Sams Teach Yourself Macromedia® Flash™ 8 in 24 Hours

Sams Teach Yourself Macromedia® Flash™ 8 in 24 Hours

Released October 2005
Publisher(s): Sams
ISBN: 9780672327544

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Book description

Explore the depth and flexibility of Macromedia Flash 8 with Sams Teach Yourself Macromedia Flash 8 in 24 Hours. Fundamental topics are presented one-by-one in a series of 24 one-hour lessons that will help you master the basics of Flash. Author Phillip Kerman, an internationally-known Macromedia trainer and multimedia expert, offers you a clearly-written, well-organized introduction to Macromedia Flash 8 without becoming too overwhelming. You will cover such subjects as:

  • Drawing and Painting Original Art

  • Using Motion Tween to Animate

  • Animatng Using Movie Clips

  • Using Actions to Create Non-Linear Movies

  • Optimizing a Flash Site

  • Publishing a Creation

    • Not only will you master the basics of Macromedia Flash 8 with Sams Teach Yourself Macromedia Flash 8 in 24 Hours, you will also be better prepared to learn more advanced topics in the future.

    Table of contents

    1. Copyright
      1. Dedication
    2. About the Author
    3. Acknowledgments
    4. We Want to Hear from You!
    5. Reader Services
    6. Introduction
    7. I. Assembling the Graphics You'll Animate in Flash
      1. 1. Basics
        1. Jump Right In
        2. Getting Your Bearings
          1. The Stage
          2. The Tools Panel
          3. The Timeline
          4. The Properties Panel
            1. Exploring Text Options
            2. Organizing the Workspace
          5. The Library
        3. Getting Around in Flash
          1. The Current Layer
          2. The Current Frame
          3. The Current Scene or Current Symbol
          4. Navigating Through the Interface
            1. How Not To Get Lost
        4. Document Properties
        5. File Types
          1. Source (.fla) Files
          2. Exported (.swf) Files
          3. HTML Files That Host the .swf File
        6. Summary
        7. Q&A
        8. Workshop
          1. Quiz
          2. Quiz Answers
      2. 2. Drawing and Painting Original Art in Flash
        1. Drawing on the Stage
        2. Tools
          1. Viewing and Modification Tools
          2. Creation Tools
            1. Drawing Lines
            2. Painting Fills
            3. Drawing and Modifying Shapes by Using Lines and Fills
            4. Creating Text
            5. Aliasing and Anti-aliasing
        3. Selecting and Transforming Objects
          1. Object Draw Mode Versus Merge Mode
          2. Selection Tools
          3. The Dropper Tool
          4. Transforming Scale, Rotation, Envelope, and Distortion
          5. Using Snap to Objects to Connect Shapes
        4. Summary
        5. Q&A
        6. Workshop
          1. Quiz
          2. Quiz Answers
          3. Exercise
      3. 3. Importing Graphics into Flash
        1. Vector Graphics Versus Raster Graphics
        2. Reasons to Avoid Importing Graphics
        3. Importing Vector Graphics
          1. Importing from a File
            1. Importing FreeHand and Illustrator Files
            2. Importing Flash Player Files
          2. Maintaining Image Integrity
        4. Using Bitmaps (Also Known As Raster Graphics)
          1. Importing Raster Graphics
          2. Adjusting Bitmap Properties
            1. Converting a Bitmap to a Vector Graphic
        5. Summary
        6. Q&A
        7. Workshop
          1. Quiz
          2. Quiz Answers
      4. 4. Using the Library for Productivity
        1. The Concept of the Library
          1. How to Create and Use Symbols
          2. How Symbols Help You
            1. Reducing File Size
            2. Minimizing Work
        2. Using the Library
          1. Getting Your Bearings
          2. Managing the Library by Using Names, Sorting, and Folders
        3. Using Symbols from the Library
          1. Placing Instances of Symbols on the Stage
          2. Modifying Instances of Symbols
          3. Using Color Styles
          4. Using Blends and Filters
            1. Blends
            2. Using Filters
