Flash 8 : graphics, animation, and interactivity

Through five releases of Macromedia's industry-standard Web graphics software program, James Mohler has become the indispensable resource for those looking to master the power of Flash. Flash:8 Graphics, Animation & Interactivity delivers Mohler's widely praised hands-on approach to learning for the newest version of Macromedia Flash. Exercises and examples in the book, and the on back-of-the book CD, combined with step-by-step explanations, provide the best of both worlds-not just telling you how flash works, but showing you as well. For those new to flash, there are plenty of exercises designed to quickly get users up to speed quickly. Intermediate and advanced Flash users will find new exercises that demonstrate the latest features of version 8 as well as a valuable series of examples that illustrate some of the more complex elements of the software. The book features chapters on graphic techniques, bitmap graphic integration, typography and text, symbols, libraries, sound, animation, interactive techniques-plus an essential introduction to Flash's internal scripting language, Action Script.

Introduction	p. xix
Chapter 1 An Overview of Flash	p. 1
Introduction	p. 1
Objectives	p. 2
The Realities of Web Delivery	p. 2
Designing for Your Audience	p. 3
The Nuts and Bolts of Connections and Speeds	p. 4
For Whom Are You Developing?	p. 6
Flash: The De Facto Standard	p. 8
A Vector Environment	p. 8
Other Benefits of Vector Graphics	p. 8
Resolution Independence	p. 11
Bitmap Graphics	p. 13
Animation	p. 13
Sound	p. 13
Video Integration	p. 14
Interactivity and UI Componentry	p. 14
Scripting	p. 15
What's New in Flash?	p. 16
Flash Basic and Flash Pro	p. 16
Flash Features	p. 17
Summary	p. 17
Chapter 2 Getting Started	p. 19
Introduction	p. 19
Objectives	p. 19
The Flash Interface	p. 20
The Toolbar	p. 21
The Timeline	p. 21
The Stage	p. 22
Panels	p. 22
Interface Customization	p. 24
Panel Groups	p. 26
Setting Up Your Work Environment	p. 26
Preferences	p. 26
Auto Format	p. 29
Clipboard	p. 30
Document Properties	p. 35
Keyboard Shortcuts	p. 36
Font Mapping	p. 37
Working with Flash Movies	p. 37
Timeline Playback Basics	p. 38
Movies with Scenes	p. 40
Movies with Symbols	p. 42
The Flash Pipeline	p. 43
Information/Assistance Resources	p. 44
Sources in Flash	p. 44
Sources at Macromedia	p. 44
Summary	p. 45
Chapter 3 Flash Basics	p. 47
Introduction	p. 47
Objectives	p. 47
Traditional Vector Versus Flash	p. 48
Point Versus Natural Drawing	p. 48
Detached Fills	p. 48
Object Drawing Models	p. 49
Interactions of Base Elements	p. 49
Shape Recognition	p. 50
Basic Tools	p. 50
Controlling the View	p. 51
Zoom and Pan Tools	p. 51
Other Methods of Stage Control	p. 52
The Work Area	p. 53
Selecting Objects	p. 54
Arrow Tool	p. 54
Moving Endpoints and Shaping Objects	p. 54
Subselection Tool	p. 60
Commonalities with Other Applications	p. 63
View Settings	p. 63
Grouping Objects	p. 65
The Flash Environment Hierarchy	p. 66
Movies	p. 66
Scenes	p. 66
Layers	p. 67
Objects in Layers	p. 74
Stage Objects: Unioning and Subtracting	p. 76
Drawing Objects	p. 78
Summary of Object Hierarchy	p. 78
Working with Overlay Objects	p. 79
Arranging (Z-Order)	p. 79
Locking and Aligning	p. 80
Breaking	p. 80
Distributing Objects to Layers	p. 81
Transforming Objects	p. 81
Moving with the Info Panel	p. 82
