How to create outline for any object in Flash?

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Okay, here's my 10 cents!

Follow badrulnm's first step in tracing the image, and drawing the windows in a new layer (have
the house image in a layer at the bottom) - make this new layer a mask layer. Then add diagonal soft
shaded lines (white lines, dark background) in the layer to show through the outline mask, and animate it left to right.

If you look closely, you can see that there are two shaded lines beneath the mask - one going left,
and another angled in the opposite direction, and also moving in the opposite direction.

A semi-transparent layer on top, just covering the windows might have been used too...

muso

Actually looking again, it looks like there are 2 separate masked layers, with the house outline
highlight going left, and the window highlight going right.

Sorry, yet another note - you can't use the line tool for a mask - it would have to be a cut-out shape, although
I'm not entirely sure how this would be made (maybe someone else could help with that!)

Wait Muso You had it right but once you create the thing using the line tool you need to select all the lines Then go up to Modify>shape>convert lines to fill that will convert all lines to fill that way you can use it as a mask

Fixitben

Also the best way I have found to do this is to either draw it in like someone said or go into photoshop and create a stroke then hide image and then you will just see the stroke then export that then show image with out stroke and export that. Then import both into flash and make the stroke the mask layer that masks a faded image that goes from say alpah 50 to 100 in the middle and 50 again on the edges that will give it the effect of shining. Check this out http://teenz4god.com/prayer.asp this is with out the alpha tweening but you can get the picture look at the button. Also Check out my preloader at http://theyac.org on the photogallery that was how I got the outline of the yak was doing the photoshop thing.

Hope this rambling stirs up some thoughts

Fixitben

cool!
>> Modify>shape>convert lines to fill
never took the time to see that!

Cërf.

> Then go up to Modify>shape>convert lines to fill that will convert all lines to fill

Nice one fixitben ;-)

muso

BINZAYED

ASKER

WaaaaaaaW

Thanks Guys

No prob,
glad we could help,

Cërf

Hi BINZAYED,

Glad we helped, but just out of interest, who's suggestion are you using, or likely to use, for the "glow" effect?

BINZAYED

ASKER

Dear Muso,

Could you elaborate more? Please.

thanks

Comment from Cerf:
> I have done it the same way badrulnm said, the result is good.

I only asked because whilst Cerf did well in explaining how to draw the outline, he was also
backing up badrulnm's original comment which went into creating a "glow" effect. I just felt
that if that suggestion worked for you then maybe the points could have been split between those
two! That's all!

muso

I agree

badrulnm

Thanks muso & cerf for giving me some credit on my comment.
Glad I could help, but, may be I could use a litle bit more explanation in my post.

This may be too late to be any use, but I now have just found this tutorial which creates the exact required effect...

http://www.tutorialoutpost.com/count/305

Just thought I'd add it in case someone here found it useful :-)

muso

Yeah Muso That is where I found that convert to fill thing Along time ago. That is the only reason I found that Convert to fill thing. It is a small world.

Fixitben

It's a good tutorial, but you didn't suggest it for this question!!

> It is a small world.

and a lot smaller with the internet!