(A separate study guide summarizes ActionScript terms and concepts.)
Shape vs. Motion Tweening
The two types of tweening are quite different. You may find yourself wondering why your animation isn't working and discover that you are simply using the wrong kind of tween for the object that you are trying to animate.
The following chart helps to clarify the differences. The different objects that Flash can animate are listed in the column headings. The "yes" or "no" indicates which tween to use for that object.
| Shape Tween | Motion Tween | |
|---|---|---|
| Merge Shape | yes | no |
| Object Shape | yes | yes |
| Group | no | yes |
| Symbol | no | yes |
| Text Blocks | no | yes |
| Broken-Apart Text | yes | no |
Motion tweens and symbols are the workhorses of Flash. These will be the tools that you use most often. Shape tweening is also very processor-intensive; shape tweening complex shapes will often bog down your user's computer.