Flash CS4 - download.e-bookshelf.de · Butters Full Color Flash ® CS4 Professional Adobe ® Look...
Transcript of Flash CS4 - download.e-bookshelf.de · Butters Full Color Flash ® CS4 Professional Adobe ® Look...
Butters
Full Color
Flash
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4
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®
Look Inside!
Are you a visual learner? Do you prefer instructions that show you how to do something — and skip the long-winded explanations? If so, then this book is for you. Open it up and you’ll find clear, step-by-step screen shots that show you how to tackle more than 135 Flash CS4 Professional tasks. Each task-based spread covers a single technique, sure to help you get up and running on Flash CS4 Professional in no time.
Spine = 0.70"
Keith Butters
You’ll learn to:• Set up new Flash documents• Use Pencil, Paintbrush, and Pen• Import vector art and bitmaps• Create timeline animations • Add interactive properties• Integrate sound and video files
• Two-page lessons break big topics into bite-sized modules
• Succinct explanations walk you through step by step
• Full-color screen shots demonstrate each task
• Helpful sidebars offer practical tips and tricks
Adobe®
Flash® CS4Professional
Are you a visual learner? Do you prefer instructionsthat show you how to do something — and skip the long-winded explanations? If so, then this book isfor you. Open it up and you’ll find clear, step-by-step screen shots that show you how to tackle more than 135 Flash CS4 Professional tasks. Each task-based spread covers a single technique, sure to help you get up and running on Flash CS4 Professional in no time.
You’ll learn to:• Set up new Flash documents• Use Pencil, Paintbrush, and Pen• Import vector art and bitmaps• Create timeline animations • Add interactive properties• Integrate sound and video files
• Two-page lessons break big topics into bite-sized modules
• Succinct explanations walk you through step by step
• Full-color screen shots demonstrate each task
• Helpful sidebars offer practical tips and tricks
Internet / Web Page Design
$29.99 USA • $32.99 CAN • £19.99 UK
www.wiley.com/go/visual
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Flash® CS4 Professional
by Keith Butters
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Teach Yourself Visually™ Flash® CS4Professional
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc.10475 Crosspoint BoulevardIndianapolis, IN 46256
www.wiley.com
Published simultaneously in Canada
Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis,Indiana
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in aretrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means,electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning orotherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the priorwritten permission of the Publisher, or authorization throughpayment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the CopyrightClearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923,(978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisherfor permission should be addressed to the PermissionsDepartment, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street,Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2008942703
ISBN: 978-0-470-34474-3
Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Trademark Acknowledgments
Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, Visual, the Visual logo,Simplified, Master VISUALLY, Teach Yourself VISUALLY,Visual Blueprint, Read Less - Learn More and related tradedress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley &Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates. Adobe and Flash are registeredtrademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated. All othertrademarks are the property of their respective owners. WileyPublishing, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendormentioned in this book.
LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THEPUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONSOR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY ORCOMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK ANDSPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDINGWITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR APARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OREXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. THEADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BESUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITHTHE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOTENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR OTHERPROFESSIONAL SERVICES. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE ISREQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A COMPETENT PROFESSIONALPERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHERNOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISINGHEREFROM. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION ORWEBSITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATIONAND/OR A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATIONDOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHERENDORSES THE INFORMATION THE ORGANIZATION ORWEBSITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAYMAKE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THATINTERNET WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVECHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORKWAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT IS READ.
FOR PURPOSES OF ILLUSTRATING THE CONCEPTSAND TECHNIQUES DESCRIBED IN THIS BOOK, THEAUTHOR HAS CREATED VARIOUS NAMES, COMPANYNAMES, MAILING, E-MAIL AND INTERNETADDRESSES, PHONE AND FAX NUMBERS ANDSIMILAR INFORMATION, ALL OF WHICH AREFICTITIOUS. ANY RESEMBLANCE OF THESEFICTITIOUS NAMES, ADDRESSES, PHONE AND FAXNUMBERS AND SIMILAR INFORMATION TO ANYACTUAL PERSON, COMPANY AND/ORORGANIZATION IS UNINTENTIONAL AND PURELYCOINCIDENTAL.
