IMPORTING IMAGES: Flash can import jpg, gif and png files. Flash can also import vector files such as those produced by Adobe Illustrator.

1. To import an image file into Flash, you would choose File > Import.
In the window that pops up, you will navigate around to find the image file you wish to import. Since Flash is a vector based program, any bitmap images you import will add to your final swf output's file size.

NOTE: It is recommended that you reduce the image size of the bitmap you want to import BEFORE you bring it into Flash. That means taking your image to Photoshop, resizing it, THEN importing to Flash. You can resize the look of images in Flash, but the file size is the same as the original imported size.

2. Other methods of getting files into your Flash movie is to copy the file in its original application and then paste it onto the main stage of your Flash movie, or drag and dropping from the desktop

USING THE TEXT TOOL:

1. To type a line of Text in Flash, select the "T" from the tool palate and then click on your main stage and begin typing. In the Properties palette, make sure you have selected "Static Text" from the drop down menu. Dynamic and Input text have different properties, so watch out when selecting.

NOTE: When you are in Flash Authoring mode (working on your .fla) Flash is looking at the fonts on your computer. If you work on your file at home, when you open it at shcool the school's computer may not have your font. Make sure to bring a copy of your font, or export your final .swf from your computer at home. Swf files don't need to draw upon computer system fonts, they contain the original font information.

USING THE DRAWING TOOLS: With Flash, you can use the oval and rectangle tools to create an object with a fill and stroke or just a fill or just a stroke. In Flash 8, at the bottom of your Tools is an Options section. You can select the Object Drawing option to group strokes and fills making Flash's drawing palette more like Illustrators.

Object Draw-
ing Option

Just like in Photoshop, Flash has layers. For this lesson, you will take each object you created in the last lesson and put each object on its own layer. Unlike Photoshop, Flash does not automatically lock each layer! If your layers are unlocked, you risk making changes on layers other than the one you are working on.

CREATE A SYMBOL

1. To create a symbol, select an object (don't forget the stroke if you have an object with a fill and stroke). In the menu bar choose Modify> Convert to Symbol. When the window comes up, give your symbol a name and click the radio button next to the word 'graphic'.

CREATE A MOTION TWEEN: To create a motion tween, your object MUST be a symbol and you can only have one symbol/object on a layer at a time. If you want to change the alpha of your symbol, you must make sure it is not simply a graphic object. Graphic objects such as text can be motion tweened, but you can not change the alpha.

1. Select an object on the stage in the first keyframe of a layer, then convert that object to a symbol.

2. Once you have a symbol on a layer, create a second keyframe out on frame number 20. To create a keyframe, you click on the appropriate frame in the timeline and from the menu bar you choose Insert >Timeline> Keyframe. With the second keyframe highlighted, move object to another place on the stage.

3. Return to the first keyframe, click on that keyframe in the timeline and in the properties bar, choose Insert>Timeline>Create Motion Tween.

CREATE A SHAPE TWEEN: To create a shape tween, your object CANNOT be a symbol. Also - watch out for the stroke when you draw an oval or a rectangle - it can affect your shape tween.

1. In the first keyframe of a layer, draw an object with your brush tool.

2. Create a second keyframe on that same layer further out on the timeline

3. In the second keyframe, use a different color and paint over the object you created in the first keyframe.

3. Return to the first keyframe, click on that keyframe in the timeline and in the properties bar, choose Tween > Shape.

Click here for Assignment 2 .fla

CREATE A MASK

1. Import image, object or drawing to be masked.

2. Insert a layer on top of your first layer.

3. Convert the top layer to a mask: Modify>Timeline>Layer Properties>Mask

4. Once you've created a mask layer, you will need to drag your content layer into the mask layer. It should look like the following image:

5. Draw into your mask layer.

6. Lock mask and content layers to see the results!

CREATE A MOTION GUIDE

1. Highlight any layer containing a motion tween. From the menu select Insert > Timeline > Motion Guide. A new layer will appear above your motion tween layer.

2. Lock your motion tween layer. In the motion guide layer above it, draw a simple path using the pencil tool.

3. Now unlock your motion tween layer. In the first keyframe of your motion tween, click and drag your symbol so that the symbol's crosshairs align with the start of the line you created in your motion tween layer.

