book

Flash® CS4 for Dummies®

Name: Flash® CS4 for Dummies®
ISBN: 9780470381199

by Ellen Finkelstein, Gurdy Leete

October 2008

Intermediate to advanced

414 pages

9h 23m

English

For Dummies

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Copyright
About the Authors
Authors' Acknowledgments
Publisher's Acknowledgments
Introduction
About This BookHow to Use This BookFoolish AssumptionsConventions Used in This BookHow This Book Is OrganizedPart I: A Blast of FlashPart II: 1,000 Pictures and 1,000 WordsPart III: Getting SymbolicPart IV: Total Flash-o-RamaPart V: The Movie and the WebPart VI: The Part of TensIcons Used in This BookWhere to Go from HereYour own personal library of vector graphicsFlash movies galore
I. A Blast of Flash
1. Getting Acquainted with Flash CS4
1.1. Discovering Flash1.2. Understanding What You Can Create with Flash CS41.3. Determining When Not to Use Flash CS41.4. Getting the Right Start1.4.1. Starting Flash on a PC1.4.2. Starting Flash on a Mac1.4.3. Creating a new movie1.4.4. Opening an existing movie1.5. Taking a Look Around1.5.1. Tooling around the toolbars1.5.2. Using panels1.5.3. Discovering the Flash menus1.5.4. Customizing the workspace1.5.5. Staging your movies1.5.6. Following a timeline1.6. Getting Help in a Flash1.6.1. Help's multiple manuals1.6.2. Finding more help on the Web1.7. Try It; You'll Like It1.7.1. Conceiving your first animation1.7.2. Creating flashy drawings1.7.2.1. Turning your objects into symbols1.7.2.2. Putting your graphics on layers1.7.3. Making graphics move1.7.4. Publishing your first animation for posterity1.7.5. Exiting Flash
2. Your Basic Flash
2.1. Looking at the Big Picture2.2. Setting the Stage2.2.1. Choosing the Stage color2.2.2. Specifying the frame rate2.2.3. Setting the Stage size2.3. Adding Metadata2.4. Grabbing a Graphic2.4.1. Understanding vectors and bitmaps2.4.2. Finding graphics2.4.3. Going to the Library2.4.3.1. Using folders2.4.3.2. More Library housekeeping2.4.3.3. Using the Libraries of other movies2.4.3.4. Exploring the Flash stock Library2.5. Using a Template2.6. Printing Your Movie
II. 1,000 Pictures and 1,000 Words
3. Getting Graphic
3.1. Sharpening Your Pencil3.1.1. Setting the Pencil modifier3.1.2. Setting the stroke type3.1.3. Setting the color3.2. Creating Shapely Shapes3.2.1. Line up3.2.2. Be square3.2.3. Be an egg3.2.4. Go for the stars3.3. Mixing and Matching Shapes3.3.1. Cutting up shapes3.3.2. Placing objects on top of each other3.4. Keeping Objects Safe and Secure3.4.1. Using the object-drawing model3.4.2. Getting primitive3.4.2.1. Creating a rectangle primitive3.4.2.2. Creating an oval primitive3.5. Creating Curves with the Pen3.5.1. Drawing straight lines3.5.2. Drawing curves3.6. Getting Artistic with the Brush3.6.1. Brush Mode modifier3.6.2. Brush Size drop-down list3.6.3. Brush Shape drop-down list3.6.4. Pressure and Tilt modifiers3.6.5. Brush smoothing3.7. Creating Graffiti with the Spray Brush3.7.1. Setting symbol properties3.7.2. Setting brush properties3.7.3. Working with Spray Brush dots3.8. Pouring on the Paint3.9. Strokes, Ink3.10. A Rainbow of Colors3.10.1. Solid citizens3.10.1.1. Creating new colors or editing existing colors3.10.1.2. Managing colors3.10.1.3. Using color themes3.10.2. Gradient colors3.10.3. Bitmap fills3.10.4. Locking a fill3.10.5. Pattern fills3.10.5.1. Vine fill3.10.5.2. Grid fill3.10.5.3. Symmetry brush3.11. Drawing Precisely3.11.1. The ruler rules3.11.2. Using guides3.11.3. Working with the grid3.11.4. Snapping turtle3.11.4.1. Setting snap-to-grid preferences3.11.4.2. Setting snap-to-objects preferences3.11.5. Pixel, pixel on the wall3.12. The Import Business — Using Outside Graphics3.12.1. Importing graphics3.12.2. Using imported graphics

