Animation and Effects with Macromedia Flash MX 2004

by deHaan, Jen

• ISBN13: 9780321303448
• ISBN10: 032130344X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback w/CD
• Copyright: 2005-01-01
• Publisher: Macromedia Press

Summary

What started as a simple animation tool has evolved into a full-fledged Web development environment. Which means that if you're like many of today's Flash developers, you may know little about actually creating animations and effects with the program. Here to solve that dilemma is a hands-on guide from one of today's leading Flash experts. By showing you how to create 10 projects based on real-world Web solutions, authorJen deHaanprovides a thorough grounding in all of Flash's effects and animation fundamentals. Each chapter represents a single project with simple step-by-step instructions for re-creating the cool Web elements pictured in these pages: an animated character, a Flash interface that uses transitions to "page" through different areas of a site, an animated gallery, a dynamic menu that animates using the Tween classes, a simple game, button effects, Timeline animations, scripted effects, text effects, and more! Ten real-world projects reveal the magic behind the most useful Flash-produced animations and effects, and a companion CD includes lesson files and sample software.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION	x
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCING FLASH	1	(38)
Introducing Flash	2	(3)
Conceptualizing Animation, Effects, and their Tools	5	(5)
Using the Flash Interface	10	(6)
Understanding the Flash Architecture	16	(8)
Animating in Flash	24	(2)
Project 1: Creating your First Animation	26	(10)
Moving On	36	(3)
CHAPTER 2 ANIMATING WITH MOTION TWEENS	39	(30)
Understanding Tweens	40	(2)
Project 2: Tweening a Landscape	42	(1)
Using Vector and Bitmap Graphics	43	(6)
Creating Motion Tweens	49	(9)
Using the Property Inspector	58	(4)
Adding Basic Scripts	62	(3)
Testing and Publishing	65	(1)
Moving On	66	(3)
CHAPTER 3 CREATING SHAPE TWEENS	69	(42)
Understanding Shape Tweens	70	(1)
Using the Drawing Tools	70	(11)
Project 3: Creating an Animated Interface	81	(16)
Animating with Shape Hints	97	(4)
Finishing the Interface	101	(11)
Navigating Pages and Publishing	112	(3)
Moving On	115
CHAPTER 4 DRAWING FRAME-BY-FRAME ANIMATION	111	(44)
Learning About Traditional Animation	118	(5)
Project 4: Animating by Using Frames	123	(10)
Using Tools to Edit and Test the Animation	133	(13)
Adding Sound and Optimizing	146	(6)
Moving On	152	(3)
CHAPTER 5 CHARACTER CREATION AND ANIMATION	155	(46)
Learning about Character Animation	156	(9)
Project 5: Making and Animating a Robot	165	(34)
Moving On	199	(2)
CHAPTER 6 ACTIONSCRIPT FOR EFFECTS	201	(48)
Using Tools to Create Code	202	(8)
Coding Concepts	210	(4)
Animating with Code	214	(6)
Project 6: Creating Interactive Animation	220	(3)
Understanding Objects	223	(5)
Understanding Events and Interactivity	228	(11)
Replacing the Mouse Pointer	239	(7)
Moving On	246	(3)
CHAPTER 7 SCRIPTED ANIMATION BASICS	249	(32)
Structuring ActionScript	250	(3)
Project 7: Animating Text and Movie Clips	253	(7)
Animating Shapes Using the Built-in Tween Classes	260	(8)
Calling Code at Specific Intervals	268	(11)
Moving On	279	(2)
CHAPTER 8 MASKS, TRANSITIONS, AND VIDEO	281	(60)
About Masking	282	(6)
Video in Flash	288	(11)
Project 8: Creating a Site with Effects	299	(7)
Adding Movie Clip Buttons	306	(15)
Loading Videos into Flash	321	(8)
Working with Text Fields	329	(7)
Putting the Site Online	336	(3)
Moving On	339	(2)
CHAPTER 9 CREATING MENU EFFECTS	341	(40)
Planning Menus and Site Structure	342	(2)
Creating Scripted Menus	344	(1)
Project 9: Creating a Menu	345	(6)
Understanding Global Variables in Flash	351	(2)
Creating and Attaching Clips	353	(12)
Finishing the Navigation System	365	(7)
Uploading and Constructing the Site	372	(6)
Moving On	378	(3)
CHAPTER 10 CREATING A GALLERY	381	(29)
Navigating Content	382	(3)
Project 10: Building a Dynamic Photo Gallery	385	(4)
Loading and Displaying Images	389	(12)
Incorporating the Gallery into a Flash Site	401	(8)
Moving On	409	(1)
APPENDIX A PUBLISHING SWF FILES	410	(9)
Understanding File Size and Loading	410	(1)
Working with Flash Player	411	(8)
APPENDIX B TIMELINE EFFECTS	419	(6)
Exploring Timeline Effects	420	(3)
Using Timeline Effects	423	(1)
Benefits and Drawbacks of Timeline Effects	424	(1)
APPENDIX C KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS	425	(8)
APPENDIX D RESOURCES	433	(9)
General Resources	434	(3)
Drawing, 3D, and Animation Resources	437	(2)
Video Resources	439	(1)
ActionScript and Effects Resources	440	(2)
INDEX	442