Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

Unit E: Optimizing and Publishing a Movie


Objectives

Optimize a movie

Understand publish settings

Publish a movie for the Web

Create and export a publish profile

Export a QuickTime movie

Create a projector file

Export image files


Optimizing and Publishing a Movie

Goal: reduce loading time while preserving quality Publish entire movie in different formats Export a single frame from a movie and

save it in an image file format


Optimizing a Movie

Modify file attributes to eliminate bottlenecks in a given frame during downloading

Goal: ensure movie plays well regardless of Internet connection speed


Optimizing a Movie

Optimize Curves dialog box


Optimizing a Movie

Viewing shape optimization results


Understanding Publish Settings

To publish a movie, instruct Flash to create files necessary to display it

Use Publish Settings dialog box to choose desired file format


Using Publish Setting Dialog Box

Choose output movie formats Select file formats

to publish Specify filename

and location Default: Flash

(.swf) and HTML (.html)

Publish Settings dialog box



Choose still image file formats GIF (Graphics Interchange Format)

• For drawings and line art• Limited quality, but supports transparency• Static or animated (e.g., emoticons)

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)• Versatile; for photographs and gradients• Maintains image quality even when highly compressed

PNG (Portable Network Graphics)• Supports higher resolution images and transparency• Native file format in Adobe Fireworks• Does not include background color



Choose stand-alone file formats Projector file

• Stand-alone application that plays movie without using browser software or Flash Player

• Significantly larger than SWF files (contain all data needed to run the movie)

• Can be played from desktop, CD, or DVD


Publishing a Movie for the Web

Open Publish Settings dialog box

Adjust the settings

Publish the movie

Default settings make the process seamless


Adjusting the Settings

Options on Flash tab adjust settings in SWF file

JPG quality setting affects image quality and size; values of 80-100 create higher-quality images

Viewing publish settings on the Flash tab



Options on HTML tab specify how movie appears in the browser

Set movie’s dimensions Match Stage size Fixed pixel width in the monitor Based on percentage of monitor’s size

Select Loop check box to play continuously



Viewing publish settings on the HTML tab


Publishing a Movie for the Web

Viewing published files (Win)


Understanding Flash Player Options

If previous version of Flash Player is selected, features from later versions will not work properly or at all when users play the movie

Other player options Adobe AIR, for desktop applications Flash Lite, for mobile devices


Creating and Exportinga Publish Profile

File in XML format that Flash creates, then uses when it exports data

Makes publish settings available for use in other documents

Can be applied to other movies by importing it; eliminates need to re-create publish settings

Streamlines process for creating multiple movie files with same settings



Creating a publish profile



Exporting a profile


Understanding Publish Profiles

Process of importing/exporting Flash profiles differs from importing/exporting files in other programs When Flash exports a profile

• Transfers data contained in the profile, but not the profile name that appeared in Current profile list

When Flash imports a profile• Prompts to replace current profile with data in the

import profile, but name of the profile does not update to the import profile filename


Exporting a QuickTime Movie

QuickTime movies Play animation well Play on both Macintosh and PC

computers

QuickTime software Standard with Apple operating system Downloadable for Windows users



Export Movie dialog box



Viewing results of QuickTime export



Playing a QuickTime movie


Creating a Projector File

Projector files Stand-alone, self-running applications Play a Flash movie on a computer that

does not have browser software or Flash Player installed

Differ by platform; cannot run a Windows projector on a Mac, or vice versa


Export Formats

Export formats



Both projector files can be published from a PC or a Mac; only the one associated with computer’s platform can be opened

Selecting projector formats



FIGURE E-15: Playing a projector file


Exporting Image Files

For creating static image from a movie Export a scene from a single frame Export an object to insert in a Web page

Three possible image file formats GIF JPEG PNG


GIF Options

Focus on color

Possible to export animated GIF file

Transparency options

FIGURE E-16: Viewing options on the GIF tab


JPEG Options

Size and quality

Progressive Loads JPEG image

incrementally

Viewing options on the JPEG tab


Optimizing a Flash Movie

Key is to balance file size and download time against image quality

No set rules to follow


Simple Optimization Steps

Reduce frame rate

Use symbols

Optimize and resize bitmap images before importing them

Replace gradient fills with solid colors

Use alpha transparency sparingly

Use tween animation (instead offrame-by-frame animation)


Simple Optimization Steps (cont’d)

Compress sound files

Use solid lines created with Pencil Tool (instead of dashed or dotted lines), or lines created with Brush Tool

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated

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