          5. How Each Instance Behaves Differently
          6. Nesting Instances of Symbols Inside Symbols
        4. Summary
        5. Q&A
        6. Workshop
          1. Quiz
          2. Quiz Answers
      5. 5. Applied Layout Techniques
        1. Controlling Color
          1. Creating Solid and Gradient Swatches
          2. Using and Transforming Gradients
          3. Setting Text
            1. Static Text Layout
            2. Embedding Fonts for Dynamic Text
          4. Applied Examples Using Color Styles, Blends, and Filters
            1. Using Color Styles
            2. Practical Uses for Blends
            3. Practical Uses for Filters
        2. Summary
        3. Q&A
        4. Workshop
          1. Quiz
          2. Quiz Answers
    8. II. Animating in Flash
      1. 6. Understanding Animation
        1. How Animation Works
        2. Elements of Animation
          1. Frames and Frame Rate
          2. Frame Rate Versus the Number of Frames
          3. Frame Rates of Different Types of Animation
          4. Keyframes and Blank Keyframes
          5. Tweening
        3. Summary
        4. Q&A
        5. Workshop
          1. Quiz
          2. Quiz Answers
      2. 7. Animation the Old-Fashioned Way
        1. Understanding the Brute-Force Animation Technique
          1. Previewing an Animation Using Test Movie
          2. Editing One Keyframe at a Time
          3. Changing the Frame View Setting
          4. Using the Onion Skin Tools
        2. Enhancing a Frame-by-Frame Animation
          1. Incorporating Pauses
          2. Implying Motion
        3. Summary
        4. Q&A
        5. Workshop
          1. Quiz
          2. Quiz Answers
          3. Exercise
      3. 8. Using Motion Tweens to Animate
        1. Creating a Motion Tween
          1. Following the Rules of a Motion Tween
          2. Motion Tweening Techniques and Tips
            1. Tweening More Than Position
            2. Beware of Flash's Territory
            3. Knowing Where You Are
            4. Sticking to a Pattern
        2. Fine-Tuning a Motion Tween
          1. Using Multiple Keyframes
          2. Using Ease In and Ease Out
          3. Custom Easing
          4. Rotating in a Motion Tween
        3. Summary
        4. Q&A
        5. Workshop
          1. Quiz
          2. Quiz Answers
          3. Exercises
      4. 9. Using Shape Tweens to Morph
        1. Making a Shape Tween
          1. Following the Rules of a Shape Tween
          2. Techniques and Tips
            1. Keep It Simple
            2. Don't Mix Lines and Fills
            3. Stay Out of Flash's Territory
            4. Know When a Motion Tween Will Suffice
        2. Refining and Fine-tuning a Shape Tween
          1. Using Shape Hints
          2. Understanding Shape Hints
        3. Summary
        4. Q&A
        5. Workshop
          1. Quiz
          2. Quiz Answers
          3. Exercise
      5. 10. Including Sound in Animations
        1. Importing Sounds
          1. Supported Formats
        2. Using Sounds
          1. Sync Settings
          2. Effect Settings
          3. Loop Settings
        3. Controlling Quality and File Size
          1. Digital Audio Fundamentals
          2. Export Settings
            1. Global Publish Settings
            2. Individual Export Settings
          3. Tricks for Efficiency
        4. Summary
        5. Q&A
        6. Workshop
          1. Quiz
          2. Quiz Answers
      6. 11. Using Layers in Animations
        1. How Layers Work
          1. The True Purpose of Layers
          2. Layer Properties That Help You Edit
          3. Managing Layers
        2. Using Layer Properties for Visual Effect
          1. Guide Layers
          2. Motion Guide Layers
          3. Mask Layers
        3. Summary
        4. Q&A
        5. Workshop
          1. Quiz
          2. Quiz Answers
          3. Exercises
      7. 12. Animating Using Movie Clip and Graphic Symbols
        1. Movie Clip Symbol Behavior
          1. Creating Nested Movie Clips
          2. Comparing Movie Clip Symbols to Graphic Symbols
          3. When to Use Movie Clips
        2. Subtleties of Movie Clips
          1. Addressable Movie Clip Instances