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“Like a lot of other people, I understand things best whenI see them visually. Your books really make learning easyand life more fun.”
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CreditsProject EditorSarah Cisco
Senior Acquisitions EditorJody Lefevere
Copy EditorKim Heusel
Technical EditorJon McFarland
Editorial ManagerRobyn Siesky
Business ManagerAmy Knies
Sr. Marketing ManagerSandy Smith
ManufacturingAllan ConleyLinda CookPaul GilchristJennifer Guynn
Book DesignKathie Rickard
Production CoordinatorErin Smith
LayoutCarrie A. CesaviceAndrea HornbergerJennifer Mayberry
Screen ArtistAna CarrilloJill Proll
IllustratorsRonda David-BurroughsCheryl Grubbs
ProofreaderLinda Quigley
Quality ControlDavid Faust
IndexerPotomac Indexing, LLC
Vice President and ExecutiveGroup PublisherRichard Swadley
Vice President and ExecutivePublisherBarry Pruett
Composition DirectorDebbie Stailey
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About the AuthorKeith Butters is a founding partner and executive creative director atThe Barbarian Group. He has over 10 years experience architecting,designing, and programming for the Internet. Some notable andaward-winning Web sites that Keith has worked on include severalprojects for Volkswagen of America, Comcastic!, the Method “ComeClean” site, and the Subservient Chicken. Visit The Barbarian Group’sWeb site at www.barbariangroup.com to learn more and to see a fullportfolio.
Author’s AcknowledgmentsThanks to the team at Wiley Publishing, especially Jody Lefevere andSarah Cisco for working with me on this book, and for their patience.
Thanks to all of the barbarians, for continuing to be an inspiringcollective of the most talented and interesting people I have everknown.
And, a special thanks to Melanie for her love and support, and fortrying to keep me on track with the writing of this book.
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Table of Contents
Introducing Flash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Get to Know the Flash User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Using Flash Utility Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Open a Flash File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Save and Close a Flash File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Save and Version Your Work with Save As . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Create a New Flash Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Organize and Save Your Workspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Move and Zoom the Work Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Using Rulers and Grids. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Work from a Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Using the Properties Inspector. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Set up a New Flash Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Adjust Publish Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Test a Flash Movie. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Get Flash Help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Getting Started with Flashchapter1
Click here to see the fighter plane in action!START
Introducing Flash Drawing Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Understanding Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Using the Line Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Draw Lines Freehand with the Pencil Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Draw Fills with the Brush Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Draw Shapes with the Pen Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Draw Rectangles and Ovals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Fill Shapes with the Paint Bucket Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Drawing in Flashchapter2
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Using the Eraser Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Select Artwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Change the Color of Lines and Fills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Customize Lines with the Ink Bottle Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Reshape Lines and Shape Outlines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Copy Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Create Custom Color Swatches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Make a Custom Gradient Fill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Transform a Gradient Fill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Scale and Rotate Objects with the Free Transform Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Create Groups of Lines, Fills, and Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Send Groups Forward and Backward in Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Align Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Snap to Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Snap to Objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Modifying and Positioning Artworkchapter3
Add Text with the Text Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Format a Paragraph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Change Text Colors and Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Copy Text Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Adjust Text Kerning and Leading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Move and Resize Text Areas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Break Apart Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Transform Text. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Working with Textchapter4
Text
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Table of Contents
Understanding Vector Art and Bitmaps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Import a Bitmap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Break Apart a Bitmap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Create a Bitmap Fill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Convert a Bitmap to Vector Art Using Trace Bitmap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Import Vector Graphics from Illustrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Set Bitmap Properties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Import a PSD File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Importing Artworkchapter5
Add and Delete Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Set Layer Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Add a Guide Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Make a Layer Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Group Layers into Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Show and Hide Layers and Layer Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Show Layers as Outlines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Lock Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Rearrange Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Working with Layerschapter6
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Add and Remove Frames and Keyframes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Add Frame Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Move Frames. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Cut, Copy, and Paste Frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Reverse Frames. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Preview Frames in the Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Working with the Timelinechapter7FRAME
