In this InDesign® tutorial, we will learn how to create the Fade and Blink animations in our fixed layout ePub project. We will also use the Appear and Move animations again. We will use an interactive button to control the animations.

View Sample Project Page 10

The Animations

In the previous tutorial, we used a custom motion path to animate three toys to move from Santa's bag to the center of the page. In this page, those same three toys will fade in under the tree, as if magically placed there by Santa. Another animation will cause the lights on the tree to blink on and off, using the Appear animation. In the last animation, we see the toy train again. This time it will move on to the page, carrying two mice and using the motion path animation again.

In the previous tutorial, we learned how to make the wheels of the toy train rotate as the train moved across the page. In this animation, the train moves on to the page quickly and then stops in place for some time. Because the train does not move across the entire page but remains in place most of the time, we will not have the wheels rotate.

The Graphics

For this page, we will need the pngs for those three toys again, as well as a semi-transparent png containing the lights on the tree. At this point, there are white lights on the tree but they do not blink. It is this semi-transparent png that will blink on and off. Finally, we will need a png of the train with the two mice (see screenshot).

We will start with the tree and the blinking lights.

1. Click File - Place to add the semi-transparent lights over the tree, match the semi-transparent lights with the white lights on the tree.


2. With the lights overlay still selected, open the Animation panel.


3. Set the Preset to Appear, the Duration to 1.5 and looping (see screenshot).


4. Test the animation and the lights should appear to be blinking on the tree.

Next, we will add the interactive button.


5. Click File - Place to add the button graphic to the page under the poem text.


6. Select the button and open the Buttons and Forms panel.


7. Set the Type to Button and name the button giftsButton (see screenshot).

Next, we will add the toys under the tree, with the Fade animation.

Next

Index - InDesign Fixed Layout ePub

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