Adding classic tween breaks animation and moves assets

[mat-z]

I am animating a bear in a walk sequence, and I am experiencing a peculiar problem. When I insert a classic tween between keyframes, the animation breaks and assets get moved around the stage at random. Please see the attached screenshots. First screenshot shows the animation before adding the tween. Second screenshot shows what happens when I try to insert a classic tween between keyframes. Oddly, I can add tweens between other keyframes in this animation with no problem (see screenshot 3), so the error seems completely random.

[Myra Ferguson]

You might check your symbols to see if the transformation points got moved. Select each symbol with the Free Transform Tool to see where the transformation point is. By default, it would be in the center of the symbol. Here's more information on Transformation Points:

• Move, realign, change, and track the transformation point

[mat-z]

Thank you for responding. I think I checked the transform points already, but I will double check those. This is the seventh test I've done with this character and I did not have any problems like this in the first six tests. I don't think I'm doing anything differently. I have noticed that Animate seems a little buggy, but I've never seen anything this dramatic.

[mat-z]

So I took a look at the various assets making up this animation and I discovered that the transform points are actually missing in the segments that break. Not sure how that happened. The ones that show transform points are fine. Do you know how I restore those transform points?

[kglad]

every object that can transformed has a transform point. it may not even be close to the object, but it's there.  

to find tricky ones, select the object and use the transform panel to rotate it. note the approximate location of the transform point.

finally use the transform tool (select tool > select object) to pinpoint and move the transform point.

[mat-z]

Thank you. I can see the transform points, but some of them seem broken somehow. For example, If I try to rotate the object, I get the little rotate icon, but it won't actually rotate (but I can drag it). I also can't restore the transform points to the center of the object by double-clicking.

[kglad]

use the transform panel to rotate. 

any problem?

[mat-z]

Not quite sure what you mean. I'm using the transform tool in the tool panel. Is there a separate "transform" panel?

[kglad]

YES

window > transform.

using the transform tool is imprecise and crude.  using the transform panel is precise and easy to control.

[mat-z]

Okay, yes, I have found the panel. However, the "rotate" feature also moves the object rather than rotates it. I'm beginning to think something may be irredeemably broken with this animation. I may just start over clean. I'm very new to Animate, so I'm probably making simple mistakes that break things, I suppose.

[kglad]

NO.  nothing is broken.

when you rotate it can appear that an object moves and rotates because the transform point is distant from the visible object.  re-read that.

if the transform point is far enough away from an on-stage object even a few degrees of rotation will move the object off-stage.  you can still locate it and by rotating in small enough increments you should be able to determine WHERE the transform point is located (and then reposition it using the free transform tool).

and that's the nub of this sidebar about transform points.

[kglad]

here's a tutorial:

https://youtu.be/1wS864xcPtM

[mat-z]

Thank you. I will watch the tutorial. I zoomed waaaay out and noticed the transform point was almost completely off the stage in one instance. Have no idea how it got all the way out there. I have restored it and I will look for other places where this may have happened.

[kglad]

the tutorial will help you locate and move screwy transform points.

[mat-z]

Thanks. I was able to restore all my transform points and it all looks good. I was able to tween perfectly except for two spots where it is still moving objects (even though the transform points look good now). Will watch the video to see if I gain more insights.

[kglad]

ok.

decreasing the problems is the goal with debugging.  ultimately, we'll get to zero problems.

keep this thread updated..

[mat-z]

Thank you- you've been most helpful! I've only been working in animate for a few months and the learning curve is steep. I'm much more used to frame by frame. I think I'm almost there with this one. I will update for sure.

[kglad]

hey, you should see the stuff i was doing my first few years of using animate.  (creative, but woefully unskilled.)

[mat-z]

Gotta start somewhere. 🙂 Thanks again!

[kglad]

you're welcome 

[kglad]

there's a key concept you may be missing:

1. you probably want to animate the bear (with it's arms/legs etc) across the stage.

2. you probably want to animate the bear's arms and legs etc so it looks like it's walking.

to do both, create a movieclip or graphic symbol of the bear.

you can tween that symbol across the stage.

in the bear's timeline, animate the arms and legs etc moving in a walking motion.  to do that, each bear body part should be in its own layer.  animate each body part. 

it's at this point where you want to adjust the transform points so that, for example the arms move from the shoulder joints and the legs move from the hip joints. 

to get more realism the legs and arms should be movieclips or graphic symbols so they can animate as the entire appendage swings.  ie, the knee and elbow joints will swing too (and you will probably need to adjust your transform points of the forearm and shins to the elbow and knee.)

[mat-z]

All the separate parts (head/torso, front arm, back arm, front leg, back leg, etc.) are in separate layers. This is my 7th test of this bear and in all other versions, I did not have this problem. So I think I am animating correctly- though I need to do a lot of fine-tuning.

[kglad]

ok, then just adjust your transform points.

[Nicktendo28]

I would almost say make sure every part you are trying to tween is a Graphic symbol. better to tween that way than tweening objects. The reason I say this is I am looking at your library and you don't have any graphic symbols. Right-click each part of the bear and put it into a graphic symbol.  Just how I a perceiving what you are asking help for. 

[mat-z]

Thanks. I tried that, but I wasn't able to warp the various elements after converting to a symbol. Am I missing a step somewhere?