How to Create a Classic Tween in Adobe Animate CC

A Tween is a visual effect found in most kinds of animation software, in specific affiliation with Adobe who branded the name. The effect causes a selected drawing on a digital canvas to move smoothly across the screen. There are three different kinds of Tweens that are capable of creating an automatic transition in a Animation CC document but this instruction focuses on designing a Classic Tweening. A Classic Tween moves in a straight line only from its designated start point to its end point. This is a simple effect but one that every animator learns how to do when they start to use this software. This instruction will show you how to create this effect as well as familiarize you with other tools and functions in Adobe Animate.

Supplies

To create this effect, you will need the Adobe Animate CC application downloaded to your computer. This will cost around twenty-three dollars per month for as long as it is downloaded. This is a link to the adobe website containing all of the available Adobe products including Animate:

https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/business-plans...

As an optional tool, a drawing pad would help to draw more defined objects and have better over a trackpad. I use a 2011 Wacom tablet with compatible software downloaded on my computer.

Step 1: Start Adobe Animate CC

Pull up Adobe Animate on your computer. This will take you to a selection page that will give you several medians to choose from. Click to on Full HD to pull up a new template. This is the typical template for creating an animation and your movie will be in the best resolution.

Step 2: Drawing Your Objects

Select a tool for drawing objects on the canvas. The line tool creates lines that can be attached to one another to form several different shapes. The brush tool can be use to draw more free form shapes and designs.

Step 3: Select the Object to Cut

Once the object has been drawn, click and drag to select the entire object with the selection tool at the top of the tool bar. This will highlight the object in a dark, speckled color indicating that it is selected. Right click and cut the object. This will be used later to be placed in a new scene.

Step 4: New Symbol

Go to the top menu of Adobe Animate and click on Insert. The pull-down menu will have an option that says, “New Symbol.” A save page will appear where that will allow you to change the name of the symbol and the type of symbol that it will be.

Step 5: Adjustments to the Symbol

Change the symbol type from “movie clip” to “graphic. I have Graphics to respond better to being tweened over movie clips. If you plan to make more symbols, it is best to change the name of the symbol that you can easily recognize so that it may be organized in your library. Then select the Ok button. This will take you to a new scene where the functions of the symbol can be edited.

Step 6: Once on the "Sybmbol" Scene...

“Paste in center” the object that you cut earlier to the stage of the new scene. After this, go back to the first scene by selecting the arrow above the canvas.

Step 7: Move the Symbol to the Canvas

Pull up your library to the left of your layout. Your symbol will be in the section under the name that you gave it. Click and hold the symbol name then drag the symbol to the stage. The drawing will appear on the stage surrounded by a blue outline.

Step 8: Add a New Keyframe

In your timeline, create a new key frame by selecting a frame several frames away from the original and right click on the frame to get your selection menu. Select the,” Add Keyframe,” option. Now, a new keyframe identical to the original one will appear in the timeline. Set up the keyframe by dragging the image to another part of the stage. The original keyframe will have the same image but it will be in a different place as the other keyframe image.

Step 9: Creating the Classic Tween

Right click on the grey space in between the keyframes on the timeline. Then click the, “Create Classic Tween,” option and an arrow will appear on the grey bar on the timeline that has now turned purple. You have now created a classic tween. To see this tween in action, select the first keyframe on the timeline and press the enter key or the play button on the timeline to see the image move across the screen to the spot where the image in the other keyframe was.

Step 10: Conclusion

Tweens can serve as an esthetic effect such as moving objects in the background to make objects in the foreground appear to move. This can also be used as a technical effect for moving all of the limbs and facial features on a cartoon person. Similar effects such as motion tweens and shape tween create different changes in the image that also make animating much more simple and time affordable. Many companies use this tool for designing effects on websites and for entertainment purposes to add visual appeal. Knowing this gives you more options on how you draw your work which will reflect well in convincing these companies to hire you. This will be an important tool that you will use in this software and others like it as you enter the animation industry.