Project Flash Mx

by Gertler, Nat

• ISBN13: 9781401826017
• ISBN10: 1401826016
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-10-28
• Publisher: Cengage Learning

Summary

Bring Web pages to life with eye-catching animation, interactive graphics, deluxe menu systems, and many other cool and creative features! Project Flash MX features 20 hands-on projects designed to lead readers, step-by-step, to a thorough understanding of the "whys" and "hows" of today's most popular tool for creating innovative web graphics. Ideal for readers who learn by doing, every project in this fast-paced and richly illustrated how-to book is broken down into a set of specific procedures. For additional simplification, each procedure is further divided into a series of short, straightforward steps that are accompanied by clear, concise, and easy-to-follow instructions. Tips appear at strategic points to reinforce key concepts and help readers avoid common pitfalls. A "Deeper Understanding" feature allows readers to explore in greater depth some of the most frequently used and leading-edge functions of Flash. All of the projects are presented in a logical sequence so that readers can build on the skills learned in previous projects. Best of all, each project produces its own tangible and rewarding result, propelling beginning through intermediate users to new levels of skill with Macromedia's Flash MX.

Table of Contents

A Spotlight on You	1	(10)
Starting a movie
Making a symbol
Keyframes
Motion
Tweening
Saving a movie
Open a new movie	2	(1)
Make some text	3	(1)
Create a new layer	4	(1)
Draw a spotlight	5	(1)
Make a symbol	6	(1)
Make a new keyframe	7	(1)
Animate	8	(1)
Change the background	9	(1)
Save the movie	10	(1)
A Virtual Drum Set	11	(10)
Interactivity
Buttons
Sounds
Squares
Shape editing
Create a drum symbol	12	(1)
Edit your drum	13	(1)
Give the drum a sound	14	(1)
Create a cymbal symbol	15	(1)
Make the cymbal symbol shimmy	16	(1)
Create another cymbal symbol	17	(1)
Another drum!	18	(1)
Add a cowbell	19	(1)
Add supports	20	(1)
A Lonely Raindrop	21	(10)
Deleting points
Adjusting angles
Shape tweening
Copying frames
Animation scaling
Start your symbol	22	(1)
Make the raindrop	23	(1)
Make the rain drop	24	(1)
Splash up	25	(1)
Splash down	26	(1)
Create a ripple	27	(1)
Spread the ripple	28	(1)
Add sound	29	(1)
The ripple disappears	30	(1)
Thunderstorm!	31	(10)
Copying symbols
Looping controls
Copying groups of frames
Pencil
Brush
Paint bucket
Orchestrating timing
Zoom out	32	(1)
Place a layer of drops	33	(1)
Add smaller drops	34	(1)
Copy further layers of drops	35	(1)
The puddle	36	(1)
The pitter-patter on the puddle	37	(1)
Lightning strikes	38	(1)
Lightning flashes	39	(1)
Thunder	40	(1)
Thunderstorm on the Web	41	(10)
Adding scenes
Dropper Tool
Publishing
Linking scenes
Library folders
Add a scene	42	(1)
Bring back the blue	43	(1)
Add a title	44	(1)
Add a button	45	(1)
Make 'em wait!	46	(1)
Add some closing credits	47	(1)
Set your options	48	(1)
Publish and test!	49	(2)
Make Yourself a Puzzlement	51	(8)
Importing raster images
Tracing images
Movie clips
Mouse events
Movable symbols
Grouping
Lasso tool
Import your picture	52	(1)
Trace yourself	53	(1)
Make a movie clip	54	(1)
Make it draggable	55	(1)
Slice yourself	56	(1)
Copy your script	57	(1)
Solve yourself!	58	(1)
Sunset	59	(10)
Designing gradients
Softening edges
Frame-by-frame animation
Onion skin
Motion paths
Make a gradient	60	(1)
Place the sunset	61	(1)
Make the sun	62	(1)
Soften the sun	63	(1)
Draw a bird	64	(1)
Flap your wings	65	(1)
Set the bird's path	66	(1)
Move the bird	67	(1)
Just add water	68	(1)
Directions	69	(10)
Breaking apart bitmaps
Path orientation
Printing from Flash
Printing from Flash player
Exporting an image
Get a map	70	(1)
Create an inset	71	(1)
Show the directions	72	(1)
Inset directions	73	(1)
Save a JPEG snapshot	74	(1)
Set up printing	75	(1)
Print	76	(1)
Give users a printable map	77	(2)
A Page of Web Links	79	(12)
Grid
Text hyperlinks
Button hyperlinks
Duplicating symbols
