Flash masking question
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- fyoucher10
Ok. This is how I do it. I do this a lot actually. It'll be as smooth as you want it to be.
It requires a reference and a keyframe sequence.
First, you need to make a reference. Something to determine the speed and distance/spacing of your mask frames.
So, take a small horizontal line or anything, even a dot. Something that you can put along a motion guide or path if you're not using classic tweening.
Then draw multiple paths for your "&". I would start with a straight line from the bottom right. Then another path/guide for the top curve. Then another path/guide for the diagonal line going downwards. And finally, a separate path/guide for the bottom curve.
Now, animate your reference object animate through each of these paths as a motion guide, going from one to the next. I typically hit SNAP to OBJECTS, and then place my reference object on each end of the path. Then I switch the path to a motion guide layer and then snap the object layer to the motion guide layer.
Adjust the easing and speed of each of the tweens until you feel it's just right.
Now, you'll use this animation as a reference to draw your masks, frame by frame.
So now, duplicate your "&" symbol onto a new layer.
Break the symbol apart so it's just a fill. Now add a black hairline stroke to the fill and delete the fill. So you're just left with the outline of the "&" shape.
Now, you'll need to duplicate this stroked & shape for however many keyframes your reference animation is. So, if your reference animation spans 30 frames, create 30 frames of the "&" stroke shape keyframe that you just made.
Now, using the reference animation you previously created. You'll now begin creating the separate keyframes for the mask, frame by frame.
Lock all layers, except for the layer with all of the stroked & keyframes. Select your line tool. So, in frame 1, wherever your reference object is along the path, draw a line across that area of the "&" stroke shape. Make sure the line tool crosses against both sides of the "&" shape so you can use the paint bucket tool and fill it correctly (but don't add a fill just yet).
Repeat for all frames, using the reference animation to determine how the mask is forming and the speed.
Now going in with the paint bucket tool and fill in that stroked area that you just created.
Delete all of the strokes in every frame, leaving behind the fill.
Now you're left with a frame by frame animation of the & building in.
Now, you can use this as a hard edged mask if you'd like.
However, you can also use it as a frame by frame animation sequence, just as long as the shape sequence is flat colored and is the same color as the & symbol. So long as the last frame swaps out with the final symbol.
Now, if you don't want the animation to have a hard edge as its building in, you can select a small portion of the end of each shape keyframe and use a linear gradient to soften the edges.
Take a look at this example. The word "Real" in the logo at the end, uses this technique.