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Chapter Lessons

OVERVIEW. Chapter Lessons. Understand the Macromedia Flash environment Open a document and play a movie Create and save a movie Work with layers and the timeline Plan a Web site Distribute a Macromedia Flash movie. INTRODUCTION. Using Flash MX. What is Flash MX?

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Chapter Lessons

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  1. OVERVIEW Chapter Lessons • Understand the Macromedia Flash environment • Open a document and play a movie • Create and save a movie • Work with layers and the timeline • Plan a Web site • Distribute a Macromedia Flash movie

  2. INTRODUCTION Using Flash MX • What is Flash MX? • A animation and interactive authoring program • Has tools for complex animation, as well as excellent drawing tools

  3. INTRODUCTION Using Flash • What can Flash MX be used for? • Web sites • Web-based applications • CD-Rom and interactive applications • Video

  4. INTRODUCTION Optimized for the Web • Flash’s Native format is vector images, which reduce the size of graphic files. • Vectors are scalable • Flash provides streaming content over the internet • instead of waiting for the entire contents of a web page to load

  5. LESSON 1 The Development Environment • You can customize your workspace • Flash works on a movie metaphor • Create Scenes on a Stage • Scenes run in frames on a timeline • You create a movie by arranging objects on the stage • You can play the movie on the stage using VCR-like controls

  6. LESSON 1 Playback of Flash content • Movies are viewable through a browser • Macromedia Flash Player is required (free download available on Macromedia’s Web site) • Movies can be played through the browser, the player, or as a stand-alone “projector”

  7. LESSON 1 How Flash Starts up • Three parts to the Development Environment • Stage • Timeline • Workspace • You can display other parts of the program • The toolbox • The properties panel

  8. LESSON 1 timeline toolbox stage stage panels

  9. LESSON 1 The Stage • Contains all objects that are seen by the viewer in the final movie • You can draw objects on, or import objects to the stage

  10. LESSON 1 The Timeline • Used to organize and control the movie’s content by specifying when each object appears on the stage • Images are contained within frames, which are units of the timeline • The timeline has separate layers • The timeline has a playback head

  11. LESSON 1 The Toolbox • Contains a set of tools used to draw and edit graphics and text • Divided into four sections: Tools, View,Colors, Option • Panels, such as the Properties Panel are used to organize and modify objects and features in a movie

  12. LESSON 2 Opening a movie in Flash • The .fla extension is native, and can only be opened in Flash • Flash exports web-ready files as .swf • .swf files should be tested before being published • Always keep the original .fla file

  13. LESSON 2 Previewing a movie • Flash movies can be previewed in the development environment • Control menu commands: • Play, rewind, step forward, step backward. • The Controller acts similar to a VCR Controller

  14. LESSON 2 Testing a movie • When previewing a movie, some interactive functions do not work unless the movie is played using the Flash Player. • Use Control > Test Movie to test using the Flash player

  15. LESSON 3 Creating a Macromedia Flash Movie • Movies are created by placing objects on the stage, editing these objects, animating them and adding interactivity • You can create graphics in Flash,or import them from another program such as Photoshop

  16. LESSON 3 Creating a Macromedia Flash Movie • Objects placed on the stage are automatically placed in a layer, and in the currently selected frame of the timeline • A keyframe represents a frame which contains an object • Always the first frame of every animation

  17. LESSON 3 An object in a keyframe Keyframe representing object Object on the stage

  18. LESSON 3 Creating an animation • A basic animation requires two keyframes • The first keyframe sets the starting position • The second keyframe sets the ending position • The number of frames between two keyframes determines the length of the animation

  19. LESSON 3 Motion animation Arrow between keyframes indicates motion animation

  20. LESSON 3 Adding an Effect to an Object • In addition to animating an objects location, you can also animate an objects appearance • Shape • Color • Brightness • Transparency • Rotation

  21. LESSON 4 Understanding the Timeline • Understanding how to read the timeline can help you determine what’s happening in your movie frame by frame Frame View Icon Playhead Frames Status Bar Layers

  22. LESSON 4 Layers • Like transparent acetate sheets of content stacked on top of one another • Adding a layer causes it to be placed on top of the other layers • Can be re-ordered by dragging up or down

  23. LESSON 4 Using Frames • The timeline is made up of individual units called frames • Content is displayed in frames as the playhead moves over them when the movie plays • The status bar indicates current frame the playhead is on

  24. LESSON 4 Using the Playhead • The playhead indicates which frame is playing • Can be dragged left or right • Dragging back and forth allows you to check some animations in Flash without exporting to swf

  25. LESSON 4 Understanding Scenes • A section of the timeline designated for a specific part of the movie • You can create and name scenes as you wish • Great way to manage your Flash movie production

  26. LESSON 4 Adjusting the Timeline view

  27. LESSON 4 Modifying the frame rate Change movie dimensions Adjust the Background color Adjust the frame rate

  28. LESSON 5 Plan a Web site • First step in any site production • Step 1: State the Purpose(Goals) • Step 2: Identify the Target Audience • Who will use the Web site?

  29. LESSON 5 Plan a Web site • Step 3: Determining the Treatment • What is the look and feel? • Tone • Approach • Emphasis

  30. LESSON 5 Plan a Web site • Step 4: Develop the Specifications • Playback System • Elements to Include • Functionality • User Interface

  31. LESSON 5 Create a Storyboard

  32. LESSON 5 Using Screen Design guidelines • Balance • Unity • Movement • User Interface

  33. LESSON 5 Using Interactive Design guidelines • Make it simple, easy to understand • Build in consistency in the navigation scheme • Provide feedback • Give the user control

  34. LESSON 6 Distributing Flash Movies • File > Publish to export movies out of Flash • Export to .swf format • Generate the HTML code that references the Macromedia Shockwave file

  35. LESSON 6 HTML code .swf extension indicates aMacromedia Shockwave file Code specifying the Macromedia Shockwave Movie that the browser will play

  36. LESSON 6 Other Publish options • Stand-alone Projector Files • Quicktime .mov files

  37. SUMMARY Chapter A Tasks • Understand the Macromedia Flash environment • Open a document and play a movie • Create and save a movie • Work with layers and the timeline • Plan a Web site • Distribute a Macromedia Flash movie

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