Outline Effect in Flash

Create an attractive outline effect using pen tool and masking

The following tutorial shows you how to create an attractive outline effect over a bitmap image in Flash.

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Steps to create this attractive outline effect over the bitmap:

• Create two layers name the layers as 'image' and 'outline' respectively in your timeline.

• Import your image to the 'image' layer.

• Now click on the 'outline' layer and move the 'outline' layer above the 'image' layer and using Pen icon, draw the outline over the image as you see in the above flash movie. Make sure you have drawn outline in the 'outline' layer.

• Now select the outline and Press F8 or (right click>>Convert to symbol...), convert the outline into movie clip, named it as ('line_mc').

• Double click on the 'line_mc' movie clip. Now the 'line_mc' movie clip will open in new symbol editing mode. Select the outline from the 'outline' layer, then goto (Modify>>Shape>>Convert Lines to Fills).

• Insert a new layer in the 'line_mc' movie clip, change the name of the layer2 into 'Mask'. Make sure that mask layer is below the 'outline'  layer.
• In the mask layer draw a linear rectangle using rectangle tool.
• Press F6 or (right click>>Insert Keyframe) in the 20th frame in the mask layer.

• In the 'mask' layer, click on the 20th frame and select the linear rectangle. Now move the rectangle from downwards to upwards (shift+up arrow). Click on any frame in-between 1-20 then go to the Properties Panel and select Tweening combo box and select Shape.

• Select the 'outline' layer, right-click on it and select 'Mask' from the context menu to convert it into a mask layer.
• Save and test the movie press (Ctrl+Enter). Now you have made a flash movie where lines running through the veins of the leaf.

In the following Flash tutorials you'll learn how to create cool flash effects using simple techniques like tweening, masking, etc.:

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