Introduction to Macromedia Flash MX will introduce you to the basics of creating objects and animating in Macromedia's Flash MX. You will explore the basics of Flash, including tools and features, and will create different types of animations. Finally, you will publish material for the Web.

Topics
View a Flash movie and modify the appearance of the Stage.
Draw, paint, and create custom colors, gradients, and line styles.
Manipulate objects, describe shape interaction, and import artwork.
Add text and manipulate its behavior and appearance.
Build layers and use them to create various effects.
Create frame-by-frame, shape-tweened, and motion-tweened animation.
Publish a Flash movie.
Identify the advantages that symbol use has in building a Flash movie, identify and create the three types of symbols, and manage symbols within a movie using the Library palette.
Use scenes to organize content in large complex Timelines, and create frame labels to mark critical points in your Timeline.
Add advanced playback controls and interactive elements to a Flash movie (including remote rollovers and expanding menus), and create preloaders to ensure smooth playback of larger movie files over slow connections.
Import sounds into a project, work with sound properties, and edit sounds.
Test a movie while simulating a slow connection, identify factors that increase a movie's size and download time, and publish a movie using many of Flash's numerous publishing options.

Objectives
After completing this course, students will know how to create custom Flash animations for use on the Web. Students will create frame-by-frame, shape-tweened, and motion-tweened animation using both custom and imported graphics as well as text and will also learn how to incorporate symbols and instances into their Flash projects. They will learn to better organize their larger projects through the use of scenes and frame labels and will add interactivity and sound elements to their Flash animations. Finally, they will learn how to test and publish their Flash movies.

Prerequisites
To gain the most from this class, you should already have:
Have experience with the Windows operating system
Be familiar with Web terminology

Course Outline
Lesson 1: The Flash Environment
Topic 1A: What is Flash?
Topic 1B: The Flash Work Environment
Lesson 2: Drawing and Painting
Topic 2A: Vector vs. Raster Graphics
Topic 2B: Basic Drawing and Painting Tools
Topic 2C: Creating Custom Colors, Gradients, and Line Styles
Lesson 3: Manipulating Objects
Topic 3A: Selecting Objects
Topic 3B: Object Interaction
Topic 3C: Transforming and Grouping Objects
Topic 3D: Bitmap Images
Lesson 4: Working with Text
Topic 4A: Text Blocks
Topic 4B: Converting Text into Shapes
Lesson 5: Multiple Layers in a Movie
Topic 5A: Creating and Managing Multiple Layers
Topic 5B: Mask Layers
Topic 5C: Aligning Objects
Lesson 6: Creating Animation
Topic 6A: Frame-by-Frame Animation
Topic 6B: Shape-Tweened Animation
Topic 6C: Motion-Tweened Animation
Topic 6D: Guide Layers
Topic 6E: Mask Animations
Lesson 7: Publishing Your Flash Movie
Topic 7A: Selecting Your Publishing Settings
Topic 7B: Previewing and Publishing Files
Lesson 8: Symbols and Instances
Topic 8A: What is a Symbol?
Topic 8B: Graphic Symbols
Topic 8C: Movie Clip Symbols
Topic 8D: Button Symbols
Topic 8E: Managing Symbols and Instances
Lesson 9: Organizing Large Projects
Topic 9A: Scenes
Topic 9B: Frame Labels
Lesson 10: Interactivity in Flash
Topic 10A: Basic Playback Control
Topic 10B: Creating Advanced Navigation Controls
Lesson 11: Working with Sound
Topic 11A: Importing Sounds
Topic 11B: Event vs. Streaming Sounds
Lesson 12: Testing and Publishing a Flash Movie
Topic 12A: Evaluating Download Performance
Topic 12B: Optimization Factors
Topic 12C: Exporting and Publishing Movies