Macromedia Flash 8
INTRODUCTION:
Macromedia Flash is software used for creating animations, games, cartoons, text, graphics
and other special effects. It also helps to design on the web and also helps to create
animations without using the programming skills.
STARTING MACROMEDIA FLASH 8:
To start Macromedia Flash8, follow these steps:
1. Click Start button
All Programs
2. Select Macromedia and then select Macromedia Flash 8
The following Flash screen appears.
CREATING A NEW FLASH DOCUMENT
To create a new Flash document,
click the Flash Document Link from the
Crete New Option. Flash opens a new
blank document.
UNDERSTANDING THE FLASH INTERFACE:
The Flash 8 interface has the following components:
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Title bar
Menu bar
Stage
Work area
Property Inspector
Time line panel
Tools palette.
Title Bar
Menu Bar
Timeline
Panel
Tools
Palette
Stage
Work Area
Property
Inspector
TITLE BAR
MENU BAR
: Displays the name of the open document.
: The menu bar contains controls for common functions and
commands such as opening and saving files etc.
STAGE
: This is the rectangular workspace area where we place our
content or create our drawings or movies. By default, the
stage in flash is 550x400 pixels.
WORK AREA
: Refers to the light grey area around the stage. You can
place the objects here until you want them to appear on the
stage.
PROPERTY INSPECTOR
: It is used to organize and modify the properties of the
current selection. (If the properties panel is not visible, then
we can select the window>Properties>Properties option)
TIMELINE PANEL
: The timeline is a fixed window that stays on top of every
object in the workspace. This is the area where graphics and
elements are assembled in sequential order allowing the user
to view the order of events in sequence.
TOOLS PALETTE
: It contains a set of tools to draw, paint, select, and modify
objects in the work space.
SAVING A FLASH FILE:
1. Click on File menu and then Save option.
2. In the dialog box, type the file name and click save.
The flash
documents are
saved with an
extension “.fla”
Do you Know
USING THE TOOLS:
Flash provides various tools for drawing.
Selection/Arrow
Sub Selection
Free transform
Gradient
Line
Lasso
Pen
Text
Oval
Rectangle
Pencil
Ink bottle
Brush
Eye dropper
Eraser
Hand
Zoom
Painter Bucket
Stroke colour
Fill Colour
Let us learn some of the tools of Macromedia Flash 8.
Line Tool
: Line tool allows you to draw lines on the screen.
Pencil Tool
: To draw a freeform line, the pencil tool is used. The pencil tool has
3 possible modes: Smooth, Straighten, Ink
Oval Tool
Rectangle Tool
Brush Tool
: To draw circles and ovals the Oval tool is used. Follow these steps
to draw an oval shape.
: Rectangle tool helps to draw a rectangle.
: Its Functionality is equivalent to the pencil, but its stroke is much
more thicker. It is usually used for fills.
Paint Bucket Tool: Paint Bucket tool helps to fill an object with colour. The colour can
be selected from the colour can be selected from the Colour Mixer
Palette.
Eraser Tool
: It works like the brush tool. But its erases everything that it draws.
Text Tool: Text tool helps you to type text. The steps to add text are:
1. Click at Text tool.
2. Change the font, size and colour setting from the Property
Inspector.
3. Click in the Stage area and type your text.
Arrow Tool and Lasso Tool: These are two selection tools in flash.
 Arrow Tool is used to select objects on the stage.
 Lasso Tool selects irregular shaped areas of drawing.
Free Transform Tool: The Free transform tool can be used to scale, rotate or distort
any shape or object in Flash. It has four options
Rotate
Skew
Scale
Distort
Envelope
Grouping Objects: Grouping means to combine the basic shapes together as one. For
example to design a car, various shapes need to be used. However, all these objects need
to be grouped as one for the complete car to be formed.
 To group the shapes, select all the shapes and click on Modify
menu and select Group.
 To ungroup an item, select Ungroup from the Modify menu.
Draw some shapes and group all the objects as one
TIME LINE
To design an animated movie, the Timeline plays an important role. It controls a
document’s content over time. It is like compiling all details on the movie reel,
sequencing the scene to be played. The timeline made up of Frames and Layers.
Frames
Frames controls how Flash documents can play over a period of time.
Inserting Key frames:
Step-1
Step-2
: Click on the place holder to insert a key frame.
: Click the option Insert Key frame from the shortcut menu.
Deleting Frames:
Step-1
: Click on the key frame from the Timeline that is to be deleted.
Step-2
: Click the option Remove frame from the shortcut menu.
Layers:
Layers are like sheets of transparent paper arranged in a stack. Each layer is a separate
thing, but when you have a stack of layers, each with drawing on them, they can create an
entire scene. For example: You may have a background as one layer and the animation
object on another layer. You can work on one layer without affecting the other layers.
