Creating the Illusion of an Orbit with Motion Guide

Note: In this assignment, pay particular attention to which layer is selected when doing a particular step.

99% of student mistakes on this assignment are due to this doing a step with the wrong layer selecte.

1.We are going to create this movie with Flash. It consists of three layers:

A. Stationary picture of a planet in layer 1...

B. Orbiting moon in layer 2.

C. Oval guide layer, so the moon knows its orbit.

In the end, your layers should look like this:
2. Start by opening Flash and set the stage dimensions to 300px width by 200px height, black background. Change the frame rate to 24 frames per second.

3. Here's a picture of planet Earth. Copy it.

4. Double click Layer 1 and rename it to "Earth".

Select keyframe in the Earth layer timeline and paste. Convert the planet to a graphic symbol (F8).
5. On the Earth time line go to frame 100, right click and choose "insert frame" (F5)  

6. Use this picture of the moon. Copy it.
7. In Flash, insert a new layer (Insert>Layer). Paste the moon into keyframe one. Convert the moon graphic to symbol. Rename the layer "Moon".  
8.. Right click on the name label for the moon layer and left click on "motion guide". What looks like a new layer will become visible on the time line. This is the layer in which we will draw our motion guide.
9. Make sure frame 1 of the Guide:Moon layer is selected. Then select the oval tool and set the stroke to white and choose no fill.

10. Draw a large elipse around the planet in the center of your stage.

Make sure that the Guide:Moon layer is still selected.
11. Use the Eraser tool to put a tiny nick in the upper left of your elipse.
12. Move the moon near the left edge of the nick in the elipse until it attaches to the left edge of the break in the elipse.(You will notice a tiny circle at the point of attachment when the moon attaches to the motion guide.)
13. You will need to place a regular frame (not a keyframe) in frame 100 of the the Guide:Moon layer in order to make the motion guide elipse visible in frame 100.  
14. Go to frame 100 of the Moon layer and insert a keyframe (F6) .This will make the moon visible in frame 100. Then move the moon a fraction of an inch up and to the right in order to attach it to the other end of the elipse.  
15. Once it is attached, place a motion tween between frames 1 and 100 in the moon layer.  
16. Now it is done. CRTL+Enter and enjoy.
Here's a student sample that is pretty awesome.