TechNote (Archived)

ReadMe for FreeHand Animation PowerPack

FreeHand Animation PowerPack Readme
September, 1997

The FreeHand Animation PowerPack includes the Flash Writer Xtra, which exports Flash 2 animations, plus the Release to Layers Xtra for using blend steps as frames of animation. This new Flash Writer, which replaces the Flash Writer included with the FreeHand 7.0.2 updater, provides the option to use layers and/or pages as frames of animation and provides improved text export.

Installation Instructions--Macintosh
Apply this updater to an installed version of FreeHand 7.0.2 on the Macintosh (PowerPC, 680x0 processor, or Fat Binary).

1. If FreeHand is running, choose File > Quit.
2. Locate and open the FH Animation folder.
3. Double-click the FH Animation Installer. Follow the directions on the screen.
4. When installation is complete, launch FreeHand.
5. Choose Xtras > Create and notice that Flash Animation has been added to the submenu.
6. Choose Xtras > Animate and notice that Release To Layers has been added to the submenu.

Installation Instructions--Windows
Apply this updater to an installed version of FreeHand 7.0.2 on Windows.

1. If FreeHand is running, choose File > Quit.
2. Locate and open the Fh_anim folder.
3. Double-click the Fh_anim.exe file. Follow the directions on the screen.
4. When installation is complete, launch FreeHand.
5. Choose Xtras > Create and notice that Flash Animation has been added to the submenu.
6. Choose Xtras > Animate and notice that Release To Layers has been added to the submenu.

Release to Layers Xtra
The Release to Layers Xtra ungroups blends or objects attached to a path into individual objects and assigns each object to a layer in consecutive order, placing the first object on the original layer and the last object on the last newly created layer. FreeHand creates a new layer for each object after the first one. For best results, design the frames of your movie to animate upwards from the bottommost layer to the topmost layer.

Always select objects before choosing Release to Layers. The Release to Layers command appears in the Animate menu within the Xtras menu.

Release to Layers affects the following objects:

Blends on a path
Text blocks
Text on a path
Text in a path
Inline graphics on or in a path

Note: Applying the Release to Layers command to text blocks converts the text to paths.

Example
Create a blend between two objects on a single layer. To ungroup the blend steps to layers, one step to each layer, select the blend and choose Xtras > Animate > Release to Layers. When a blend is released to layers, the first object in the blend remains on the original layer by default. The subsequent blend steps are placed on layers named New Layer, New Layer-1, New Layer-2, and so on. Display the Layers panel to see how the layers are created and named.

Flash„ Writer Xtra
The Flash Writer Xtra exports a FreeHand 7 document as an animated movie in the Flash SWF file format. Import the SWF file into Flash 2, view it with the Shockwave Flash 2 player, or view it in either Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Options
To export a FreeHand file to the Flash format, choose Xtras > Create > Flash Animation in FreeHand 7. Click the Options button to display settings for path compression, image compression, text, number of pages to export, animation of layers and/or pages, and frame rate.

Path compression
This option affects graphic quality by controlling the precision used to convert FreeHand paths to Flash paths. More precision specifies more points on a path; less precision specifies fewer points on a path. Options range from None (highest quality, no compression, most points) to Maximum (lowest quality, greatest compression, fewest points).

Image compression
Bitmap images convert to JPEG format on export. This option controls the image quality and amount of compression of color JPEG files. Options range from None (highest quality, lowest compression) to Maximum (lowest quality, highest compression).

Text
Choosing Maintain blocks keeps all the text in a FreeHand text block together for editing in Flash 2. Choosing Convert to Paths converts the text to vector paths, so the text is no longer editable as text. Choosing None omits all text from the exported file. Text attached to a path or text flowing inside a path is automatically converted to paths and therefore is not editable in Flash.

Pages
This options specifies all pages or a range of pages. Each frame is the same size as the first page exported.

Animation
The two animation options can be combined for greater control of the animation sequencing:

If neither Animate layers nor Animate pages is checked, each FreeHand page is exported as a separate SWF file, with all layers on each page included in a still image of that page.
If only Animate pages is checked, each FreeHand page is exported as a Flash frame into one SWF file. All layers on each page are included in the image of that page (frame) in the Flash movie.
If only Animate layers is checked, each FreeHand layer is exported as a Flash frame. Each FreeHand page is exported as a separate SWF file, with numbered file names to denote the sequence. The layers (frames) for each page are included in the file for that page. Frames of animation are sequenced from the bottommost layer to the topmost layer. Guides layers and hidden layers (layers that are turned off) are not exported.
If both Animate layers and Animate pages are checked, only one SWF file is exported. All the layers of the first page are exported as a sequence of frames, followed by all of the layers of the second page, and so on. Each page can be used as a scene.

Frame rate
This option specifies the frame rate of the Flash movie in frames per second (fps). As in Flash, you can choose a frame rate from 0.01 fps to 120 fps, using up to two decimal places. The recommended frame rate for smooth animation is 12 fps.

FreeHand features supported when exported to the Flash format

Basic fills and strokes
Gradient fills
Indexed or RGB TIFFs, LRGs, and embedded images (JPEG, GIF, PNG)
Blended paths
Composite paths (including text converted to paths)
Any of the above that is pasted inside a clipping path (only contents are retained; clipping path is ignored)
Text blocks

Restrictions

Text
Converting large amounts of text to paths dramatically increases the size of the resulting SWF file. Because text on a path and text in a path have no counterpart in Flash, they are converted to paths no matter what text options are chosen. Linked text containers export as multiple Flash text objects. Inline graphics is the only FreeHand text effect that exports to the Flash format.

URLs
The URL Editor Xtra in FreeHand 7 applies URLs to objects. When exported, these objects become links when displayed in a web browser with Shockwave Flash. However, exported objects lose their links when they are opened in Flash.

Colors
All colors are converted to RGB equivalents. Use Websafe colors to ensure consistent color in your FreeHand documents. Websafe colors are the 216 colors that are common to both Macintosh and Windows. Grayscale, colorized grayscale, CMYK, and black and white bitmap images are ignored on export. Indexed 256 color bitmap images are converted to RGB on export.

Color Management
FreeHand's Color Management affects colors when exported to the Flash 2 format. For true RGB values on export to Flash 2, choose File > Preferences > Color and set the Monitor simulates preference to None.

Fills and strokes
PostScript, Pattern, Custom, and Textured fills and strokes are converted to Basic fills and strokes.

Clipping paths and Tiled fills
Flash does not support clipping paths. The contents of a clipping path are exported, but the clipping path is discarded. Tiled fills, a special type of clipping path, are converted to solid black Basic fills. The tile pattern is discarded.

EPS files
Only editable EPS files with supported objects export to the Flash format. In FreeHand, make sure the Convert editable EPS when imported preference is checked in the Import/Export category of the Preferences before importing an EPS. Any restricted objects within the converted EPS file may not export to the Flash format.

Other
Grouping, caps and joins, halftones, and styles are ignored.

Copyright 1997 Macromedia. All rights reserved. FreeHand, Flash, Xtra, and Shockwave are trademarks of Macromedia, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.