Symbols:
A symbol is an object created in Flash. Various copies of it can be made and it can be
reused. There are basically three types of symbols:
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Graphics
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Buttons
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Movie clips
Steps to create a symbol:
Step-1: Select the Object
Step-2: Click Modify
Convert to Symbols option. The Symbol Properties dialog
box is displayed.
Step-3: Type the Name and choose the type from Movie clip, Button or Graphic
and click OK.
You can modify the following instance properties for an individual instance without
affecting other instances or the original symbol.
Editing Symbols and Creating Instances:
After creating a symbol, you can use instances of it repeatedly by selecting the symbol,
pressing ALT key and dragging mouse to new location to make the instance.
Library Palette:
All Symbols used in a flash movie are stored in the Library from where you can drag- and –
drop new instances of the symbols into your movie.
ANIMATING AND TESTING A MOVIE:
Animation refers to drawing made and complied in a manner to show movement. A series
of drawings/images are linked together through a loop. This creates the illusion of
movement.
For example here the rocket is shown in different places at each frame, now when this
movie is played in continuation, it will create the illusion of movement of the rocket.
Animation in Flash can be done in the following ways:
Motion Tween Animation:
Motion tween can be referred to an object that travels from one point to another and
involved no change of shape over time. Sometimes motion tween can also mean changing
colours over time. Example can be a ball moving from one end to another on the screen.
Steps to create a Motion Tween animation:
1. Draw a shape, for example a ball and convert it to symbol.
2. Click the frame till which the animation is to continue and insert a key frame.
3. Select any frame in between and from property Inspector select Motion from Tween
option.
4. Select the middle frame and insert a Key frame and move the ball to a different
position.
5. Test the movie to see Motion Tween animation. The ball appears to moving.
Remember
Motion tween can
only be created on
symbols
Shape Tween Animation:
Shape tween means an object travels from one point to another and involves change of
shape over time. This can also mean a stationary object changing shape over time. You
can also tween the location, size, and color of shapes. Example can be a circle changing
into a square.
Steps to create a Shape Tween animation:
1. Draw any shape, for example, a circle and convert it to a symbol.
2. Click the frame till which the animation is to progress and insert a key frame. Now
another shape.
3. Select any frame in between the starting and the ending key frames and from
property Inspector, select Shape from the Tween option.
4. Test the movie to see shape Tween animation.
Frame by Frame Animation:
Frame by frame animation means creation on an object for each frame, so as to
produce animation sequence. This type of animation is used in real movies. Each frame
contains a different content and animation is achieved by running the play head
through the frames. This is most commonly used by cartoonists.
Steps to create a Frame by Frame animation:
1.
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Type text on the stage using text tool.
Click on next frame and right click and choose Insert key frame.
Again type on the stage.
Similarly keep on adding key frames and on each key frame, type the text. You may
also change the font, size, colour etc, using Property Inspector.
Test the movie to see Frame by Frame animation.
TESTING A MOVIE:
To test a movie, select the Control menu and click on Test Movie option.
Key Board Shortcut
Press CTRL+Enter to test a movie
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Macromedia Flash is a software used to create
animations
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The flash screen has a title bar, Menu bar, Stage, Work
area, Property Inspector, Timeline panel, Tools
palette.
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Timeline is made up of Frames and Layers.
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Animation refers to a series of images linked together
through a loop to create an illusion of movement.
Let’s know more
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The Property Inspector in flash displays all the information regarding the object
which is selected i.e., setting of the current document, symbol, text, shape, bitmap,
group, frame, video or tool.
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You can remove a keyframe by right clicking on the layer and selecting the Clear
option.
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Library is the store house of symbols from where are used throughout the movie.
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Grids are lines at the back of the artwork on the stage. Choose View>Grid>Show
Grid.
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To group the stroke colour and filled object, press Ctrl+G key combination.
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Eye dropper Tool is used to fill an object with an exact colour that you have used
for another object.
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You can double – click the Eraser Tool to delete everything on the stage.
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The short cut of Selection Tool is V.
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Press the Shift key while dragging to draw a straight horizontal, vertical or
diagonal line.
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F8 is shortcut to convert to symbol option.
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Ctrl+L is the shortcut to open the Library dialog box.
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ACTIVITY SESSION
A. Draw a flower bud. Create animation using Frame by Frame technique and
make the bud bloom into a flower as you move the position of it.
B. Type – SRI PRAKASH VIDYA NIKETAN by using Text Tool. Change the
colour of each alphabet and animate the text using Frame by Frame
technique.
 Select the Text tool. Click on the stage and type S.
 In the Property Inspector set the font face, font size and colour.
 Click on the second frame in Timeline window and press F6 to insert a
key frame. Slightly move the letter S to right side.
 Type R next to S
 Similarly repeat the steps and keep on adding new key frames and
type rest of the alphabets in each newly inserted key frame
respectively.
 Change the colour of each alphabet.
 Play the movie by clicking ctrl + enter key.