Free Transform Tool	p. 82
Modify \| Transform Menu Options	p. 84
The Transform Panel	p. 85
Neat Tricks for Transformations	p. 86
Summary	p. 90
Chapter 4 Drawing and Painting Tools	p. 91
Introduction	p. 91
Objectives	p. 92
The Properties Panel	p. 92
Color in Flash	p. 94
Default Colors	p. 95
Defining Colors	p. 98
Using Colors	p. 104
Creating Lines and Arcs	p. 105
Line Tool	p. 105
Pencil Tool	p. 107
Pen Tool	p. 108
Modifying Points with the Pen Tool	p. 109
Creating Lines with Fills	p. 109
Oval Tool	p. 109
Rectangle and PolyStar Tools	p. 111
"Drawing" Fills Using the Brush Tool	p. 112
Brush Modes	p. 113
Locking Fills	p. 114
Tools for Editing	p. 114
Ink Bottle Tool	p. 114
Paint Bucket Tool	p. 115
Transform Fill Tool	p. 116
Dropper Tool	p. 117
Eraser Tool	p. 118
Direct Selection and Editing	p. 120
Other Editing Features and Notes	p. 120
Rulers, Grids, and Guides	p. 120
Align Panel	p. 120
Shapes Submenu	p. 121
Importing Vector Graphics into Flash	p. 123
Summary	p. 125
Chapter 5 Working with Text	p. 127
Introduction	p. 127
Objectives	p. 127
Types of Text in Flash	p. 128
Using the Text Tool	p. 128
Properties of the Text Tool	p. 129
Entering Text Labels and Blocks	p. 130
Dynamic Text	p. 134
Dynamic Text Properties	p. 134
Creating Dynamic Text Fields	p. 135
Creating Input Text Objects	p. 136
Manipulating Text Objects	p. 138
Transforming Text Objects	p. 138
Breaking Text Apart	p. 138
HTML Text Support	p. 139
Fonts and Font Mapping	p. 140
Embedded and Device Fonts	p. 140
Substituting Fonts	p. 142
Storing Fonts for Authoring	p. 143
Summary	p. 143
Chapter 6 Symbols and Libraries	p. 145
Introduction	p. 145
Objectives	p. 146
The Power of Symbols and Libraries	p. 146
Symbol Behaviors (Types)	p. 146
Symbols in the Current File	p. 147
Process for Creating Symbols	p. 147
Editing Symbols	p. 151
Registration of Symbols	p. 152
Different Symbols, Different Purposes	p. 153
Graphic Symbols	p. 153
Button Symbols	p. 154
Movie Clip Symbols	p. 156
Special Symbol Issues	p. 159
Redefining Symbols	p. 159
Swapping Symbols	p. 160
The "Color" of Symbols	p. 161
Blending	p. 161
Compound or Nested Symbols	p. 161
Breaking Symbols Apart	p. 162
Understanding Libraries	p. 162
Importing Symbols from Other Libraries	p. 163
Using the Library Panel and Menu	p. 166
Default Libraries	p. 168
Shared Libraries	p. 169
Other Assets in Libraries	p. 175
Font Symbols	p. 175
Summary of Library Concepts	p. 177
Summary	p. 178
Chapter 7 Bitmap Graphics	p. 179
Introduction	p. 179
Objectives	p. 179
Attributes of Raster Graphics	p. 180
Image Resolution	p. 180
Bit Depth	p. 181
File Size	p. 181
Alpha Data	p. 182
Compression	p. 182
File Formats	p. 183
Preparing Raster Graphics	p. 184
Sizing Raster Images (Resolution)	p. 184
Changing Color Modes (Bit Depth)	p. 186
Getting Bitmaps into Flash	p. 187
Importing Images	p. 187
Choosing a File Format	p. 187
Setting Default Properties in the Library	p. 191
Using Bitmaps in Flash	p. 193
Tracing Bitmaps	p. 193
Breaking Bitmaps Apart	p. 194
Notes Concerning Bitmaps	p. 195
Summary	p. 196
Chapter 8 Sound Elements	p. 197
Introduction	p. 197
Objectives	p. 197
Understanding Computer Audio	p. 198
Types	p. 198
Sampling Rate	p. 199
Bit Depth	p. 201
Sampling for Flash	p. 202
Sampling Digital Audio	p. 204
Tools for Editing and Creation	p. 204
Recording Your Own Clips	p. 204
Prepping Clips for Use	p. 206
DC Offset	p. 207
