Flash Cs5: The Missing Manual  (English, Electronic book text, Grover Chris)

Once you know how to use Flash, you can create everything from simple animations to high-end desktop applications, but it's a complex tool that can be difficult to master on your own-unless you have this Missing Manual. This book will help you learn all you need to know about Flash CS5 to create animations that bring your ideas to life.

• Learn animation basics. Find everything you need to know to get started with Flash
• Master the Flash tools. Learn the animation and effects toolset, with clear explanations and hands-on examples
• Use 3D effects. Rotate and put objects in motion in three dimensions
• Create lifelike motion. Use the IK Bones tool to simulate realistic body movements and other linked motions
• Speed up development. Use templates, code snippets, and motion presets
• Design applications. Get an intro to building full desktop applications with Flash and Adobe AIR
• Create rich interactive animations. Dive into advanced interactivity with easy-to-learn ActionScript examples

About the Author
Christopher Grover lives in Fairfax, California with his wife and two daughters. Chris received degrees in Creative Writing and Film from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. He's worked as a technical writer, advertising copywriter and product publicist for more than 25 years. His freelance articles have been published in a variety of magazines from Fine Homebuilding to CD-ROM World. Chris's latest project is launching Bolinas Road Creative, an agency that helps small businesses promote their products and services. He's also the author of Word 2007: The Missing Manual and Word 2007 for Starters: The Missing Manual.

Table of Contents
Creating a Flash Animation

• Chapter 1 Getting Around Flash

• Starting Flash
• A Tour of the Flash Workspace
• Panels and Toolbars
• The Flash CS5 Test Drive

Chapter 2 Creating Simple Drawings

• Plan Before You Draw
• Preparing to Draw
• Drawing a Shape
• Choosing a Drawing Mode
• Creating Original Artwork
• Copying and Pasting Drawn Objects
• Adding Color

Chapter 3 Animate Your Art

• Frame-by-Frame Animation
• Editing Your Frame-by-Frame Animation
• Making It Move with Motion Tweens
• Editing the Motion Path
• Copying and Pasting Properties
• Shape Tweening (Morphing)

Advanced Drawing and Animation

Chapter 4 Organizing Frames and Layers

• Working with Frames
• Working with Multiple Layers
• Organizing Layers
• Spotlight Effect Using Mask Layers

Chapter 5 Advanced Drawing and Coloring

• Selecting Graphic Elements
• Manipulating Graphic Elements
• Spray Painting Symbols
• Drawing with the Deco Tool
• Advanced Color and Fills

Chapter 6 Choosing and Formatting Text

• Text Questions
• Choosing TLF or Classic Text
• About Typefaces and Fonts
• Adding Text to Your Document
• Choosing and Using Text Containers
• Animating Text Without ActionScript
• Text Properties by Subpanel

Chapter 7 Reusable Flash: Symbols and Templates

• Symbols and Instances
• Templates

Chapter 8 Advanced Tweens with the Motion Editor

• Applying Motion Presets
• Modifying a Motion Preset
• Editing a Tween Span
• A Tour of the Motion Editor
• Changing Transparency with the Motion Editor
• Easing Tweens

Chapter 9 Realistic Animation with IK Bones

• Linking Symbols with Bones
• Perfect Posing with Control Handles
• Baby Steps with Pins
• Making Shapes Move with Bones
• Apply Spring to a Motion
• Animating an Armature with ActionScript

Chapter 10 Incorporating Non-Flash Media Files

• Importing Graphics
• Importing Illustrator Graphics Files
• Importing Photoshop Graphic Files
• Importing Fireworks Graphics
• Editing Bitmaps
• Editing Bitmaps with Photoshop
• Importing a Series of Graphics Files
• Exporting Graphics from Flash

Chapter 11 Incorporating Sound and Video

• Incorporating Sound
• Incorporating Video
• Importing Video Files

Adding Interactivity

Chapter 12 Introduction to ActionScript 3

• Getting to Know ActionScript 3
• Beginning Your ActionScript Project
• Object-Oriented Thinking
• Using Data Types, Variables, and Constants
• Conditionals and Loops
• Combining ActionScript’s Building Blocks

Chapter 13 Controlling Actions with Events

• How Events Work
• Mouse Events
• Getting Help for Events and Event Listeners
• Creating a Tabbed Window with Mouse Events
• Keyboard Events and Text Events
• Keeping Time with TimerEvent
• Removing Event Listeners
• In Case of Other Events

Chapter 14 Organizing Objects with the Display List

• The Display List: Everything in Its Place
• Adding Objects to the Display List
• Managing the Stacking Order
• Summary of Properties and Methods

Chapter 15 Controlling the Timeline and Animation

• Slowing Down (or Speeding Up) Animation
• Timeline Stop and Go
• Organizing Your Animation
• Looping a Series of Frames
• Reversing a Series of Frames

Chapter 16 Components for Interactivity

• Adding Components
• The Built-In Components
• Finding Additional Components

Chapter 17 Choosing, Using, and Animating Text

• What Font Does Your Audience Have?
• Controlling Text with ActionScript
• Creating Text Fields with ActionScript
• Positioning, Sizing, and Formatting a Text Field
• Formatting Characters and Paragraphs
• Formatting with HTML and CSS
• Choosing the Right Text Formatting System

Chapter 18 Drawing with ActionScript

• What’s the Point?
• Beginning with the Graphics Class
• Drawing Lines
• Drawing Curves
• Drawing Built-In Shapes
• Drawing Irregular Shapes
• Making Drawings Move
• Shapes, Sprites, and Movie Clips for Drawings
• Removing Lines and Shapes

Debugging and Delivering Your Animation

Chapter 19 Testing and Debugging Your Animation

• Testing Strategies
• Testing on the Stage
• Using the Test Movie Commands
• Testing Inside a Web Page
• Testing Download Time
• The Art of Debugging
• Analyzing Code with the Debugger

Chapter 20 Publishing and Exporting

• Optimizing Flash Documents
• Publishing Your Animations
• Exporting Flash to Other Formats

Chapter 21 Introducing Adobe AIR

• Meet Adobe AIR
• Creating Your First AIR Application
• Create a Code Signing Certificate
• Convert a Flash Animation to AIR
• Publish Your AIR Application
• Manually Install Adobe AIR Runtime

Chapter 22 Making iPhone Apps

• Your First “Hello iPad” App
• Joining the iOS Developer Program
• Creating an iOS App that Responds to Gestures
• Air for iOS App Settings
• Publishing, Installing, and Testing Your App on an iDevice
• Building a Tap-Ready App
• Tips for iOS App Development

Chapter 23 Building Android Apps

• Meet AIR for Android
• App Building with the Android Accelerometer Template
• Building Apps for Both iOS and Android
• Tips for Android App Development

Appendixes

Appendix Installation and Help

• Flash CS5.5 Minimum System Requirements
• Installing and Activating Flash Professional CS5.5
• Uninstalling and Deactivating Flash Professional CS5.5
• Getting Help from Flash
• Getting Help from Adobe
• More Flash Books
• Finding Flash Gurus

Appendix Flash Professional CS5.5, Menu by Menu

• File
• Edit
• View
• Insert
• Modify
• Text
• Commands
• Control
• Debug
• Window
• Help

Colophon