Macromedia Flash MX Course

- this course is no longer scheduled to run. Please refer to schedule for current course titles.

Flash MX: is a hands-on course that will introduce you to the basics of creating objects and animating in Macromedia's Flash MX. Day 1 you will explore the basics of Flash, including tools and features, and will create different types of animations. Finally, you will publish material for the Web. Day 2 you will work with symbols and instances, create extensive Timelines with independent animations, build more complex navigation controls, work with sound, and optimize your movies for viewing by your intended audience.

Target Student: This course is intended for students with little or no experience creating Flash animations, who want to create animations using Macromedia Flash MX. Day 2 is intended for students with some experience creating Flash animations, who want to build more efficient, optimized animations that allow for greater user interactivity.

In order to take this course, you need to be familiar with your computers operating system and basic operation.

Topics covered on the 2 day Macromedia Flash MX course

The Flash Environment

• What is Flash?
• The Flash Work Environment

Drawing and Painting

• Vector vs. Raster Graphics
• Basic Drawing and Painting Tools
• Creating Custom Colors, Gradients, and Line Styles

Manipulating Objects

• Selecting Objects
• Object Interaction
• Transforming and Grouping Objects
• Bitmap Images

Working with Text

• Text Blocks
• Converting Text into Shapes

Multiple Layers in a Movie

• Creating and Managing Multiple Layers
• Mask Layers
• Aligning Objects

Creating Animation

• Frame-by-Frame Animation
• Shape-Tweened Animation
• Motion-Tweened Animation
• Guide Layers
• Mask Animations

Publishing Your Flash Movie

• Selecting Your Publishing Settings
• Previewing and Publishing Files

Symbols and Instances

• What is a Symbol?
• Graphic Symbols
• Movie Clip Symbols
• Button Symbols
• Managing Symbols and Instances

Organizing Large Projects

• Scenes
• Frame Labels

Interactivity in Flash

• Basic Playback Control
• Creating Advanced Navigation Controls

Working with Sound

• Importing Sounds
• Event vs. Streaming Sounds

Testing and Publishing a Flash Movie

• Evaluating Download Performance
• Optimization Factors
• Exporting and Publishing Movies