Fade to Black ~ Version 1

~~ See bottom of Page for another Version ~~

"Fade to Black ~ Version 1"

Šrae

August 03, 2006

This tutorial and it's graphic supplies are not to be redistributed nor translated to other Groups, Messageboards or through Email, etc. .. without Permission.

Once you've downloaded the graphics/supplies - please leave the filenames and ŠInformation intact

*~* Click for Supplies *~*

The Frame ~

Feel free to use one of the premade frames or make one of your own style.
Those I've made = 'raeFrame 1, 2, and 3' have the layers separated so that you may easily color portions.

When your frame choice and any adjustments are made :

Merge Visible
Copy > Paste to AS

At Animation Shop :

Duplicate the frame
Select Frame #2
Go to Animation > Insert Frames > Empty :

Your total frame count should now be 40

Download and Open the 'raeDoubleFiligree.mng' at AS.

If you need to or want to change the color :

Edit > Select All
Go to Animation > Replace Color :

Adding the Filigrees to Your Frames ~

You could copy/paste the Filigree frames to your Tag frames - but, because of the fade, it's very hard to discern where the top/left, bottom/right margins should be for each.

You can go through a few Undo's until you get a placement without the filigrees intersecting with the white dots at the frame ..or follow along

Choose your 'Registration Mark' tool - with mark Style = Spanning Cross :

**I will be using color to better illustrate the Registration Marks in my examples

At your Tag frames :

Click into the Top/Left corner of the black rectangle and a ' + mark' will appear in all frames

Notice that there are two 'long' lines = those two lines will represent the Top and Left edge of your filigree placement. You will want to adjust your Registration Mark so that there is a bit of space between the two long lines and the dots at your Tag frames

Still with Registration mark tool > center the cursor at the + intersect and adjust the lines by moving into the direction of the corner :

Filigree frames :

Add a Registration Mark
Move the center + into the corner so that the two long lines virtually disappear * you want them to be at the furthest of the top and left edges :

Move into the Top/Left corner

These two long lines will now correspond to the two at your tag frames..guaranteeing that your filigrees will place precisely.

Select your Pointer/Arrow tool

Tag frames :

Select Frame #1
Use the bottom slider to view Frame #39
Hold Shift > Left click Frame #39 *highlighting that series of frames
Slide back to view Frame #1 (do not click)

Filigree frames :

Edit > Select All
Left click into a frame > Hold the click
Drag your cursor into Frame #1 of your tag frames *Must be Frame #1
Let go the click

Play it and check that you correctly made your Registration Mark.

Note ** If you're not happy and need to redo = You need to Undo at the filigree frames, after dragging them, in order to get them back. As well, know that you'll have to reselect your frames and filigrees before dragging.

At your Filigree frames :

Undo to bring back the animation
Go to = Animation > Flip .. Animation > Mirror

Now you'll adjust your Registration Marks - to the opposite corners :

Open Your Registration Mark tool :

At the Filigree frames = adjust so that the two long lines are at the very Bottom/Left edges
Center at the + and drag toward the Bottom/Left corners

At the Tag frames = Remember to leave a margin between the long lines and the white dots

Repeating the steps to combine the frames :

Select your Pointer/Arrow tool ~ doublecheck that the appropriate frames are Highlighted

Tag frames :

Select Frame #1
Use the bottom slider to view Frame #39
Hold Shift > Left click Frame #39 *highlighting that series of frames
Slide back to view Frame #1 (do not click)

Filigree frames :

Edit > Select All
Left click into a frame > Hold the click
Drag your cursor into Frame #1 of your tag frames *Must be Frame #1
Let go the click

Play it and check that you correctly made your Registration Mark.

If all is well, it's time to make your text.

Select Frame #12 for a guide to create your text :

Copy
Paste to PSP

Your choice of Font style is your own. This tag looks great with all sorts of pretty script, modern or art deco..etc

I chose an Art Deco font ~ 'SaltbrushExpert.ttf' ..and a decorative ding ~ 'Curly Art Nouveau.ttf' = Letter 'A'

Materials :

Foreground = Null
Background - I used White

Note ** When I placed the ding, I noticed it was too fine to match my text.

So I duplicated it
Turned OFF my text and guide > Merged visible the two ding layers

When your text and any coloring or decoration is finished :

Delete or Turn OFF your guide layer
Merge Visible - if you have more than one text layer
Copy your text > Paste to AS

At Animation Shop ~ your newly pasted Text frame :

Go to Effects > Insert Image Transition > Fade :

You'll have a total of 9 frames after the Fade
Select Frame #2 > Hold Shift > Select Frame #9 *highlighting that series of frames
Edit > Copy
Select Frame #1 > Right click > Paste Before Current Frame
Go to Animation > Reverse Frames
Select Frame #9
Duplicate till your Total frame count reaches 30 *bottom/right of your screen
Edit > Select All
Edit > Copy

10.

We have the same problem, as above = the faded frames are very hard to place into your Tag frames. Once again, we'll make a Registration Mark.

Open your Registration Mark tool (same settings) :

Select your Tag frames
Press 'Clear' at the toolbar
Place a New mark at the approximate Center of the frame
Adjust/Center as needed
Select your Text frames
Place a New mark at the approximate Center of the frame
Adjust/Center as needed

11.

At your Tag frames :

Select Frame #10
Scroll to view Frame #39 > Hold Shift > Select Frame #39 *highlighting that series of frames

At your Text frames :

Open your Cursor Arrow/Pointer
Edit > Select All
Left click into a frame > Hold the click
Drag your cursor into Frame #10 of your tag frames *Must be Frame #10
Let go the click

Play your new tag. Hopefully, your centering is close enough so that you need not Redo.

Note ** If you need to re-adjust your center mark = remember to Undo at your Text frames to return the animation.. and remember to double-check that appropriate frames are selected at both animations.

That wasn't as hard as ya thought.. was it!! I hope you had fun.. & learned a lil something

There will be more versions of this tag.. as well as a tut on how I made the filigrees.

*Ü* ~rae

.....................................

~ here is another Version.. I added color to selected frames of the Filigrees (at AS); a pattern and color to the Frame parts (at PSP); and a drop shadow to the text

Note ** this has doubled the loading time .. you will want to keep that in mind

Photo backgrounds also look very cool ..experiment with ideas ..but remember that the files will become very large