Welcome to Flash
Adobe Flash (formerly Macromedia Flash) is a multimedia platform application originally acquired by Macromedia and currently developed and distributed by Adobe Systems. Since its introduction in 1996, Flash has become a popular method for adding animation and interactivity to web pages. Flash is commonly used to create animation, advertisements, and various web page Flash components, to integrate video into web pages, and more recently, to develop rich Internet applications.
Flash can manipulate vector and raster graphics, and supports bidirectional streaming of audio and video. It contains a scripting language called ActionScript. Several software products, systems, and devices are able to create or display Flash contentsome mobile phones and for other electronic devices (using Flash Lite). The Adobe Flash Professional multimedia authoring program is used to create content for web applications, games and movies, and content for mobile phones and other embedded devices.
Files in the .swf (ShockWave Flash) format, pronounced "swift", may be an object of a web page, strictly "played" in a standalone Flash Player, or incorporated into a Projector. Flash Video files have a .flv file extension and are the native Flash format. from wikipedia
As you can see from the general description of Flash above, Flash is a deep program. We will only touch the surface this semester but if you feel yourself drawn toward truly understanding Flash - Flash beyond the banner ad - you are welcome to dive into a self-directed extra credit project. If you really want to learn Flash you have to learn its heart, Actionscript 3.0. Actionscript is an Adobe "dialect" of ECMAScript Javascript is another popular and widely used ECMAScript dialect. So, if you know Javascript you will find Actionscript fairly easy to master.
Flash Tutorials
Go through the following tutorials before we bein working with Flash in class. There are dozens listed below. Keep notes and you move through these tutorials.
Getting started understanding Flash
- Learn Flash Professional CS4 [various]
- Flash Professional CS4 with tutorials selected by experts at Adobe.There's everything from Getting Started for beginners, to New Features, Workflows, and Overviews. (37 tutorials)
- Introducing Flash Professional CS4 [3:59]
- From the "Learn Flash Professional" series above. Learn Flash workflow basics: using the workspace, creating and importing artwork, using symbols and Timeline, and publishing SWF files.
- Creating Motion Tweens: Part 1 [3:59]
- From the "Learn Flash Professional" series above. Create animation using motion tweens. Create complex effects by creating custom motion paths and adding and editing property keyframes.
- Flash from Down Under [various]
- Paul Burnett, Adobe Evangelist for Flash, walks you through a range of features in Flash CS4 from introductory to intermediate to advanced tips and tricks. Each episode covers a different area of Flash CS4. (17 tutorials)
a little more on using Flash...
- Flash 411 [various]
- Lisa Larson-Kelley reveals tips and tricks on working with video in Flash. Get up to speed with demos, how-tos, and interviews in this fast-paced, info-packed series! (4 tutorials) - advanced
- Flash Platform in Action [various]
- Real-world profiles. See how businesses use the Flash Platform to create compelling content and applications that run consistently across browsers, operating systems, and devices. (24 tutorials) - advanced
- Actionscript 3 101 [31:51]
- Part of the "Downunder" series above. Paul walks you through you a brief introduction to AS3. This episode is very simple and helps you get started using event listeners in Flash so you can begin adding interaction to your Flash projects. - advanced
- Flash CS4 tutorials at bestweb designz.com [various]
- 30+ basic Flash Cs4 tutorials
- Send me any good tutorials for Adobe Flash you find useful.
Flash Help
The online help guide for all of the Adobe applications we will use this semester is always available from within the specific application under the "Help" menu.
Additionally, most applications in the CS4 package load a "Start page" - in Flash CS4 called the "Welcome Screen" - when you first launch the application. This screen contains links such as "Getting Started", "New Features, "Resources", and "Flash Exchange". Do a little poking and prowling to investigate the areas available for the Welcome Screen.
"When you start Flash without opening a document, the Flash Welcome Screen appears in the work environment. This screen gives you quick access to Flash tutorials, recent files, new templates, and Flash Exchange, where you can add new capabilities to some Flash features. To disable the start page, click Don't Show Again when the Start page opens." You will receive an alert box explaining how to turn the Welcome Screen on again.
To turn the Welcome Screen on again, check "Show Welcome Screen" from the General category in the Flash Preferences.
The direct link to Adobe Help on the Web for Flash CS4 is: http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Flash/10.0_Welcome/
Flash Terms & Features - and a few more tutorials
Flash Video Tutorials: A listing from the Flash online Help Here are a few useful tutorials,
- From the Actionscript category, Creating an effective workflow between design and development (CS3) (3:41), or designers can code too.
The Flash Workspace: The Adobe® Flash® CS4 Professional workspace includes tools and panels that help you create and navigate your documents. Understanding these tools will help you maximize the application’s capabilities. Read more about Workspace online.
Managing Flash Documents: When you create and save Adobe® Flash® CS4 Professional documents within the Flash authoring environment, the documents are in FLA file format. To display a document in Adobe® Flash® Player, you must publish or export the document as a SWF file. You can add media assets to a Flash document and manage the assets in the library, and you can use the Movie Explorer to view and organize all the elements in a Flash document. The Undo and Redo commands, the History panel, and the Commands menu let you automate tasks in a document. Read more about Managing Flash Documents
Importing Artwork into Flash. Adobe® Flash® CS4 Professional can use artwork created in other applications. You can import vector graphics and bitmaps in a variety of file formats. If you have QuickTime® 4 or later installed on your system, you can import additional vector or bitmap file formats. You can import Adobe® FreeHand® files (version MX and earlier) and Adobe® Fireworks® PNG files directly into Flash, preserving attributes from those formats. Read more about Placing artwork into Flash
Symbols, Instances and library assets: Adobe® Flash® CS4 Professional allows you to import and create many kinds of assets to populate your Flash documents. These assets are managed in Flash as symbols, instances, and library assets. Understanding how these types of assets work together lets you make good choices about how and when to use them, and anticipate the best design options for your work. Read more about working with, Symbols, instances, and library assets
