Portland, OR

Flash Essentials - Continuing Education

Spring 2008, Monday nights, 6:30 - 9:00, March 31 - May 12

Welcome to Flash Essentials! In just seven weeks, you will learn how to create your own animations that utilize

drawings, images you've brought in from other places, and sound. You will learn to use Flash's basic functions to

create interactivite pieces that include play buttons for your animations and interfaces that change based upon user input and

actions. Flash is a standard software for web designers, animators, and others working in creative fields. Once you learn

basic tools and techniques, you will be able to produce professional quality pieces for your website as well as

wacky animations. Get excited!

Week One

Monday, March 31

Topics:

Introduction to Animation

Introduction to Flash

The Flash Interface

Vector Drawing

The Toolbox - drawing tools, text tools

Creating & Editing shapes

Using frames and keyframes on the timeline

Two simple animations: Frame-by-frame & Motion Tweening

Screening: Flash examples online, Young-Hae Chang,

Orisinal Games, Muffin Films

Week Two

Monday, April 7

Topics:

Using the WACOM tablet

The Drawing Modes: Merge, Object, Primitive

Creating color gradients

Using layers

Using a mask layer

Creating Symbols: Graphics

Creating Complex Animations

In class: Ex. 1 - Bubbly drink

Homework: Bring in five bitmap images to work with next class

and bring in three sound files, continue practicing techniques,

brainstorm ideas for an animation that uses these materials

Today's exercise: a fizzy drink.

Week Three

Monday, April 14

Topics:

Review Flash techniques thus far

More animation:

Using Guide Layers and Motion Paths

Storyboarding

Using Scenes in Flash

Animating Multiple Motion Tweens

Creating and using Movie-Clip symbols

Building Buttons to Interactivity:

Using Symbol Editing Mode

Using the Library

Bringing in other media:

Importing & using bitmap images

Convert bitmap graphics to vectors

Adjusting Transparency

Importing Illustrator files

Importing & using sound - also next week

In class: Interface Exercise, animation with your bitmaps

Homework: Storyboard a short animation or sketch a design

for an interface you would like to create

Week Four

Monday, April 21

Reviewing what we've learned so far:

The Flash Authoring Tool

Creating Simple Graphics

Modifying Simple Graphics

Working with Symbols

Frame-by-Frame Animations

Animation with Motion Tweening

Animation with Shape Tweening

Adding Sound (new topic)

This week's information is on a handout.

In class: Work on your own animation/interface

Homework: Work more on your project and come to class

with any questions you have, be prepared to show us

what you have done.

Week Five

Monday, April 28

Topics:

Refining what we've learned so far:

Working With Text

Complex Graphics on a Single Layer

Graphics on Multiple Layers

Building Buttons for Interactivity

More Complex Animation Tasks

Using Non-Flash Graphics

NEW:  Basic Interactivity with Actionscript

In class: Work on your own animation/interface

Week Six

Monday, May 5

Topics:

Integrating Flash into your website

SWF Object - Embed Flash the right way

Overview of Dynamic data and communicating with Flash

ActionScript Fundamentals

Variables and variable typing

Objects and Arrays

Introduction to class files and packages

Drawing API

Guest Instructor: David Lowe-Rogstad of Substance

In class:

Download this!

http://code.google.com/p/swfobject/

http://www.swffix.org/swfobject/generator/

Homework: Bring in project you've been working on to show

the final week of class. This is particularly important for

students who are taking the course for a grade or certificate.

I need to see what you can do with Flash in order to evaluate

your progress.

Week Seven

Monday, May 12

Topics:

Continue AS fundamentals

Interactivity and Animation with ActionScript

Basic animation

Overview of Tweening packages

Mouse events and interaction

Guest Instructor: Shaun Tinney of Substance

Final screening of student work