Alpha channels for transition?? 1

[graphicgirl]

Hi Everyone,
I'm quite new to Flash, but it seems like a very powerful program, I'm working on a web site, and I have a series of 8 small pictures that I saved from Photoshop as .gif files, I want to start out with #1 let it run, then FADE into the next photo to create a nice smooth transition - I can't seem to find a way of doing that successfully - I'm open to all suggestions! THANKS

 

[oldnewbie]

Hi graphicgirl,

Just import each gif on it's own layer or on 2 layers but overlapping them (from one track to the other) for the lenght of your transition, followed by the lenght you want each gif to be visible on it's own.

Trying this graphic representation... (Works in preview mode in this forum... But don't know if it will show up properly, when posted!). The fade out on the first line should be exactly lined up with the fade in on the second line.

fade in hold gif 1 fade out
x---->---x-------------------x----->----x
x----->----x------------------ etc...
fade in hold gif 2

The "xs" represent key frames on each layer and the ">s" added motion (alpha) tweens for the transitions. Once you've added the motion tweens, to do a fade in, in the effect panel, set the alpha value to 0% on the first keyframe. Don't touch the second one, thus the alpha value will change from 0% to 100%. For a fade out, you would set the second keyframe's alpha to 0%, thus the alpha value would go from 100% to 0%.
Obviously if you overlap a fade in and fade out (on two separate layers), you would be creating a dissolve, one gif fading in while the other one is fading out.

;-)