Creating Rollovers and Animations (ImageReady)

Creating Rollovers and

Animations (ImageReady)

About working with layers in rollovers and animations

Working with layers is an essential part of creating rollovers and animations in ImageReady. Placing the image content for a rollover on its own layer allows you to use Layers palette commands and options to create rollover effects. Likewise, placing each element of an animation on its own layer enables you to change the position and appearance of the element across a series of frames.

Illustration of a rollover. The button is on its own layer; effects are added to the layer to create a new appearance of the button for the over state.

Illustration of an animation. The bicycle image is on its own layer; the position of the layer changes in each frame of the animation.

Editing layers in rollover states and animation frames

Some changes you make to layers affect only the active rollover state or animation frame, while others affect every state and frame in which the layers are included:

State and frame-specific changes Affect only the active animation frame or rollover state. By default, changes you make to layers using Layers palette commands and options—including layer opacity, blending mode, visibility, position, and style—are state and frame-specific. However, you can apply layer changes to all states in a rollover and all frames in an animation using the unify buttons in the Layers palette. (See “Unifying and matching layers rollovers and animations” on page 397.)

Important: Changes you make to layers in the Normal state or Frame 1—including layer opacity, blending mode, visibility, position, and style—affect all states or frames in which the layers are identical. For example, take a slice that has a Normal state, an Over state, and a Down state. If the layers in the Normal and Over states are identical, and you apply a layer style in the Normal state, the layer style will also be applied in the Over state. However, the Down state will not be affected.

Inclusive changes Affect every state and frame in which the layers are included. Changes you make to layer pixel values, using painting and editing tools, color and tone adjustment commands, filters, type, and other image-editing commands, are inclusive.

Unifying and matching layers rollovers and animations

By default, changes you make to layers using Layers palette commands and options— including layer visibility, position, and style—apply only to the frame or state (unless you are working with the Normal state or Frame 1). However, you can use the unify buttons in the Layers palette and the Match command to apply changes to all states in a rollover and all frames in an animation:

•The unify buttons determine how the changes you make to a layer in the active state or frame apply to the other states in a rollover or frames in an animation. When a unify button is selected, changes apply to all states and frames; when a button is deselected, changes apply to only the active state or frame.

•The Layer > Match command lets you apply the layer attributes for an existing state or frame to other states in a rollover and frames in an animation.

To unify layers in rollover states and animation frames:

Select one or more unify buttons in the Layers palette:

•Unify Layer Position button to apply changes you make to a layer’s position to all states in a rollover and all frames in an animation.

•Unify Layer Visibility button to apply changes you make to a layer’s visibility to all states in a rollover and all frames in an animation.

•Unify Layer Style button to apply changes you make to a layer’s style to all states in a rollover and all frames in an animation.

To match an existing layer across rollover states and animation frames:

1In the Rollovers palette, select the state or frame with the layer attributes you want to use.

2Select the layer you want to match in the Layers palette.

3Choose Layer > Match, or choose Match from the Layers palette menu.