Introduction: How to Create a Simple Character in Adobe Flash CS5.5

By

Learning Adobe Flash can be hard. Check out my Instructable to learn how to create a simple step by step character on Adobe Flash CS5.5 and make it move.

Step 1: Getting Started

First open Adobe Flash CS5.5 and select ActionScript 3.0. Select the Oval Tool in the tool area and create a circle in the grey area outside the white. You may need to change the colour so that the outline is black and the fill is white. Then use the Selection Tool at the top and highlight the circle. If you choose not to and just try to drag it right away you will notice that the circle you made has two layers and it will try to move only one.

Step 2: Body, Grouping and Eyes

Make a rectangle by changing the Oval Tool back to rectangle. Create a rectangle in the grey area and then put it on the work area. Now sometimes the program does this automatically but sometimes it doesn't. You want the circle to be on top of the rectangle and not behind. If you drag it and it does try to go behind, right click and go to arrange and select Bring To Front. You have to have the circle selected so the program knows what you are trying to change. Select the Oval Tool now and change your fill colour to black so you have both a black outline and fill. Highlight it with the Select Tool the copy and paste for the other eye to save you the trouble of trying to get them both the same size. Then move them onto the face.

Step 3: Arms, Legs and Features Time!

Okay, creating the features and stuff is a lot easier than it looks. I've broke it down into several steps for you. Make a line with the Line Tool and then select the Selection Tool. Then simply move the curved line onto the face. Make two legs at the corners of the body and two stick arms halfway down the middle of the body. Make jagged lines for hair and then repeat, you can have some creative licence if you want. The simplest way to make hair however, is with the classic lines.

Step 4: Making Your Character Move

Making your character move at first is the hardest part. But once you get used to it all its just using repetition. A Keyframe is a set position. To change the position of your character and create an action you need to move your character bit by bit. Think of it as StopMotion. that Black dot at the bottom is a Keyframe, click one of the box strips and this will equal the duration of your Keyframe. That box highlighted in blue that you clicked is where you will put the next Keyframe. Right Click and select Insert Keyframe. Everything on your character will be highlighted, for this tutorial we don't want this. We will just make your character wave. Select the arm, you may have to click a couple times to get just the arm. next click the SubSelection Tool and click the arm. it should be highlighted green. Grab the green dot at the end and adjust it slightly at a diagonal. You have made your character move his arm slightly up from his previous position. Now repeat this step a couple times, making sure at one point its arm goes back down to its normal position.

Step 5: Finishing Touches

Finally, copy the Keyframe, make sure they are all highlighted blue. Then paste and repeat. Now move the red vertical line to the beginning and press play. You have used Adobe Flash CS5.5 to create a character and move it.