The document provides an introduction to Adobe Flash, explaining its capabilities for creating animations and interactive web applications. It covers essential concepts such as file types (.fla for editable projects and .swf for finished products), workspace layout, and the significance of the timeline in animation production. Tools for selecting, drawing, and modifying properties are also described, emphasizing their roles in designing multimedia content.

1. Introduction to Flash

2. Topics
 What is Flash? What can you do
with it?
 Simple animation
 Complex interactive web application, such
as an online store.
 Starting up Flash -> In the Dock
 Palettes: Library*, Color Mixer,
Behavior (ActionScript)….

3. WHAT IS ANIMATION?
is a dynamic medium in which images or
objects are manipulated to appear as
moving images. In traditional animation,
images are drawn or painted by hand on
transparent celluloid sheets to be
photographed and exhibited on film.
Today most animations are made with
computer-generated imagery (CGI).

4. WHAT IS FLASH
 Flash is a stand-alone piece of software for
producing and delivering high-impact
multimedia and web experiences.
 Developers use Flash to create beautiful
resizable and extremely small and compact
navigational interfaces, technical illustrations,
animation, and other dazzling effects for
presentations and web sites.

9. File Types
 Flash has two different file types: .fla and .swf
 .fla (Flash authoring)
 These are the working documents you use to design, edit,
and store resources. They also store the setting for final
publishing. Because of this, these files cannot be viewed with
a Flash Player.
 .swf (Shockwave Flash)
 These are completed, compressed movie files exported from
Flash. They will play in Flash Player but cannot be edited.
You must go back to the original .fla file to make changes.

10. Opening Flash
To create a new document, select
ActionScript 3.0 from the Create New
column in the middle of the screen
Templates can also be used but are
restricting so we will not use them very
often.
You can also open a saved file
by clicking on the Open folder.

11. Flash Workspace
 Stage: The center of your screen where the action
happens. This is the visible area of your movie where you
place graphics and animations and reflects the actual size
of the movie you create. By default it is white but can be
changed.
 Work Area: The gray area surrounding the stage.
Anything placed there will not appear in your movie. It’s
the “backstage area”. It’s a good place to store object or
place an object that you want to enter the Stage from off
screen.

12. Flash Workspace

13. Tools
Selection Tools

14. Tools
Drawing Tools

15. Tools
Color Tools

16. Tool
Navigation Tool

17. Tools
Stroke and Fill Color Selector

18. Property Inspector
By default, the Property
Inspector appears on the
right side of your screen
and is grouped with the
Library panel
It can display and set an
object’s properties such as
size, position, and color.

19. The Timeline
 The Timeline is the heart of the action. It comprises
frames, each one representing a point in time, just like
a historical timeline.
 Graphics and animations are placed at specific points,
or keyframes, along the Timeline to create sequences,
slide shows, or movies. You can place ActionScript on
individual keyframes to control playback and add
interactivity, or place sounds along the Timeline to add
sound effects, music, and dialogue.