Cropping	p. 208
Normalizing Audio	p. 208
Effects	p. 209
Resampling	p. 209
Equalization	p. 209
Saving	p. 211
Importing Sound into Flash	p. 211
Associating Sounds with Frames	p. 213
Synchronization of Graphics and Audio	p. 215
Sound Settings in the Properties Panel	p. 216
Sync: Event Versus Streaming Sounds	p. 216
Effect	p. 218
Edit (Envelope)	p. 218
Looping and Repeating	p. 220
Flash Sound Settings	p. 221
Library Sound Properties	p. 221
Compression Options	p. 222
Export Movie Options	p. 225
Summary	p. 226
Chapter 9 2D Animation and Effects	p. 227
Introduction	p. 227
Objectives	p. 227
Creating a Basic Animation in Flash	p. 228
Creating Layers	p. 229
Naming Layers	p. 229
"Moving" Objects to a New Layer	p. 230
Working with Frames	p. 231
Cel Animation Tools	p. 237
Creating the Frame-by-Frame Movement	p. 240
Onion Skin and Onion Skin Outlines	p. 241
Copying, Pasting, and Reversing Frames	p. 242
Edit Multiple Frames: Sizing Entire Animations	p. 244
Motion Tweens	p. 246
Setting Up a Motion Tween	p. 247
Setting Up the Tween in the Frame Panel	p. 248
Other Tween Settings in the Properties Panel	p. 250
Applying Color Effects	p. 251
Filters and Blends	p. 254
Understanding Guide Layers	p. 258
Understanding Mask Layers	p. 262
Shape Tweens	p. 264
Using Shape Tweening	p. 264
Shape Hints	p. 266
Timeline Effects	p. 267
Manually Creating Animated Effects	p. 269
Animated Text Effects	p. 269
Hard Blurs	p. 270
Soft Blurs	p. 272
Rolling Credits	p. 274
A Mask for Any Occasion: Transitions	p. 277
Fading and Dissolving	p. 277
Wipe or Reveal	p. 278
Push/Cover	p. 280
Shape Defines Transition	p. 282
More on Masks	p. 283
A More Realistic Spotlight	p. 283
Magnify	p. 284
Advanced Motion Guide Layers	p. 285
Atom Animation	p. 285
Simulating 3D	p. 287
Shadows	p. 288
Reflections	p. 289
Summary	p. 290
Chapter 10 3D Animations and Flash	p. 291
Introduction	p. 291
Objectives	p. 292
Methods of Creating/Simulating 3D	p. 292
Construction	p. 284
Raster Images	p. 294
Vector via Manual Tracing	p. 295
Vector Rasterization: Automatic Tracing	p. 296
Vector from 3D Packages	p. 297
Vector from Other Packages	p. 306
Summary	p. 309
Chapter 11 Video and Flash	p. 311
Introduction	p. 311
Objectives	p. 311
Attributes of Digital Video	p. 311
Image Attributes	p. 312
Audio Attributes	p. 314
Video Specifics	p. 314
Preparing Video for Use	p. 318
Digitizing Video	p. 319
Software	p. 320
Tips and Notes About Video	p. 321
Importing Video into Flash	p. 322
Loading to Stage or Library	p. 322
Embedding Video	p. 322
Video Clip Instance Properties	p. 332
Controlling Video with Actions	p. 334
Summary	p. 335
Chapter 12 Testing, Integration, and Distribution	p. 337
Introduction	p. 337
Objectives	p. 338
Test, Test, and Test Again	p. 338
Testing in Flash	p. 339
Playing in Flash	p. 339
Using Test Movie and Test Scene	p. 340
Distributing Your Movies	p. 341
Using the Flash Player	p. 341
Creating Projectors	p. 342
QuickTime	p. 342
Web Delivery	p. 343
SWF Versus FLA	p. 344
Using Export Movie	p. 344
Version	p. 344
Load Order	p. 345
ActionScript Version	p. 345
Generate Size Report	p. 346
Protect from Import	p. 346
Omit Trace Actions	p. 346
Debugging Permitted and Password Field	p. 346
Compress Movie	p. 347
Image Compression	p. 347
Audio Compression	p. 349
SWF to EXE (Projector)	p. 350
Exporting Images	p. 350
Cross-platform Issues	p. 351
Web Delivery	p. 352
