Comprehensive Flash CS4 Training

Delivery Options

• Customized Onsite Training (5 days): Request a Proposal

Class Description

Class Overview

Class Goals

• Become familiar with the Flash workspace
• Learn to work with Flash drawing tools
• Learn to use symbols and the Flash CS4 library
• Learn to work with advanced tools such as gradients and the Deco tool
• Learn to create animations in Flash
• Learn to customize the workflwo in Flash CS4
• Learn to work with imported files
• Learn to work with event handlers
• Understand the hierarchy of timelines
• Learn to work with target paths
• Learn to work with ActionScript's built-in objects
• Learn to write functions
• Learn to write flow control statements in ActionScript
• Learn to create forms for passing data in and out of Flash

Class Outline

1. Flash CS4 Jumpstart
   1. What is Flash?
   2. About Flash Player
   3. Flash file types
   4. Creating a new document
   5. Setting up your new document 2
   6. Saving your Flash document
   7. Opening documents
   8. The Flash workspace
   9. The Stage and work area
   10. The Flash Tools panel
   11. The Property Inspector
   12. Panels and panel groups
   13. The Timeline
   14. Practicing with the Flash tools
   15. The drawing and selection tools in action Using gradient and color tools
   16. Animation in action
   17. Getting help
   18. Support forums
   19. Moving forward
2. Getting Started with the Drawing Tools
   1. Drawing in Flash
   2. Using the Merge Drawing model
   3. Creating artwork in Merged Drawing mode
   4. Working with Drawing Objects
   5. Putting it all together
   6. Using the Line tool
   7. Using the Pen tool
   8. Using the Add and Delete Anchor Point tools
   9. Using the Combine Objects menu
   10. Using the Primitive tools (Smart Shapes)
   11. Using the Oval Primitive tool
   12. The Rectangle Primitive tool
   13. Adding text to your artwork
   14. Adding filters
   15. Working with colors
   16. Getting set up
   17. Creating gradients
   18. Using opacity with gradient colors
   19. Creating custom colors
   20. Saving a custom color set
   21. Organizing and layering graphics
   22. Working with layers
   23. Arranging, locking, and hiding layers
   24. Creating layer folders
   25. Transforming graphics
   26. The Transform menu and Free Transform tool
   27. The Transform panel
   28. Transforming gradients
3. Using Symbols and the Library
   1. What are symbols?
   2. A look at the Library panel
   3. Creating symbols
   4. Converting a graphic to a symbol Creating blank symbols
   5. Building artwork with symbol instances
   6. Positioning and snapping in symbol instances
   7. Editing and duplicating symbols
   8. Editing symbols in place
   9. Modifying individual symbol instances
   10. Modifying instance color
   11. Fine-tuning your background
   12. Duplicating symbols
   13. Adding graphics and text to your banner
   14. Swapping symbols
   15. Managing the Library
   16. Organizing symbols with folders
   17. The Move To command
   18. Deleting items from the library
   19. Controlling library views
   20. Wrapping up
4. Advanced Tools
   1. Working with gradients
   2. Adjusting gradients with the Gradient Transform tool
   3. New Flash CS4 tools for advanced drawing
   4. Spraying symbols Masking
   5. Introducing the Deco tool
   6. Advanced Deco tool techniques
   7. Introduction to IK tools
5. Creating Basic Animation
   1. Introducing keyframes and the Timeline
   2. Layers
   3. Frames and keyframes
   4. Building animation: Enter the tween
   5. New: Tween layers and automatic keyframing
   6. Tweening multiple objects
   7. Previewing animation with Test Movie
   8. Moving and transforming tween paths
   9. Incorporating color effects and scaling
   10. New: Introducing the Motion Editor
   11. Modifying the animation using the Motion Editor
   12. Tweening rotation
   13. Controlling animation paths
   14. Where did Motion Guide layers go?
   15. What happens to my existing Flash files that use Motion Guide layers?
   16. How do I create a motion guide if I still want to?