# 51# 50FRAME#50#49STAY BEHINDSTAY BEHIND
TIMELINETIMELINEFRAME#49#48
F
Understanding Symbols and Instances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Types of Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Create a Graphic Symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Add an Instance of a Symbol to the Stage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Modify Instances. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Swap Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Create a Button Symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Edit the States of a Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Add a Behavior to a Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Create a Movie Clip Symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Preview a Symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Apply Filters to an Instance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Apply a Blend Mode to an Instance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Understanding the Different Blend Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Rotate and Translate MovieClip Instances with 3-D Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Working with Symbols and Instanceschapter8
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Table of Contents
Introducing ActionScript. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Using the Actions Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Assign Frame Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Add a gotoAndPlay() Action to the Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Work with Instances in ActionScript . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Move a Movie Clip with ActionScript . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Adding Interactivity with ActionScriptchapter10Variables
var numberOf
Tomatoes:
Number=1000
Create a Frame-by-Frame Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Onion-Skinning an Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Edit Multiple Frames. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Understanding Tweening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Create a Classic Tween. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Create a Motion Tween . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Create a Motion Tween with 3-D Transformations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Create a Shape Tween . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Add Shape Hints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Animate Along a Path. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Create a Movie Clip of an Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Animate a Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Add Animation to a Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Creating Timeline Animation in Flashchapter9
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Introducing Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Add a Component . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Delete a Component . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Modify a Component’s Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Skin a Button Component . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Adding Interactivity with User Interface Componentschapter11Do Hummingbirds live in your
state? Yes No
Import a Sound File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Add Event Sounds to the Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Add Sound to a Button. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Add Streaming Sound to the Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Fade a Sound In and Out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Create a Sound Loop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Edit Audio Settings for Export . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Integrating Soundchapter12
Fade Out a Movie Clip with ActionScript . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Animate Using the Flash Transitions Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Understanding Events and Event Handlers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Start and Stop an Animation with a Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Create a Dynamic Text Counter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Create and Include an External ActionScript File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244this.stadium.this.stadium.
field.field.
ballball
this ballthis.ball
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Table of Contents
Understanding Dynamic Content in Flash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Load a JPEG File Dynamically with a Component . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Load a SWF File Dynamically with ActionScript . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Create an XML File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Load Data from an XML File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Use XML to Create Dynamic Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Use XML to Create a JPEG Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Make a Simple Preloader for Loading an Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Loading External Elements Dynamically at Runtimechapter14LoadingData . . . Data
xmxmlxmlxmlta
Understanding FLV and F4V Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Embed a Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Import a Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Skinning the Video Player Component . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Adding Videochapter13
Now in Now in
Flash Player Flash Player
6 and higherd highe
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Get to Know the Publish Settings Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Publish a SWF File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Export a GIF or JPEG Image. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Export Animation as Video. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Publish a Flash Movie as a Web Page. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Using the Bandwidth Profiler. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Publish a Self-Contained Projector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Publishing Flash Movieschapter15
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How to Use this Teach Yourself VISUALLY Book
Do you look at the pictures in a book or newspaperbefore anything else on a page? Would you rather seean image instead of read about how to do something?Search no further. This book is for you. Opening TeachYourself VISUALLY Flash® CS4 Professional allows youto read less and learn more about the Flash program.
Who Needs This Book
This book is for a reader who has never used thisparticular technology or software application. It is alsofor more computer literate individuals who want toexpand their knowledge of the different features thatFlash has to offer.
Book Organization
Teach Yourself VISUALLY Flash® CS4 Professional has 15chapters and 3 appendixes.
Chapter 1, Getting Started with Flash, introduces youto the Adobe Flash application and its user interface. Italso demonstrates how to set up a new Flashdocument, test it, and save.
In Chapter 2, Drawing in Flash, you learn aboutcreating vector artwork using the Flash Drawing tools.