          2. Effects on Download Order
        3. Summary
        4. Q&A
        5. Workshop
          1. Quiz
          2. Quiz Answers
          3. Exercises
      8. 13. Creating Special Effects
        1. Effects with Shapes
          1. Painting with Bitmaps
          2. Breaking Apart Text
          3. Turning Text into a Shape
          4. Using Filters for Special Effects
            1. Showing Depth with Shadows
            2. Adding a Motion Blur
          5. Masking Effects
        2. Summary
        3. Q&A
        4. Workshop
          1. Quiz
          2. Quiz Answers
          3. Exercise
    9. III. Adding Interactivity and Advanced Animation
      1. 14. Making Buttons for the User to Click
        1. Making a Button
          1. Defining a Button's Hit State
          2. Minimizing a Button's Impact on File Size
        2. Advanced Buttons
          1. Animated Buttons
          2. Button Tracking Options
          3. Sounds in Buttons
          4. Invisible Buttons
        3. Summary
        4. Q&A
        5. Workshop
          1. Quiz
          2. Quiz Answers
      2. 15. Using ActionScript and Behaviors to Create Nonlinear Movies
        1. Using ActionScript
          1. Specifying Actions by Using Parameters
          2. Using Script Assist
          3. Frame Actions
          4. Button Actions
          5. Movie Clip Actions
        2. Using Behaviors
          1. Using the getURL Action
          2. Addressing Movie Clips
          3. Action Efficiency Tricks
        3. Summary
        4. Q&A
        5. Workshop
          1. Quiz
          2. Quiz Answers
      3. 16. Using ActionScript for Advanced Interactivity
        1. Making Drag-and-Drop Interactions
          1. Controlling Drag and Drop
        2. Programming in Flash
          1. Variables
          2. Properties
            1. Setting Properties
            2. Getting Properties
        3. Summary
        4. Q&A
        5. Workshop
          1. Quiz
          2. Quiz Answers
      4. 17. Using Components
        1. What Is a Component?
        2. Using the RadioButton Component
        3. Changing Component Styles
          1. Setting the Style of a Single Component Instance
          2. Setting the Style of One Component Type
          3. Setting the Style of All Components
          4. Using Themes
        4. Summary
        5. Q&A
        6. Workshop
          1. Quiz
          2. Quiz Answers
      5. 18. Using Video
        1. Flash Basic 8 Versus Flash Professional 8
        2. Embedding Video Versus Playing External Video
          1. Making Video Look Good
          2. Supported Formats
        3. Using Video
          1. Playing an Embedded Video
          2. Playing an External .flv Videos
          3. Special Effects
          4. Optimizing Quality and File Size
          5. Using Outside Video Editors
        4. Summary
        5. Q&A
        6. Workshop
          1. Quiz
          2. Quiz Answers
    10. IV. Putting It All Together for the Webs
      1. 19. Linking a Movie to the Web
        1. Basic Publishing
        2. Simple Hyperlinks
        3. Using Style Sheets
        4. What Other Web Tasks Can Flash Do?
          1. Targeting Windows
          2. Sending Email: The mailto: Command
        5. Using Flash Inside a Larger Website
          1. Pop-up Windows
          2. Including Flash Within HTML
        6. Uploading Files to a Web Server
        7. Summary
        8. Q&A
        9. Workshop
          1. Quiz
          2. Quiz Answers
      2. 20. Designing a Website to Be Modular
        1. Loading Movies or Images
        2. Determining When a Movie Is Fully Loaded and How to Unload It
        3. Shared Library Items
          1. How to Share Library Items at Runtime
        4. Playing External Sounds
        5. Summary
        6. Q&A
        7. Workshop
          1. Quiz
          2. Quiz Answers
          3. Exercise
      3. 21. Optimizing a Flash Site
        1. File Size Considerations
          1. Calculating Download Times
          2. What's Big? What's Small?
            1. Lines Take Up Less File Space Than Fills
            2. Breaking Apart Text Can Increase File Size
