The Timeline Docker window and the movie control panel

The Timeline Docker window lets you animate objects in a movie by adding keyframes. Keyframes let you define changes to objects at a specific time in their existence.

The movie control panel lets you preview movies as you create them.

You'll insert a keyframe in the middle of the text's timeline and make the text completely transparent at the keyframe. This will make the text gradually fade out during the first part of the animation, and then fade in during the second part. To preview the animation, you'll play the movie.

Make your name fade in and out

1. In the Timeline Docker window, click frame 10.
2. Click the text's name to select it.
3. Click the Insert keyframe button .
   A square displays in the text's timeline in frame 10, and the start and end points also change into squares. A square indicates a keyframe.
4. Open the Interactive tools flyout , and click the Interactive transparency tool .
5. From the Transparency type list box on the property bar, choose Uniform.
6. To make the text completely transparent at frame 10, move the Starting transparency slider to 100.

Preview the animation

1. Click the Play button on the control panel to preview the animation.
2. Click the Stop button .

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