4. You Are the Object Editor
4.1. Selecting Objects4.1.1. Selecting with the Selection tool4.1.2. Lassoing your objects4.1.3. Selecting everything in one fell swoop4.2. Moving, Copying, Deleting, and Erasing4.2.1. Movin' on down the road4.2.1.1. Moving precisely with Snap Align4.2.1.2. Moving with the Clipboard4.2.1.3. Moving with the Property inspector4.2.1.4. Moving with the Info panel4.2.2. Aligning objects with the Align panel4.2.3. Copying objects4.2.4. Makin' objects go away4.2.5. Erasing objects4.3. Making Shapes More Shapely4.3.1. Reshaping shapes and outlines4.3.2. Using the Subselect tool4.3.3. Adjusting curves with the Pen tool4.3.4. Freely transforming and distorting shapes4.3.4.1. Tapering objects4.3.4.2. Distorting objects4.3.4.3. Stretching the envelope4.3.5. Straightening lines and curving curves4.3.6. Modifying line endings4.3.7. Optimizing curves4.3.8. Expanding and contracting fills4.3.9. Softening edges4.3.10. Converting lines to fills4.4. Transforming Fills4.5. Transferring Properties4.6. Finding and Replacing Objects4.7. Transforming Objects4.7.1. Scaling, scaling . . .4.7.2. 'Round and 'round and 'round we rotate4.7.3. Getting skewy4.7.4. Flippety, floppety4.8. Combining Objects4.9. Getting Grouped4.10. Changing the Transformation Point4.11. Breaking Apart Objects4.12. Establishing Order on the Stage4.13. Undoing, Redoing, and Reusing4.13.1. Undoing actions4.13.2. Redoing actions4.13.3. Using object-level undo and redo4.13.4. Reusing actions with the History panel4.13.4.1. Undoing steps4.13.4.2. Replaying a step4.13.4.3. Copying steps4.13.4.4. Saving commands4.13.4.5. Clearing the History panel
5. What's Your Type?
5.1. Presenting Your Text5.1.1. Creating text5.1.2. Editing text5.1.2.1. Checking spelling5.1.2.2. Finding and replacing text5.1.3. Setting character attributes5.1.3.1. Setting the font, font size, and font style5.1.3.2. Specifying text color5.1.3.3. Adjusting kerning and tracking5.1.3.4. Making text selectable5.1.4. Hyperlinking text5.1.5. Getting the best text appearance5.1.6. Setting up paragraph formats5.1.6.1. Setting text alignment5.1.6.2. Setting margins and indents5.1.6.3. Specifying line spacing5.1.7. Creating input and dynamic text5.2. Creating Cool Text Effects
6. Layering It On
6.1. Creating Layers6.1.1. Using layers6.1.2. Changing layer states6.1.2.1. Show/Hide6.1.2.2. Lock/Unlock6.1.2.3. Outlines6.2. Getting Those Layers Right6.2.1. Deleting layers6.2.2. Copying layers6.2.3. Renaming layers6.2.4. Reordering layers6.2.5. Organizing layers6.2.6. Modifying layer properties6.3. Opening Windows with Mask Layers6.3.1. Creating a mask layer6.3.2. Editing mask layers6.3.3. Animating mask layers
III. Getting Symbolic
7. Heavy Symbolism
7.1. Understanding Symbol Types7.1.1. Using graphic symbols7.1.2. Using movie clip symbols7.1.3. Using button symbols7.2. Creating Symbols7.2.1. Creating symbols from existing objects7.2.2. Creating empty symbols7.2.3. Converting an animation to a movie clip symbol7.2.4. Creating a symbol by duplicating a symbol7.3. Modifying Symbols7.3.1. Changing the properties of a symbol7.3.2. Editing symbols7.4. Using Symbols from Other Movies7.4.1. Using the Flash Library7.4.2. Using the Flash For Dummies Library7.5. Working with Instances, for Instance7.5.1. Inserting instances7.5.2. Editing instances7.5.2.1. Changing brightness7.5.2.2. Changing tint7.5.2.3. Changing transparency7.5.2.4. Changing color and transparency at the same time7.5.2.5. Adding filters and blends7.5.2.6. Changing an instance's type7.5.2.7. Replacing an instance7.5.2.8. Breaking apart an instance7.5.3. Changing 3D position and rotation7.5.3.1. Moving movie clip instances7.5.3.2. Rotating movie clip instances
8. Pushing Buttons
