Macromedia Flash 5.0

Flash is a 2D vector and photo manipulation application software developed by Macromedia Company. Flash is a hybrid bet or vector drawing program such as freehand or illustrator and photo manipulation program such as Photoshop. It is also an interactive multimedia authoring program. It's a sophisticated animation program suitable for creating a range of animations simple web ornaments to broadcast quality cartoons.

Animation: - Animation is a kind of motion or change due to a series or a sequence of image played over a period of time.

The application name or internal name of the flash is flash.exe.

The file format or extension for the flash is .fla or swf.

Getting Start

1.      Click on Start button

2.      Click on Run

3.      Type Flash at the run dialog box

4.      Click on Ok button.

or,

1. Click on Start / Program / Macromedia / Flash

Flash drawing and painting tools

Flash provides various tools for drawing freeform or precise lines, shapes, and paths, and painting filled objects.

Arrow  tool  :-Arrow tool can be used to reshape a line by pulling on the line itself or on its end points, curves, or corners. It can also be used to select move and reshape lines, etc.
Arrow tool has 5 sub options. The are : Magnet, smooth, Straighten, Rotate and Scale.
Magnet Modifier : This button is a toggle button that causes the items being drawn or moved on screen to snap to an invisible, user-defined grid.
Smooth Modifier : This is a button used to simplify selected curves. Smoothing reduces the number of bumps and variations along the span of a complex curve so that the curve spans the same distance with fewer points.
Straighten Modifier : This is a button which is used to make selected line segments less curved. This button operates on the same principle as the Smooth button, except that it is used for straightening instead of smoothing a selected line segments.
Rotate Modifier  : this button is used to initiate the rotation of a selected line, item, group, symbols or object.
Scale Modifier : This button is used to initiate scaling of a selected line, shape, group, symbol, button, object, or other item. When the Scale button is clicked, the item is put into scale mode, and handles appear for scaling of the time.
Scale and Rotate : You can use scale and rotate dialog box, which is under modify menu, Transform, Rotate and Scale, that combines the properties of both the rotate and Scale Modifier button into one tool. This dialog box enables you to input numeric values for the amount of scale and transformation.
Subselection  :- It is used to select more than one items.
Line  : Drawing with the Line tool creates a perfectly straight line that extends from the starting point to the end point.
Lasso :  It is used to group-select odd or irregular shaped areas of your drawing. After the areas are selected, they can be moved, scaled, Rotated, or reshaped as a single unit. The Lasso tool can also be used to split shapes or select portions of a line or shape.
This tool has 3 options: Polygon Lasso, Magic Wand and the Magic wand properties.
Polygon Modifier : Selection by clicking mouse button. Double click to complete the selection.
Magic wand Modifier : Selects the similar colors by click mouse button.
Magic wand properties. This has 2 settings: Threshold and Smoothing.s
Pen  :  This tool can be used to draw straight line segments, you create anchor points, points on the line that determine the length of individual line segments
Text  : -  This tool can be used to type or insert any text through the keyboard.
Oval : - To draw oval and circle objects.
Rctangle : - To draw rectangle objects.
Pencil :-  It is used to draw lines and shapes. This tool has a option in the form of Pencil Mode.

Brush :- To brush or painting on the object.
Ink Bottle :-  To apply or give the line color
Paint Bucket  :- To fill color on the object.

Eye Dropper: To pick the color from the object

Eraser   : Removes strokes and fills. You can quickly remove everything on the Stage, erase individual stroke segments or filled areas, or erase by dragging.

Hand  :   To move the screen.

Zoom tool :-  Zooming the screen.

Stroke Color  :- To apply or select the color of the line

Fill Color :- To apply or fill the color on the object.

Opening New document, Open file and saving file

Steps:

1. Click on File--> select New for new document
2. Select Open for open an existing document
3. Select Save for saving current file

Open as library

To open flash movie file as library use this command.

