Configuring an Animation object

To configure an Animation object:

  1. Create an Animation object, as described in “Creating an object.” Make sure the Animation object is selected.
  2. Choose an animation type from the Display as drop-down menu:
    • Item on a Path: An object that moves along a path.
    • Sequence in a Box: A box that contains an image sequence.
    • Sequence on a Path: A box that contains an image sequence and moves along a path.
  3. To specify which image sequence (if any) to play, choose an option from the Sequence drop-down menu.
    • Layout name: To use an image sequence in the same project, choose the name of the image sequence layout that contains the image sequence.
    • New: Choose this option to create an Image Sequence layout in the same project.
    • Edit: Choose this option to select an Image Sequence layout in the same project, and to switch to that Image Sequence layout for editing.
    • Choose External File: Choose this option to select an Image Sequence layout in a separate QuarkXPress project.
  4. To specify the frame rate at which an image sequence will play, enter a value in the Frame Rate field. The image sequence’s default frame rate is loaded by default.
  5. To specify a path for the box that contains an item or sequence to move along, choose an option from the Path drop-down menu. You can use any named box- or line-based object as a path.
  6. To specify settings for the movement of the object along a path, choose one or more options from the Options drop-down menu:
    • To move the Animation object repeatedly from the start point to the end point of the path, choose Loop.
    • To move the Animation object repeatedly from the start point to the end point of the path, and then from the end point to the start point, choose Loop Back and Forth.
    • To hide the Animation object until it displays using a Show action, choose Initially Hidden.
    • To hide the Animation object after it stops playing, choose Hidden at End.
    • To retain the Animation object’s state when an end user exits and then re-enters the page the object is on, choose Keep Status on Page Entry.
    • To prevent the end user from interacting with that object initially, choose Initially Disabled.
  7. To make the animation alternately play and pause when clicked, check Click to Play/Pause.
  8. To specify the speed at which the Animation object moves along the path, enter a value in the Speed field, and then choose a unit from the drop-down menu.
  9. To specify a sound to be played when the animation begins, choose an option from the Sound drop-down menu:
    • To import a sound file, choose Others from the Sound drop-down menu.
    • To use a sound file that is already used elsewhere in the active project, choose that sound file’s name.
    • To insert a path that will refer to a sound file at runtime (even if that file is not available), choose External.
    Note: You can link only to external sounds files that are in MP3 or WAV format.
  10. To specify the sound to repeat continuously while the animation is running, check Loop.
  11. If you choose External from the Sound drop-down menu, the External File Reference dialog box displays.
    QuarkXpress db external file reference Configuring an Animation object

    The External File Reference dialog box enables you to specify the path to a file.

    Use one of the following methods to specify a path:

    • To reference a file from your local file system, choose File from the Type menu and then specify the path to that file in the Path field.
    • To use a file on the Internet, choose URL from the Type menu and then enter the URL of the file in the URL field.
    • To reference a file from your local file system using a path created by an expression, choose File Expression from the Type menu and then either enter the expression in the Expr field or click the QuarkXpress btn expression editor Configuring an Animation object button to use the Expression Editor dialog box.
    • To reference a file on the Internet using a URL created by an expression, choose File Expression from the Type menu and then enter the expression in the Expr field or click the QuarkXpress btn expression editor Configuring an Animation object button to use the Expression Editor dialog box.
  12. To specify a start point and direction for the box containing the image sequence, click Specify. The Animation Start Point dialog box displays.
    QuarkXpress db animation start Configuring an Animation object

    The Animation Start Point dialog box lets you specify a starting point and direction for an object or sequence on a path.

    To specify a start point for the box that contains the image sequence, click once anywhere on the path. To change the initial direction of the box’s motion, click Change Direction. When you are finished, click OK.

Note: Once you have set up an Animation object, you must use an action to animate it.

Configuring an Animation object