Flash tutorials

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Intro to Flash

The above screenshot displays basic key terms.

• A keyframe is where something can change- the image itself, the placement of the image or the aspect of the image. .
• A blank keyframe allows there to be no image at all. You might also insert a blank keyframe so that you could add action scripting.
• Frames extend the amount of time something will appear on the screen. As long as nothing is changing in your layer, you do not need to add keyframes, frames will suffice.
• A successful motion tween will have the same symbol at the keyframes at the beginning and end. You can change the aspect of the symbol- the size, the proportions, the color- as long as you do not add any lines or objects, but simply manipulate the one symbol.
• A broken tween may occur for multiple reasons. Clicking on the error button on your properties window will tell you what happened. This error is because there is nothing in the second keyframe.
  

Creating a Motion Tween

1. Draw an image on your canvas.
2. Double click on the image so that ALL parts of it are highlighted.
3. Right click on it. Choose Convert to Symbol.
4. Choose Graphic.
5. Name it something obvious.
6. Right click somewhere on the timeline in the same layer.
7. Choose Insert Keyframe
8. Move the object in the 2nd keyframe to somewhere else on the canvas.
9. Right click in between the 2 keyframes and in the same layer and choose Create Motion Tween.
10. An arrow with a blue background should appear.
11. Press Ctrl + Enter to test movie.

Creating a Shape Tween

1. Draw an image on your canvas.
2. If a blue square appears around your shape, right click on it and choose Break Apart. If dealing with text, you must do this step until your words appear "polka-dotted"
3. Right click somewhere on the timeline in the same layer.
4. Choose Insert Blank Keyframe
5. Draw another shape or change the color of your shape. You may also move the object. You must Break Apart any shape that has a blue square.
6. Click in between your 2 keyframes.
7. In your properties menu at the bottom of your screen. Click on None which appears next to the Tween. Choose Shape. An arrow with a green background should appear.
   
8. Press Ctrl + Enter to test movie.

Tweens in your library are bad news

You will get points deducted if you have Tweens in your library. Make sure that you check your library frequently and excise them. If you do this often you will not have heartbreak. If you wait until you think that you are finished with your movie you will be sad when I delete them.

Creating buttons

1. Draw an image on your canvas.
2. Double click on the image so that ALL parts of it are highlighted.
3. Right click on it. Choose Convert to Symbol.
4. Choose Button.
5. Name it something obvious.
6. If you wish to create a roll-over button- one which will appear different when you roll over it or click on it, you can insert keyframes which contain different images. The hit frame defines the area which is hot or clickable.

Buttons which go to another frame

1. Click on the button which will go to the webpage.
2. Open your action window
3. Make sure that you are on your button
4. Type on (press){ gotoAndPlay(2);}
5. To make sure that your code is correct click on the blue checkmark.
   

Buttons which go to a .html page

1. Click on the button which will go to the webpage.
2. Open your action window
3. Make sure that you are on your button
4. Type on (press){ getURL("index.html");}
5. To make sure that your code is correct click on the blue checkmark.
   

Inserting a stop

1. Click on the keyframe where you would like your movie to stop.
2. Open your action window
3. Make sure that you are on a frame not a button
4. Type stop ();
5. To make sure that your code is correct click on the blue checkmark.
   

Using timeline effects

1. Drag a graphic from a library to the stage.
2. Right click on the graphic
3. Choose timeline effects
4. Choose one of the effects- effects/transform/transition or any of the others. Experiment.