What technical communicators need to know about Flash

Sarah O'KeefeDocTrain West, May 2008

Vancouver

About the presenter

Principal, Scriptorium PublishingExpert in XML, XSL, and similar technologiesNot an expert in Flash!

Agenda

What is Flash?Adding Flash to your workflowFlash demo

What is Flash?

Vector-based format for moving imagesAdobe technology via MacromediaProprietary.FLA for Flash development files.SWF for compressed files

Putting Flash in context

FlexCaptivateAdobe Integrated Runtime (AIR)CamtasiaSilverlight

Where can I see Flash content?

98% of desktops and laptops have Flash Player (says Adobe)Web videoWeb gamesGratuitous splash pagesSome mobile phones

Games

nickjr.comluminosity.comkongregate.comand many, many more

Video

YouTubeMany major media sites

How might you use Flash in a tech pubs workflow?

QuizzesVideoAnimation/simulatione-LearningCustomized interface for content delivery

Quizzes

PollsReader feedbacke-Learning assessments

Branching support

Video

Talking head videoInstructional video

Animation/simulation

Explaining difficult concepts visually

Basic Flash concepts

StageTimelineKeyframeSymbolsTweeningPublishingActionScript

Stage

The area on which your objects move around.

Timeline

The sequence in which events occur.

Keyframe

A frame where an object changes.

Symbols

Reusable objects.

Tweening

The process of generating the frames between two object states to show a change.

Publishing

Generating output from the Flash development environment, often as SWF.

ActionScript

The Flash scripting language, a variant of JavaScript

Important notes

Flash is a time sink.Animation can be surprisingly effective.Consider localization costs.Remember accessibility.Captivate and similar tools offer limited functionality but much faster development.

Are documentation and training converging?

Classroom versus bookInteractive online training versus interactive online documents

Visual communication

Difficult and time consumingEffectiveWill it displace text?

Challenges for Flash

Content silosIntegration with XML?ProprietaryMobile devices

Challenges for technical communicators

Are you a visual thinker? (I'm not.)Is Flash relevant to your content? Should it be?How do you fit Flash development into the project schedule?What about localization?What about accessibility?

Q & A

Contact information

Scriptorium Publishingwww.scriptorium.cominfo@scriptorium.com+919.481.2701 x105