Introduction to Flash Animation

Course Description

Introduction to Flash Animation is a hands-on course that will introduce you to the basic features of the FLASH animation development application.

This course is designed primarily for anyone with an interest in "Creative" Computing who is interested in exploring the possibilities that FLASH animation has to offer.

Course pre-requisites

To ensure your success, you must have a basic understanding of how to operate your computer. For example, you should know how to launch an application, create and save files, and secure your work to CDs / USB Flash Drives.

What you'll get out of this course

By the end of this introduction course you will be able to design and build your own basic Web Banner from scratch using Flash.

You will be able to:

• appreciate the benefits of using Flash in Web Design
• gain basic Flash design skills - drawing, text, inserting images
• understand basic animation concepts - timeline, keyframes & tweening
• bring your designs to life using animation
• create your own animated web banner

Syllabus

Introducing the Flash Workspace

• Working with Panels
• Stage & Properties Panels
• Library Panel, Instances, Timeline & Layers
• Keyframes & Tweening

Using the Toolbox - Drawing Shapes, Lines, entering Text

• Understanding Basic web graphics - bitmap or vector based ?
• Stage size, background colours, drawing shapes
• Pencil & Brush Tools - colour / thickness options
• Entering Text - single line or text-box
• Selection Tool - move / modify Stage elements

Basic Animation - Keyframes and Tweening

• Timeline, Layers & Keyframes
• Motion Tweening
• Drawing 3D effect shape - convert to Symbol
• Creating Animation
• Testing flash movie - publish settings

Project - Creating Animated Web Banner

• Set Stage Size - Insert new Symbol (movie clip)
• Importing an Image (as a background)
• Adding & Naming Layers
• Entering & Animating Text
• Create Motion Tweening