Flash 5 in Easy Steps

Nick Vandome's tutorials on Flash start with a useful explanation of what the program can do - which is basically produce animation for web pages. It does this by combining vector-based graphics, streaming, and compression to produce small files. These are quick to download - which is why Flash has become the favourite tool of Web animators.




He takes you through the menus and toolbars of the interface - including the timeline and the 'stage' on which the objects to be animated are displayed. Then he covers the drawing tools which are very similar to most graphics packages. Line; Oval; Rectangle; Pencil; Brush; Ink Bottle; Paint Bucket; and so on. 'Colour and Text' guides you through creating and adding colour to objects. 'Symbols and Instances' teaches you how to create an object once and then use it numerous times, as well as how to store these symbols in the Library.

Basically, you can create an object then manipulate it in any way you wish. You can move it in time, space, color, or contour - so, words can fade in and out of focus, wheels can roll off the side of the screen, or characters can pop up to make announcements. Some of the best effects, it seems to me, are the most subtle and restrained.

There is a simple and clear explanation of how to re-use visual objects in order to keep file size low. Flash also allows you to import bitmap images, such as photographs and sound files, then edit them to enhance a Flash movie. This leads into 'Animation' where Vandome covers frame-by-frame animation and how to change one shape into another using what's called shape 'tweening'.

He finishes with a chapter on testing and publishing, which guides you through the final part of producing a Flash movie. It looks at ways to test the elements of a movie then publish it, either on the Web or as a stand-alone application.

Assuming no prior knowledge, this book is ideal for the first-time web designer, as well as experienced developers who just want to get to grips with Flash 5 - using a minimum of time and effort. The approach is also suitable for someone who wants an overview of the program - which is what I needed, prior to working on a project which includes Flash.

© Roy Johnson 2001         [other Web design articles]