Chapter 3, Modifying and Positioning Artwork, showsyou how to create more complex artwork by customizinglines, creating gradient fills, and using transforms.
In Chapter 4, Working with Text, you go through thesteps needed to format type, including paragraphformatting, kerning, and leading.
Chapter 5, Importing Artwork, teaches you how touse images and illustrations that were created in otherapplications like Photoshop or Illustrator.
Chapter 6, Working with Layers, shows you how toorganize the Flash Timeline by creating new Layers andLayer groups, and by changing the appearance of yourlayers.
In Chapter 7, Working with the Timeline, you learnhow to add and edit Frames and Keyframes in Flash.
Chapter 8, Working with Symbols and Instances,teaches you about the basic Symbol types in Flash, howto edit and modify them, and how to use them in yourmovies.
Chapter 9, Creating Timeline Animation in Flash,shows you how to create animation using MotionTweens, Shape Tweens, and Classic Tweens.
In Chapter 10, Adding Interactivity with ActionScript,you learn how to change the behavior of your FlashMovie by writing Frame Actions. It demonstrates how toset properties of Symbols, and how to ‘listen’ for Eventslike mouse clicks.
Chapter 11, Adding Interactivity with User InterfaceComponents, gives you the tools you need to utilizeFlash’s built-in components, and how to skin them tolook the way you want them to.
In Chapter 12, Integrating Sound, you find out variousways to use audio in your projects. You also learn aboutthe different types of sounds and how to optimize themfor the Internet.
Chapter 13, Adding Video, tells you everything youneed to know to add video to your Flash movies,including how to customize the appearance of thevideo player component.
Chapter 14, Loading External Elements Dynamicallyat Runtime, takes you through a series of tasks designedto show how Flash can load images and other types ofdata on the fly. It also demonstrates the basics ofcreating XML and how Flash can read data from an XMLfile.
In Chapter 15, Publishing Flash Movies, you learnabout the different ways you can distribute your Flashmovies. It shows how you can publish as an image, asa video, and how to embed Flash in a Web page.
Appendix A, Flash Keyboard Shortcuts, is a table thatshows you the most commonly used quick-keys inFlash, so you can speed up your workflow.
Appendix B, Commonly Used ActionScript Commands,is a reference for ActionScript commands that are usedfrequently.
Appendix C, ActionScript Operators, is a reference foroperators in ActionScript for tasks like mutiplication,division, and comparison.
Chapter Organization
This book consists of sections, all listed in the book’stable of contents. A section is a set of steps that showyou how to complete a specific computer task.
Each section, usually contained on two facing pages,has an introduction to the task at hand, a set of full-color screen shots and steps that walk you through thetask, and a set of tips. This format allows you to quicklylook at a topic of interest and learn it instantly.
How to use this book
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Chapters group together three or more sections with acommon theme. A chapter may also contain pages thatgive you the background information needed tounderstand the sections in a chapter.
What You Need to Use This Book
Using the Mouse
This book uses the following conventions to describethe actions you perform when using the mouse:
Click
Press your left mouse button once. You generally clickyour mouse on something to select something on thescreen.
Double-click
Press your left mouse button twice. Double-clickingsomething on the computer screen generally openswhatever item you have double-clicked.
Right-click
Press your right mouse button. When you right-clickanything on the computer screen, the program displaysa shortcut menu containing commands specific to theselected item.
Click and Drag, and Release the Mouse
Move your mouse pointer and hover it over an item onthe screen. Press and hold down the left mouse button.Now, move the mouse to where you want to place theitem and then release the button. You use this methodto move an item from one area of the computer screento another.
The Conventions in This Book
A number of typographic and layout styles have beenused throughout Teach Yourself VISUALLY Flash® CS4Professional to distinguish different types ofinformation.
Bold
Bold type represents the names of commands andoptions that you interact with. Bold type also indicatestext and numbers that you must type into a dialog boxor window.
Italics
Italic words introduce a new term and are followed bya definition.
