Back to main AniPack page
Download Photoshop file
Note: we recommend that you save out a new version of the Photoshop animation file before customizing the animation so that if you end up with something you don't like or want to generate a new variation, you can always start over. Of course, you can always download the Photoshop file from the NavWorks site again, but it will usually just be easier and faster if you make your own copies.
To customize the Tube animation, fill the "Background" layer with the desired color or texture. The color or texture that you use for the "Background" layer should match the background color or texture of the Web page that the animation will be playing on. Now fill the "End Texture" and "Channel Texture" layers with a color or texture--they do not necessarily need to be the same color and you can leave the "Channel Texture alone if you prefer--(make sure the "Preserve Transparency" option is on before applying any fills). This color or texture can be the same or different then the color or texture that you use for the "Background" layer. If you want to add text, place the text above the "Background" layer. You can also Colorize the "Glass Tube" and "Position" (orange ball) layers, if you like, with the Hue/Saturation command using the Colorize option.
To generate the first frame of the Tube animation, turn on or make visible all of the layers. Make all of the "Position" (or orange ball) layers invisible. Select All and click on one of the visible layers. Choose Copy Merged from the Edit menu. Paste into a new document. To make Frame 2, turn on the visibility of the "Position 1" layer. Select a visible layer and choose Copy Merged from the Edit menu (this assumes you still have the entire document selected, if you don't Select All). Paste into the new document (the same document that you pasted frame 1 into). Continue this process through to the "Position 5" layer. For example, to create Frame 3, turn on the visibility of the "Position 2" layer and turn off the visibility of the "Position 1" layer. Select a visible layer and choose Copy Merged from the Edit menu. Paste into the new document.
Of course, you can reverse the direction of the ball by starting with the "Position 5" layer and going through to the "Position 1" layer. Also, you can add your own ball or shape to go through the tube or you can use text. To use text, place the text over the "Shading Highlights" layer. The example below shows that you can use text with the ball. In this example, the ball wipes the text on and off. Note that this approach requires more frames (this is, if you want the ball/shape to wipe the text back off).
|
|