Simple shape tweens disappear

[RiniDada]

I used Adobe Animate way back when it was still a part of Macromedia. So I'm not a newbee to this software, but I didn't use it for a while and now I downloaded the latest version to teach my son. So we did the very simple tutorial with an apple on a scateboard (from Adobe site). First try was a success. When we tried to repeat the same tutorial, creating the same animation in a separate document our tween shapes started to disappear. I swear - we did everything exactly like it's taught in the tutorial and like we did with the first file! The leaf and the cloud appear on the stage just fine. The timeline shows perfect shape tweening arrows and keyframes. But the leaf and the cloud disappeared from the movie. What is going on?

I was considering a subscription, but now seeing the bugs come in so fast and easy, I'm reconsidering now. Teaching a kid is hard enough. Trying to fix bugs wasn't a part of my plan.

Any help? Suggestions? Guesses?

[kdmemory · Accepted solution]

Hi RiniDada

Don't despair. As far as I know Animate CC, I'm pretty certain this isn't caused by a bug. The program is not entirely free of bugs, we all know that. But disappearing shape tweens, no!

In your second attempt, some mistake on your side is most likely. Allow me to say, that your statement "but I didn't use it for a while" is quite an understatement. It was a long while, about 13-14 years, because the last time it was still part of Macromedia was in 2005.

• At what stage do the shape tweens (leaf and cloud) disappear? (see next question)
• Are they invisible in all frames in both timelines? Main timeline and the timeline of the apple body movieclip.
• Or are they invisible first when you test the movie with a browser? (related to next question)
• Do you actually target the HTML5 Canvas platform as the Tutorial does?

Focussing on the cloud shape tween on the main timeline, could it be that in your second attempt something is wrong with Alpha?

Or that you selected incidentally the same colour for the cloud as the sky colour? Can happen easily, believe me.

My suggestion:

Try a third time with an open mind and this time on your own. With a slightly different task assignment. The tutorial is actually a little inconsistent, in so far that it targets HTML5 Canvas but uses Motion Tweens for the most part of animations. When you see at the end of the tut-video Step 5, there's the Output window saying:

"Motion tweens are published as frame by frame animations. Use classic tweens when possible."

It is possible to change the Motion tweens to Classic tweens, no problem. So try it. It doesn't have anything to do with your problem, but it gives you an incentive to try this time differently and not repeat everything point by point.

Good luck

Klaus