Integration Versus Optimization	p. 352
Publishing with Flash	p. 353
Publish Settings	p. 353
Formats Tab	p. 354
Flash Tab	p. 354
HTML Tab	p. 355
GIF Tab	p. 359
JPEG Tab	p. 362
PNG Tab	p. 362
QuickTime Tab	p. 364
Using the Publish Command	p. 365
Writing HTML	p. 365
Embed Versus Object	p. 365
EMBED Attributes/Object Parameters	p. 369
Working with Publish Templates	p. 370
Examining and Creating Templates	p. 371
Streaming, Testing, and Playback	p. 372
Closely Examining the Size Report	p. 374
Bandwidth Profiling	p. 378
Optimizing Your Files	p. 381
General Tips	p. 382
Tips for Bitmaps	p. 382
Tips for Audio Snippets	p. 383
Tips for Vector Elements	p. 384
Tips for Video	p. 385
Summary	p. 385
Chapter 13 Introduction to ActionScripting	p. 387
Introduction	p. 387
Objectives	p. 388
ActionScript: A Holistic View	p. 388
Terminology	p. 388
What Does Object-oriented Mean?	p. 390
What Defines an Object?	p. 390
Flash Objects	p. 391
Built-in Objects: Environment Versus Programming	p. 393
Where Scripts Are Placed	p. 395
Frame and Instance Code	p. 395
Adding an Action	p. 397
Using the Actions Panel	p. 399
Behaviors	p. 406
Using the Behaviors Panel	p. 406
Actions Panel: A Closer Look	p. 407
Code Hints	p. 408
Syntax Highlighting	p. 408
External Authoring of Scripts	p. 408
Precedence in the Flash Environment	p. 409
Movie Clip and Button Mouse Clicks	p. 410
Movie Clip and Button Key Events	p. 413
Movie Clip and Frame Events	p. 414
Multiple Movie Clips	p. 415
A Summary of Flash Precedence	p. 416
ActionScript Syntax Issues	p. 417
Brackets, Semicolons, Parentheses, and Simplification	p. 418
Case Sensitivity	p. 419
Comments	p. 420
Dealing with Dot Syntax and Targets	p. 421
Programming Fundamentals	p. 427
Variables	p. 427
Expressions	p. 434
Operators	p. 435
Statements	p. 440
Functions	p. 451
Summary	p. 455
Chapter 14 Working with Actions	p. 457
Introduction	p. 457
Objectives	p. 457
Additional Tools for Scripting	p. 458
Movie Explorer	p. 458
Debugger	p. 461
Timeline Control Actions	p. 464
gotoAndPlay() and gotoAndStop()	p. 464
play() and stop()	p. 466
stopAllSounds()	p. 466
Applying Movie Control Actions	p. 466
Adding Labels to a Movie	p. 467
Applying play(), stop(), and goto	p. 468
Browser/Network Actions	p. 471
getURL()	p. 471
loadMovie() and unloadMovie()	p. 477
loadVariables() and loadVariablesNum()	p. 484
fscommand()	p. 485
Movie Clip Control	p. 495
duplicateMovieClip() and removeMovieClip()	p. 495
setProperty()	p. 496
startDrag(), stopDrag(), and updateAfterEvent()	p. 497
Summary	p. 498
Chapter 15 Printing and Accessibility	p. 499
Introduction	p. 499
Objectives	p. 499
Printing Screen Content	p. 499
The Quandary	p. 500
An Issue of Control	p. 500
Printing in Flash	p. 500
Print-focused Actions	p. 501
print() and printAsBitmap()	p. 502
printNum() and printAsBitmapNum()	p. 503
Controlling What Is Printed	p. 504
#p and #b	p. 504
!#p	p. 505
Using Invisible Movies	p. 505
Accessibility	p. 506
Flash Objects and Accessibility	p. 507
Screen Readers	p. 507
Closed Captioning	p. 507
Technology	p. 507
Accessible Objects	p. 508
Setting Accessibility in Flash	p. 508
Summary	p. 510
Glossary	p. 511
Appendix A Skewing Angles for Elements	p. 529
Appendix B Deprecated Actions	p. 543
Appendix C Key Code Values	p. 545
Appendix D About the Companion CD-ROM	p. 547
Index	p. 553

Available:*

On Order

Summary

Summary

Table of Contents