8.1. Creating Simple Buttons8.1.1. Understanding button states8.1.2. Making a basic button8.2. Putting Buttons to the Test8.3. Creating Complex Buttons8.3.1. Adding a sound to a button8.3.2. Adding a movie clip to a button8.3.3. Adding an action for a button
IV. Total Flash-o-Rama
9. Getting Animated
9.1. Who Framed the Animation?9.2. Preparing to Animate9.2.1. Master of the Timeline9.2.2. Turtle or hare?9.3. Animating with Keyframes9.4. Frame After Frame After Frame9.5. The Animation Tween9.5.1. From here to there — motion tweening9.5.1.1. Making a motion tween9.5.1.2. Scaling and rotating an animated object9.5.1.3. Tweening color or transparency9.5.1.4. Animating your movie clip's position in 3D space9.5.1.5. Editing or replacing the motion path9.5.2. Using Motion Presets9.5.3. Using the Motion Editor9.5.4. Tweening shapes9.5.4.1. Getting Flash to take a hint — using shape hints9.5.4.2. Adjusting shape hints9.6. Editing Animation9.6.1. Adding labels and comments9.6.2. Selecting frames9.6.3. Copying and pasting frames9.6.4. Copying and pasting motion9.6.5. Moving frames9.6.6. Reversing your animation9.6.7. Changing speed9.6.8. Using onion skins9.6.9. Moving everything around the Stage at once9.7. Connecting the Hip Bone to the Thigh Bone9.7.1. Putting bones into your symbols9.7.2. Binding bones to shapes9.7.3. Working with constraints9.7.4. Animating your bones9.8. Making the Scene9.8.1. Breaking your movie into scenes9.8.2. Manipulating that scene
10. Getting Interactive
10.1. Understanding ActionScript10.1.1. Making objects work for you10.1.2. Method acting10.2. Adding ActionScript to Frames10.3. Using ActionScript with Buttons10.4. Using ActionScript with Movie Clips10.4.1. Creating animated masks with movie clips10.4.2. Dragging movie clips10.5. Exploring ActionScript Further10.5.1. Programming constructs10.5.2. Making comments10.5.3. External scripting10.5.4. Discovering more about ActionScript
11. Extravagant Audio, High-Velocity Video
11.1. Acquiring Amazing Audio11.1.1. Importing sounds11.1.2. Placing sounds into a movie11.2. Editing Sounds11.2.1. Deleting parts of a sound11.2.2. Changing the volume11.3. Managing Sound11.4. Video Magic11.4.1. Four ways to use video in Flash11.4.2. Preparing to embed video in Flash11.4.3. Embedding a video11.4.4. Streaming a video
V. The Movie and the Web
12. Putting It All Together
12.1. Adding the Power of Components12.1.1. Getting ready to work with components12.1.2. Using RadioButtons in a Flash movie12.1.3. Using CheckBoxes in a Flash movie12.1.4. Using ComboBoxes in a Flash movie12.1.5. Using Lists in a Flash movie12.2. Creating a Preloader12.3. Creating an Entire Web Site with Flash12.3.1. Creating navigation with navigateToURL12.3.2. Using the Timeline to store Web content12.4. Testing for the Flash Player12.4.1. Detecting the Flash Player version12.4.2. Creating alternative sites12.5. Using the Movie Explorer12.6. Making Your Site More Accessible
13. Publishing Your Flash Files
13.1. Optimizing Movies for Fast Download13.1.1. Simplifying artwork13.1.2. Optimizing text13.1.3. Compressing sound13.1.4. Animating efficiently13.2. Testing Movies13.2.1. Using the Test Movie command13.2.2. Testing a movie in a Web browser13.3. Saving Your Work in Flash CS3 Format13.4. Publishing Flash Movies13.5. Publishing to SWF13.5.1. Flash Player and ActionScript version13.5.2. Image and sound settings13.5.3. SWF settings13.5.4. Advanced settings13.6. Publishing to HTML13.6.1. Understanding the HTML code for a movie13.6.2. Specifying Flash Player detection and other HTML settings13.6.2.1. Template13.6.2.2. Dimensions13.6.2.3. Playback13.6.2.4. Quality13.6.2.5. Window Mode13.6.2.6. HTML Alignment13.6.2.7. Scale13.6.2.8. Flash Alignment13.6.2.9. Show Warning Messages13.7. Publishing to Other Formats13.7.1. Creating PNG graphic files13.7.2. Creating self-playing movies13.8. Using Publish Profiles13.8.1. Creating a publish profile13.8.2. Duplicating or renaming a publish profile13.8.3. Modifying a publish profile13.8.4. Deleting a publish profile13.8.5. Exporting and importing publish profiles13.9. Using Publish Preview13.10. Posting Your Movie to Your Web Site13.11. Exporting Movies and Images13.12. Creating Printable Movies13.12.1. Preparing your movie for printing13.12.2. Specifying printable frames13.12.3. Specifying the print area13.12.4. Printing movies from the Flash Player
