Building Flash® Web Sites For Dummies®

Chapter . Introduction

So you want to be a Flash Web designer, but you can’t design Flash Web sites in a flash? It all takes time. And it also requires a modicum of knowledge, which is where this book comes in. If you’ve read other Flash how-to books, you know that they cover the sundry topics like how to create really cool animations with Flash. However, this book takes you to the next level and shows you how to create a Flash Web site from soup to nuts.

About This Book

Here are some of the things you can do with this book:

✓	Use it as a doorstop. (Kidding!)
✓	Plan a Flash Web site.
✓	Create a lean, fast-loading Flash interface.
✓	Create content for your Flash Web site.
✓	Create interactive Web sites with Flash.
✓	Optimize and publish your Flash Web site.
✓	Add eye candy to your Flash Web site.
✓	Create an e-commerce Flash Web site.
✓	Debug your ActionScript.
✓	Sharpen your ability to deal with clients.

Foolish Assumptions

In order to do most anything, you need some specific tools, just a bit of know-how, and perchance a bit of luck mingled with creativity. When you need to design a Flash Web site, you need the proper tools. For this book, that tool is Flash 8. And if you’re going to do cool stuff, like encode your own video, you need Flash 8 Professional.

You should know your way around the Flash workspace. But don’t worry; I do give you a brief refresher course on some of the basic Flash stuff, like creating animations, working with text, and so on. When you create animations, and for that matter format ...