title: How to make my circle blink/flash (Google Maps API V2 android)
body: <p>I'm new to app development. Basically I've been following the tutorial on the Google Developers site to get my map and circle to show (I also fiddled around with a marker and a circle animation I found while browsing). Now I need the circle I've made to flicker/flash/blink, what have you, but I am not sure where to start. </p>
  
  <p>This is my MainActivity.java</p>
  
  <pre><code>public class MainActivity extends ActionBarActivity {
  
      private GoogleMap mMap;
  
      @Override
      protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
          super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
          setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
  
      //marker
      mMap = ((MapFragment) getFragmentManager().findFragmentById(R.id.map)).getMap();
      mMap.addMarker(new MarkerOptions()
              .position(new LatLng(/*coordinates*/,/*coordinates*/))
          .icon(BitmapDescriptorFactory.defaultMarker(BitmapDescriptorFactory.HUE_YELLOW)));
  
      //this doesn't work on my emulator     
      mMap.setMyLocationEnabled(true);
  
      // Instantiates a new CircleOptions object and defines the center and radius
      CircleOptions circleOptions = (new CircleOptions()
              .center(new LatLng(/*coordinates*/,/*coordinates*/))
              .radius(1000) // In meters
              //.fillColor(Color.GREEN)
              .fillColor(0xff00bb00)
              //.strokeColor(Color.GREEN));
              .strokeColor(0xff000000)).strokeWidth(2);
      // Get back the mutable Circle, not sure what this means yet
      Circle circle = mMap.addCircle(circleOptions);
  
      //fiddling w/ circle animation
      final Circle SFcircle = mMap.addCircle(new CircleOptions()
              .center(new LatLng(/*coordinates*/,/*coordinates*/))
              .radius(100)
              .strokeColor(Color.RED).radius(1000));
  
      ValueAnimator vAnimator = new ValueAnimator();
      vAnimator.setRepeatCount(ValueAnimator.INFINITE);
      vAnimator.setRepeatMode(ValueAnimator.RESTART);  /* PULSE */
      vAnimator.setIntValues(0, 100);
      vAnimator.setDuration(1000);
      vAnimator.setEvaluator(new IntEvaluator());
      vAnimator.setInterpolator(new AccelerateDecelerateInterpolator());
      vAnimator.addUpdateListener(new ValueAnimator.AnimatorUpdateListener() {
          @Override
          public void onAnimationUpdate(ValueAnimator valueAnimator) {
              float animatedFraction = valueAnimator.getAnimatedFraction();
              // Log.e("", "" + animatedFraction);
              SFcircle.setRadius(animatedFraction * 1000);
          }
      });
      vAnimator.start();
  }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I have visited these pages.</p>
  
  <p><a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/18798228/blinking-marker-in-android-google-maps-v2">Blinking marker in android Google maps v2</a></p>
  
  <p>-I am not sure how/where to implement the two blocks of code provided there (I need it for circles and not markers as well). I made an attempt to put the method under private GoogleMap mMap and the top chunk of code under <code>vAnimator.start();</code> but I got some errors.</p>
  
  <p><a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/6729255/how-to-show-icon-blinking-on-google-map">How to show icon blinking on google map</a></p>
  
  <p>-This seems to be in the XML file and not the java. I'm not sure but it seems like they mean for us to have drawable pictures already in our folders and alternate them; which, the entire process is confusing to me (ie. how would that work? what dimensions does the picture need to be? where do I put the picture and how do I access it?)</p>
  
  <p>A more general question I have is: If I have an animation/design I need in mind, how would I go about finding out how to start implementing it if I can't specifically find it online?</p>