Flash CS3: The Missing Manual
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Chapter 4: Organizing Frames and Layers
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Flash CS3, the latest version of the premier tool for creating web animations
and interactive web sites, can be intimidating to learn. This entertaining reference
tutorial provides a reader-friendly animation primer and a guided tour of all
the program's tools and capabilities. Beginners will learn to use the software
in no time, and experienced users will quickly take their skills to the next
level. The book gives Flash users of all levels hands-on instructions to help
them master:
- Special effects
- Morphing
- Adding audio and video
- Introducing interactivity
- And much more
With Flash CS3: The Missing Manual you'll be able to turn an idea
into a Flash animation, tutorial, or movie. This book will help you create online
tutorials, training materials and full-blown presentations. It also teaches
design principles throughout and helps you avoid elements that can distract
or annoy an audience.
This is the first new release of Flash since Adobe bought Macromedia, which
means that it's the first version that will integrate easily with other Adobe
products. It's a whole new ballgame when it comes to Flash, and Flash CS3:
The Missing Manual offers you complete and objective coverage. It's the
perfect companion to this powerful software.
Table of Contents
The Missing Credits
Introduction
Part One: Creating a Flash Animation
Chapter 1. Getting Around Flash
Starting Flash
A Tour of the Flash Desktop
Menu Bar
The Stage
Toolbars
Panels
Tools Panel
Accessibility Panel
Actions Panel/ActionScript Debugger Panel
Align Panel
Behaviors Panel
Color Mixer Panel/Color Swatches Panel
Common Libraries
Components Panel/Component Inspector Panel
History Panel
Info Panel
Library Panel
Movie Explorer Panel
Output Panel
Properties Panel/Filters Panel/Parameters Panel
Scene Panel
Transform Panel
The Timeline
The Flash CS3 Test Drive
Opening a Flash File
Exploring the Property Inspector
Resizing the Stage
Zooming In and Out
Playing an Animation
Saving a File
Chapter 2. Creating Simple Drawings
Planning Pays Off
Creating a Storyboard
Five Questions for a Better Result
Preparing to Draw
Customizing Your Stage
Choosing a Drawing Mode
Selecting Objects on the Stage
Essential Drawing Terms
Creating Original Artwork
Drawing and Painting with Tools
Aligning Objects with the Align Tools
Erasing Mistakes with the Erase Tool
Copying and Pasting Drawn Objects
Adding Color
Changing the Color of a Stroke (Line)
Changing the Color of a Fill
Chapter 3. Animating Your Drawings
Frame-by-Frame Animation
Frames and Keyframes
Creating a Frame-by-Frame Animation
Testing Your Frame-by-Frame Animation
Editing Your Frame-by-Frame Animation
Adding Layers to Your Animation
Creating Layers
Animating Automatically (Tweening)
Shape Tweening (Morphing)
Shape Hints
Motion Tweening
Part Two: Advanced Drawing and Animation
Chapter 4. Organizing Frames and Layers
Working with Frames
Copying and Pasting Frames
Moving Frames (Keyframes)
Editing Multiple Frames
Adding Content to Multiple Layers
Viewing Layers
Showing and Hiding Layers
Working with Layers
Renaming Layers
Copy and Paste a Layer
Reordering (Moving) Layers
Delete a Layer
Locking and Unlocking Layers
Organizing Layers
Outline View
Organizing Your Layers with Layer Folders
Chapter 5. Advanced Drawing and Coloring
Selecting Graphic Elements
The Selection Tool
The Subselection Tool
The Lasso Tool
Manipulating Graphic Elements
Modifying Object Properties
Moving, Cutting, Pasting, and Copying
Transforming Objects (Scaling, Rotating, Skewing, Distorting)
Stacking Objects
Converting Strokes to Fills
Aligning Objects
Adding Text to Your Drawing
Advanced Color and Fills
Color Basics
RGB and HSB
Creating Custom Colors
Saving Color Swatches
Using an Image as a Fill "Color"
Applying a Gradient
Importing a Custom Color Palette
Copying Color with the Eyedropper
Chapter 6. Adding Special Effects
Built-in Timeline Effects
Distributed Duplicate (Tumbling)
Blur
Expand
Explode
Transform (Shape Tween)
Transition (Fade/Wipe)
Modifying a Timeline Effect
Deleting a Timeline Effect
Spotlight Effect Using Mask Layers
Adding a Motion Path to a Mask
Chapter 7. Reusable Flash: Symbols and Templates
Symbols and Instances
Graphic Symbols
Multiframe Graphic Symbols
Movie Clip Symbols
Button Symbols
Templates
Using a Prebuilt Template
Creating and Using Your Own Custom Template
Chapter 8. Incorporating Non-Flash Media Files
Incorporating Graphics
Importing Illustrator Graphics Files
Importing Photoshop Graphic Files
Editing Bitmaps
Importing a Series of Graphics Files
Incorporating Sound
Importing Sound Files
Adding an Imported Sound to a Frame (or Series of Frames)
Editing Sound Clips in Flash
Incorporating Video
Preparing to Import Video Files
Importing Video Files
Editing Embedded Video
Part Three: Adding Interactivity
Chapter 9. Automating Flash with ActionScript
How ActionScript Works
Adding an Action
Adding a Prebuilt Behavior
Chapter 10. Controlling Animation
Slowing Down (or Speeding Up) Animation
Setting a Frame Rate
Organizing an Animation
Working with Scenes
Working with Labeled Frames
Looping a Series of Frames
Reversing a Series of Frames
Using Modify > Timeline > Reverse Frames
Using ActionScript
Chapter 11. Interacting with Your Audience
Dynamic Text
Input Text
Tying Actions to Events
Triggering an Event When Your Audience Clicks a Button
Creating Hotspots and Rollovers
Tying an Event to a Component
Chapter 12. Components for Interactivity
The Built-in Components
Data Components
Media and Video Components
User Interface Components
Adding Components
Customizing Components
Customizing Components Using the Properties and Parameters Panels
Customizing Components Using the Component Inspector
Customizing Components Using the Actions Panel
Finding Additional Components
Part Four: Delivering Your Animation to Its Audience
Chapter 13. Testing and Debugging
Testing Strategies
Planning Ahead
Techniques for Better Testing
Testing on the Stage
Testing in Flash Player
Testing Inside a Web Page
Testing Download Time
Simulating Downloads
The Art of Debugging
Using the trace( ) Statement
Displaying Property Names and Values
Setting and Using Breakpoints
Chapter 14. Publishing and Exporting
Optimizing Flash Documents
Ten Optimization Strategies
Publishing Your Animations
Publishing as a Compiled Flash (.swf) File
Publishing as a Web Page
Publishing a Frame as a Static Image File
Publishing as an Animated GIF
Publishing as a Standalone Projector
Exporting Flash to Other Formats
Exporting the Contents of a Single Frame
Exporting an Entire Animation
Part Five: Appendixes
Appendix A. Installation and Help
Appendix B. Flash CS3, Menu by Menu
Index
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