            3. Dynamic and Input Text with Embedded Fonts Can Be Large
            4. Shape Tweens, Motion Tweens, and Keyframes All Affect File Size
            5. Take Optimization with a Grain of Salt
          3. Sounds and Bitmaps
            1. Sounds
            2. Bitmaps
            3. Importing High-Quality Media and Then Compressing Them
          4. Using the Bandwidth Profiler
          5. Improving the Download Experience
        2. Performance Hits
          1. Avoiding Gratuitous Special Effects
          2. Avoiding Streaming Sounds
          3. Graphic Issues
            1. Using Optimize Curves
            2. Never Using Modify, Shape, Soften Fill Edges
            3. Avoiding Line Styles
        3. Summary
        4. Q&A
        5. Workshop
          1. Quiz
          2. Quiz Answers
      4. 22. Advanced Animation Techniques
        1. It's the Result, Not the Technology
          1. Simple Techniques to Use Sparingly
          2. Ways to Fool the User
        2. Applying Conventional Techniques
          1. Adding a Motion Blur
          2. Using Anticipation
          3. Using Overkill
          4. Simulating Depth
          5. Controlling Point of View
          6. Beginning with the End in Mind
        3. Summary
        4. Q&A
        5. Workshop
          1. Quiz
          2. Quiz Answers
          3. Exercise
      5. 23. Working on Large Projects and in Team Environments
        1. Production Methodologies
          1. Defining Roles
          2. Testing the System and Doing Full-Path Reviews
          3. Using Code–Data Separation
        2. Applying Productivity Techniques
          1. Using Shared Library Items
          2. Using Documentation and Naming Conventions
        3. Summary
        4. Q&A
        5. Workshop
          1. Quiz
          2. Quiz Answers
          3. Exercise
      6. 24. Publishing a Creations
        1. How to Publish
          1. Ensuring Users Have the Flash Player
          2. Using Publish Templates
        2. Adding Metadata to Your Flash Creation
        3. Deciding Which Media Types to Publish
          1. Publishing Flash (.swf) Files
          2. Publishing HTML Files
          3. Publishing GIF, JPG, and PNG Files
            1. Projectors
            2. QuickTime
        4. Exporting Other Media Types
          1. Publishing AVI Files
          2. Publishing Image Sequences
        5. Summary
        6. Q&A
        7. Workshop
          1. Quiz
          2. Quiz Answers
          3. Exercise
    11. V. Appendixes
      1. A. Shapes You Can Make in Merge Drawing Mode
        1. Semicircle
        2. Spokes on a Wheel
        3. Five-Pointed Star
        4. Oblique Cube
        5. Sine Waves
        6. 3D Sphere
        7. Color Wheel
      2. B. Resources
        1. Tutorials and Other Online Resources
          1. Director Online User Group (DOUG)
          2. Macromedia
          3. Moock.org
          4. Chattyfig
          5. Community MX
          6. OS Flash (Open Source Flash)
          7. Flash Kit
          8. ActionScript.org
          9. ActionScript.com
          10. Flash Magazine
          11. FlashComponents.net
          12. Studiowhiz.com
          13. We're Here
          14. Ultrashock
        2. Content Sites
          1. Audio/Sound Sites
            1. ACIDplanet.com
            2. Winamp
            3. Wavcentral
          2. Images/Photos
            1. Clip Art
            2. Clip Art Connection
            3. GettyOne
            4. Photodisc
            5. istockphoto
          3. Fonts and Miscellaneous
            1. Emigre
            2. Miniml
            3. Fonts for Flash (FFF)
        3. Third-Party Products
          1. ActionScript Viewer
          2. Swift 3D
          3. Toon Boom Studio
          4. Wildform
          5. SWF Studio
          6. Flash Studio Pro
          7. Screenweaver
          8. Jugglor
          9. mProjector
          10. iceProjector
          11. Zoomifyer
          12. Camtasia Studio
        4. Statistics
      3. Glossary

    Product information

    • Title: Sams Teach Yourself Macromedia® Flash™ 8 in 24 Hours
    • Author(s):
    • Release date: October 2005
    • Publisher(s): Sams
    • ISBN: 9780672327544