Enveloping Multiple Frames/Layers

[DSudric]

This isn't so much a question as a request, a PLEA.

PLEASE bring back the ability to envelope multiple frames! It was a feature I used constantly and was available up until Adobe Animate CS4. The functionality of using envelope on multiple frames was disabled upon that version, but you could at least cheat a workaround up until at least Adobe Animate 2017. After that, even the workaround no longer worked.

Previous to CS4, you could very easily select multiple frames, even multiple layers at once and apply an envelope easily. I have no clue why Adobe would lose the ability to include that. If Macromedia's versions and even Adobe's earlier versions could offer it, I don't see how it was ever a problem in need of removal.

I'm asking now because a task that would have literally taken a minute will now take me potentially a couple hours while not looking nearly as good because this feature is no longer available.

Please consider including this feature again in future releases. It's not even a matter of designing it, it's simply reintroducing a previously existing feature. Even if the feature only allowed enveloping multiple frames on the same layer, I could at least work with that.

[kglad]

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[Mario_CR]

That's interesting, what was the workaround in earlier versions?

[DSudric]

If I remember correctly, you select Edit Multiple Frames, allow it to select the frames and layers you want, turn off Edit Multiple Frames, go to the Envelope tool while everything is still selected, then toggle Edit Multiple Frames back on. It only allows you to do the enveloping in that one instance, if you need to undo, you have to start over the process. Its been several years but I think that's how I used to trick it, it involved toggling stuff off and on in a certain order.

[n. tilcheff]

Just to confirm.

With raw vector shapes, Envelope distort works with Edit Multiple Frames in Flash 8.

It just works. No special workaround is necessary.

[kglad]

doesn't seem to work in cs6

[DSudric]

Hmm, maybe try having the Envelope tool selected first, then try all that Edit Multiple Frame process? I don't have any of the older versions anymore so I'm just trying to retrace how I did it.

[DSudric]

Oh yeah, forgot to specify. Yes, only with raw vectors and was fully available in versions like Flash 8 like you mention. CS3 was the last one where it reliably worked. Was really handy for stuff like mouthpack builds, could make a character's lineread a little more bespoke.

[Mario_CR · Accepted solution]

I found a way to replicate it in Animate 24.0.

Turn on Edit Multiple Frames (EMF), select everything with the free transform tool, turn off EMF, select another tool then select the free transform tool again, change mode to envelope, turn on EMF again.

If you only do it once, it will snap back to normal mode after moving a single handle/point but if you do the steps a second time it will let you edit it indefinitely.

Here's a video demonstration ↓

[DSudric]

Ah yeah you're right! You can get it to envelope for multiple frames on 1 layer. It still doesn't allow for multiple layers at once, but that is helpful. Thanks