Steps:

1. Click on file menu
2. Click on Open as Library
3. Select .Fla file and click on Open  button

Importing File

You need to import file into flash from different sources (or format such as MP3, Dat, Avi etc.)

Steps:

1. Click on file menu
2. Click on Import

Then a import dialog box will appear

3. Click on all file drop down list box and select the required file
4. Click on Open button

5.      Click on Windows menu 

6. Click on Library
7. Drag sound file or other file

Export file

You need to save file in different format to be open another application. To do this use Export command.

Steps:

1. Click on File menu
2. Click on Export Movie

Then a dialog box will appear

3. Select the file format from the drop down list box and type the file name
4. Click on Save

Export Image

Steps:

1. Click on File menu
2. Click on Export Image

Then a export image dialog box dill appear

3. Select file format from the drop down list box and type the file name and click  on Save

Publish Setting

If you want to save file in different format and open in different application then you need to publish setting.

Steps:

1. Click on File menu
2. Click on Publish Setting

Then a publish setting dialog box will appear

3. Click on Format and tick on the required format
4. And specify the other options and click on  Publish --> Ok

Publish Preview

Preview your flash movie by using publish Preview command

Steps:

1. Click on file menu
2. Click on Publish Preview
3. Then select the format to preview

Note :To generate the file  Click on Publish from file menu

Page Setup

 As another application program you can also set the page margin, paper size, Paper orientation etc.

Printing

You can also print your flash movie.

Print Preview

To view the document before print use this command from file menu

Creating or Making Duplicate

You can duplicate the object in flash movie.

Steps:

1. Select required object
2. Click on Edit menu
3. Click on Duplicate

Creating a tween Motion

Steps:

1. Draw an object
2. Insert keyframe(F6) at required frame number
3. Select that object and place at another place
4. Select the keyframe(pressing shift +mouse button)
5. Click on right button at highlighted key frame.
6. Select Create Motion Tween

Text Movie (Ctrl + Enter)

The text movie command lets you to play the movie which is made by flash.

Adding Guide Layer

The motion guide layer lets you to draw a shape line from object to end object. Then that object will be play or move over that line.

Steps:

1. Create an object and animate it by using tween motion
2. Insert guide layer (insertàMotion Guide)

 Or,

 Click on Add guide layer button on the time line window

3. Pick pencil tool from toolbar and draw starting object to end object.

Creating Spot light animation

Steps:

1. Type the text by using text tool
2. Give the keyframe number (F6)
3. Add a layer (Insert / Layer)
4. Draw an object over the text
5. Create it motion tween from starting text to ending text.
6. If you need to change background then use modify àMovie
7. Drag the object layer down to the text movie.

Shaping an Object

The shape command lets you to change one object to the another object.

Steps:

1. Insert or create an object
2. Give the keyframe (F6)
3. Delete that object (Delete key)
4. Insert or draw another object add them, Click on modify
5. Click on Instance
6. Then select the shape command from drop down list box from frame option.

Movie Properties

Sometimes you need to change the background of the page, change the page document, rate of the keyframe, to do this you need to use movie command from modify menu.

Steps:

1. Click on Modify menu
2. Click on Movie

Then a dialog box appear.

3. Specify the required option and then click on Ok button.

Break Apart

The break apart command lets you to break the object into many parts. So that it can be easily erased and can be shape etc.

Steps:

1. Select an Object
2. Click n Modify menu
3. Click on break apart (Ctrl + B).

Insert Layer

Steps:

1. Click on Insert menu
2. Click on Layer

Or,

Click on Plus button from time line window.

Adding Guide Layer

Steps:

1. Click on  Insert menu
2. Click on Motion Guide

 Adding sounds to a movie

To add sound to a movie, you assign a sound to a layer and set options in the Sound panel. It is recommended that you place each sound on a separate layer.
Steps:

1. Choose Insert > Layer to create a layer for the sound.
2. With the new sound layer selected, drag the sound from the library onto the Stage. The sound is added to the current layer.
3. You can place multiple sounds on one layer, or on layers containing other objects.
4. Choose Window > Panels > Sound.
   
