Learning Adobe Photoshop CS4

By Greg Bowden

Chapter 20

Animations

Guided Computer Tutorials

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© Greg Bowden

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 Chapter

20
Animations
Animations can be created within Photoshop. For example, you can create time lapse
photography, animated GIFs such as logos, Flash videos and QuickTime movies. The
animating process involves setting the changes (or keyframes) is separate layers then
turning layers on or off in frames that can be inserted in the ANIMATION panel.

Time Lapse Photography

A popular photographic effect is to take photos of the same place at different times of the
day to show the changes in activity and light that have occurred. For example, photos of
a city can be taken at intervals through the day which capture the daytime activities, rush
hour and the lights coming on at sunset.

A Loading the Sample Photo

A sample photo has been prepared for you. The exposure of the photo will be altered to
simulate the sun going down.
1 Load Photoshop or close the current files and select OPEN from the FILE menu.
2 Access the PScs4 SUPPORT FILES, open the CHAPTER 20 folder and load the file:
Time Lapse
3 We could open multiple copies of the photo taken at different times and drag each
into the one file, but altering the exposure will be adequate to demonstrate the
process.

B Creating the Layers

1 In the LAYERS panel drag the

BACKGROUND layer over the CREATE
A NEW LAYER icon to duplicate the
layer.

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Learning Adobe Photoshop CS4

2 Rename the new layer:

Exposure 1
and press <enter> or <return>.

3 Display the IMAGE menu, highlight ADJUSTMENTS and select EXPOSURE.

4 Reduce the EXPOSURE to about -1.0

and select OK to darken the image.

5 Drag the EXPOSURE 1 layer over

the CREATE A NEW LAYER icon to
duplicate the layer.

6 Rename the layer EXPOSURE 2 and

repeat steps 3 and 4 to reduce the
EXPOSURE to about -1.0 to darken
the image further.

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 Animations 20

7 Drag the EXPOSURE 2 layer over

the CREATE A NEW LAYER icon to
duplicate the layer.

8 Rename the layer EXPOSURE 3 and

repeat steps 3 and 4 to reduce the
EXPOSURE to about -1.0 to darken
the image further.

9 Turn off the visibility of the three

EXPOSURE layers in the LAYERS
panel.

10 Use SAVE AS from the FILE menu to save the file in your STORAGE folder as a
PHOTOSHOP file under the file name:
Time Lapse Animation

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Learning Adobe Photoshop CS4

C Opening the Video Workspace

Frames are used to create the animation. These are inserted in the ANIMATION panel
which can be quickly added to the screen using the VIDEO workspace.

1 Click on the arrow next to the

WORKSPACE box in the APPLICATION
BAR and select VIDEO.

2 The panels are rearranged to show

the TIMELINE panel at the base of
the screen with the LAYERS panel to
its right.

3 Click on the CONVERT TO FRAME

ANIMATION icon at the bottom
right of the panel. This will adjust to
TIMELINE panel to show frames.

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 Animations 20

4 The first frame should be visible,

click on the TIME DELAY value at
the base of the frame and select 0.5
seconds.

NOTE: The TIME DELAY value is how long the frame contents will
stay on the screen before the contents of the next frame are
displayed.

5 Click on the DUPLICATES SELECTED

FRAMES button at the base of the
ANIMATION panel. A copy of the first
frame is created with the same time
delay value.

6 Turn on the visibility of the

EXPOSURE 1 layer in the LAYERS
panel and the first darker image is
displayed. This has only turned the
darker layer on for the second frame,
not the first.

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Learning Adobe Photoshop CS4

7 Click on the DUPLICATES SELECTED

FRAMES button at the base of the
ANIMATION panel to insert a copy
of the second frame and turn on the
visibility of the EXPOSURE 2 layer.

8 Click on the DUPLICATES SELECTED

FRAMES button at the base of the
ANIMATION panel to insert a copy
of the third frame and turn on the
visibility of the EXPOSURE 3 layer.

9 Check that the LOOPING box at

the bottom left of the ANIMATION
panel is set it to ONCE so that the
animation will play just once.

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 Animations 20

10 Click on FRAME 1 then click on

the PLAY button at the base of
the ANIMATION panel to run the
animation.

11 Press CTRL+S or COMMAND+S to save the document. The frames are saved when
you save a document as a PHOTOSHOP file.

D Tweening
Tweening is the process of adding frames in between current frames to make an
animation smoother. Photoshop automatically adjusts the animation in the inserted
frames. At the moment the time lapse animation is very ‘jerky’ so some tween frames
will be inserted to make it look more consistent.

1 Click on the first frame then hold

down the SHIFT key and click on the
second frame so that both frames
are selected.

2 Click on the TWEEN ANIMATION

FRAMES button at the base of the
ANIMATION panel.

3 Leave the TWEEN WITH box set to

SELECTION, the FRAMES TO ADD box
set to 5 and select OK.

NOTE: You can add more frames to make the animation smoother,
but this also increases the file size.

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