Adobe Flash CS4: Advanced Designer

Objectives

This course provides the knowledge and hands-on practice required to build more flexible and dynamic design-based Flash pieces. This course focuses on teaching students more advanced ActionScript topics that remove their reliance on timeline-based visual tools. It introduces to ActionScript code that will allow them to generate dynamic design and navigation elements.


Pre-requisites:

Experience of ActionScript, creating Flash designs and animation using the timeline, equivalent knowledge from the Flash Rich Media Design course, equivalent knowledge from the Fast Track to ActionScript course and one year of Flash design experience.


Course Includes:

A comprehensive set of reference notes covering course topics, follow-up telephone support and, for training on Transmedia premises, lunch and refreshments.


Course Outline


Unit 1: Working in Adobe Creative Suite


* Overview
* Photoshop integration
* Illustrator integration/Pen Tool in Flash


Unit 2: Working with Graphics


* Understanding the Object Drawing Model
* Using Gradients
* Using Strokes
* Understanding Filters
* Understanding Blend Modes


Unit 3: Importing Content using XML


* Reviewing the Text Controls
* Static, dynamic, input
* Understanding XML
* Loading XML
* Parsing XML Data into Flash Data


Unit 4: Working with Text


* Introducing Anti-Alias Rendering
* Using the TextFormat Object for Styles
* Using Cascading Style Sheets with text






Unit 5: Advanced Graphic Loading


* Loading JPG/GIF/PNG formats with AS
* LoadMovie
* MovieClipLoader
* Image Caching (issues/benefits)
* Attaching movie clips dynamically
* Creating a pre-loader
* Displaying Random Images
* Creating Position-Aware Elements


Unit 6: ActionScript


* ActionScript basics
* Event based interactivity
* Controlling movieClips
* Creating reusable code using functions
* Converting animation automatically to ActionScript


Unit 7: Customising Components


* Components overview
* Using user interface components, and controlling them with ActionScript


Unit 8: Flash Video


* Overview
* Using Adobe Media Encoder
* Working with H.264 video