Flash can trace bitmaps (under the modify menu) vectorizing them, but it does not do that great of a job. It is limiting in controlling the line quality that you will get. You have a trace threshold and curve fit settings which you should set as low as possible for as close a look to your raster image as possible and higher numbers for a more Cezanne or pointellism effect.

Of course with animation comes drawings and part of the process of internet animation is getting those drawings onto the computer.

Some animators and character designers will feel comfortable drawing directly in flash or in Illustrator (which can export files as swf's to be imported into Flash). Others prefer to draw on paper. If this is the case the work must be scanned in (as a raster image) and then converted to a vector image in a program such as Streamline (Adobe). Vectors art is what you get when you draw in Illustrator or Flash and when you use type, raster art is pixel based, used in such programs as Photoshop, images that are scanned come in as raster images (with pixel information or dots such as dpi, or dots per inch).

Streamline can batch select a folder and convert your pict/pcx/tiff files to eps files. Then the eps files are opened in Illustrator or Flash for clean up. If you use Illustrator you should export the files as swf files (if you are using Illustrator 8 or before, you need to get the swf writer plug-in from Macromedia). You can clean these up in Illustrator with the pen tool or in Flash by choosing smoothing and with the pen tool or by just pulling lines with the arrow tool.

These swf files will be imported into flash for animation. It is best to name the items sequentially as Flash will attempt to place them frame by frame for you if you do. This makes conversion to symbols easier.

Vector Importing

When importing vector type from Illustrator, make sure to convert it to Outlines in Illustrator first if you are unsure if the computer that will receive your files, has the font you are using. When drawing in Illustrator and bringing your work into Flash, it can also be helpful to select your artwork and choose Object/Path/Outline Path if your artwork is not coming into path correctly (sometimes you will have layering of shapes that will distort otherwise).

Clean-Up Tips and Line Problems

First, use a Wacom when you draw, it really helps with control.

Do you use the brush or the line tool. Well, the line tool is easier to smooth out, but the brush tool can vary line weight easier and the line took usually looks off being that the lines are too consistent. The line tool also does not taper the ends of lines which gives lines that nice inked look. So, the brush is better, but it should be cleaned up and smoothed out after you use it.

To do this, select the part of the brush stroke that you want to clean up, have the arrow tool selected, and hit the smoothing option in the tool bar. It is suggested that smoothing twice, undoing and smoothing again give the best results. Then fix up the lines with the arrow tool.