5. In the Sound panel, choose a sound file from the Sound pop-up menu.
6. Choose an effect option from the Effects pop-up menu:

None applies no effects to the sound file. Choose this option to remove previously applied effects.

1. Left Channel/Right Channel plays sound in the left or right channel only.
2. Fade Left to Right/Fade Right to Left shifts the sound from one channel to the other.
3. Fade In gradually increases the amplitude of a sound over its duration.
4. Fade Out gradually decreases the amplitude of a sound over its duration.
5. Custom lets you create your own In and Out points of sound using the Edit Envelope.
6. Choose a synchronization option from the Sync pop-up menu:

a.    Event synchronizes the sound to the occurrence of an event. An event sound plays when its starting key frame is first displayed and plays in its entirety, independently of the Timeline, even if the movie stops. Event sounds are mixed when you play your published movie.

b.    An example of an event sound is a sound that plays when a user clicks a button.

c.    Start is the same as Event, except that if the sound is already playing, a new instance of the sound is started.

d.    Stop silences the specified sound.

Stream synchronizes the sound for playing on a Web site. Flash forces animation to keep pace with stream sounds.

Note: If you use an MP3 sound as a stream sound, you must recompress the sound for export. C

8. Enter a value for Loop to specify the number of times the sound should loop.

Adding sounds to buttons

You can associate sounds with the different states of a button symbol. Because the sounds are stored with the symbol, they work for all instances of the symbol.
Steps:

1. Select the button in the library.
2. Choose Edit from the Library Options menu.
3. In the button's Timeline, add a layer for sound.
4. In the sound layer, create a regular or blank keyframe to correspond to the button state to which you want to add a sound.

For example, to add a sound that plays when the button is clicked, create a keyframe in the frame labeled down.

5. Click the key frame you have just created.
6. Choose Window > Panels > Sound.
7. In the Sound panel, choose a sound file from the Sound pop-up menu.
8. Choose Event from the Synchronization pop-up menu.

Creating a Symbol

You can create a symbol from selected objects on the Stage, or you can create an empty symbol and make or import the content in symbol-editing mode. Symbols can have all the functionality that you can create with Flash, including animation.

Steps:

1 - Select an element or several elements on the Stage and choose Insert > Convert to Symbol.

2 - In the Symbol Properties dialog box, type the name of the symbol and choose the behavior—Graphic, Button, or Movie Clip.

3 - Click OK.

Creating a new empty symbol

1. Choose Insert > New Symbol.

2. Click the New Symbol button at the bottom left of the Library window.

3. Choose New Symbol from the Library Options menu in the upper right corner of the Library window.

In the Symbol Properties dialog box, type the name of the symbol and choose the behavior—Graphic, Button, or Movie Clip.

4. Click OK.

5. To create the symbol content, use the Timeline, draw with the drawing tools, import media, or create instances of other symbols.

5 -When you have finished creating the symbol content, do one of the following to return to movie-editing mode:

6. Choose Edit > Edit Movie.

7. Click the Scene button in the upper left corner of the document window

Creating  A Button

You need to create a button for linking  another  files.

Steps:

1. Create an object.
2. Select that object and click on Insert menu
3. Click on  Convert to symbol

then a dialog box will appear.

Tick on at button radio button

4. Click on Ok button
5. Double click on that button
6. Then  symbol scene will  appear.
7. There you can see UP, Over, Down & hit.
8. Give the frame at option and change the color of button or shape of the button for animation.

Stroke Command

The Stroke command lets you to make the line in different style ( thick ness, Dash, color etc.).

Steps:

1. Select Line
2. Click on Window
3. Click on Panel and select Stroke command

Then a stroke dialog box will appear.

