Adobe Flash Overview

Flash has long been the standard for creating animation and advanced interactivity for the web. With the addition of ActionScript as a formal programming language in recent versions, Flash has come into its own as a powerful tool for creating many types of interactive applications. Whether you are creating a streamlined website navigation tool or creating an on- or offline learning tool, Flash is the most user-friendly and readily available software for the job.

Flash, Day 1

TOPIC 1 – Getting Started, Right Out of the Box

  • Drawing Your First Box
  • Coloring Fills and Strokes
  • Merging and Stacking Shapes
  • Creating Reusable Graphics

TOPIC 2 – Creating Quickly: Customizing Your Workspace

  • Designing Your Own Panel Layout
  • Customizing Movie Properties
  • Aligning Objects on the Stage
  • Behind Every Good Symbol is a Good Editor
  • Automate Your Workflow

TOPIC 3 – Your First Animation

  • Layers and the Timeline
  • Keyframes and Tweening
  • Preparing Text for Animation
  • Staggering Animation
  • Alpha Effect
  • Motion Effects
  • Your First Script
  • Publishing Your Movie

TOPIC 4 – Buttons and Interactivity

  • Buttons as Symbols
  • Scripting Your Button
  • Components and Behaviors
  • Navigation
  • More Fun with Buttons

TOPIC 5 – Working With Graphics

  • Importing Pixels
  • Working with Pixels
  • Importing Vectors
  • Using Scenes
  • Working with the Library

TOPIC 6 – Movie Clips and Interactivity

  • Drawing a Cartoon Character
  • Controlling the Character with ActionScript
  • More Movie Clip Control

TOPIC 7 – More Animation Techniques

  • Morphing with Shape Tweens
  • Frame-by-Frame Animation
  • Using Masks
  • Timeline vs. ActionScript Animation

 

Flash, Day 2

TOPIC 1 – Using Sound

  • Importing Sounds
  • Controlling External Sounds
  • Scripting Your Own Sound Control

TOPIC 2 – Using Video

  • Importing Video
  • Controlling External Videos
  • Scripting Your Own Video Control

TOPIC 3 – Compositing and Bitmap Effects

  • Runtime Bitmap Caching
  • Bitmap Filter Effects
  • Blend Modes

TOPIC 4 – Working With Text

  • Text Types
  • Using Fonts
  • Loading and Styling Text
  • FlashType

TOPIC 5 – Loading Assets on the Fly

  • Using ActionScript to Modularize Content
  • Preloading

TOPIC 6 – E-Learning With Flash

  • Creating a Quiz: Getting Started with Templates
  • Sending Results with a Form
  • Saving and Retrieving Local Data

TOPIC 7 – Flash For CD-ROM and Handhelds

  • Flash on CD-ROM
  • Flash on the Run

TOPIC 8 – Think Outside the Box

  • Exporting to Video
  • The Drawing API
  • Extending Flash