The Journey to Flash 8
New to Flash? Quirky things….
o Vector disappearing act (can be avoided now with the “object drawing” button)
o Pay attention to your timeline and label layers; it’s easy to get “inside” an object and not know where you are
o Know when to use what (graphic vs. movie clip)
o Circle at the top of a text box means single line, no wrap; resize box to get a square that will wrap
o Things don’t move right? Watch your “snaps” (Snap to object; magnets)
o When you create a graphic or movie clip, there is an anchor point. That’s the “axis” so if you are going to rotate the object using tweens, pay careful attention to the location of the “axis” (think about a clock; move point with Free Transform) NOTE: If you are rotating/animating with Actionscript, it uses the registration point instead
o Adding actions is easy, but you must be careful. Actionscript is case sensitive.
o More on actions: If you add to the frame, a little A will appear in the frame (Actions-Frame); if you add to an object, your Actions panel should say Actions-Button (or whatever object you are clicked on)
Cool things about Flash 8
o New filters and special effects for text and images
o Drop shadows
o “Real” shadows on movie clips
o Blend modes
o Gradients on strokes
o Better “multiple” library interface
o Group panels with tabs
o Text resizing makes more sense (no more double click inside first)
o “Script assist” (AKA Normal mode in Flash MX) is back for Actions
o Line corners (Cap and Join)
o Neat control of graphic symbol for recurring, timed animation (Swap)

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