Flash CS5 Professional: Character Animation

Introduction
Welcome
Using the exercise files
Prerequisites

1. Setting Up the Project
Creating Flash-friendly character design
Animation rendering: SWF or AVI
Understanding line tool drawbacks when animating
Using uniform project scales in Flash
Finding helpful extensions for Flash
Using commands and keyboard shortcuts
Setting up your workspaces

2. Character Rigging
Understanding character rigging
Exploring underlying structure in character rigging
Vectorizing the character body
Outlining colors in an animated character
Vectorizing the hands
Vectorizing the head
Outlining the head
Adding finishing touches with hair
Colorizing the character head
Colorizing the body
Applying gradients
Symbolizing and pivoting the body parts
Pivoting the head
Rigging the mouth
Rigging the eye

3. Creating Comps
Tween types: Shape vs. motion 
Combining motion and shape tweening 
Animating an eye blink using shape tweening 
Rigging a mouth in Flash for dialogue and expressions
Creating a D mouth
Creating an F mouth
Getting the polished look

4. Animating a Head Turn
Overview of the head turn
Preparing the rig
Posing the rig
Animating the head movement
Animating the body movement
Animating the head turn
Adding finesse to the head turn

5. Animating a Walk Across the Screen
Introducing the walk
Creating a profile view
Creating the head in profile
Creating the hand
Creating hand symbols
Reviewing the walk
Prepping the walk
Setting up the contact poses
Creating secondary contact poses
Finishing up the contact poses
Creating the passing poses
Finishing the passing pose
Animating the recoil position
Animating the high point of the walk
Adding in-betweens
Rigging the shoes
Animating the shoes
Animating the character's head movements
Fine-tuning the animation
Nesting the hand symbols
Repositioning the walk

6. Animating a Walk Cycle
Introducing the walk in place
Setting up contact poses
Creating the passing poses
Creating the recoil positions
Animating the head's high point
Tweening the legs
Tweening the arms
Setting the placement of the foot
Animating the shoes
Animating the hair
Creating secondary hand actions
Animating the torso
Repositioning the walk

7. Animating Dialogue
Understanding dialogue
Using the A-F system of six set mouth shapes
Animating dialogue using the mouth rig
Integrating the dialogue with the head turn
Animating the jaw
Creating an angry dialogue mouth
Finishing the angry dialogue mouth
Integrating acting techniques 
Tips on facial expressions

Conclusion
Goodbye