Numbered Steps
You must perform the instructions in numbered steps inorder to successfully complete a section and achievethe final results.
Bulleted Steps
These steps point out various optional features. You donot have to perform these steps; they simply giveadditional information about a feature.
Indented Text
Indented text tells you what the program does inresponse to you following a numbered step. Forexample, if you click a certain menu command, a dialogbox may appear, or a window may open. Indented textmay also tell you what the final result is when youfollow a set of numbered steps.
Notes
Notes give additional information. They may describespecial conditions that may occur during an operation.They may warn you of a situation that you want toavoid, for example the loss of data. A note may alsocross reference a related area of the book. A crossreference may guide you to another chapter, or anothersection with the current chapter.
Icons and buttons
Icons and buttons are graphical representations withinthe text. They show you exactly what you need to clickto perform a step.
You can easily identify the tips in any section bylooking for the TIPS icon. Tips offer additionalinformation, including tips, hints, and tricks. Youcan use the TIPS information to go beyondwhat you have learn learned in the steps.
Operating System Difference
This book was written using Mac OS X Leopard (10.4.5).Depending on your system, you may need to holddown the key to use - on many Macs. On a Windows computer, you can use the
modifier key where on a Mac you use the key.
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1 chapter
Getting Started with Flash
Adobe Flash is an excellenttool for creating richinteractive experiences forthe Internet, animation, andonline applications. Thischapter gives you a workingknowledge of the Flashauthoring environment. Youalso learn to create, save,and customize a new Flashdocument.
UTILITYPANELUTILITYPANEL
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Introducing Flash..................................................4
Get to Know the Flash User Interface ............6
Using Flash Utility Panels ..................................7
Open a Flash File ..................................................8
Save and Close a Flash File..............................10
Save and Version Your Work with Save As ....12
Create a New Flash Document........................13
Organize and Save Your Workspace ............14
Move and Zoom the Work Area......................18
Using Rulers and Grids......................................20
Work from a Template ......................................22
Using the Properties Inspector ......................24
Set Up a New Flash Document ......................26
Adjust Publish Settings ....................................30
Test a Flash Movie..............................................34
Get Flash Help ....................................................35
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Adobe Flash is an integrateddevelopment environment, specificallydesigned for creating animation,multimedia experiences, and Web pagecomponents. Flash has also become thede facto standard for delivering videoover the Internet. The Flash Playerplug-in allows users to view Flash intheir browsers. Nearly all current Webbrowsers support Flash.
AnimationsWeb page componentsMulti-media experiences
Deliver video over Internet
Mobile phone content
Introducing Flash
4
Work with Symbols and InstancesSymbols are objects in Flash that you can reuse.These objects can be Graphics, Buttons, MovieClips,sounds, and videos. Copies of your symbols that areused in your Flash movie are called instances. Nomatter how many instances you create, the symbol isonly compiled into your movie once. On the Web,this is very powerful, because a hundred instanceswill download just as quickly as a single instance. Youcan scale, rotate, and modify other properties of aninstance without affecting the base symbol. But, ifyou edit a symbol, all of the instances inherit yourchanges. To learn more about working with symbolsand instances, see Chapter 8.
Create Illustrations, Animations, and OtherArtworkFlash has many of the same drawing tools as otherillustration programs that allow you to create vectorgraphics. Vector graphics are composed of lines,curves, and polygons. Conversely, bitmaps are madeup of pixels. The main benefit of using vectorartwork in Flash projects is that they can be scaledlarger and smaller without a loss in fidelity. And,depending on their complexity, vector graphics maydownload a lot faster over the Internet. To learnmore about creating graphics, see Chapters 2 and 3.To learn how to import artwork, see Chapter 5. SeeChapter 4 to learn about working with text.
The Newest
Vector GraphicsVector GraphicsVector GraphicsVector Graphics
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5
Create AnimationThere are several ways to animate in Flash. You cancreate frame-by-frame animation, use the MotionEditor, or use ActionScript to move and manipulatean object’s properties. Frame-by-frame animation isused primarily for creating movements that cannot beachieved in Flash by other methods. For more oncreating animations, see Chapters 8 and 9. To learnhow to animate using ActionScript, see Chapter 10.
