Animate Training (ANI.CERT)

This Adobe Animate course offers a comprehensive journey into the world of digital animation and interactive media. Designed for both beginners and experienced users, it covers all aspects of Adobe Animate, from the basics of the interface to advanced animation techniques. Students will learn how to create engaging animations, design characters, and integrate sound and video, utilizing Animate’s powerful tools. The course also covers scripting with ActionScript and JavaScript to add interactivity to animations. Through practical exercises and real-world applications, this course ensures that students not only understand the software’s capabilities but also how to apply these skills in their creative projects. The course encompasses all topics covered in the Animate certification exam and much more. Whether the goal is to work in the animation industry or to enhance personal animation skills, this course provides the knowledge and hands-on experience needed to excel in the field of digital animation.

Designed for beginners and aspiring animators, this course covers the fundamental tools and techniques required to create dynamic animations, character designs, and interactive content using Adobe Animate.

The course begins with an Introduction to Animate, where you’ll learn about the home screen, how to create new documents, and draw basic shapes. You'll explore the Animate interface, including essential tools, properties, libraries, and the timeline, setting the foundation for your animation projects. You'll also learn how to set up and navigate documents efficiently using rulers, guides, and grids.

In the Animation Basics module, you will be introduced to symbols, including graphic, button, and movie clip types, and learn how to create and edit them. This section covers core animation techniques, such as frame-by-frame animation with onion skinning, basic movement, and tweening methods like shape and motion tweens. You’ll gain skills in using the Motion Editor panel and applying easing for natural movement, along with exporting animations in various formats.

The Drawing Tools module focuses on mastering Animate’s powerful drawing capabilities. You'll explore selection, brush, pen, and shape tools and learn to modify and transform shapes. Through hands-on exercises, you will practice drawing and modifying illustrations, working with layers, and integrating symbols to create visually compelling designs.

In Character Design, you will dive into the principles of illustration and character creation. This module guides you step-by-step through designing a character, including drawing the head, facial features, body, arms, hands, legs, and feet. You will also learn best practices for saving and exporting your character designs.

Advanced Techniques takes your skills further with more sophisticated animation and interactivity methods. You’ll explore rotoscoping, use camera and layer depth tools, and add interactivity with ActionScript or JavaScript. This section also covers sound and video integration, rigging characters with the Bone Tool, using motion presets, applying filters and blend modes, and creating complex animations with masking. You’ll also learn about HTML5 Canvas and WebGL document types for publishing interactive web content.

The course concludes with Working in the Animation Industry, where you’ll learn about the key principles of animation and interactive media, including understanding purpose, audience needs, and industry best practices. This module also covers essential topics like copyright, permissions, and licensing, ensuring you are prepared to work professionally in the animation industry.

By the end of this course, you will have a solid understanding of Adobe Animate’s tools and techniques, enabling you to create engaging animations, interactive media, and character designs with confidence.

1. Introduction to Animate
   1. Animate Home Screen
   2. Creating New Documents
   3. Drawing Basic Shapes
   4. Animate Interface
   5. Tools
   6. Properties
   7. Libraries
   8. The Timeline
   9. Navigating a Document
   10. Rulers, Guides, and Grids
   11. Setting Preferences
2. Animation Basics
   1. Symbols
   2. Types of Symbols: Graphic, Button, and Movie Clip
   3. Creating Symbols
   4. Creating Symbols and Adding Them to the Library (Exercise)
   5. Editing Symbols
   6. Edit a Symbol and Observe the Changes (Exercise)
   7. Overview of Animation
   8. Onion Skinning
   9. Use Onion Skinning to Create a Smooth, Frame-by-Frame Animation (Exercise)
   10. Introduction to Basic Movement: Timing, Weight, And Movement
   11. Overview of Tweening
   12. Shape Tween
   13. Create a Shape Tween with a Symbol (Exercise)
   14. Motion Tween
   15. Create a Motion Tween with a Symbol (Exercise)
   16. Understanding the Motion Editor Panel
   17. Use the Motion Editor Panel to Modify a Tween (Exercise)
   18. Apply Easing to Animation
   19. Apply Easing to Animation to Create Natural Movement (Exercise)
   20. Previewing an Animation
   21. Preview and Test Your Animation (Exercise)
   22. Saving and Exporting an Animation
   23. Exporting Options
   24. Export the Animation in Different Formats (Exercise)
3. Drawing Tools
   1. Selection Tools
   2. Brush Tools
   3. Experimenting with Brush Tools on a Blank Canvas (Exercise)
   4. The Pen Tool
   5. Experimenting with the Pen Tool on a Blank Canvas (Exercise)
   6. Shape Tools
   7. Experimenting with the Shape Tools on a Blank Canvas (Exercise)
   8. Color Tools
   9. Modifying and Transforming Shapes
   10. Draw Basic Shapes and Modify them using Transformation Tools (Exercise)
   11. Layers and Symbols
   12. Drawing a Simple Illustration (Exercise)
4. Character Design
   1. Basic Illustration Principles
   2. Introduction to Character Design
   3. Drawing the Head
   4. Draw the Character’s Head (Exercise)
   5. Drawing the Facial Features
   6. Draw the Character’s Facial Features (Exercise)
   7. Drawing the Body
   8. Draw the Character’s Body (Exercise)
   9. Arms and Hands
   10. Draw the Character’s Arms And Hands (Exercise)
   11. Drawing the Legs and Feet
   12. Draw the Character’s Legs And Feet (Exercise)
   13. Saving and Exporting Your Character
   14. Save and Export Your Character (Exercise)
5. Advanced Techniques
   1. Rotoscoping
   2. Rotoscope a Short Video Clip (Exercise)
   3. Utilizing Camera and Layer Depth Tools
   4. Create a Scene with Depth using Camera and Layer Tools (Exercise)
   5. ActionScript and JavaScript in Animate
   6. Add Interactivity to an Animation with ActionScript or JavaScript (Exercise)
   7. Sound and Video Integration in Animate
   8. Incorporate Sound into an Animation (Exercise)
   9. Sound Mixing and Scape Creation
   10. Create a Basic Sound Mix and Scape for an Animation (Exercise)
   11. Using the Bone Tool for Rigging
   12. Rig a Character using the Bone Tool (Exercise)
   13. Working with Motion Presets
   14. Animate an Object using Motion Presets (Exercise)
   15. Applying Filters and Blend Modes
   16. Add Effects to an Animation with Filters and Blend Modes (Exercise)
   17. The Art of Masking
   18. Create an Animation with Masking Effects (Exercise)
   19. Understanding HTML5 Canvas and WebGL Document Types
   20. Create an Interactive Web Content with HTML5 Canvas (Exercise)
   21. Publishing and Export Options in Animate
   22. Publish an Animation in Various Formats (Exercise)
6. Working In The Animation Industry
   1. Purpose, Audience, and Audience Needs
   2. Communicating about Design Plans
   3. Copyright, Permissions, and Licensing
   4. Animation and Interactive Media Key Terminology
   5. Basic Design Principles and Industry Best Practices
   6. Animation and Interactive Media Principles

Each student receives a comprehensive set of materials, including course notes and all class examples.