Scripting Smooth Rotations

Download the FLA to this file =>

Smooth rotations can be achieved by scripting with a swf movie that is quite small compared to a tween. Follow this tutorial to learn how to Set variables and increase and decrease the variable value, as well as using the if...else statement.

1. Create a new movie.

2. Draw an oval on your stage. Convert it to a symbol by clicking insert=> convert to symbol. Select Movie clip for behavior and call it myoval.

3. Name the instance Oval on the instance panel.

4. Click in frame 5 and hit F5 to increase the keyframe out to frame 5.

5. Insert a new layer.

6. Insert a keyframe on Frame 1, layer 2

7. Naming your variable.

• Open your actions panel.
• Click the + symbol => actions => var
• Name your variable count = 0

7. Setting up your clockwise loop.

• Insert a single keyframe on frame 3.
• Click the + => actions => Set Variable.
  • Type count in the box for variable
  • Set the value to count+10 to increase the value of count by 10 each time this frame is played.
  • Check the box for expression under value.
• Click the + => actions => IF to set the condition for the count loop.
  • Type in count>=370  (370 is 10 more degrees than a full circle.)
• Click go to and play and set frame number to 4.
• Click + => actions => else.
• Click + => actions => Set Variable
  • Type in the path for the clip: _root.oval
  • Add the action: ._rotation
  • Set the value of rotation: = count
  • Check Expression
  • Resulting line reads _root.oval._rotation=count
• Click + => basic actions => goto
  • Select frame number 2

Result of actionscripting on frame 3:

Setting up your counterclockwise loop.

• Insert a single keyframe on frame 5.
• Click the + => actions => Set Variable.
  • Type count in the box for variable
  • Set the value to count-10 to decrease the value of count by 10 each time this frame is played.
  • Check the box for expression under value.
• Click the + => actions => IF to set the condition for the count loop.
  • Type in count<= -10  (-10 is 10 more degrees than a full circle.)
• Click + => basic actions =>goto and set frame number to 4.
• Click + => actions => else.
• Click + => actions => Set Variable
  • Type in the path for the clip: _root.oval
  • Add the action: ._rotation
  • Set the value of rotation: = count
  • Check Expression
  • Resulting line reads _root.oval._rotation=count
• Click + => basic actions => goto
  • Select frame number 2

Result of action scripting on frame 3:

You can make faster rotations by increasing the increment for count. You can slwo it down by decreasing the increment for count.

It's That EASY!