Need help with sound issue - not sure how to get them on main timeline

[designer_shrink]

I inherited a movie project that uses all movie clips. From recent help I've received here, I started the task of converting all mcs to graphic symbols. I'm running into an issue with some sound effects. 

Right now, there's a graphic symbol (used to be mc) of a clapboard. On the main timeline, it has a motion tween from left to right to get it center stage. That takes 12 frames (ends at frame 127) and is fine. The gs itself is 135 frames long - lots of stuff going on including 2 sound effects, a "clap" at frame 45 and a "ding" at frame 70. When I scrub the gs itself, everything works fine. However, the sounds don't play either when scrubbing or after publishing the movie as a swf. I tried making sure my main timeline extends out far enough for the whole gs to play but that didn't change anything. The visual part works fine but the sounds don't play.

I've been reading other posts and it sounds like I need to move all the sounds to the main timeline. However, I think I must be missing something because when I scrub, the gs symbol itself never plays so I can't see where the sounds should go. I thought one of the advantages of using graphic symbols instead of mcs is that you could scrub them on the main timeline. Mine don't do that. I don't know if I misunderstood what's possible (in terms of scrubbing them) or if maybe I didn't convert them correctly. Or there's something else I don't know.

Appreciate any help.

Susan 

[designer_shrink]

P.S. The sounds were originally set to Event but I changed them to Streaming. Neither setting makes them play - unless I'm within the gs and then they're fine.

[n. tilcheff]

Hi Susan,

All sounds for video export should be set to Stream and on the main timeline.

You can have duplicates of those inside Graphic Symbols for preview purposes, but none of them will play in the export.

So, copy those audio layers inside the Graphic symbols and paste them on the main timeline. Make sure they are in sync.

[designer_shrink]

Thanks - I had read that - but the part that confused me is that since you can't scrub the graphic symbols, you just have to add up the frames to figure out where the sound should go? That seems like an inefficient way to work. If I change anything in my gs, I'd have to remember to also go back and change the sound effects on the main timeline. That's just how it is? I was hoping I was missing something and that there's an easier way.

[n. tilcheff · Accepted solution]

You can scrub Graphic Symbols. They always run in sync.

Audio is just done on the main timeline.

In most cases you don't need to have any audio inside the graphic symbols.

The only exception usually is lip sync, where the audio is inside the head symbol, so that you can preview it and sync the facial animation, and also inside the character symbol, so that you can act to it.

The best way to work is to open two views and quickly switch between the timelines.

Open a second view via the Window menu > Duplicate Window. Then you can Ctrl+Tab and keep one on the main timeline and the other inside the symbol.

Also you can run all nested timelines in sync if you need to.

[designer_shrink]

The duplicate window thing is helpful, thanks.

I'm still missing something about how to do this, though.

On my main timeline, this graphic symbol - "clapboard" - starts on frame 114. When I open clapboard, the "clap" sound is on frame 46 within the symbol. So I thought I should put the clap wav on frame 160 of the main timeline (114 + 46). But that ends up being several frames off. 

The only other thing I could think of is that although clapboard DOES make it's first appearance on frame 114, it's part of a motion tween that ends on frame 127. I thought MAYBE the clapboard symbol itself doesn't really start playing until that point, so I tried putting the clap wav on frme 173 on the main timeline (127 + 46). That's CLOSER but still isn't exactly on the money. The only other way I would know to sync it would just be trial and error. And I feel like surely there's a better way.

What am I missing?

[n. tilcheff · Accepted solution]

Here are three options:

1. In your "clapboard" symbol you can add a temporary mark - say, a circle - that will show you visually where the sound should begin.

2. You can run frame counters in off-sync symbols, so that you know exactly what frame inside you are seeing from the outside. Grab the the counter from this file.

3. You can run your symbols in sync with the main timeline, having 113 blank frames at the beginning of your "clapboard".

--

The problem you are facing and the 'unpredictability' described, may be due to the symbol running off-sync at keyframes. This will be best revealed if you run a counter inside.

[designer_shrink]

Excellent tips! Is the counter you're talking about the tool called "Sync Symbols To Timeline"?

I really appreciate your help.   

[n. tilcheff · Accepted solution]

No, Sync Symbols To Timeline will allow you to sync timelines very easily at the press of a button.

The counter I had in mind is just a graphic symbol with numbers that you put where you need to visualise the frame numbers. 

You can grab it from the Movie Template file and use in wherever you like.

Put on its own layer. When done with it, either 'guide' the layer or delete.

Nested symbols and control of multiple timelines take some time to fully make sense, but after a while everything will fall into place and deciding how to structure files will become very easy.

[designer_shrink]

Ah, ok, got it. Thank you so much. Part of my problem is that I don't get to work in Animate that often so each time I do, it's almost like starting from scratch. Gets frustrating. But I very much enjoy it when I have the time to do it.

[n. tilcheff]

Totally understandable.

Have fun! 🙂