UNDERSTANDING ADOBE FLASH

The Flash Interface

The flash interface provides you with: A menu bar Panels A work area: stage

The Flash Interface

Toolbar or tools panel is used for creating and modifying vector objects

Properties panel allows you to modify most objects and tools

Library is where all symbols and assets are imported to

Colour panel allows you to choose colours, create gradients and save swatches

Edit bar allows you to navigate from scene to scene and other functions including zooming the stage

Practice file

The Timeline

Using the Timeline

Layer Name Edit Layer Properties: Click to display the Properties

Panel for this frame New Layer: creates a new layer New Folder: creates a folder so you can organise your

layers Delete: delete a layer (there is no going back!) Onion Skin: All frames between the Start Onion Skin

and End Onion Skin markers (in the Timeline header) are superimposed as one frame in the Document window.

Onion Skin Outlines: Click to display onion skin frames

Using the Timeline

Current frame: display the current frame number view

Frame rate: displays current frame rate Elapsed time: shows how many frames

have been executed on the timeline

Using the Timeline

Add and Manipulate Keyframes, frames and Tweens for animation

Keyframes are used to denote a change at a point in time, they provide a new start

Insert blank keyframe example

Using the Timeline

Add a Shape Tween A shape tween is the smooth

transformation of a shape from one to another, may also include colour and location.

Example of shape tween (face) Previewing the animation is done by

using: Control->Test Movie or Ctrl Enter

(windows) or cmd Enter (mac)

Using the Timeline

Modifying the animation Adding or removing frames from an animation

can increase the speed (removing) or decrease the speed (adding) of the animation.

To do this with a shape tween, select the first frame, shift, select the last frame then:

Insert->Timeline->Frame or right click -> insert frame

Frames can also be removed using the same procedure but choosing remove frame

Using the Timeline

Export the SWF to Preview Creates an SWF file for testing to the

same location as the FLA file

Motion Editor

Using the Motion Editor

Allows you to edit all aspects of the animation’s properties

Shows the value of each property of the selected span in a graph

Viewable frames can be controlled

Understanding Flash File Types When you publish your flash animation, flash

creates 2-3 files: A SWF file (Small Web Format) [not

Shockwave file this is different technology] An html file containing the SWF tags which

allows you to embed the SWF file A javascript file which ensures the SWF file

plays with no action required from the user For you flash animation to work correctly, you

must upload all these files to your web server.

Best Practice for managing file sizes of a published Flash document

Bitmaps Ensure that bitmaps have been edited in

bitmap editing software such as Fireworks or Photoshop before you import

Reduce the file size as much as possible and change the screen resolution to match your flash settings before importing

Best Practice for managing file sizes of a published Flash document

Simplify the artwork in your movie by: Using solid lines rather than dashes, dotted

lines, also avoid custom widths Use pencil tool rather than the brush tool Optimise curves by using Modify->Shape->

Optimise. Using this on curves reduces the number of lines.

Best Practice for managing file sizes of a published Flash document

Use symbols for every object that appears more than once

Group objects as much as possible, almost as efficient as a symbol

Use vector graphics rather than bitmaps Avoid animating a bitmap, it will create a

larger file For larger presentations, use a series of

SWF files rather than a number of scenes

Best Practice for managing file sizes of a published Flash document

Sound Use shortest loops possible for background

sounds Video

Ensure it is imported at the dimension you require, should be no larger than 320 x 240

Best Practice for managing file sizes of a published Flash document

What increases files: Vector graphics: the complexity of the

shape The more complex the shape, the more

corners and curves will increase the file size and the CPU resources to generate it

The number of gradients and blending modes will increase the file size also