   17. Morphing graphics and colors with shape tweens
   18. Shape tween basics
   19. Legacy techniques: Creating classic tweens
   20. Adding color effects and scaling to a classic tween
   21. (Re)creating motion guides for classic tweens
   22. Troubleshooting Motion Guides
   23. Adjusting animation with onion skinning
   24. Looking ahead
6. Advanced Animation
   1. Copying, pasting, and saving animation
   2. Using Copy and Paste Motion
   3. New: Creating Motion Presets
   4. Applying Advanced Easing Behavior
   5. Animating Masks
   6. Creating Animation with IK Poses
   7. Sequencing Animation
   8. Shifting, Moving, and Extending Tween Spans
   9. New: Rendering and Animating in 3D
   10. The 3D Rotation tool
   11. The 3D Translation tool
   12. Fine-Tuning Tweens with the Motion Editor
   13. Adding shape tweens and shape hints
   14. Creating Shape Hints
7. Customizing Your Workflow
   1. Customizing workspace layouts
   2. Opening the completed file
   3. Working with panels
   4. Collapsing and storing panels
   5. Managing workspaces
   6. Setting preferences
   7. Keyboard shortcuts
   8. Visual aids for alignment
   9. Rulers and guides
   10. Guide layers
   11. Advanced alignment
   12. Refining your aligned objects
8. Working with Imported Files
   1. Import formats
   2. Importing still images
   3. Viewing the completed lesson file
   4. Import a bitmap image
   5. Adding text
   6. Swapping out an imported file
   7. Modifying imported artwork
   8. Updating imported files
   9. Importing Photoshop files
   10. Importing a layered Photoshop file
   11. Importing Illustrator artwork
   12. Animating the bat
9. Navigating the Flash Timeline
   1. Placing code on the Flash timeline
10. Working with Events and Functions
    1. Creating event listeners and event handling functions
    2. Creating navigation with a button click
11. Creating Animation with ActionScript
    1. Reviewing the starting file
    2. Controlling MovieClip properties with ActionScript
    3. Creating animation using ActionScript tweens
12. Creating ActionScript in External Files
    1. Creating an ActionScript file
    2. Creating instances of a class file in Flash
13. Using ActionScript and Components to Load Content
    1. Creating an instance of the List component and setting its parameters
    2. Adding an instance of the UILoader component
    3. Adding a CHANGE event listener to the List component
    4. Loading SWF files into a UILoader component
    5. Creating the gallery file
    6. Adding a scroll bar to the text field
14. Creating Preloaders in ActionScript 3.0
    1. Tools in the testing environment
    2. Creating a text field and progress bar to track loading
    3. Inserting ActionScript to track progress of the UILoader component
    4. Controlling the frames of a MovieClip to reflect loading progress
15. Using Arrays and Loops in ActionScript 3.0
    1. Examining the starting file
    2. Adding MovieClip instances to the stage from the Library
    3. Generating multiple instances with a for loop
    4. Adding event listeners to the Block instances
    5. Creating animation using ENTER_FRAME
    6. Adding the testDone() function
16. Creating a Radio Button Quiz in an ActionScript File
    1. Examining the starting file
    2. Creating a new ActionScript file
    3. Setting up the RadioButtonQuiz class
    4. Adding variables to the RadioButtonQuiz class
    5. Creating the quiz functionality
    6. Formatting text with ActionScript
    7. Creating the quiz
    8. Creating checkAnswer() - the final function
    9. Integrating your new class into the Flash project

Class Materials

All students receive a course manual or book and all the class examples.

Students in private onsite classes will also receive:

• Flash CS4 Professional Digital Classroom
• Technical Reference Library

Class Prerequisites

Experience in the following areas would be beneficial:

• HTML

Technical Requirements

Our computer technical requirements and setup process is easy, with support just a click away.

• Course technical requirements and setup instructions.