Adobe Animate is an essential asset if you are learning how to design animations. With this phenomenal software, you can create animations and bring them to life.
Adobe Animate is an important software to learn if you want to become a professional web designer. The new 2020 release provides all the necessary tools to help users create animations and interactive content.
With it, designers can create complex levels of visual relationships, engaging interactions, and attractive interfaces on web pages and applications.
To learn this software, you can join a class, buy a book, or take an online tutorial. Keep reading our guide to see how you can learn Adobe Animate, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned web design professional. Below, we’ll look at some links and other resource materials to aid you as you learn about the software.
What Is Adobe Animate?
Adobe Animate, previously known as Adobe Flash, is a professional software product used to create animations. This software is a big step up from Flash professional, which is famous for producing popular Internet animations over the past 20 years.
After upgrades were made, the software became compatible with HTML5 canvas, Flash Player and Air, WebGL, and Snap SVG. Adobe Animate is a multimedia authoring and computer animation program.
Whether you are still an amateur or are a veteran in prototyping, you should consider using Adobe Animate. Its tools are great for helping the user create moving images, videos, and graphics. You will be able to improve the quality of your visuals and make them more realistic.
What Is Adobe Animate Used For?
The program is great for creating interactive resources. The software allows you to create interactive vector graphics as well as animations for online video apps, television programs, and games. It helps bring life to cartoons as well as ads. You can also use Adobe Animate to spruce up eLearning content or infographics.
The software is instrumental in supporting rich text, audio and video embedding, scripting, and graphics. The program has a wider range of functionality when compared to Adobe Flash. It is compatible with HTML5 as well as WebGL. Designers can also use the program to publish Flash formats or package Adobe AIR applications.
Users will enjoy the convenience of the software, which allows for easy access to content from anywhere without requiring plug-ins to be installed.
What Are the Features of Adobe Animate?
Adobe Animate is the ultimate software when it comes to embracing current web standards. Let’s look at some of its best features.
Vector Brushes
Adobe Animate provides vector brushes that help you draw lines or strokes. When using a tablet, the pen, also known as a stylus, defines strokes or lines based on the pressure or tilting applied to the screen. The drawing tools are quite useful in creating interactive animations.
Users are not limited to the basic options of size, smoothness, and color. While designing, you can easily play around with velocity and pressure using the stylus. You will be able to custom design your brush as you see fit to achieve the best quality for your vector animations. As you create patterns, you can adjust the width of a line depending on the pressure you apply.
You can also use the program to create 2D images, using shapes, curves, and patterns.
Exporting and Publishing
It is quite easy to view your work on Adobe Animate. You can access your images or creations through a desktop or a mobile device, as the program is well ahead in terms of compatibility and web standards.
Exporting your animations is a very simple process. You can easily export to multiple platforms such as SVG, WebGL, HTML Canvas, or Flash/Adobe AIR.
The program also allows you the flexibility to code within the project as you see fit and even add actions to it without using code.
Font
Adobe Animate features a Typekit that allows web designers to play with the countless fonts available. There are also premium fonts available if you have a certain subscription.
All programs within the Adobe Creative Cloud have several fonts available in the Typekit library, but you will have to pay a fee to have full access to them.
Audio Syncing
With Adobe Animate, you can easily sync your audio with your animations. If you want a simple way to synchronize the audio across your animation series, this is the best platform.
Adobe Animate Camera
If you’re looking for a more realistic outcome to your videos, Animate has a virtual camera to help you simulate a camera’s movement. The camera features a dramatic effect similar to Zoom and easy pan. For instance, if you are creating an animation of a shouting match, you can zoom the camera in and out to shift the viewer’s attention for dramatic effect.
Bone Tool
This animation tool is instrumental in bringing characters to life. Using the bones tool, a game developer can easily chain pieces of animation to create movement. Coding such movements can be a difficult task, but this tool makes it a breeze.
Learning Adobe Animate
Learning Adobe Animate takes a lot of time and effort. To get to know the program, many people prefer to download the app and start learning on their own, while others prefer to enroll in a professional class. If you want to learn but are short on time, you might want to consider watching Animate tutorials on YouTube.
How Long Does It Take to Learn Adobe Animate?
Learning animation can be a bit challenging, but with the right approach, it can be manageable. However, the amount of time it takes to become a pro at Adobe Animate will vary from one person to the next. It all depends on your learning style, availability, and the amount of time you spend practicing.
But before you begin studying, remember that a degree program or courses in animation can significantly help your chances of landing a job. If you don’t want to get a degree, you may choose to enroll in a class or bootcamp.
There is usually a set time duration for completing these online classes, but if you can’t meet the time requirements, you can instead choose to learn at your own pace via YouTube tutorials.
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How to Learn Adobe Animate: Step-by-Step
To help you get started on your educational journey to learn Adobe Animate, follow these steps below.
- Purchase and Install the Adobe Animate. You can install the software from the official site of Adobe. Adobe offers a free trial so if you are not yet on board to fully use the software, you have the option to test it out first.
- Watch Adobe Animate Tutorials. There are plenty of videos from Adobe’s site and YouTube to help you learn how to use the software.
- Enroll in Classes. Tutors and experts alike are plenty to teach Adobe Animate. You can easily enroll in a relevant class to get started, the best of which we will list below.
- Read Books on Adobe Animate. Books carry a lot of information that is beneficial to users. Whether you are a beginner or a guru, books can add value to your knowledge.
