Introduction
Ever wanted to make 3d objects in Flash, without buying expensive, complicated 3d programs? If your aim is to get some not much complicated, rotating objects, such as the ring above, try this tutorial...
Create Object
Let's start drawing the object you wish to rotate: when done, convert it to a graphic (Choose Insert> New Symbol and select "Graphic" as the behaviour option). Next, place an instance of the graphic you created in frame 20 of the current layer (Insert> Keyframe, or F6).
Press Scale on the toolbar, grab the central box and move it to left, 'til the center of the circle.
Now, the instance in frame 20 is squeezed: go to frame 1, right click and choose Create motion tween. Test the movie you created so far. Do you begin to get it?
Set Key Frames
Since we are going to work on single frames, mark the area between the two keyframes and insert keyframes on every single frame. Next step, Insert> Layer, where we are moving our work.
Click on "Layer 1" name to select all the frames, then choose Edit> Copy frames, click the first keyframe of "Layer 2" and choose Edit> Paste frames.
And this is where we are now:
Step to the Right
Let's make a tricky move now, selecting each keyframe of "Layer 2" and moving it a step to right (holding shift key and pressing arrow key right)
Now, our first keyframe looks like this:
while the 20th is something like this:
Our ring is getting out, ain't it?
Close the Gaps
Now, step back to "Layer 1" and select the first frame. Zooming on the stage (about 300%), use Line tool to draw lines to close the gaps on the ring. Repeat the action for all the 20 frames. Now, frame 20 is something like this:
Summon the Ring
Now, we are going to summon up our ring in a single layer: so, select frame 1 of "Layer 1", copy it (faster, Ctrl+c) and paste it in place (Ctrl+Shift+v) in frame 1 of "Layer 2".
Once again, repeat the process for all the 20 frames. Let's delete "Layer 1" (Right click on the name and Delete layer), since we are getting to work on a single layer, now.
What stands between us and our rotating ring, now? Basically, just a little cleaning up of unnecessary lines.
Cleaning Up
We are going to clean up, in fact, lines that won't be seen in the animation because they'll be "behind" the object. Go to frame 20 and see what I mean:
If you think we are going to produce a 3d object, you'll understand quickly this process. Take a look at the new frame 20 after cleaning up:
As usual, repeat the process for the other frames...
Oops - How to Clean up
Oops! I forgot it! How do you erase the unnecessary lines? First of all, Break apart the frame you are working on (Ctrl+b), then, from the "Toolbar", choose Eraser tool
From the below panel "Options", choose Faucet and begin your cleaning...
Filling with Color
Now, it is just a matter of filling with any colour you like: as an advice, let me tell you I like particularly gradient colors for the shadowed parts.
All OK? All the frames filled and the ring beginning to spin? It's not over, yet...
Side View
...It's not over 'til it's over... We have just 50% of the animation, right now: the ring, in fact, should make a complete spin around its axis. And we need another frame, the one in which we see the ring completely from its side.
So, let's get back to the 20th frame of the ring, now: select the ring, right click on it and choose Panels> Info
My advice for making the frame of the side view is drawing a rectangle with the same height of the 20th frame,a width of about 50%, putting it in the right place of the 20th frame. This way:
The Final Round
OK? Let's go to the final round, now. There is only a thing you have to understand, then it will be very easy: when a ring, or a coin, makes a spin around its axis, we begin seeing the ring by face, then we see a smaller part of it, 'til it reaches half of the way and we see it from the side. Then, it begins the second half of the spin, so initially we see a little part of it, then a greater part, finally again its face (its second face, by the way). Going back to the ring, the 22th frame will be equal to the 20th, only flipped horizontally, the 23th will be equal to the 19th, and so on...
At the end, we'll have the 41th frame equal to the first, flipped horizontally (think of the 2 faces of a coin)
To obtain this result with our movie, we'll act this way: select the first frame of the movie, and Copy it (Ctrl+c). Then, put a keyframe (F6) on frame 41 and paste in place (Ctrl+Shift+v) what you copied. Finally, choose Modify> Transform> Flip Horizontal
What you have now is the mirror image of the first frame:
Repeat the process with frames 2-40, 3-39, 4-38, and so on, and finally..."WE DID IT!" We have our beloved rotating ring!
Have a good day an take it easy! Bye!
Download the files used in this tutorial. Download (146 kb)