FlashMX Workshop

The main timeline is composed of scenes, layers, frames and keyframes. It is linear.

A frame is a specific view of the movie at one point in time. When using the default frame rate of 12 frames per second (fps), a frame is what the eye sees for 1/12 of a second.

For objects that change shape or position, you place the object in the first frame where it appears in the movie. You specify the final frame (with altered shape or position). Flash creates the intervening frames.

For objects that remain stationary, you place the object in the frame where you want it to first appear, then you tell Flash how long it should appear.

The term keyframe has been a mainstay of animation since the early 20th century. It signifies a change in motion.

Only keyframes contain content! When they contain content - they are marked by a black dot. When they are blank - they are marked by an open dot.

Layers operate much like they do in Photoshop with a key exception: they can have their own linear motion. Note icons - lock, visible.

Recognize that the main timeline is always shown as the Scene 1 timeline when Flash starts a new movie. However, each symbol has its own timeline, as does each scene.