Sams Teach Yourself Adobe Flash CS4 Professional in 24 Hours, Fourth Edition

Sams Teach Yourself Adobe Flash CS4 Professional in 24 Hours, Fourth Edition

Released May 2009
Publisher(s): Sams
ISBN: 9780768690552

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Book description


In just 24 lessons of one hour or less, you can learn how to design, create, and deploy high-impact graphics and animation with Adobe Flash CS4 Professional.

Using this book’s straightforward, step-by-step approach, you’ll master the skills and technologies you need, from creating interactivity and animation to optimizing and publishing your Flash movies on the Web.

Each lesson builds on what you’ve already learned, giving you a rock-solid foundation for real-world success!
    * Full-color figures and clear step-by-step instructions visually show you how to use Flash.
    * Quizzes and Exercises at the end of each chapter help you test your knowledge.
    * Notes, Tips, and Cautions provide related information, advice, and warnings.

Learn how to…
    * Make the most of the updated Flash interface, including its new Motion tools
    * Draw and paint original art in Flash
    * Use layers and the Library to efficiently organize your content
    * Build animations using shape tweening, Flash CS4’s new motion tweening, and advanced inverse kinematics
    * Create special effects with shapes, filters, and the new Deco Tool
    * Add interactivity to your Flash movies
    * Integrate a wide spectrum of audio and video content
    * Use ready-built components to create sophisticated content without programming
    * Get started with ActionScript 3
    * Publish your movies to the Web
    * Design modular Flash sites that load quickly and perform well


Phillip Kerman is an internationally recognized expert on the use of the Web and multimedia for training and entertainment. He has frequently presented at Macromedia and Adobe user conferences, and has taught Flash and other Adobe Web development technologies to working web professionals worldwide.

Lynn Beighley, a freelance web programmer and designer, has written several Flash, Dreamweaver, and Photoshop books and training CDs. She has worked at Los Alamos National Labs, Palm, and Yahoo! Her dynamic Flash advertisements have appeared on Yahoo!’s home page.