Editing multiple frames
Rotating symbols
Turn on the grid	80	(1)
Make a menu item	81	(1)
Add button effects	82	(1)
Place the menu item	83	(1)
Make a similar menu item	84	(1)
Make different menu items	85	(1)
Add some text	86	(1)
Dance, letter, dance!	87	(1)
More dancing letters: YAY!	88	(1)
Put it to the test	89	(2)
A Banner AD	91	(8)
Transparency
Masks
Creating animated GIF files
Announce the product	92	(1)
Spotlight	93	(1)
Make a shadow layer	94	(1)
A mask for the spotlight	95	(1)
Spin an X	96	(1)
A slogan	97	(1)
Save the banner	98	(1)
Balloon Ba-Boom! Game	99	(10)
Shape tween guides
Goto command
Targets
Drawing see-through objects
Customizing the cursor
Make the ballon	100	(1)
Balloon popping	101	(1)
Highlight the button	102	(1)
Make the button a detonator	103	(1)
Move the balloon	104	(1)
Make crosshairs	105	(1)
Animate the crosshairs	106	(1)
Turn the crosshairs into the cursor	107	(2)
Super Balloon Ba-Boom! Game	109	(10)
Variables
Dynamic text fields
Rulers
Guides
Dragging boundaries
Give the balloon a point value	110	(1)
Show the value on the balloon	111	(1)
Increase the point value	112	(1)
Stop the exploded balloon	113	(1)
Display the score	114	(1)
More balloons!	115	(1)
Create a shooting window	116	(1)
Set up guides	117	(1)
Outline the shooting window	118	(1)
Ultimate Balloon Ba-Boom! Game	119	(10)
Multiple layers on a guide
Invisible buttons
Expanding fills
Create a title screen	120	(1)
Create a string of balloons	121	(1)
Create a giant, invisible button	122	(1)
Copy the score	123	(1)
Game over	124	(1)
Finish the closing screen	125	(1)
One more thing	126	(1)
Make it a program	127	(2)
License Plate Maker	129	(10)
Inputting text
Embedding fonts
Rounded rectangles
Turning lines into fills
The info panel
Moving with cursor keys
Type in here	130	(1)
Make it Upper Case	131	(1)
Display the text	132	(1)
Make a rounded rectangle	133	(1)
How wide are the characters?	134	(1)
Resize the rectangle	135	(1)
Raise the text	136	(1)
Test it thoughtfully	137	(2)
Custom Alarm Clock	139	(14)
Recording sounds
Importing sounds
Panning sounds
Editing sounds
Time objects
Conditional statements
Record your voice (Macintosh)	140	(1)
Set up your microphone (Windows)	141	(1)
Record your voice (Windows)	142	(1)
Import the sound	143	(1)
Make a clock	144	(1)
Set the alarm	145	(1)
Alarming logic	146	(1)
Throw your voice	147	(1)
Edit your voice	148	(1)
Become annoying	149	(1)
Turn off the alarm	150	(1)
Test and fix	151	(2)
Head-Boppin' Guy	153	(10)
Brush modes
Custom strokes
Color picker
Easing motions
Auto rotate
Smoothing
Create a hair texture	154	(1)
Pick a skin color	155	(1)
Draw a head	156	(1)
Two eyes	157	(1)
A mouth and headphones	158	(1)
Bop the head	159	(1)
Shape the shirt	160	(1)
Paint the shirt	161	(2)
Music Video	163	(10)
Streaming sound
Advanced effects
Brightness effect
Controller
Start with the music	164	(1)
Create some stripes	165	(1)
Spin the stripes	166	(1)
An opposite spin	167	(1)
Put the guy in shadows	168	(1)
A word balloon	169	(1)
The guy sings!	170	(1)
Repeat the words	171	(1)
Clean up the end	172	(1)
Web-Ready Music Video	173	(8)
Measuring bandwidth usage
Audio compression rates
Tracking streaming status
Set the sound compression	174	(1)
How slow does the movie load?	175	(1)
How much to preload?	176	(1)
Create a pause	177	(1)
Tell them it is loading	178	(1)
Show how fast it is loading	179	(1)
Test it out!	180	(1)
An Animated Business Card	181	(10)
Sleek styling
Dividing one layer into several
Stopping a sound
Start at the end	182	(1)
Add text	183	(1)
Put a line on a new layer	184	(1)
Animate the line	185	(1)
Animate the other lines	186	(1)
Rolling in the block	187	(1)
Reveal the text	188	(1)
Finish up the visuals	189	(1)
Line-sliding noise	190	(1)
Closing Credits	191	(10)
Character animation
Translucent gradients
Exporting a QuickTime movie
Draw nature	192	(1)
Lay some concrete	193	(1)
Make the sidewalk scroll by	194	(1)
The stickman cometh	195	(1)
Fashion a stride	196	(1)
Create credits	197	(1)
Scroll the text	198	(1)
Make a Quick Time file	199	(2)
Index	201