Flash MX 2004 Tutorial

Here is a Flash MX 2004 Tutorial that takes you step-by-step, with screen shots, through the process of learning and using Flash to create and publish animations. It teaches you these Flash topics: basic drawing tools and the drawing environment; animation control using the timeline; frame-by-frame, shape tween, and motion tween animations; simple animation control using ActionScript; importing graphics into Flash; and publishing Flash animations in various formats. (319kb, 27 pages, pdf format)


Flash Tutorial Contents:
 - Introduction
 - Definitions
 - Using Flash
 - Basic Tools
 - Vector Graphics
 - Stage Elements and Properties
 - Layers
 - The Timeline
 - Frame-by-Frame Animation
 - Motion Tween Animation with Symbols
 - Editing Symbols
 - Motion Guide Animation
 - Frame Adjustments
 - Shape Tween Animation
 - Breaking Apart Symbols
 - More on Tweening
 - Importing Graphics into Flash
 - Introduction to ActionScript
 - Frame Actions: stop()
 - Button Actions: Event Handlers
 - Publishing Flash Files to the Internet
 - For More Information
 - Getting Additional Help

Here are the Flash Definitions from this document:
ActionScript - Adds interactivity and/or playback efficiency to a movie via coding. Similar to JavaScript, ActionScript is an object-oriented programming language.
Alpha effect – Adjusts the transparency of an instance.
Bitmaps - Images using colored dots, called pixels, arranged within a grid. Typical of most web graphics.
Breaking apart - Converts symbols into basic shapes so that shape tweening can be used.
Button symbol – Used to create interactive buttons in a movie that respond to mouse clicks or other actions.
Component - A pre-made movie clip that provides some functionality, such as a button, a scroll pane, or a progress bar. Components allow you to create animations with complex functionality, but with a minimum of effort.
Easing option – By default, the rate of change between tweened frames is constant. Easing creates a more natural appearance of transformation by gradually adjusting the rate of change.
Frame-by-Frame animation - An animation technique that involves subsequently creating a slightly altered image in sequence and then playing back the entire sequence.
Graphic symbol – Used for static images and to create reusable pieces of animation that are tied to the Timeline of the main movie.
Keyframe - A frame in which a change in an animation is defined. Keyframes are an important part of tweened animation.
Layer - Helps organize symbols and other separate animation entities by allowing you to draw and edit objects on one layer without affecting objects on another layer.
Library – Stores symbols, such as graphic symbols and button symbols, and allows you to view and organize these files as you work. Helps in selecting and copying instances of symbols on the main stage.
Motion guide – Lets you draw paths along which tweened instances, groups, or text blocks can be animated from one keyframe to another.
Motion tweening – To tween the changes in properties of instances, groups, and type, you use motion tweening. Flash can tween position, size, rotation, and skew of instances, groups, and type. Additionally, Flash can tween the color of instances and type, creating gradual color shifts or making an instance fade in or out.
Shape tweening – In shape tweening, you draw a shape at one point in time, and then you change that shape or draw another shape at another point in time. Flash interpolates the values or shapes for the frames in between, creating the “morphing” animation. Symbols must be broken apart before using shape tweening.
Symbol - A reusable graphical object that is stored in a Library. You can then create multiple instances of the symbol. There are three symbol types: graphic, button, and movie clip.
Timeline - Organizes and controls a movie’s content over time in layers and frames. The major components of the Timeline are layers, frames, and the playhead.
Vector graphic – Describes images using lines and curves, called vectors, which also include color and position properties. You can move, resize, reshape, and change the color of a vector graphic without changing the quality of its appearance.

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