4. In the second keyframe of your motion tween, align your symbol's crosshairs with the end point of your pencil line.

If your object drifts across the stage instead of following the guide, make sure your symbol is properly fitted to the beginning and end points of the pencil line.

Click here for Assignment 3 .fla

AD DING SOUND

Flash can import .wav, .m p3 and .aiff files among others.

1.In your timeline, create a keyframe for where you want your sound imported to.

2. To import sound into flash, from the menu bar, select File > Import and select the sound file you want.

3. Highlight the keyframe, then in drop down menu that appears next to 'Sound' in your properties bar, select the sound file you imported.. Once the file is in the timeline,you will see the wave patterns of your sound file.

4. If you wish your sound file to play without stopping, in the properties bar next to 'Sync' choose 'Event'. If you want your sound file to correspond with your main timeline, or if you want to be able to stop and play the sound, choose 'Stream'. For long files, you should always choose 'Stream'.

5. If you want to do simple editing on your sound file, click 'Edit' in the properties bar and a window will come up with the sound files waveform.

6. To do a simple fade in, you can click on the lines above each waveform layer. Once the square appears, you can drag it up or down according to how loudly you want your sound to play.

Click here for Assignment 4 .fla

ADDING BUTTONS

1. To add stop and play buttons to your movie, go to the menu bar and choose Window > Common Libraries > Buttons.fla.

2. Create a new layer and name it 'buttons'.

3. In the Buttons.fla library, double click the folder that says 'Playback'. In playback click and drag the buttons 'gel Right' and 'gel Stop' onto your main stage.

ADDING ACTIONS

Adding a stop action to your timeline prevents your movie from looping.

1. Create a new layer and name it 'actions'.

2. At the end of your movie, create a keyframe in the actions layer.

3. From the menubar, choose Windows > Actions. A window will appear. At the top of this window is a grey bar. At the far right of this grey bar is tiny arrow. Click on this arrow and make sure that 'Normal Mode' is highlighted.

4. In the left-hand side of the window, select Global Functions > Timeline Controls >and double click on 'Stop' . Once you do this, the word 'stop' should appear on the right hand side of the actions palette.

To control your buttons, you must:

5. Add an instance name in the Properties bar.LIke the name: play_btn and stop_btn

6. On the actions layer, in the first keyframe, type the following code:

play_btn.onPress = function(){
play();
}
stop_btn.onPress = function(){
stop();
}

Click here for Assignment 5 .fla

1. From the File > Publish Settings a window will appear. If you are going to use Dreamweaver to create your html page, you only need to check the .swf format.

2. Click on the tab labelled 'Flash' that appears atop the Publish Settings page. Make sure Flash 8 appears next to the word 'Version'. Hit OK.

3. From your movie, select File > Publish to create a swf file. Each time you do Test Movie or Publish, you create a swf file that replaces the previous swf file.

To incorporate your swf into an html page using Dreamweaver, you must first make sure you have copied your swf file into a folder next to your html documents.

4. I n Dreamweaver, select the area you wish your Flash movie to play in and from the menu bar, choose Insert > Media > Flash and choose your Flash swf file. The swf will not play in the Dreamweaver authoring environment.

1. To Import from a CD, open iTunes and click on your inserted CD.

2. In iTunes Preferences > Advanced go to the drop down bar "Import Using" and select either .wav or .aiff.

3. Go back to the iTunes window and in the menu bar and with the song you and selected go to Advanced > Convert Selection to .wav (or .aiff if that's what you've selected). Then search for your file in the iTunes library by looking in Music > iTunes Library > (and keep on searching)>

To edit your sound file, download Audacity from here.

4. In Audacity's menu bar choose File > Open. Once your sound file is open, select an area to work on with the tool that looks like an "I" beam. With part of your sound file selected, you can hit delete to remove it. This is good to remove long pauses in front of your audio, or for shortening the whole piece by removing extra material. You can also copy the selected area using Edit > Copy and then open File > New and Edit > Paste to place on the part of the file that you selected.

5. When you get the part of the sound file you want to use, go to File > Export as WAV. Give your file a name.wav and save it to your folder