Flash is a program by Macromedia for creating interactive, animated online content. Animated simply means "to have movement" -- Flash content does not have to be a cartoon. It is commonly used to mimic software interface elements such as scroll bars, drop-down menus, buttons, and navigational systems. The term "Flash" has also come to mean the actual files created using Macromedia's program of the same name.

Not only is Flash content animated, it is interactive, allowing the user to experience unique results based on input. This generates creative gaming content such as the "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" online game at ABC.com.

Free Ebook Flash Programming : Introduction to Macromedia Flash.pdf

Flash versus Shockwave

Flash is Macromedia's program for creating animated movies specifically for online presentation. Shockwave is a format for saving Macromedia Director files for online presentation (Director is a more robust program for creating movies; it has a higher degree of interactivity, plus video -- something Flash can't include. It is the standard for authoring CD-ROM presentations).

Both Director and Flash save movies in the Shockwave/Flash (.swf) format for online playback. Users must have the browser plug-in present in order to view this format. Unlike Director -- which is quite complex and utilizes Lingo, a proprietary programming language -- Flash was built specifically for online authoring, and despite many interface similarities, is much simpler. It does utilize ActionScripts, a basic set of program commands that is much easier to learn than Lingo or JavaScript. .........more

The Toolbox

The basic drawing tools in Flash are the Line, Oval, Rectangle, Pencil, Brush, and Eraser tools. When a tool is selected, the lower half of the Toolbox displays modifiers unique to that tool. In your copy of Flash, move your cursor over the image of the toolbox to view the various modifiers. In the case of the Oval and Rectangle tools, the modifiers are the stroke color, stroke weight, stroke style, and fill color. It's best to get in the habit of setting these modifiers before using the tool, as editing color takes a few more steps.

To draw a flying saucer like the one below, select the Oval tool and change the default red fill to a medium gray. Click on the Fill modifier and drag into the color palette that pops up (Figure 1-3).

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