- Practice. The more you use Adobe Animate, the better you will become. This applies to any skill.
The Best Adobe Animate Courses and Training
Adobe Animate is the ultimate software for animation and interactive media. It can be used to create animation projects for films, commercials, or even television shows. Before you start studying, remember that every beginner feels overwhelmed at the beginning of a new course, but in time, you will develop the necessary skill set.
Enrolling in a few courses will allow you to quickly sharpen your skills. Online courses are a great platform for education, but a physical class will often provide a better learning environment. You can also use books to study how to utilize the software efficiently.
Best Online Adobe Animate Courses
Learning online is often the best option if you have a hectic schedule. It is also quite a convenient way to learn about Animate. All you have to do is register for the relevant courses and start learning. Below are some of the best courses available.
Rigging and Animating in Adobe Animate
- Provider: Udemy
- Time: 4 hours
- Prerequisites: N/A
- Price: $74.99
This is an exceptional crash course for learning Adobe Animate. From instructor Chad Trotftgruben, you will learn the basic structures of 2D character animation, as well as how to set up a character to animate. Key essential concepts such as symbols, motion tweening, and layer parenting will be much easier to navigate after you complete this course.
Adobe Animate CC 2018- HTML Banner Ads
- Provider: Udemy
- Time: 5 hours
- Prerequisites: Copy of Adobe CC 2015 or above
- Price: $94.99
This course is highly visual and is intended for creative minds who want to learn how to make HTML% banner ads. By the end of this course taught by Daniel Walter Scott, you will be able to create advertising banners for Google Display Network, Simek, and Google Doubleclick. When you finish the course, you can download a certificate of completion.
Learning Adobe Animate CC: Animation| LinkedIn Learning
- Provider: Dermot O
- Time: 3 hours
- Prerequisites: N/A
- Price: $33
In this beginners’ course, you will gain an understanding of the principles of Animate. This digital class is effective in teaching key skills in creating symbols, tweening, using drawing tools, and keyframing.
Ringing and Recording in Adobe Character Animator
- Provider: Udemy
- Time: 4 hours
- Prerequisites: N/A
- Price: $74.99
If you are looking for a more comprehensive course, you should consider browsing Udemy. In this class, you will learn the basic principles of character animation and Adobe Photoshop, and how to export animations through Adobe Media Encoder. At the end of the course by Chad Troftgruben, you will be able to download a certificate of completion.
Best Free Adobe Animate Courses
When it comes to upgrading your editing skills, nothing beats a free class. Below are the best online courses that are available for free.
2D Animation For Beginners With Adobe Animate
- Provider: Skillshare
- Time: N/A
- Prerequisites: None
- Price: None
This is an excellent course if you are looking to master Animate. Taught by Walt Wonderwolk, this class is convenient because it is accessible from anywhere at any time and from any device. In it, students will create 2D animated videos as well as detailed GIFs. The course is exceptional for learning computer-generated animation, vector drawings, symbols, and keyframes.
Animate a Walk Cycle Frame-By-Frame in Adobe Animate
- Provider: Skillshare
- Time: N/A
- Prerequisites: None
- Price: None
The curriculum for this class taught by Joey Judkins covers all the basics of Adobe Animate. By the end, users will be able to understand how to create a hand-drawn character animation.
You will also know how to select the correct canvas and prepare it for character design. Understanding different concepts such as color fills, overlapping actions, and shadows, are key elements of this course.
Best Adobe Animate Books
Staring at a screen the whole day can be quite tiring. If you prefer a more traditional way of learning about software, consider checking out the following books. These resources could be instrumental in helping you develop exceptional skills.
Adobe Animate Classroom in a Book
Russel Chun has authored this project-based handbook for Adobe Animate beginners. This book covers expressive tools, powerful controls, and extensive support to help you learn efficiently. The text makes it easy to learn all the features of the software at your own pace.
Adobe InDesign Classroom (2020)
In this book, readers will learn to use the various techniques for typography, color, and page layout. The book also comes with full access to its web edition.
Best Online Adobe Animate Resources
Learning through books and online classes is great, but there are plenty of other online Adobe Animate resources, too. Below are some of the resources you can use to gain a better understanding of the software.
The Ultimate Guide to Adobe Animate CC
This phenomenal tutorial will show you how to get started with Adobe Animate. You will also get to learn about the basic principles of the software and the history behind it.
Animate CC Beginner Tut
By the end of this tutorial, you will get to know more about the basic tools and operations of creating your first animation.
Tools and Tips for Animation\
It’s an exceptional tutorial showcasing ways of making animations life-like. You will get to know more about using vector brushes.
Adobe Animate Free Trial
You don’t have to jump the gun and purchase it right away. You can easily get the software on Adobe’s Website for a free trial.
Should You Study Adobe Animate?
As the replacement for Adobe Flash, Adobe Animate is taking the animation industry by storm. An improvement on the old software, it creates vector graphics that can easily help you build interactive websites.
The platform can be used to create animated or static web pages and can support all kinds of web design work. Since you can use it to create many types of content, it is quite an indispensable tool in the industry. You can also use it to develop a formidable sprite sheet for your keyframes to help you animate using CSS.
There are many options listed above to help guide you as you search for your preferred Animate education method. We highly recommend this reliable and convenient product, as it has major benefits for users who want to develop their animation editing skills.
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