Before getting started, it’s important to know the difference between a Flash authoring file (.fla) and a Shockwave Flash file (.swf). When you start working in Flash, you’ll be working in a .fla document. However, in order to view your final work in the Flash Player, you’ll need to “publish” your file as a .swf. (To do this, see step VI of this document.) *If you don’t have Flash Player installed on your computer, get the free download here: http://www.adobe.com/. Select “Get Adobe Flash Player”.

I. GETTING STARTED:
o To start a new Flash file, go to File > New ( + N).
o Select the default option “FlashFile (ActionScript 3.0)” and click OK.
o You should now see the “stage”, timeline and tools panel.

II. MODIFYING YOUR DOCUMENT:
o To create settings for your new Flash document, go to Modify > Document ( + J).
o Enter a title and a description (i.e., “My Flash Movie”).
o Choose a background color from the dropdown box.
o Next decide if you want to change the “Frame rate” from the default (12 fps). *Note that “fps” stands for “frames per second” so the higher the number, the faster the playback speed.
o Click OK. You should now see your “stage”, reflecting the background color you chose.

Download