How to Animate a Gradient in Flash

You can use tweening to create animated gradients in Flash, with colors blending from side to side and fading from one to the next.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A working installation of Adobe/Macromedia Flash MX or higher.

1. In Flash's Tools panel, use the Color Picker dropdown to select an existing gradient fill. If you wish, you can modify the gradient using the Color Mixer panel in the far right panel of toolboxes.

2. On your first keyframe, draw a gradient-filled shape on the stage.

3. Further down your timeline, right-click and insert a new keyframe. This will copy the gradient-filled shape to that keyframe.

4. Make sure your second keyframe is selected; then double-click on the shape on your stage to select it.

5. Either use the Color Picker in the Tools pane to select a new gradient fill, or use the Color Mixer to tweak new gradient colors.

6. Click on any frame between your first and last keyframes.

7. From the "Tween:" dropdown in the Properties panel at the bottom of the Flash window, select "Shape". On your timeline, the frames between your first and last keyframe should turn light green, with an arrow pointing from the first to the last keyframe.

8. Press the Enter key with your timeline selected to watch the gradient fade from one hue to the next.