VI. The Part of Tens
14. Ten Frequently Asked Questions
14.1. How Do I Combine Two Flash Movies?14.2. How Can I Sync Sound with Motion?14.3. What's the Best Way to Import Bitmaps?14.4. How Do I Rescale My Movie's Size?14.5. What Are the Best Tips for Creating Movies?14.6. Can Flash Do Full 3D?14.7. How Do I Center a Flash Movie in a Web Page?14.8. What Are the Size Limits for a Flash Movie?14.9. What Are the Top Tips for Web Design with Flash?14.9.1. Set your goal14.9.2. Make thumbnail sketches first14.9.3. Connect the parts to the whole14.9.4. Use fewer than four fonts14.9.5. Test and test again14.10. How Do I Dynamically Load Music from the Web?
15. Ten Best Flash Resources
15.1. Check Out Award-Winning Movies15.2. Look on the Flash Web Pages15.3. Visit Our Site15.4. Take a Course15.5. Join a Flash Discussion Group15.6. Check Out Flash Resource Sites15.7. Check Out Sites That Use Flash15.8. Attend a Flash Conference15.9. Collect Flash Movies15.10. Reuse Your Best Stuff
16. Ten Flash Designers to Watch
16.1. Joshua Davis16.2. Anthony Eden16.3. Andy Foulds16.4. Chris Georgenes16.5. Ben Hantoot16.6. Seb Lee-Delisle and Dominic Minns16.7. Erik Natzke16.8. Micaël Reynaud16.9. Jared Tarbell16.10. Jeremy Thorp
B.17. Installing Flash and Setting Your Preferences
17.1. Installing Flash17.1.1. Installing Flash onto a PC from a DVD17.1.2. Installing Flash by downloading it to your PC17.1.3. Installing Flash onto a Mac from a DVD17.1.4. Installing Flash by downloading it to your Mac17.2. Setting Your Preferences17.2.1. General category17.2.2. ActionScript category17.2.3. Auto Format category17.2.4. Clipboard category17.2.5. Drawing category17.2.6. Text category17.2.7. Warnings category17.2.8. PSD File Importer category17.2.9. AI File Importer category17.3. Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts

Content preview from Flash® CS4 for Dummies®

Chapter 4. You Are the Object Editor

In This Chapter

Selecting objects
Manipulating objects (moving, copying, deleting, and erasing)
Reshaping shapes and working with fills
Transferring properties to other objects
Transforming objects (scaling, rotating, skewing, and flipping)
Combining and breaking apart objects
Changing object order
Undoing, redoing, and reusing actions

This chapter tells you all you need to know about editing objects. You can manipulate objects in a zillion ways to suit your artistic fancy. The Flash editing tools can give you precisely the results that you want. Sometimes you need to edit because you made a mistake (rarely, of course), but often, editing is just part of the creation process. You might also find that you have to alter imported graphics so that they fit into the scheme of things.

Selecting Objects

Before you can edit any object on the Stage, you need to select it. Flash offers many ways to select objects. After you get the hang of using the Flash selection tools, you'll find them efficient and easy to use.

Selecting with the Selection tool

What defines an object? A shape that includes an outline (also called a line or a stroke) and a fill (such as a filled-in circle) has two objects — the outline and the fill.

Note

Most of these selection guidelines don't work when ...

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