Frames

In the First and Second Movies we started to work with frames. Here we will look at them in a bit more detail.

Keyframes

Keyframes are used when a significant change occurs in the animation. When you add objects to a keyframe, they will remain visible on the stage until another keyframe occurs.

All movies begin with a blank keyframe already inserted in frame 1.

	A blank keyframe is denoted by an open circle in the timeline.
	A keyframe that has content in it is denoted by a black circle.

Regular Frames

Regular frames contain the content of the preceding keyframe. They are denoted by solid shading on the timeline. They can be used to determine the length of the movie. Movies normally play at 12 frames per second. If you want a movie that is 5 seconds long, then insert regular frames to fill up to frame 60.

To Add Frames

Select a frame anywhere on the timeline where you want the new frame added. Right click and choose Insert Frame or Insert Keyframe.

To Delete Frames

Select the frame(s) you want to delete. Right click and choose Clear Frames or Remove Frames. Clear frames will remove the content from the frames. Remove frames will remove them completely (and shorten the movie).

To Copy and Paste Frames

Highlight the frame(s) you want to copy. Right click and choose Copy Frames

Right click and choose Paste Frames where you want them to appear.

Frame Properties

You can select a group of frames and then use the properties inspector to create a motion or shape tween or to add sounds to frames.

	The properties inspector can be also used to add comments or labels to frames These can be used to remind you about what is in the frame. They will appear above the timeline with a small red flag.