Flash CS4 Getting Started

Flash CS4 - Getting Started is a blended learning course that combines 2 days of instructor led classroom based Flash CS4 training with a number of online learning modules that cover a wide range of Flash topics suitable for beginners.

The classroom based modules can either be completed either at our fully equipped London training centre or at your own facility for larger groups, whilst the online modules combine high quality flash video presentations backed up with instructor led course discussion forums, exercises files, real world samples, and loads more.

Audience
Anybody who wants to learn to use Flash but has no previous experience.

Summary of Topics Covered

Flash Interface

• Panels and panel layouts
• Custom workspaces
• Colour and Kuler
• The tools
  
  • Drawing
  • Selecting
  • Painting
  • Editing
  • Spraying

Working in Flash

• Setting Stage dimensions
• Setting preferences
• Flash Player version
• Actionscript version
• Import preferences
• Publishing a file

Creating and Importing Graphic Assets

• Working with different graphic formats
• Importing bitmap graphics
• Importing vector graphics
• Working with layers and layer folders
• Using the drawing tools
• Using object and merge drawing
• Working with the Colour panels
• Creating and using symbols
• Using the Library panel
• Filters and Blend modes

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

Creating Animations

• Object based animation
• Creating motion tweens
• Motion Editor
• Motion Presets
• Editing Animations
• Copying/pasting animations

3D transformations

• Creating 3D effects
• Editing 3D effects
• 3D Translation
• 3D Rotate
• Vanishing point

Inverse Kinematics

• Bones tool
• Armatures
• Constraining objects
• Examples

Modeling

• Deco tool
• Patterns
• Effects
• Spray Brush tool
• Custom shapes

Adding ActionScript

• Using Script Assist
• Adding actions to a frame
• Creating and using Button symbols
• Adding behaviors to a button
• Loading external SWFs

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

Adding Sound and Video

• Importing sound
• Changing sound properties
• Adding sound to a Timeline
• Embedding video in a Timeline
• Converting Video
• H264
• On2VP6
• Adobe Media Encoder
• Using the FLVPlayback component
• Masking video
• Controlling video

Publishing Flash Documents

• Using different publishing formats
• Using publishing profiles
• Adding Flash Player detection
• Publishing for deployment

Creating Animations- Old School

• Working with the Timeline
• Using keyframes, blank keyframes, and frames
• Creating motion tweens
• Creating shape tweens
• Creating transition effects
• Easing

Adobe AIR

• What is AIR
• Publishing for AIR
• Using flash with html to create an AIR application
• Flash, database work and AIR applications
• Accessing local files
• Examples

Flash and Other Applications

• InDesign to Flash (XFL)
• Photoshop to Flash
• Illustrator to Flash
• Placing SWF's into Acrobat 9 Pro

Using Flash to Draw

• The Pen tool
• Creating more complex shapes from primitive shapes
• Drawing landscapes
• Drawing figures
• Creating a library of useful shapes

A simple design

• Drawing a landscape with flash
• Animating the various parts of the landscape
• Publishing the final result

A simple application - case study

• What are components
• Using components
• Creating a simple interface with components
• Publishing the result