4. Select stroke style and specify the required option

Fill command

The fill command lets you to fill the color on the box. Such as rectangle, oval, circle etc.

Steps:

1. Select object to which you want to fill color.
2. Click on  Window menu
3. Click on Panelà Fill

Then a dialog box will appear.

4. Specify the required option

Transform

The transform command lets you to scale the object,  Rotate and skew the objects in different angle.

Steps:

1. Select an object by using select tool
2. Click on Window à Panel à Transform
3. Specify the required option.

Information 

The info command lets you to see the information of the x and   y position on the flash screen.

Effects

The effect command lets you to set effects on the button, movie clip and graphics.

Steps:

1. Click on Windows à Panelsà Effects

Then a effect dialog box will appear

2. Select required effects from the down list box.

Paragraph

In Flash you can change or set the paragraph. The paragraph command lets you to set the paragraph.

Character :

The character option lets you to change the font, font size, font style and font color etc.

Steps for character and paragraph

1. Select the text
2. Click on windowsà  Panels

or,

Right button click at selected text and click on Panel

3. Select the Character or Paragraph
4. Specify the option of paragraph and Character.

Switch and Mixture

Switch and Mixture is a color option. The switch command lets you to select the color and mixture command lets you to mix the color.

Steps:

1. Select a object for coloring
2. Click on Windows à Panels
3. Click on Switches or Mixture.
4. Specify the required option from the dialog box.

Text option

 In Flash you can create static, dynamic and input text. Static text means to make any animation on the flash, dynamic means a text which is for internet explorer (html) and input text means you can create a text box to enter  the data. You can create a text box for single line and multilane both.

Steps:

1. Pick the text tool
2. Drag mouse on the flash screen.
3. Then click on windows à Click on Panels
4. Click on Text Option

5. Select  required text option and specify the other option

Instance

In Instance option you can get three different options, Instance, Frame and sound.

Instance :- To change the behaviour of the object.

Frame  :- To change the tweening (Shape, Motion) and other option.

Sound  : - To change or set the sound effect.

Panel Set

The panel set lets you to set the all panels in default.

Steps:

1. Click on WindowsàPanel Set àDefault Layout

Note : - If you want to close all panels then click on Windowsà Close all Panels

Movie Explorer

Adding a Regular Frame

Steps:

1. Click  an empty frame on the Timeline where you want to insert a new frame.
2. Click Insert menu.
3. Click on Frame
4. A new frame is added.

Adding a Key Frame

Steps:

1. Click on empty frame or a regular frame on the time line where you want to place a new frame.
2. Click on Insert menu
3. Click on Keyframe
4. A new keyframe is added.

Adding a Blank Keyframe

1. Click a frame on the timeline where you want to insert a blank key frame.
2. Click on Insert menu
3. Click on Blank Keyframe
4. A new blank keyframe is added.

Adding Multiple Frames

Steps:

1. Select two or more frames by clicking them.
2. To select multiple frames, click the first frame in the range, preset the Shift key and click the last frame in the range.
3. Click Insert menu
4. Click on Frame to insert regular frames, or click on Blank Keyframe to make the new frames all keyframes.
5. Flash inserts the same number of new frames and lengthens the movie.

Deleting a keyframe

Steps:

1. Click on the frame, or range of frames, you want to delete.
2. To delete a range of frames, select the range first.
3. Click on Insert menu
4. Click  on Remove Frames.
5. The required frame/ frames are deleted.

Removing Keyframes Status.

1. To convert a keyframe to a regular frame, first click on the keyframe you want to change.
2. Click on Insert menu
3. Click on Clare kleyframes.
4. The required frame/frames are converted.

Selecting  Frames

You can select one or more frames for various purposes.

Select a Single Frame

1. Click on the frame you want to select.
2. Flash highlights the frame in the Timeline.
3. If you have difficulty selecting a regular frame between two keyframes, press and hold Ctrl, then click the frame you want to select.

