Using advanced layer features to create animations

In this part of the lesson, you’ll learn some animation tricks that can be created through the use of advanced layer features, such as layer masks, clipping paths, and clipping groups.

Using layer masks to create animations

First, you’ll use a clipping path to create the illusion of juice filling slowly to the top of the “U” in the logo text.

1.	Choose File > Open, and open the file Logo2.psd from the Lessons/Lesson16 folder.
2.	In the Layers palette, hide the Photo layer, and leave the Text layer and the Juice layer visible. The Juice layer contains a layer mask, as indicated by the grayscale thumbnail that appears to the right of the layer thumbnail in the palette. The layer mask is U-shaped, restricting the orange juice to appearing only in the middle of the “U” in the logo text. The orange juice currently fills to the brim of the “U.” You’ll move the Juice layer to define another frame that shows the “U” empty of juice.
3.	In the Animation palette, click the Duplicate Current Frame button () to create a second frame.
4.	In the Layers palette, click the link icon () between the layer and layer mask thumbnails to turn it off. Turning off the link icon makes it possible to move the layer independently of its layer mask.
5.	Select the move tool ().
6.	In the Layers palette, click the layer thumbnail (on the left) for the juice layer to select it.
7.	In the image, position the move tool over the orange color, and drag down to reposition the layer below the curve of the “U” so that the orange color is completely hidden.
8.	In the Animation palette, drag to reverse the order of frames 1 and 2. Because you have defined the two frames by repositioning a single layer, you can generate intermediate frames automatically using the Tween command.
9.	Choose Tween from the Animation palette menu, and select the following options in the Tween dialog box: For Tween With, select Next Frame. For Frames to Add, enter 5. Under Layers, select All Layers. Under Parameters, select the Position check box, and then deselect the other two check boxes (Opacity and Effects). Click OK to close the dialog box.
10.	In the Animation palette, select frame 1; in the Layers palette, select the Photo layer and show it.
11.	Click the Play button () to play the animation. Click the Stop button () to stop the animation. You can also choose File > Preview In, and choose a browser to play the animation, or select Preview In Default Browser in the toolbox. When you finish, return to ImageReady.
12.	Choose File > Save Optimized As, name the file Logo2.gif, and click Save.

You are finished with your work on Logo2, so you can choose File > Close to close the original file without saving changes.

Using vector masks to create animations

Now you’ll create the effect of strawberries shaking inside the logo text.

1.	Choose File > Open, and open the file Logo3.psd from the Lessons/Lesson16 folder.
2.	In the Layers palette, make sure that both the Strawberries and Text layers are visible. To make the strawberries appear only through the shape of the logo text, you’ll create a vector mask.
3.	In the Layers palette, select the Strawberries layer. Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS), position the pointer over the solid line dividing two layers in the Layers palette until the pointer changes to two overlapping circles (), and click the dividing line between the layers. Or, you can do the same thing by choosing Layer > Group with Previous. Notice that the strawberries now appear masked by the logo text. The thumbnail for the Strawberries layer is indented with a downward-pointing arrow (), indicating that the layer is grouped with the layer that precedes it.
4.	In the Animation palette, click the Duplicate Current Frame button. For the second animation frame, you’ll reposition the Strawberries layer.
5.	In the Layers palette, make sure that the Strawberries layer is selected. Then in the toolbox, select the move tool ().
6.	In the image window, drag the Strawberries layer slightly to the right, or use the arrow keys to move the layer.
7.	Click the Play button () to play the animation. The strawberries move from side to side inside the logo. Click the Stop button () to stop the animation.
8.	Choose File > Save Optimized As, name the file Logo3.gif, and click Save. ImageReady saves the animation as a GIF file using the current settings in the Optimize palette. You can also preview the animation in the browser, using the methods you’ve already learned in this lesson. When you finish, return to ImageReady.
9.	Choose File > Close to close the original file without saving changes.

You are now finished with your work on Lesson 16.