First, you’ll open the starting FLA file that you’ll use to complete this
lesson. Each lesson includes one start file, and a finished file that
demonstrates how the FLA file should appear upon completion of the
lessons.
1. To open your start file, in Flash select File > Open and navigate to
the file:
■ In Windows, browse to boot drive\Program Files\Macromedia\Flash
8\Samples and Tutorials\Tutorial Assets\Basic Tasks\Create a
Document and double-click document_start.fla.
■ On the Macintosh, browse to Macintosh HD/Applications/
Macromedia Flash 8/Samples and Tutorials/Tutorial Assets/Basic
Tasks/Create a Document and double-click document_start.fla.
The Create a Document folder contains completed versions of the tutorial
FLA files for your reference.
The document opens in the Flash authoring environment. The
document already includes two layers in the Timeline. To learn more
about layers, select Help > Flash Tutorials > Basic Flash > Work with
Layers.
One of the layers is named Guides, which contains items to assist you
in placing objects correctly on the Stage. The other layer is named
Content. This is the layer in which to place the objects that will
compose your document.
2. Select File > Save As and save the document with a new name, in the
same folder, to preserve the original start file.
As you complete this lesson, remember to save your work frequently.
Select panel sets and arrange panels
The Default Workspace Layout panel set arranges your workspace in a way
that facilitates taking lessons. You’ll use this layout for all lessons that you
take in Flash.
■ Select Window > Workspace Layout > Default.
You can move panels around, and resize them, as follows:
■ You can undock a panel by clicking the upper-left corner of the
panel, in the title bar, and dragging the panel to another location in
the workspace.
If the panel snaps against a border, it is docked in a new location (or
docked in the same location, if you moved it back). Otherwise, the
panel is undocked.
■ You can resize an undocked panel by dragging the lower-right edge
out to enlarge the panel.
Use tools to create Flash content
The white rectangular Stage area is where you can arrange objects as you
want them to appear in your published file.
You can open several documents at once and use document tabs, above
the Stage, to navigate between them.
The Tools panel, next to the Stage, offers a variety of controls that let you
create text and vector art. To learn more about tools in the Tools panel,
select Help > Flash Tutorials > Creating Graphics: Draw in Flash and
Help > Flash Tutorials > Text: Add Text to a Document.
1. Click the Pencil tool in the Tools panel. Click the Stroke color box in
the Tools panel colors area, and select any color except white.
2. Drag around the Stage, without releasing the mouse, to draw a line.
You’ve created Flash content. Your finished document will be much
more impressive.
Undo changes
Flash can undo a series of changes to your document. You’ll undo the
artwork that you just created.
1. To see the undo feature in action, first open the History panel
(Window > Other Panels > History).
The Pencil tool appears in the panel, because using the tool was your
last action.
2. Do one of the following:
■ Select Edit > Undo Pencil Tool.
■ Press Control+Z (Windows) or Command+Z (Macintosh).
Your scribbles disappear from the Stage. The History panel now shows
a dimmed Pencil tool, which indicates the undo action was executed.
Flash, by default, is set to undo 100 of your changes, in reverse order of
execution. You can change the default setting in Preferences. To change
your preferences, see “Setting preferences in Flash” in Getting Started
with Flash.
3. To close the History panel, click the pop-up menu in the upper-right
corner of the panel and select Close Panel.
View the Timeline
Just above the Stage, you see the Timeline and layers. You can create and
name layers, and then add content to frames on layers to organize how
your Flash content plays as the playhead moves across the frames.
■ Move the mouse pointer over the area that separates the Stage from the
Timeline. When the resizing handle appears, drag up or down slightly
to resize the Timeline as necessary.
Playhead
Keyframe
Resizing handle
The playhead (the red indicator line) is on Frame 1 in the Timeline.
The keyframes are designated by small circles in the frames, which are
filled, indicating there’s content in those frames. You can add a
keyframe to a document when you want the Flash content to change in
some way in that frame.
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commentsUnder construction???
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