Tweening motion along a path

Motion guide layers let you draw paths along which tweened instances, groups, or type blocks can be animated. You can link multiple layers to a motion guide layer to have multiple objects follow the same path. A normal layer that is linked to a motion guide layer becomes a guided layer type.

In this example, two objects on separate layers are attached to the same motion path.
 

To create a motion path for a tweened animation:

1	Create a tweened animation sequence as described in Tweening instances, groups, and type.
2	Do one of the following:
	Choose Insert > Motion Guide.
	Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Macintosh) and choose Add Motion Guide from the context menu.
	Flash creates a new layer above the selected layer with a motion guide icon to the left of the layer name.
3	Use the pencil, line, circle, rectangle, or brush tool to draw the desired path.
	If you have Snap to Guide selected on the Tweening tab of the Frame Properties dialog, the group or symbol is automatically attached to the path by its registration point.
	Snap the center to beginning of the line in the first frame, and the end of the line in the last frame.
4	To hide the motion guide layer and the line so that only the object's movement is visible when the animation is played, click in the Eye column on the motion guide layer.
	The group or symbol follows the motion path when you play the animation.
5	To change the orientation of the group's or symbol's baseline so that it remains parallel with the motion path, double-click the first keyframe of the tweened sequence, click the Tweening tab in the Frame Properties dialog box, and then select Orient to Path Direction.

To link layers to a motion guide layer:

Do one of the following:

	Drag an existing layer below the motion guide layer. The layer is indented under the motion guide layer. All objects on this layer automatically snap to the motion path.
	Create a new layer under the motion guide layer. Objects you tween on this layer are automatically tweened along the motion path.
	Choose Modify > Layer and select Guided in the Layer Properties dialog.
	Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Macintosh) the layer.

To unlink layers from a motion guide layer:

Select the layer you want to unlink, and do one of the following:

	Drag the layer above the motion guide layer.
	Choose Modify > Layer and select Normal as the layer type.
	Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Macintosh) the layer.