Re: FLASH: Quickest way to learn Flash

[Marc Hoffman, Poison Dart Frog Media]

At 12:06 PM 6/22/99 +0930, you wrote:

>

>Do you see anything very difficult in this site that he has pointed me to.

>http://www.strathfield.com.au

>What key areas should I be working on developing at first?



Hi Chris,


This I would call intermediate Flash3 -- it goes beyond simple animation

but does not require complex logical structures such as games require.


Here are the elements I would learn if I were in your situation:


1) Using the Flash drawing tools (unless you're a whiz with another drawing

program, ideally Freehand 8.01 because it exports to Flash format);

2) Creating animation using motion tweening, including the rotate feature

in tween settings;

3) Converting animations to movie clips;

4) Creating simple buttons;

5) Creating complex buttons that include sounds and movie clips in the Over

area;

6) Using TellTarget to control a movie clip from a button;

7) Get URL action to allow a button to load a new HTML page.


This site uses a group of movie clips that act as animated banners. The

buttons on the left include movie clips inside them to create the mouse

over effect. They are actually copies (instances) of the same button. They

use TellTarget to communicate with an external movie clip (the speech

bubble) to send that movie clip to different frames where the different

dialogues appear. I didn't click on the banners, but I assume they use Get

URL to take the viewer to a different page.


It took me several months to learn enough to do all that, but I was

developing an entire site and learning a lot of peripheral skills including

practicing basic design skills.


I have an article at http://www.dartfrogmedia.com/overview that is an

overview of Flash3 features from a functional perspective -- that is, it is

a basic introduction to what Flash3 can do and what the tools and

techniques are called. I wrote it specifically for people in your situation.


Best wishes,





Marc Hoffman

marcdartfrogmedia [dot] com (mailto:marcdartfrogmedia [dot] com)

Flash3 Portfolio: <http://www.dartfrogmedia.com/sampler>, featured 

in Flash 3 Web Animation, by Ken Milburn.


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