Flash
Class Description:
This class will introduce students to the basics of Adobe Flash, the most ubiquitous plugin on the Web, capable of delivering interactive graphics, text, animation, audio, and video over the web in completely customizable environment. Freed from the conventions of HTML/CSS, you’ll gain the fundamental tools to push your ideas to the web. Yes, your site CAN look like the third level of Galaga, a dissected frog, or a Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine, no problem!
Since this will be an introductory course, Flash’s internal scripting language, ActionScript, will be covered minimally. Almost all animation/transformations/filters demonstrated will be timeline based, although the ActionScript alternatives will be mentioned. The main goal of this course is to open up the program to the beginner willing to go through an in-depth overview.
Students will build and upload an interactive “portfolio” site that will display their experiments in the following sections: textual layout, imported graphics (vector and bitmap), character animation, audio, and video.
1st Session
What is Flash? - The Authoring Environment
Stage
- Testing/publishing your movie, Format options
- Stage resizing concepts
- Background color
- Rulers, Guides, Layers.
- Layer Types (folders, guides, motion guides)
- Layer Viewing Options
Timeline
- Timeline View Options (Onion Skining, animation previews)
- Controlling the Timeline
- Keyframes, Labels, Shortcuts, Comments
Panels, Windows, Layout Preferences
- Stacking/grouping Panels
- The Property Inspector
- Customizing Layout
Shapes, Drawing Objects, Groups
- Tool Panel
- Drawing in Flash (Shape Tools, Pen/Brush/Eraser, snap-to prefs)
- Grouping, breaking apart
Shapes, Drawing Objects, Groups
- Tool Panel
- Drawing in Flash (Shape Tools, Pen/Brush/Eraser, snap-to prefs)
- Grouping, breaking apart
Importing Artwork
- Accepted file formats (AI, PS, PNG, image formats)
- Import sample files
- Optimizing Vector art
- Behavior in the Library
- Trace bitmap
Masking
- Accepted mask shape
Working With Text
- Format options
- Breaking into shapes for Masking and Animation
- Static versus Dynamic
- Anti-aliasing (Animation vs Readability
Class Project:
Project 1: Creating a Page Layout
Homework:
follow this tutorial from the Adobe Website.
bring it to our next class
2nd Session
Symbols/Animation
Symbols/Instances, the Library
- Symbol/Library concepts
- Editing/Swapping/Renaming Symbols
- Modifying Instance Properties
- Filters
- Nested Symbols
- Compound animation
- Simple AS loop techniques
Tweening
- Motion versus Shape Tweenin
- Tweening options (rotate, scale, etc.)
- Framerate Concepts
- Processor speed affects actual playback.
- Preparing Imported Artwork
Animation Concepts
- Perspective, spatial illusion
- Animated Background Loop
- Animated masks
- Cutting up an animal shape/image, importing and animating
Class Project:
Project 2: Creating an Animated Card
(insert sample .swf + .fla)
Homework:
- Check out the the Flash Animation Learning Guide in the Adobe Website.
- download the Sample Files.
- bring an animation to class that uses at least three animation techniques found ont he learning guide and sample files.
3rd Session
Interactivity
Navigation Concepts
- Best practices in HTML layouts carry over to Flash (”Where are the buttons?”)
Basic ActionScript
- Frame Labels
- goToAndStop/Play
- getURL
- The Scope Chain, (_parent, _root, _global)
- Controlling Movie Clips with other Movie Clips.
Buttons
- Basic Native Symbol Button
- Animated Background Loop
- Animated masks
- Movie Clip animations triggered from Invisible buttons.
Class Project:
Project 3: Creating an Animated Button, Adding Actions to Navigate the Timeline
(insert sample .swf + .fla)
if you were absent: follow this tutorial
HOMEWORK
No Homework
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
*** PLEASE DISREGARD ANYTHING BELOW THIS ***
Bring a detailed site map. see the example below. it doesn’t have to look that pretty, and you can ignore the specs part, but use it as a guide. you can enlarge it by clicking on it.
Bring a mock-up of your site. either using photoshop or pencil and paper.
examples:
4th Session
We’ll dedicate this class to making an XML flash gallery.
please follow the link below to access the tutorial:
http://www.kirupa.com/developer/mx2004/xml_flash_photogallery.htm
(insert sample .swf + .fla)
5th Session
We’ll dedicate this class to making an XML Mp3 Player
click here to download the source files.