“Air Fighters.
fla”
Act 2Scene 7
09-07-08Take 1
Organize with LayersLayers are very useful in Flash for several reasons.First, you can draw, erase, and add or removeinstances on one layer without affecting anotherlayer. Second, you can hide layers (make theminvisible) and lock layers (make them uneditable).Also, you can use layers for organization in a morecomplex Flash document. Many Flash developers useone layer at the top of their document exclusively foractions, and another exclusively for labels. To learnmore about working with layers, see Chapter 6.
BackgroundBackground
Layer 1Layer 2Layer 2
Layer 3Layer 3
Add Interactive ElementsYou can add interactivity to your Flash movies in anumber of ways. The simplest is by using theButton object. Buttons have built-in rollover andclick states. With a small amount of ActionScript, youcan create a vast range of interactivity, from simplerollover effects to triggering complex animation. Formore on adding interactivity to your Flash movies, seeChapters 10 and 11.
Click here to see the fighter plane in action!START
Publish Your MoviesYou can publish and share your Flash movies over theWeb or create self-contained Projector files. Flashmovies can also be exported as QuickTime movies,animated GIFs, and a variety of image sequenceformats. For more on how to publish your Flashmovies, see Chapter 15.
Getting Started with Flash chapter1
5
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The Flash program window has several components forworking with graphics and movies. Take time to familiarizeyourself with the on-screen elements. If you use Flash on aWindows-based computer, the program elements may look abit different than those displayed in the following example,which was done on a Mac.
1 5 10 15Get to Know the Flash User Interface
6
l Title Bar
Allows you to open,close, and minimizeFlash.
l Menu Bar
Displays Flash menusthat, when clicked,reveal commands.
l Timeline
Contains allthe frames,layers, andscenes thatmake up amovie.
l Tools Panel
Contains thebasic toolsneeded tocreate andwork withvectorgraphics.
l Work Area
The areasurrounding theStage. Anythingplaced on thework area doesnot appear inthe movie.
l Stage
The area insideof the workarea, which isvisible whenyou publish orexport yourFlash movie.
l CurrentLocation
Displays thename of thescene onwhich you arecurrentlyworking. Ifyou are insideinstances orgroups, itallows you tonavigate upthe objecthierarchy.
l File Tab
The tab at the top of the work area representsthe current file. If two or more files are open,you can switch from file to file by clicking a tab.
l PropertiesTab
Use this panelto view andedit propertiesof the currentobject.
l Library Tab
Use this tabto organizeand selectsymbols toadd to yourmovie.
l Workspace Menu
This menu allows youto switch betweenworkspaces and tocreate new ones. It is the same as clicking Window,Workspace from the main menu.
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7
UTILITYPANELUTILITYPANEL
Flash utility panels allow you toorganize your workspace by functionand by what tools you use most often.They are all dockable to the mainFlash window. So now any panel canalso be a part of any of the tab sets.You can also create new tab sets.
l Top Bar
Click this bar to collapse apanel into its icon form.
l Tab
Displays the name of the panel. The tab is also theportion of the panel that you click and drag to dock,move, or break away from other tabs.
Using Flash Utility Panels Getting Started with Flash chapter1
l Panel Dropdown
Use this menu toclose a panel, get helpabout a panel, or toaccess a list offunctions that affectthe panel.
l Close Button
When a panel existson its own, not as apart of a tab set, youcan close it by clickingthe Close button.
l Minimize Area
Click on this area ofthe panel to hide thecontent of the panel,but retain the tabsand top bar.
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There are two main types ofFlash files you can use to createFlash movies: Flash documentfiles (.fla) and ActionScript files(.as). Flash documents are thebase file type you use to createyour Flash movies.
Air Figh
ters
Open a Flash File
Open a Flash File
8
OPEN A FLASH FILE
1 Click File.
2 Click Open.
l If there are no open documents,you can click the Open button onthe welcome screen.
