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