The Flash Classroom — www.flashclassroom.com
Tutorial by Kristine Kopelke—Page 1 of 4
FLASH CLASSROOM TUTORIAL - USING MOTION GUIDES IN FLASH CS3
USING MOTION GUIDES IN FLASH CS3
- THE ANTS NEST TUTORIAL
A motion guide is a line you have drawn with the pencil tool on a guide layer.
You can attach your object or character to the line to make it follow that path.
This can save time, particularly when doing an animation sequence that involves
substantial movement.
In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a motion guide by designing your own
ant’s nest. You will create the different tunnels and then make a guide to show
your ant where to move within the nest.
1. Start by selecting a light brown colour for the background in the properties
section.
2. Rename Layer 1 with the name Background by double-clicking on the text
Layer 1 and typing in Background.
3. Using your rectangle tool, draw a large dark brown rectangle over the whole
stage area. To make the tunnels in your nest, set your eraser to the largest
size in the tool modifiers and rub out parts of the rectangle. This will create a
tunnel-like look similar to the image below.