1 Introduction

Adobe® Flash Professional CS5 was developed so that user can create, import, and manipulate many types of media, such as audio, video, and text. In this module, students will be introduced to the main interface of Adobe Flash CS5. The module will begin by telling the key benefits of Flash CS5, differentiate the types of Flash applications, the Flash file types and its Player, and showing how to use the Space Layouts of the Flash program. It guides and introduces you to the Adobe Flash CS5.

By the end of this section of the practical, the students should be able to:

List the key benefits of using Flash CS5, Identify the different types of Flash applications, Identify the different Flash file types and its Player, Identify the features available at the main interface of Flash CS5, and Work using the Space Layouts of Flash CS5.

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1.1 Why use Flash CS5

Flash has several key benefits, including small file sizes, fast download speeds, precise

visual control, and advanced interactivity, the capability to combine bitmap and vector

graphics and include video and animation, and scalable and streaming content.

File Size and download Speed: Flash content often smaller than HTML content

because it uses its own compression scheme, which optimizes vector and bitmap

content differently than GIFs or JPEGs.

Visual Control: Flash CS5 gives complete and accurate control over position,

colour, fonts, and other aspects of the screen regardless of the delivery platform

or browser.

Enhanced Interactivity: Flash CS5 provides powerful scripting capabilities

that make it possible to create complex presentation well beyond the capability

of standard HTML or JavaScript.

Combine Vectors and Bitmaps: Can create and display large vector images

and animations without increasing file size.

Video: Embedding video in SWF files is a huge plus for creating media-rich

Web sites, and Adobe has enhanced the video capabilities even further in this

release of Flash.

Scalability: You can set Flash CS5 content to scale dynamically within the

browser window.

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1.1.1 Flash, Flash Player, or Flash Lite

Adobe uses the word to mean Flash as authoring tool, Flash as player, and Flash Lite

(the player for mobile devices).

Adobe Flash ApplicationApplication Description

Flash The Flash software application creates and edits artworks, animation,

audio, and other interactive elements, storing the results in the Flash

project file format (FLA). Any changes to the Flash movie must be

edited in the production of FLA file. FLA files are exported in the SWF

file format, which is typically embedded in an HTML document and

published to the Web.

Flash Player The Flash player plays the publishing SWF files. The Flash-Player

plug-in for browsers must be installed in order for users to see Flash

content on the Web. This plug-in comes preinstalled in most current

browsers.

Flash Lite Flash Lite is the version of the Flash Player for use on mobile devices.

The latest version (2.0) supports ActionScript 2.0.

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1.1.2 File Types Associated with Flash CS5

The most common types of Flash CS5 files are project files, movie files, video files,

action script files, and published files.

Flash File TypesFile Type Description

Project file (.fla) This is the master project file format, sometimes referred to

as production file. The file stores all the settings and

resources for Flash CS5 project. (.fla stands for FLAsh)

Movie file (.swf) The movie format sometimes referred as the published file

or optimized file. This can be embedded in Web pages for

Web-based Flash presentations. These files are generally

not editable in Flash. (.swf stands for Small Web File.)

Video file (.flv) This is the Flash video file format, which is usually

embedded in a SWF file. Encoding video as FLA file, using

Flash’s stand-alone Video Encoder or another program,

results in better compatibility with Flash project.

Action Script file (.as) This file contains the source code for a project file or

movie. Action Script also can resides directly within a SWF

file, but on occasion it will be exported separately.

Windows Projector file

(.exe) and MacProjector

file (.app)

This is a stand-alone projector file that can play on any

computer without the need for a Flash player. Flash CS5

writes both Windows and Mac format projector files.

Courtesy of Adobe® Flash Professional CS5 Software

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Timeline

Stage

Stage pasteboard

PropertyInspector

Panels

Edit bar

Tools panel

1.1.3 Player for Flash

Flash content is not visible in a browser unless either the Flash Player or Shockwave

Player has been installed in that browser.

Adobe PlayersPlayer Description

Flash Player The Flash Player is used for viewing Flash content on the

Web.

Shockwave Player The Shockwave Player is used for viewing Director content

on the Web.

1.2 Interface Overview

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Timeline: Controls all the elements in a project file, including layers, frames,

the play-head, and the status bar.

Stage: Display animations, image, and other content. It is the area visible to

users after publish or export a finished project.

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Stage pasteboard: Light grey area around the Stage. The contents of the Stage

pasteboard are not visible to users when export or publish project.

Edit bar: display current location inside the project file, including the name of

the current scene. It also provides controls for editing scenes and symbols and let

change the magnification using Zoom box.

Tools panel: Contains tool for creating and editing artwork. This long vertical

bar gives access just about to every tool need in order to create and modify

objects.

Panels: Each panel has unique set of tools or information for viewing or

modifying specific files elements.

Property inspector: The Property inspector is not just another panel in Flash.

It is used for naming object instances, adding animations and sounds to

Timeline, and much more.

1.2.1 Creating and Saving Workspace Layouts

By using Flash CS5, we can create different workspace layout for drawing, animating,

or working with Action Script. The following steps walk you through the process of

saving a custom workspace layout:

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1. Click the Workspace button in the edit bar, and choose Save Current. Or,

choose Window > Workspace to open the Save Workspace layout dialog box.

2. Type a name in the Name field, and click OK.

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To return the panels to their default locations, click Workspace button in the edit bar, and chose Default (or choose Window > Workspace > Default).

1.2.2 Switching Workspace Layouts

To switch between different workspace layouts, click the Workspace button in edit

bar, and choose a workspace layout; alternatively, choose Window > Workspace, and

choose a workspace layout.

1.2.3 Renaming and Deleting Workspace Layouts

1. Click the Workspace button in edit bar and choose Manage (or choose

Window > Workspace > Manage) to open the Manage Workspace Layouts

dialog box.

2. To delete a workspace layout, select it, and then click Delete. Click Yes to

accept the change, and then click OK to close the Manage Workspace Layouts

dialog box.

3. To rename a workspace layout, select it, and then click Rename. This opens the

Rename Workspace Layout dialog box. Type new name in the Name field,

and click OK to close the dialog box. Click OK again to close the Manage

Workspaces Layouts dialog box.

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1.3 Exercise: Keyboard Shortcuts

1. Choose Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts (Windows) or Flash > Keyboard

Shortcuts (Mac) to open the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog box.

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2. In the upper-right corner of the dialog box, click the Duplicate Set button to

open the Duplicate dialog box. From here, you can create a copy of the current

keyboard shortcut set, ensuring you don’t make permanent changes to the

original keyboard shortcut set.

3. Type a name for new the keyboard shortcut set in the Duplicate name field. Try

to stick to a meaningful name you can recall later. Click OK.

Courtesy of Adobe® Flash Professional CS5 Software

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4. Back in the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog box, choose an option (such as

Drawing Menu Commands) from the Commands pop-up menu. A view of the

first-level commands will appear. Click the plus sign (Window) or the arrow

(Mac) next to a command to drill down and display additional commands. Click

to select the command for which you want to change the keyboard shortcut.

5. Click the + (Add Shortcut) or (Remove Shortcut) button to add or delete the

currently selected keyboard shortcut.

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6. Press the keys you want to use as the keyboard shortcut to assign the shortcut to

the option. Notice the shortcut key appears in the Press Key text box. Click

Change to confirm your selection and assign it to the menu item. Click OK to

close the Keyboard Shortcuts menu.

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