The Flash MX Project

Cheryl Brumbaugh-Duncan, founder of Virtually Global Communications, has been developing Web sites for more than 5 years. Through a combination of Flash and HTML, she has created many leading-edge web sites for clients that include Qwest, Energy Investments, and System Services Corporation. Cheryl has a passion for technology, learning, and teaching. She has also developed many Flash-based on-line education courses. With a Masters degree in education, she has been teaching individuals and companies through creative techniques, courses, books, and programs for the past 16 years, and is an experienced author and technical editor.

(NOTE: Each chapter concludes with Seminar Summary.)

Introduction.


Seminar 1. Macromedia Flash MX and Web Site Development.


Why Macromedia Flash MX? Anatomy of Macromedia Flash MX and Internet Viewing. Flash MX New Features and Functionality. The Features and Functionality of Flash MX. Integration with Other Applications. Web Project Management and Flash. Workshop: Planning the Movie.



Seminar 2. Setting Up the Macromedia Flash MX Environment.


The Macromedia Flash MX Environment. Setting Macromedia Flash Preferences. Workshop: Customizing the Macromedia Flash Environment and Setting Up the Movie Design. Setting Undo Levels in Preferences.



Seminar 3. Creating A Movie.


Design Principles. Understanding How Lines and Shapes Interact. Using Tools and Modifiers. Macromedia Flash and Millions of Colors. The Power of Text. Creating and Using Layers. Workshop: Creating the Opening Scene of the Site.



Seminar 4. Using Symbols In A Movie.


What's So Important About Symbols and Instances? Recycling Objects: The Power of Macromedia Flash MX. Using Symbols in Macromedia Flash MX. Using the Macromedia Flash MX Library. Workshop: Creating the Site Symbols and Stage Instances.



Seminar 5. Importing Graphics Into A Movie.


Working with Imported Objects. Using the Import Commands of Macromedia Flash MX. Importing Raster and Vector Images in Macromedia Flash MX. Working with Raster Images. Workshop: Importing Images for Site Activities and the Background.



Seminar 6. Animation And Special Effects For Flashing Up The Site.


Overview of Web-Based Animation. Working with the Timeline. Testing Your Movie. What Is Tweening? Using Onion-Skinning. Using a Motion Guide. Workshop: Creating the Opening Stage Animation.



Seminar 7. Site Interactivity And Button Functionality.


Getting Interactive with the Click of a Button. Testing a Button. Combining Movie Clips with Buttons. Transparent Buttons and Their Use in Macromedia Flash. Actions and ActionScript. Making a Button Functional. Labeling Keyframes for More Dynamic Scripting. Loading Other Movies into the Main Movie. Workshop: Creating the Site Interactivity.



Seminar 8. Using Components In A Macromedia Flash Form.


Overview of Components and Their Use in Macromedia Flash. Creating Your Own Component. Forms and Editable Text Fields. Communicating with a Text File or Server-Side Scripts. Workshop: Creating a Form for the About Me Activity.



Seminar 9. Using Preloaders and Conditional Loops.


Overview of Preloader or Gate Page. Creating a Preloader. Using the Bandwidth Profiler. Overview of Scenes. Good ActionScript Practices. Workshop: Using Dynamic Text Fields to Display a Preloader Message.



Seminar 10. Using Actionscript to Control Objects.


Overview of ActionScript. Using the onClipEvent Action. Using Advanced Conditionals. Workshop: Using Movie Clips to Create the Matching Activity.



Seminar 11. Communicating With The End-User.


Accessibility in Macromedia Flash MX. Overview of Login Functionality. Workshop: Communicating with The Honeycomb Site Visitor. Making The Honeycomb Site Accessible.



Seminar 12. Adding Sound To Enhance A Site.


Basics of Sound. Modifying Sounds. Compression and Sound Files. Using a Sound Toggle Button in a Movie. Workshop: Adding Sound to the Site.



Seminar 13. Enhancing the Site Interface and Interactivity.


Creating Drop-Down Menus Graphically. Using Masks. The Built-In Math Object. Workshop: Enhancing the Site with Masks, Drop-Down.



Seminar 14. Dynamic Actionscript for Controlling Stage Content and Movement.


Creating ActionScript-Based Movement. Workshop: Building the Slider Puzzle Activity.



Seminar 15. Adding Digital Video To The Site.


Importing Video into Macromedia Flash MX Movies. New Movie Clip Event Handlers. Workshop: Creating the In Quest of Ducks Activity.



Seminar 16. Publishing and Testing The Site.


The Power of the Publish Command. Exporting Your Movie Using the Export Command. Testing the Published Movie. Workshop: Publishing the Site for Internet Access. Book Summary.



Appendix A: Setting Up Macromedia Flash.


Installing Macromedia Flash MX. Installing the Macromedia Flash Player 6.



Appendix B: What's On the CD-ROM.


System Requirements. Loading the CD Files. Exercise Files. Read This Before Opening the Software.



Index.