Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

1. Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Unit A: Getting Started with Adobe Flash

2. Objectives Understand Adobe Flash Start Adobe Flash CS4 View the Flash workspace Arrange the workspace Open a document and play a movie Understand the Timeline Add a layer and element Use Help and exit Flash Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

3. Understanding Adobe Flash Multimedia program for: Creating and organizing media Applying animation and other effects to the media An authoring tool Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

4. Uses of Adobe Flash • Add movies to Web pages • Animation • Persistence of vision • Streaming • Create interactive content • Navigational components • User interface • Create self-running programs • Rich Internet Applications (RIA) Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

5. Uses of Adobe Flash (cont’d) • Develop content to create playable files • Create documents with .fla file extension • Save document as output file for users in .swf file format • Use Flash Player plug-in (standard in most browsers) to play .swf files Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

6. Starting Adobe Flash CS4 • Double-click Flash shortcut icon on desktop (Win) or in dock (Mac), or • Use the Start menu Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

7. The Welcome Screen • Open existing or recently used files • Create new files of various types • Create files from a template • Access link to Flash Exchange Web site • Access links to additional information and tutorials • Turn off Welcome Screen Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

8. The Welcome Screen Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

9. Viewing the Flash Workspace • Workspace definition • Screen area for working with elements of a movie • Workspace elements • Stage • Timeline • Panels • Menu bar Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

10. Viewing the Flash Workspace Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

11. Flash Workspace: Stage • Contains movie elements (text, images, graphics, drawings, video) • Shows how elements interact with each other • Shows how action plays in the movie • Size corresponds to size of movie when it is played on the Web Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

12. Flash Workspace: Timeline • Controls and organizes movie elements by using layers and frames Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

13. Flash Workspace: Panels • Control aspects of a project with individual windows • Display information and options for selected objects • Select tools for creating and modifying objects • Store media objects for the project Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

14. Flash Workspace: Panels Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

15. Flash Workspace: Menu Bar • Contains Flash commands and workspace and Help options • Workplace switcher • Flash Workspaces: Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

16. Planning a Flash Project • Flash project planning process Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

17. Arranging the Workspace • Create a custom workspace by performing different actions on panels or panel groups • Dock (group) • Undock • Regroup • Collapse • Expand • Close panels Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

18. Arranging the Workspace • Viewing collapsed panels Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

19. Arranging the Workspace • Undocked Tools panel Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

20. Arranging the Workspace • Panel opened from the Window menu Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

21. Opening a Documentand Playing a Movie • Options for opening a document • From the location where Data Files are stored • From the Welcome window • Keyboard shortcuts • Options for playing a movie • On the Stage • Commands on the Control menu • Keyboard shortcuts • Controller Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

22. Opening a Documentand Playing a Movie • Good practice • Save file with a different file name to protect the original Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

23. Opening a Documentand Playing a Movie • Open dialog box Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

24. Opening a Documentand Playing a Movie • Viewing the Controller Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

25. Opening a Documentand Playing a Movie • Testing a movie in Flash Player Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

26. Understanding the Timeline • Layers • Appear in a column • Contain elements of a movie and determine their position • Frames • Appear in a row • Show elements in the project over time Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

27. Understanding the Timeline:Layers • Ways to manipulate • Show/hide • Lock from editing • Display as an outline • Add/delete • Create a folder (useful organizing tool) Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

28. Understanding the Timeline:Layers • Viewing layers Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

29. Understanding the Timeline: Frames • Use to create animation • Create different effects by using different frame types • View status of a movie (current frame, frame rate [fps], total elapsed time) • Scrubbing Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

30. Understanding the Timeline • Viewing the Timeline Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

31. Understanding the Timeline • Options for changing appearance • Undock • Move • Resize • Close Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

32. Adding a Layer and Element • Each document has one layer by default • Elements are added to layers by • Importing them, or • Dragging them from the Library panel to the Stage • Rename layers as an organizing technique Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

33. Adding a Layer and Element • Adding content to a new layer Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

34. Using Help • Find what you need by • Looking up a subject by topic, or • Searching for specific keywords, or • Pressing [F1] • Access Help by • Typing a search item in Help text box on the menu bar, or • Opening Help from the Window menu Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

35. Exiting Flash • Click Close button on the menu bar, or • Use keyboard shortcuts Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

36. Using Help • Adobe Flash Help window Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

37. Using Help • Viewing a Help topic Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

38. Using Help • Searching for help on a keyword Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated