The example shown was created in Fireworks MX 2004 and the result may differ with other versions of Fireworks.

To begin, create a new canvas and set the dimensions to 200 by 200 pixels. In the vectors toolbox, click on the shape button and select the star. Create a star on the canvas and change the dimensions to 100 by 100 pixels. Change the star color to White and give the star a one pixel border.

Position the star by changing the x and y values both to 50. Save the canvas to a file called star.png. In the Frames window, change the frame delay time to 10. This means when we animate, there will be a one-tenth of a second interval before changing.

Click on the image and then in the Filters menu, go to Noise and select Add Noise.

An Add Noise dialog box will appear. It will ask you for Amount and Color. Change the amount to 100 and check the Color and click OK. You will see a color pixel effect on the star.

We then go to the Frames window and click on the small options list icon at the top right of window. Select Duplicate frames and a dialog box will appear.

Change the value to 9 and click OK.

In the Frames window, it should show 10 frames.

What we do next is we just change the noise value of each image in each frame. This can be random as we need a sparkling effect. Since the starting noise value was 100, the last frame should just be below 100. This is so we can make a smooth cycle.

After you have randomly assigned noise values to each image, go to the Optimize window and change the Export File format to Animated GIF. Keep everything else as the default.

Now go to the File menu, select Export. Rename the Animated GIF to something appropriate and keep the Save As Type as Images.

Now, go to the image in the file location and preview in web browser.

By the way, my example doesnt match the canvas size.
Thanks.

This post has been edited by firebolt: 15 May, 2009 - 07:29 PM

Nice tutorial. You can use 'add noise' in UGA5 too, and get the same effect.

Thanks.