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
  2. About the Authors
  3. Acknowledgments
    1. CS4 Edition
    2. CS3 Edition
  4. We Want to Hear from You!
  5. Reader Services
  6. Introduction
    1. What’s New in This Edition
    2. Who Should Read This Book
    3. How This Book Is Organized
    4. What’s on the Book’s Website
  7. I. Assembling the Graphics You’ll Animate in Flash
    1. 1. Basics
      1. Jump Right In and Make an Animation
      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
        1. Q&A
      7. 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 a Fill with the Deco Tool
          5. Creating Text
          6. 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
        1. Q&A
      5. 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 Illustrator Files
        2. Importing Flash Player Files
      4. Using Bitmaps (Also Known as Raster Graphics)
        1. Importing Flat Raster Graphics
        2. Adjusting Bitmap Properties
        3. Smoothing
        4. Importing Layered Raster Graphics
      5. Summary
        1. Q&A
      6. Workshop
        1. Quiz
        2. Quiz Answers
    4. 4. Staying Organized with the Library and Layers
      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. How Each Instance Behaves Differently
        5. Nesting Instances of Symbols Inside Symbols
      4. Summary
        1. Q&A
      5. Workshop
        1. Quiz
        2. Quiz Answers
    5. 5. Controlling Color
      1. Using Blends and Filters
        1. Blends
        2. Using Filters
      2. Creating and Saving Color Swatches
        1. Creating Solid and Gradient Swatches
        2. Using and Transforming Gradients
      3. Summary
        1. Q&A
      4. Workshop
        1. Quiz
        2. Quiz Answers
    6. 6. Applied Layout Techniques
      1. Setting Text
        1. Static Text Layout
        2. Embedding Fonts for Dynamic Text
      2. Applied Examples Using Color Styles, Blends, and Filters
        1. Practical Uses for Blends
        2. Practical Uses for Filters
      3. Summary
        1. Q&A
      4. Workshop
        1. Quiz
        2. Quiz Answers
  8. II. Animating in Flash
    1. 7. 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
        1. Q&A
      4. Workshop
        1. Quiz
        2. Quiz Answers
    2. 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. Preset Easing
        4. Rotating in a Motion Tween
      3. Summary
        1. Q&A
      4. Workshop
        1. Quiz
        2. Quiz Answers
        3. Exercises
    3. 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. Avoid Primitive Shapes
          4. Stay Out of Flash’s Territory
          5. 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
        1. Q&A
      4. Workshop
        1. Quiz
        2. Quiz Answers
        3. Exercise
    4. 10. Advanced Animation with Inverse Kinematics
      1. Linking Symbols with the Bone Tool
        1. Using Bones to Link Symbols
        2. Connecting Multiple Symbols with the Bone Tool
        3. Adding and Removing Bones
      2. Animating the Armature
        1. Creating an Inverse Kinematics Pose Layer
        2. Control Points and the Bind Tool
        3. Modifying an Existing Animated Armature
      3. Summary
        1. Q&A
      4. Workshop
        1. Quiz
        2. Quiz Answers
    5. 11. Simulating 3D Animation
      1. Creating a 3D Movie Clip
        1. Following the Rules of 3D Animation
        2. Objects in 3D Space
        3. Perspective Angle
        4. Vanishing Point
      2. Moving Objects with the 3D Translation Tool
      3. Rotating Objects with the 3D Rotation Tool
      4. Summary
        1. Q&A
      5. Workshop
        1. Quiz
        2. Quiz Answers
    6. 12. Reusing Your Animations with Motion Presets
      1. The Motion Presets Panel
      2. Applying an Existing Motion Preset
        1. Saving a New Motion Preset
      3. Editing an Existing Preset with the Motion Editor Panel
        1. Changing the Easing Settings
        2. Rubberizing Your Bouncing Object
      4. Summary
        1. Q&A
      5. Workshop
        1. Quiz
        2. Quiz Answers
    7. 13. 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
        1. Q&A
      5. Workshop
        1. Quiz
        2. Quiz Answers
    8. 14. Nesting Animations in Movie Clip and Graphic Symbols
      1. Movie Clip Symbol Behavior
        1. Creating Nested Movie Clips
        2. Comparing Movie Clip Symbols to Graphic Symbols
        3. Using Movie Clips
      2. Subtleties of Movie Clips
        1. Addressable Movie Clip Instances
        2. Effects on Download Order
      3. Summary
        1. Q&A
      4. Workshop
        1. Quiz
        2. Quiz Answers
        3. Exercises
    9. 15. Creating Special Effects
      1. Effects with Shapes
        1. Painting with Bitmaps
        2. Breaking Apart Text
        3. Turning Text into a Shape
      2. Splatter Movie Clips with the Spray Brush Tool
      3. Using Filters for Special Effects
        1. Showing Depth with Shadows
        2. Adding a Motion Blur
        3. Applying Filters with the Motion Editor
      4. Masking Effects
      5. Summary
        1. Q&A
      6. Workshop
        1. Quiz
        2. Quiz Answers
        3. Exercise
  9. III. Adding Interactivity and Video
    1. 16. Basic Interactivity
      1. Basic ActionScript
        1. Specifying Actions by Using Parameters
        2. Frame Actions
      2. Making Simple Buttons
      3. Listening for Events
        1. Understanding Event Handling
        2. Properties and Methods
        3. ActionScript Application
      4. Summary
        1. Q&A
      5. Workshop
        1. Quiz
        2. Quiz Answers
    2. 17. Introducing Components
      1. What Is a Component?
      2. Using the Button Component
      3. Using the RadioButton Component
      4. Changing Component Appearances
        1. Manually Editing Component Skins
        2. Setting the Style of a Single Component Instance
        3. Setting the Style of One Component Type
        4. Setting the Style of All Components
      5. Summary
        1. Q&A
      6. Workshop
        1. Quiz
        2. Quiz Answers
    3. 18. Using Components
      1. Using Data Providers
        1. Using the List Component
        2. Using the DataGrid Component
      2. Working with Other Components
        1. Using the ProgressBar Component
        2. Using the Slider Component
      3. Summary
        1. Q&A
      4. Workshop
        1. Quiz
        2. Quiz Answers
    4. 19. Using Video
      1. Embedding Video Versus Playing External Video
        1. Making Video Look Good
        2. Supported Formats
      2. Using Video
        1. Playing an Embedded Video
        2. Playing External .flv Videos
        3. Playing H.264-encoded, .mp4, and .mov Videos
        4. Adding Special Effects
        5. Optimizing Quality and File Size
        6. Using Outside Video Editors
      3. 3D Animation with Video
      4. Summary
        1. Q&A
      5. Workshop
        1. Quiz
        2. Quiz Answers
  10. IV. Putting It All Together for the Web
    1. 20. Linking a Movie to the Web
      1. Basic Publishing
      2. Simple Hyperlinks
        1. Flash Player Security
      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
      6. Uploading Files to a Web Server
      7. Summary
        1. Q&A
      8. Workshop
        1. Quiz
        2. Quiz Answers
    2. 21. Designing a Website to Be Modular
      1. Loading Movies or Images
      2. Determining When a Movie Is Fully Loaded
      3. Playing External Sounds
      4. Loading External Text
      5. Summary
        1. Q&A
      6. Workshop
        1. Quiz
        2. Quiz Answers
        3. Exercise
    3. 22. Minimizing File Size
      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. Summary
        1. Q&A
      3. Workshop
        1. Quiz
        2. Quiz Answers
    4. 23. Optimizing Performance
      1. Measuring Performance
      2. Impacts on Performance
        1. Being Creative
        2. Avoiding Gratuitous Special Effects
        3. Avoiding Streaming Sounds
        4. Graphic Issues
          1. Bigger Means Slower
          2. Using Vectors
          3. Using Optimize Curves
          4. Never Using Modify, Shape, Soften Fill Edges
          5. Avoiding Line Styles
      3. Summary
        1. Q&A
      4. Workshop
        1. Quiz
        2. Quiz Answers
    5. 24. Publishing a Creation
      1. How to Publish
        1. Ensuring Users Have the Flash Player
        2. Using Publish Templates
      2. Adding Metadata to Your Flash Creation
        1. The XMP Panel
      3. Choosing Which Version to Publish
      4. Deciding Which Media Types to Publish
        1. Publishing Flash (.swf) Files
        2. Publishing HTML Files
        3. Publishing GIF, JPG, and PNG Files
        4. Projectors
        5. QuickTime
      5. Exporting Other Media Types
        1. Publishing AVI Files
        2. Publishing Image Sequences
      6. Summary
        1. Q&A
      7. Workshop
        1. Quiz
        2. Quiz Answers
        3. Exercise
  11. Inside Front Cover
  12. Adobe® Flash® CS4 Professional Shortcuts

Product information

  • Title: Sams Teach Yourself Adobe Flash CS4 Professional in 24 Hours, Fourth Edition
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: May 2009
  • Publisher(s): Sams
  • ISBN: 9780768690552