TOPIC LOCATION:     `Stage Editor`;     `Object Menu (Stage)`

PRECEDING TOPIC:    `Position Bar`
FOLLOWING TOPIC:    `Size Bar`

VISUAL DEMONSTRATION AVAILABLE:    `(S)_Alignment_Bar.demo`

* (Make sure CAMERA VIEW is selected in the Stage Editor's Display Menu)

To have an object's alignment change over the course of an animation, you
would normally have to enter the Action script editor to break up the
Alignment timeline in order to enter the changing alignment values.  The
Alignment Bar function allows you to interactively change the alignment of an
object at certain frames within the Stage Editor screen.

You must first have started by entering the Action script editor and
setting the number of frames for the animation.  Make sure that the object
whose alignment you want to adjust, exists in the desired frames; set the
starting and ending frames in the object's Actor timeline.  Then enter the
Stage Editor quad views.

For a simple example, in a 30 frame animation, let's cause an object to
start out in its normal alignment, rotate about 180 degrees at frame 15,
then rotate back to its original alignment (for a complete 360 degree
rotation we have to split the rotation into two 180 degree rotations) at
frame 30.  If you are not already at frame 1, just goto it by selecting
First from the Frame menu.  Use the interactive manipulation functions (R
on the keyboard for rotate) or the Transformation function to adjust the
alignment of the object in this frame.  After the alignment is set, select
Alignment Bar from the object menu.  The values for the alignment timeline
in the Action Script will automatically be set according to the current,
visual alignment of the object.  Now goto frame 15 and rotate the the
object 180 degrees.  Again, select Alignment Bar to adjust the alignment
timeline.  Finally go to the last frame (30), and rotate the object back to
its starting alignment and select Alignment Bar a final time.  If you enter
the Action Script Screen, you should notice that the alignment bar has
automatically been set and split appropriately over the 30 frames.  You can
then select Make to build the preview of the animation.