The Open dialog box appears.
1122
44
33
3 Click on a Flash file, or navigateto one you want to open.
l To enable only certain types offiles for Flash to open, click hereand select a file type.
4 Click Open.
The file opens in Flash.
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9
Getting Started with Flash chapter1OPEN MULTIPLE FILES AT ONCE
1 Click File.
2 Click Open.
1122
33
44
The Open dialog box appears.
3 Select multiple Flash files byholding down ( ) andclicking the files you want toopen.
4 Click Open.
All of the documents you selectedopen in tabs in Flash.
How do I switch between multiple files?Flash has a tabbed interface that allows you to have many files open at the sametime and provides an easy way to switch between files. If you open multiple files,switch between them by clicking the tabs. On a Mac, you can cycle through themby pressing + ~. There is no keyboard shortcut on a PC.
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You are going to want to keep your Flashfiles so that you can continue to work onthem in the future. Flash does notautomatically save your work periodically,so it is essential to save early and often —every time you make a significant change.
Air Fighters
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Save and Close a Flash File
Save and Close a Flash File
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SAVE A FILE
1 Click File.
2 Click Save.
You can also press +( + ) as you work to savechanges to your file.
You can also press + +( + + ) to open the
Save As dialog box.
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3 Type a name for your file.
4 Click Save (Save As).
Your file is saved.
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Getting Started with Flash chapter1CLOSE A FILE
Save your file. See the task “Save a File” to learn how to save.
1 Click File.
2 Click Close.
You can also press + ( + )to close your Flash document.
If you forget to save your file beforeclosing, Flash prompts you with adialog box to save your work.
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11CLOSE A FILE WITH THE CLOSEBUTTON
Press + ( + ) to save yourfile.
1 Click the Close button ( ) on yourdocuments tab.
How do I close all of the opendocuments at once?If you close the main Flashwindow, all of your documentsclose and the Flash programquits. Only do this if you havesaved all of your documents.Flash gives you an opportunity toreview any unsaved changes, but it is preferableto not rely on the Review Changes dialog box.
CLOSING
CLOSING
CLOSED
Can I save my Flash CS4 fileas a CS3 document?Yes, although when you work ona project with multiple people itis better if everyone uses thesame version of Flash. ClickFile, click Save As Type (SaveAs), and select Flash CS3Document from the Format drop-downmenu. This saves your FLA file in the older format.
Fast Cars
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You can save a snapshot of your workwith Save As. Sometimes you may wantto experiment in the middle of a projectwithout fear of not being able to getback to your last stable version. So,before experimenting, you can save acopy and always go back to it.
SAVE AS
Save and Version Your Work with Save As
Save and Version Your Work with Save As
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1 Click File.
2 Click Save As.
You can also press + ++( + + ) to display the SaveAs dialog box.
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l The Save As dialog box appears.
3 Choose a new name for the currentversion of your document.
4 Click Save (Save As).
You can now work with the newlysaved version of your file.
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Create a New Flash Document
Flash files are called documents or movies. You cancreate a new document in Flash to design artwork,build an animation, or begin a larger interactiveproject. Flash movies are saved in the .fla format,so you can also refer to your flash movie as yourFLA file.
Create a New Flash Document Getting Started with Flash chapter1
1 Click File.
2 Click New.
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The New Document dialog boxappears.
3 Click the type of document youwant to create.
l A description of each typeappears here.
4 Click OK.
A blank document appears in theFlash authoring environment.
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You can organize all of thewindows and panels of the Flashinterface to suit your needs. Youmay want to save a few differentworkspaces, each specifically laidout for designing, programming,or debugging.
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Organize and Save Your Workspace
Organize and Save Your Workspace
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1 Click Window.
2 Click Actions.
3 The Actions panel appears.
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4 Click and drag the Actions paneland move it next to the Timelinetab below the work area.
l A highlight appears where yourdragged panel will be docked.
Release the mouse button.
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