstrates how to format text and apply text effects. The chapter includes:

• 

  Making text selectable, editable or read only.

• linking text to web sites.

• Formatting paragraphs.

• Aligning text.

• Line and margin spacing.

• breaking text into layers

• using guide layers.

• animating the letters of a word.

• distorting text

• creating text shape tweens.

Chapter 26: Text Effect Movie Clips

Demonstrates how to create text effects as movie clips and include them in animations. It includes:

• breaking text apart

• distributing letters to layers

• animating letters within the movie clip.

• using the movie clip.

• editing the movie clip.

Chapter 27: Using Scenes

Demonstrates how to use scenes within Animate to build an overall animation. It includes:

• adding and naming scenes.

• adding content to scenes.

• duplicating scenes.

• changing scene order.

• stopping the overall animation.

Chapter 28: Useful Tools

Demonstrates how to use some of the extra tools that Animate provides. It includes:

• importing video clips into Animate.

• using the Pen tool.

• using the Width tool.

• using motion presets to quickly animate objects.

• creating custom motion presets.

• looking at sample animations and provided tutorials.

Project 2:

This project is only available in the multi-user versions. It involves students creating a detailed animation.