MACROMEDIA DIRECTOR MX 2004-USING DIRECTOR, Use Manual, Page: 96 / 500

96 Chapter 4: Animation
Step-recording animation
Step recording is a process of animating one frame at time. You record the position of a sprite in a
frame, step forward to the next frame, move the sprite to its new position, step forward to the
next frame, and so on until you have completed the animation. This method is useful for creating
sprites that follow irregular paths.
To step-record animation:
1
Place sprites on the Stage where you want the animation to begin.
2
Select all the sprites you want to animate.
3
In the Score, click the frame where you want animation to begin.
4
Select Control > Step Recording.
The step-recording indicator appears next to the channel numbers for the sprites being
recorded, and the selection border widens.
5
Press 3 on the numeric keypad (make sure Number Lock is off) or click the Step Forward button
in the Control panel.
Note: You can display the Control panel at the bottom of the Stage or in a floating panel.
The movie advances to the next frame. If you reach the last frame of a sprite, Director extends
the sprites being recorded into the new frame.
Note: As soon as you move the animation in any way other than stepping—such as using Rewind,
Play, or Back—recording stops.
6
Drag the sprite to reposition it.
You can also stretch the sprite, exchange cast members, or change any property.
7
Repeat steps 5 and 6 until you have completed the sequence you want to record.
8
Select Control > Step Recording again to stop recording.
You can also rewind the movie to stop recording.
Real-time recording animation
You can create animation by recording the movement of a sprite as you drag it across the Stage.
The real-time recording technique is especially useful for simulating the movement of a pointer or
for quickly creating a complex motion for later refinement.
For better control when you are recording in real time, use the Tempo control in the Control
panel to record at a speed that is slower than normal.
Note: The Control panel attached to the bottom of the Stage doesn’t include tempo settings. Tempo
settings are available only from the floating panel version of the Control panel.