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Course Overview
This Track to
Adobe
Flash CS3 is designed to teach a wide spectrum of software
professionals how to design and deliver cross-platform,
low-bandwidth animations, presentations, and Web applications using
Adobe Flash CS3. It is a task-based course, with students
learning by doing. Along with covering the basics of Adobe Flash CS3, the course focuses on best practices and design, stressing
the importance of usability, accessibility, optimization, and
performance.
Prerequisites
To gain the most from this class, you should already have:
• Have experience with the Windows or Macintosh operating system
• Be familiar with Web terminology
Course Outline
Lesson 1: Learning the Basics
Introducing Flash CS3
Looking at the Flash Workspace
Creating Your First Flash CS3 Document
Working with Panels
Using the Timeline and Frames
Working with Layers
Setting Your Preferences
Testing an FLA File
Finding Help
Exploring the Project
Lesson 2: Creating Graphics
Using the Tools Panel
Learning About Fills and Strokes
Using Vector and Bitmap Images
Using Color
Creating Graphics with Drawing Tools
Using Guides, Grids, Coordinates, and Snapping
Creating a New Graphic Symbol
Creating and Using Masks
Adding Strokes
Using the Library
Importing and Optimizing Bitmaps
Importing Vector Drawings
Using Fills and Gradients
Manipulating Graphics
Lesson 3: Using Text
Using the Text Tool
Understanding Static Text and Device Fonts
Adding Static Text to a Document
Using Embedded Fonts
Looking at Font Properties
Adding a Timeline Effect to a Text Field
Spell Check Your Document
Using Text-Based Components
Understanding Dynamic Text Fields
Lesson 4: Creating and Editing Symbols
Symbols Explained
Creating and Editing Symbols on the Stage
Looking at Symbols in the Library
Nesting Symbols and Timelines
Revisiting Graphic Symbols
Creating Buttons
Placing the Buttons On the Stage
Creating Text Buttons
Creating an Invisible Button
Creating and Using Movie Clips
Creating the Menu
Creating Movie Clip Buttons
Duplicating Symbols and Adding Symbols to the Stage
Lesson 5: Creating Animations
Animating Explained
Setting Up for a Motion Tween
Adding the Motion Tweens
Animating Alpha Levels and Size
Animating the Movie Clip Button
Creating a Shape Tween
Creating Frame-by-Frame Animations
Animating Along a Path
Lesson 6: Adding Basic Interactivity
Making Flash Documents Interactive
Introducing Behaviors
Using a Behavior to Load a JPEG
Using Behaviors to Open a Web Page
Loading an External SWF File with a Component
Introducing Script Assist
Using Actions to Control the Timeline
Creating a Home Button
Removing the Hand Cursor
Making the Movie Clip Button Work
Using the Script Navigator and Pins
Lesson 7: Adding Sound and Video
Using Sound and Video
Editing Sound and Video
Assuming Responsibility with Your Media
Compression, Codecs, and Plug-ins
Delivering Media Online
File Size Considerations
Importing Sound into a Document
Adding and Customizing Sound
Adding Sound to a Button
Importing Video into Flash
Encoding the Video
Lesson 8: Creating Forms Using Components
Introducing Forms and Data
Introducing Flash Components
Building the Feedback Form
Using the Button Component
Building a Questionnaire Using Flash
Using the Focus Manager
Lesson 9: Learning ActionScript Basics
Learning about ActionScript 2.0
Learning About Classes, Methods, and Properties
Looking at Methods and Properties
Learning How to Use Strict Data Typing
Using Code Hints in the Actions Panel
Using Functions and Conditional Statements
Understanding Scope
Using _root, _parent, this, and Levels
Understanding LoadVars
Creating the Reviews Page
Using Events and Handlers
Using Listeners
Adding a Listener to the Reviews Page
Adding Cascading Style Sheet Formatting to the Reviews
Creating the Catalog Pages
Building the Main Catalog
Creating the News Page
Building the Home Page
Animating the Menu
Controlling the Menu's Buttons
Lesson 10: Loading and Optimizing Flash Content
Optimizing Flash Documents
Organizing Applications and Using Good Practices
Understanding Usability
Optimizing Animation
Making a Background More Efficient with Runtime Bitmap Caching
Understanding Bandwidth and File Size
Considering User Platforms
Loading External Content
Loading Content into the Main Application
Sending Data Out of Flash
Adding the ProgressBar Component
Loading the Tech Bookstore
Testing and Debugging the Tech Bookstore
Lesson 11: Publishing Flash Documents
Adding Metadata and Publishing SWF Files
Detecting Flash Player
Embedding an SWF File in an HTML Page
Uploading the Tech Bookstore to the Web
Wrapping It All Up |