Flash

Macromedia Flash Introduction

Bitmap vs. Vector based

Bitmap– Bitmaps are made up of single pixels

Vector based– Vector graphics are made up of mathematical

equations

Advantages of Vector-based Drawing Programs

Easy to resize without loss of qualitySmall file size Faster display and download

Animation

Graphics with added motionMotion is illusion of motionSingle image is called a frame

Animation (cont.)

24 frames per second are the threshold for the human eye to perceive single frames showing in sequence as continous motion

Frames

Frame – Single image displaying the object or character

Keyframe – Single Image where a significant change to the

object or character is defined

Frames (cont.)

In-between Frames– Incorporate the incremental changes necessary

to simulate movement

Tweening– Process of automatically creating in-between

frames

Symbols

Symbols are reusable objectsAre stored in the library Library is a container for reusable objectsConvert to symbol creates symbol and

places it in Flash library

Symbol Instances

Instance of a symbol is usage of a symbol in your movie

Help to keep the file size small

Layers

Layers are like transparenciesHave a stacking orderEasy to make changesAvoid unwanted object interaction

Usage of Layers

Layers avoid unwanted object interactionEach object that you may want to animate

should be placed on a separate layerRule of thumb: If in doubt, place the object

on a separate layer