Selecting Multiple Frames.

1. Click on the first frame in the range of frames you want to select.
2. Press and hold shift and click the last frame in the range.
3. Flash selects all the frames in-between.
4. To select multiple frames between two keyframes, click anywhere between the two keyframes.

Modifying Frame Properties.

1. Click the frame you want to modify
2. Click on Modify menu
3. Click on Frame
4. The frame panel options
5. you can type a label for the frame, if desired. The label appears in the Timeline.
6. You can use the other panel tabs to make changes to the frame object.
7. Click at X to close the panel.

Move a Frame

1. Click on the frame to select it.
2. Flash highlights the frame in the Timeline.
3. Click and drag the frame to a new location in the Timeline. The pointer changes to Hand.
4. Drop the frame in Place. The frame moves.

Copy a Frame

1. Click the frame to select it.
2. Flash highlights the frame in the Timeline.
3. Click on Edit menu
4. Click n Copy Frames.
5. Click a frame where you want to place th3e copy.
6. Click Edit
7. Click Paste frames. the frame is pasted at the required location.

Select a Single Frame

1. Click the frame you want to select.
2. Flash highlights the frame in the Timeline.
3. If you have difficulty selecting a regular frame between two keyframes, press and hold Ctrl, then click the frame you want to select.

Grouping  or Ungropuing Objects

Steps for grouping

1. Select all objects at once
2. Click on Modify èGroup

Or, Press Ctrl + G

Ungrouping Objects

Steps for ungrouping

1. Select an object to which you want to group
2. Click on Modify è Ungroup

Or, Press Ctrl + Shift + G

Inserting a Scene

Steps:

1. Click on Insert menu
2. Click on Scene

Removing Scene

Steps:

1. Select required scene
2. Click on Insert menu
3. Click on Remove Scene

Scene Explorer

You can  view  all scene, Add a new scene, duplicate  and also you can delete scene from scene explorer.

Steps:

1. Click on Modify menu
2. Click on Scene….

Then a dialog box will appear.

3. Click on duplicate scene button to create a duplicate scene
4. Click on ( + ) plus button to add a new scene
5. Select scene and click on at delete scene button which is bottom right corner.

Reverse Keyframe

The reverse command lets you to reverse the keyframe on the time line. So that the movie will play opposite direction.

Steps:

1. Select the keyframe
2. Click on Modify menu
3. Click on Frame  à Reverse

Convert to keyframe

You can convert the keyframe instead of F6 command. Use convert to keyframe to add key frame .

Steps:

1. Click on Modify menu
2. Click on Frames à Convert to keyframe

Convert to Blank Keyframe

The convert to blank keyframe command lets you to convert the frame into blank.

Steps:

1. Click on Modify àFramesàConvert to Blank Keyframe

Arranging Objects

You can arrange the objects by using following commands.

Steps:

1. First select a object to which you want to arrange.
2. Click on Modify menu
3. Click on Arrange è Select required Options

Bring To Front     à Ctrl + Shift + Up

Bring Forward    à Ctrl + Up

Send Backward  àCtrl + Down

Send to Back  à Ctrl + Shift + Down

Library

The library option stores symbols, imported images, sounds and video. Which are created by the user in Flash.

Common Libraries

Steps:

1. Click on WindowsèLibrary

The common Libraries stores buttons, graphics, sounds, Movie Clip, Smart Clip and learning Interaction.

Steps:

1. Click on Windowsè Common Libraries

Action

The action command lets you to add the script or code of the flash. Instead of keyframe you need to use to script for animation in Flash.

Steps:

1. Click on Windows  àAction

Or, Right button click at keyframe and click on Action

Or, Right button click  at object or symbol and click on Action

Moving a movie Clip when mouse is move

Steps:

1. Draw a object and convert it to a movie clip
2. Right click at movie clip
3. Then attach the script or code at action button.