Getting to Know Flash Pro
(Page 1 of 9 )
Sanders provides a quick overview of Flash MX Professional 2004 and covers the core elements, frames and layers, and new features such as the document tab at the top of the Document window. (
Macromedia Flash MX Professional 2004, by Bill Sanders, Sams, 2004, ISBN 0672326051.)
Getting the Flavor of Flash
This chapter provides a quick overview of Flash MX Professional 2004. New Flash users should read this chapter in detail to understand the core elements of Flash Pro. Many of the procedures used in this chapter to illustrate the different parts of the Flash environment will be elaborated in subsequent chapters, so treat this chapter as a foundation for what will come. This chapter is for getting the flavor of Flash in context and a kick start in understanding the core Flash environment.
The Stage The main work area for creating Flash Pro documents is the Stage. It represents the visible portion of a Flash movie. Objects can move on and off the Stage, but the viewer sees only what's in the Stage area.
A new feature in Flash MX Professional 2004 is the document tab at the top of the Document window. Each document, including external ActionScript Editor documents, gets a document tab. When you create multiple-document sites or documents that require external files, the tabs make it very easy to switch quickly between the various documents and files. Figure 1.1 shows the Stage and two document tabs (First.fla and Second.fla) at the top of the Document window. In the figure, the mouse pointer is positioned on the First.fla tab.
Figure 1.1 The Stage is the work area for the selected document.
Multiple Documents for Macintosh Users - Document tabs are not available on the Macintosh version of Flash MX Professional 2004. However, you can have multiple documents open and each has its own window.
You can adjust the size of the Stage (and thus the size of the Flash window onscreen when the animation is complete) by using the Property Inspector. Click somewhere in the Stage area and then click the Size button. The Document Properties dialog box opens and allows you to enter the width and height of the Stage in inches (''), decimal inches (''), points (pt), centimeters (cm), millimeters (mm), or pixels (px). Figure 1.2 shows the Stage size being set in pixels. Flash provides several units of measure so that designers from other environments can be comfortable with their favorite unit.
Figure 1.2 The Stage size is set in the Document Properties dialog box.
 This chapter is from Macromedia Flash MX Professional 2004, by Bill Sanders (Sams, 2004, ISBN: 0672326051). Check it out at your favorite bookstore today.
Buy this book now. |
Next: The Timeline and Frames >>
More Flash Articles
More By Bill Sanders
