Adobe Flash CS4: Rich Content Creation

Objectives

This is an introductory course for designers and budding developers new to the Flash environment. In this course, students will produce an engaging interface using text, graphics, animations, video, and sound. Simple user interactions are added using built-in ActionScript behaviours and Script Assist. The course focuses on the essentials, and emphasises best practice throughout the course.


Pre-requisites:

Students should be familiar with the Windows or Macintosh operating systems and be familiar with the Web and its terminology.


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: Introducing the Course


· About the Course
· Course Format
· Course Objectives
· Course Prerequisites
· Course Outline


Unit 2: Working in Flash


· Setting Stage Dimensions
· Working with Panels and Panel Layouts
· New User Interface
· Setting Preferences
· Identifying the Development cycle
· Publishing a file
· Advanced Quicktime Export
· Adobe Device Central CS4


Unit 3: Creating and Importing Graphic Assets


· Working with different graphic formats
· Importing Bitmap Graphics
· Importing Vector Graphics
· Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator Integration
· Working with Layers and Layer Folders
· Using the drawing tools; New drawing tools
· Using Object and Merge drawing
· Working with the Color panels
· Creating and Using Graphic Symbols
· Using the Deco Tool and Spray Brush
· Using the Library panel


Unit 4: Using Text Effectively


· Using the Text Tool
· Adding and Formatting Static Text
· Changing Font Rendering Methods
· Adding Input Text Fields
· Embedding Fonts in Input Text Fields
· Using Font Best Practices





Unit 5: Creating Animations


· Working with the Timeline
· Using Keyframes, Blank Keyframes, and Frames
· Creating Motion Tweens
· Understanding object-based animation
· Working with motion paths
· Refining animations with the motion editor
· Using motion presets
· Creating Shape Tweens
· Creating Transition Effects






Unit 6: Working with Bones


· Using the Bones tool
· Creating bones
· Animating with bones


Unit 7: ActionScript with Script Assist and Behaviors


· Using Script Assist
· Adding Actions to a Frame
· Creating and Using Button Symbols
· Adding Behaviors to a Button
· Loading External SWF's.


Unit 8: Using Moving Clips


· Creating and Using Movie Clip symbols
· Organizing a Movie Clip Timeline
· Using Actions to Control a Timeline
· Using Frame Labels
· Responding to User Interactions


Unit 9: Working with 3D objects


· Using the 3D tools
· 3D transformation
· Creating 3D animations


Unit 10: Adding Sound and Video


· Importing Sound
· Changing Sound Properties
· Adding Sound to a Timeline
· Embedding Video in a Timeline
· Using the FLVPlayback Component


Unit 11: Publishing Flash Documents


· Using Different Publishing Formats
· Using Publishing Profiles
· Adding Flash Player Detection
· Publishing for Deployment