# Text on a path

**URL:** <https://forum.kirupa.com/t/text-on-a-path/3217>\
**Category:** flash\
**Created:** [January 1, 2001, 7:12am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/text-on-a-path/3217 "2001-01-01T07:12:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2001, 7:12am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/text-on-a-path/3217/1 "2001-01-01T07:12:22Z")

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Hi:

I have a small circle, which I would like to follow in the path of a rectangle.

The motion guide tutorial works for a line drawn using a pencil or a brush. However, if I draw a rectangle, the circle does not follow the path. it just goes via the shortest path. I tried “orienting to path” but that did not work either.

please help.

sincerely,

jay chandrasekar.

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2001, 1:51pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/text-on-a-path/3217/2 "2001-01-01T13:51:48Z")

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Hello Jay,  
More than likely, the rectangle you drew was not perfectly connected on all corners. Instead, use the Rectangle button itself, and draw the rectangle without a fill (you remove the fill by selecting the fill color and choosing the empty box). Then you simply add a keyframe for each corner you’d like the circle to go on the circle layer.

Once you have done that, you simply tween it. To help you understand it more clearly, I have created a Flash 4 FLA just for you that highlights how I did that. You can download that at the following URL: [www.kirupa.com/temp/jay\_rectangle.fla](http://www.kirupa.com/temp/jay_rectangle.fla)

I hope that helps. If you have any further questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to post back.

Regards,  
Kirupa Chinnathambi  
[kirupa@kirupa.com](mailto:kirupa@kirupa.com)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2001, 3:23am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/text-on-a-path/3217/3 "2001-01-02T03:23:02Z")

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Hi:

Thanks for your reply and the fla. My problem was, I did not set keyframes at each edge. I assumed that since the path was there, it would automatically follow it. doh!

thanks again.

jay c.