Flash Catalyst Training: Essential Skills I

Learn Flash ActionScript 3 to build interactive event driven multimedia Flash content for the web. This course is intended for experienced Flash designers that are ready to learn fundamental programming techniques. It begins by introducing core concepts including instance names, variables, functions, properties, and methods; then proceeds through conditions, loops, event handling, and animating with ActionScript. Create Flash XML driven applications to leverage dynamic content for the web.

Your instructor will cover the pitfalls, and the best practices will be followed so that you are creating rich interactive pieces with the latest standards to reach world-wide audiences across different browsers and computer platforms in this ActionScript 3 class.

This Flash Actionscript course is intensive, but not complicated. Our job is to make difficult concepts easy to understand and implement into your own projects.

Getting to Know Adobe Flash Catalyst CS5

• Flash Catalyst design workflow
• Opening a new Flash Catalyst project
• Design workspace
• Code workspace
• Exploring the Design workspace
• Previewing a project in a browser

Preparing, Importing, and Placing Artwork

• Preparing a design document
• Choose your design application
• Plan the structure of your application
• Group complex objects
• Flatten artwork with filters and effects
• Embed images in the design document
• Identify duplicate component assets
• Set component properties in Flash Catalyst
• Exporting an FXG file from Adobe Fireworks
• Importing artwork
• Import additional images

Managing the Libriary

• Viewing the Library panel
• Add assets to the Library panel
• Deleting assets from the project
• Renaming project assets
• Using assets in the Library panel
• Sharing project libraries
• Export a library package
• Import a library package

Managing Layers

• Exploring the Layers panel
• Show and hide layers
• Lock and unlock layers
• Grouping objects
• Renaming objects in the Layers panel
• Adding and deleting layers
• Stacking artwork using layers

Working with Pages and States

• Page and component states
• Duplicating and modifying page states
• Show and hide artwork in each page state
• Adding and deleting states
• Add objects to blank page states
• Delete objects from specific states

Crearing Interactive Components

• The building blocks of RIAs
• Component
• Add and modify wireframes
• Converting artwork to built-in components
• Create a reusable buttons
• Convert artwork to scroll bars
• Work with text
• Create a scroll panel from artwork
• Creating custom components
• Adding interactivity
• Create conditional interactions
• Link to external content

Creating Transitions and Action Sequences

• Transitions and action sequences
• Inspecting default transition effects
• Adding smooth transitions
• Adjust transition duration
• Ease transitions
• Adding and changing effects
• Swap one effect for another
• Adding action sequences
• Add an action sequence interaction
• Edit an action sequence in the Timeline

Adding and Controlling Video and Sound

• Preparing video for the web
• Importing and previewing video and sound
• Import video and sound
• Preview video and sound
• Adding video to an application
• Set video player properties
• Controlling video playback
• Add interactions to control video playback

Integrating SWF Content from other Creative Suite Tools

• SWF files
• Creating SWF files for Flash Catalyst
• Using SWF files in Flash Catalyst
• Adding SWF files to Flash Catalyst
• Import a SWF file to the artboard
• Preview a SWF animation
• Controlling the playback of SWF files
• Play or stop a SWF file
• Play the SWF movie from a specific frame
• Adding a SWF file to a component
• Position a SWF file
• Add effects to play the animation

Designing with Data

• Flash Catalyst data lists
• What is design-time data?
• Preview a data list
• Creating a Data List component
• Design a sample record
• Convert the sample record into a Data List component
• Define the repeated item
• Setting data list properties
• Using design-time data

Drawing and Editing Artwork

• Flash Catalyst drawing tools
• Using the rulers, guides, and grid
• Show and hide rulers
• Edit grid and guide settings
• Set guides for precise drawing
• Drawing basic shapes and lines
• Add and modify gradient fills
• Grouping and transforming
• Size and position objects
• Applying and removing filters
• Add and modify a bevel
• Add and modify a drop shadow
• Round-trip editing with Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop

Publishing a Project

• Delivery options
• Publishing your application
• Accessibility
• Embedding fonts
• Before you publish
• Publish to SWF
• Viewing the published files
• Publishing to the web with Adobe Dreamweaver CS5
• Create a local root folder and site structure
• Connect to a remote site
• Upload files

Flash Catalyst Training: Essential Skills I Course Prerequisites

Completion of Essential Skills 1 or equivalent knowledge of one of the following:

• Photoshop CS5
• Illustrator CS5
• Fireworks CS5