Please can someone help me here? I am learning Flash and am following the “Ray of Light” tutorial on this site. I have been adapting it to use with MX. If someone would be very kind, here is my question… I am on point number 11c) of the tutorial (www.kirupa.com/developer/flash5/rayoflight.asp) I clicked on frame 1 and find that in the property inspector, the input for effects is grayed out - I cannot change the alpha of only frame 1 to zero and I also cannot chage the alpha of the last frame 35 only, to zero. I am in a dilema! How can I do this? I appreciate how busy many of you must be, and would be thankful for any direction. I am learning Flash for the first time and find these types of tutorials a great tool.
Thanks very much!
-Bossriger aka Roger
Did you select the frame or the movie clip? In order to change the alpha, you will need to click on the frame, and then ont the movie clip, then open the properties for the movie clip and alpha it to 0.
Thanks! I tried that, then the whole movie was invisible. Inside the movie clip are several layers. Each layer contains one symbol. So looking at “Scene 1” I just see one frame. (Named “background”). When I open it, there is the movie clip with the layers. I have a motion tween going from frame 1 of each layer to frame 15, then the motion tween continues to frame 35, where the motion ends. The difficulty I am having is that at frame 1 and frame 35 of each layer inside the movie clip, I can’t get the setting for the alpha to go to zero. (The movie clip shows as one frame only in scene 1 - “background”). The setting you gave me was indeed correct. I was able to get the movie alpha to zero. That made everything invisible. I think I misunderstood so I backtraked, but can’t seem to get into the settings to alpha frame 1 and 35 of each layer inside the movie clip. I feel like a bit of a dope here, but hey… I’m learning! 
Hopefully this makes sense to you? I hope so! Are you able to clue me in a bit more? - anyone for that matter - I’d appreciate it! Thanks muchly!
I’m not sure if I understand, but I will try to help…
Are you putting a new instance of the MC on frame 1, and 35?
each time you wish to change alpha, you need to have a new instance in a new keyframe. As LostinBeta said, you can only change the alpha of a symbol, not a frame…
If I am not on track, try attaching the .fla, someone (maybe even me) will figure it out…I think…
Rev:nerd:
What it sounds like your problem is is that you are changing the alpha of your main movie clip.
What you need to do is click on Frame 35 inside your movie clip, then select the object in that frame that is on the stage. Then you will be able to change the alpha of just that object, causing the effect you want.
If you still aren’t quite sure how to do it you can experiment with this tutorial before you go back to it…
http://www.kirupa.com/developer/mx/fadingtext.asp
That is a tutorial on fading text which uses the same method of doing the alpha as your ray of light.