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CHAPTER 1
Create a Document
You ’re about to experience the power of Macromedia Flash MX 2004 and Macromedia Flash MX
Professional 2004.You ’ll see how,in a few minutes,you can create a compelling web experience
that combines video,text,graphics,and media control behaviors.In the process,you ’ll learn
about the Flash authoring environment as you accomplish the following tasks:
•Tour the user interface
•Dock and undock panels
•Change the background and Stage size
•Change your view of the Stage
•View your document library
•Add graphics to the Stage
•Add video
•View object properties
•Add video control behaviors
•Use the Movie Explorer to view the document structure
•Te s t t h e d o c u me n t
•Find help
Before taking this lesson,we recommend that you read Getting Started,to learn about the Flash
workspace.To access Getting Started,select Help >Help and click the Getting Started book in
the Help contents.
14 Chapter 1:Create a Document
Take a tour of the user interface
First you ’ll open the starting FLA file that you ’ll use to complete this lesson.Each lesson includes
one start file,and a finished file that demonstrates how the FLA file should appear upon
completion of the lessons.
1 To open your start file,in Flash select File >Open.Then do one of the following:
■If you ’re using a Windows 2000 or XP operating system,browse to
<boot drive>\Documents and Settings \<username>\Local Settings \Application Data \
Macromedia \Flash MX 2004 \<language>\Configuration \ HelpPanel \HowDoI \
QuickTasks \start_files and double-click document_start.fla.
Note:If the Application Data folder is hidden,you ’ll need to change your Windows Explorer
settings to see the folder.
■If you ’re using a Windows 98 operating system,browse to
<boot drive>\Windows \Application Data \Macromedia \Flash MX 2004 \<language>\
Configuration \HelpPanel \HowDoI \QuickTasks \start_files and double-click
document_start.fla.
■If you ’re using a Macintosh operating system,browse to <Macintosh HD>/Applications/
Macromedia Flash MX 2004/First Run/HelpPanel/HowDoI/QuickTasks/start_files and
double-click document_start.fla.
Note:The QuickTasks \finished_files folder contains completed versions of lesson FLA files,for
your reference.
The document opens in the Flash authoring environment.The document already includes two
layers in the Timeline.To learn more about layers,select Help >How Do I >Basic Flash >
Work with Layers.
One of the layers is a guide layer,which assists you in placing objects on the Stage.The other
layer is a content layer in which to place the objects that will compose your document.
Note:Guide layers do not appear in the Flash content that you test or publish.
2 Select File >Save As and save the document with a new name,in the same folder,to preserve
the original start file.
As you complete this lesson,remember to save your work frequently.
Select panel sets and arrange panels
The Training Layout panel set arranges your workspace in a way that facilitates taking lessons.
You ’ll use this layout for all lessons that you take in Flash.
•Select Window >Panel Sets >Training Layout.
You can move panels around,and resize them,as follows:
■You can undock a panel by clicking the upper left corner of the panel,in the Title bar,and
dragging the panel to another location in the work area.
If the panel snaps against a border,it is docked in a new location (or docked in the same
location,if you moved it back).Otherwise,the panel is undocked.
■You can resize an undocked panel by dragging the lower right edge out to enlarge the panel.
Take a tour of the user interface 15
Use tools to create Flash content
The white rectangular Stage area is where you can arrange objects as you wish them to appear in
your published file.
Note:In Windows operating systems,you can open several documents at once and use document
tabs,above the Stage,to navigate between them.
The toolbar,next to the Stage,offers a variety of controls that let you create text and vector art.To
learn more about toolbar tools,select Help >How Do I >Basic Flash >Draw in Flash and Help >
How Do I >Basic Flash >Add Static,Input,and Dynamic Text.
1 Click the Pencil tool in the toolbar.Click the Stroke color box,in the toolbar Colors area,and
select any color except white.
2 Click and drag around the Stage,without releasing the mouse,to draw a line.
You ’ve created Flash content.Your finished document will be much more impressive.
Undo actions
Flash can undo a series of changes to your document.You ’ll undo the artwork that you
just created.
1 To see the undo feature in action,first open the History panel (Window >
Other Panels >History).
The Pencil tool appears in the panel,because using the tool was your last action.
2 Do one of the following:
■Select Edit >Undo Pencil Tool.
■Press Control+Z (Windows)or Command+Z (Macintosh).
Your scribbles disappear from the Stage.The History panel now shows a dimmed Pencil tool,
which indicates the undo action was executed.
Flash,by default,is set to undo 100 of your changes,in reverse order of execution.You can
change the default setting in Preferences.To change your preferences,see Setting Preferences in
Flash in the “Getting to Know the Workspace ” chapter of Getting Started Help.
3 To close the History panel,click the options menu in the upper right corner of the panel and
select Close Panel.
16 Chapter 1:Create a Document
View the Timeline
Just above the Stage,you see the Timeline and layers.You can create and name layers,then add
content to frames on layers to organize how your Flash content plays as the playhead moves across
the frames.
•Move the mouse pointer over the area that separates the Stage from the Timeline.When the
resizing handle appears,drag up or down slightly to resize the Timeline as necessary.
The playhead (the red indicator line)is on Frame 1 in the Timeline.The keyframes are
designated by small circles in the frames,which are filled,indicating there ’s content in those
frames.You can add a keyframe to a document when you want the Flash content to change in
some way in that frame.
Change background and Stage size
The Stage provides a preview of how your Flash content will appear in your published file.You ’ll
change the size of the Stage,to accommodate artwork designed for a larger Stage,and you ’ll
change the background color of the Stage.
1 In the toolbar,click the Selection tool.
2 On the Stage,click anywhere in the gray work area that surrounds the Stage,or on the
background area of the Stage,so that no objects are selected.
The Property inspector,below the Stage,displays properties for the document when no objects
are selected.
3 To change the Stage background color,click the Background color box and select a light shade
of gray,such as gray with the hexadecimal value of #CCCCCC.
4 To change the Stage size,click the Size button in the Property inspector.In the Document
Properties dialog box,enter 750 for the Stage width,then click OK.
The Stage resizes to 750 pixels wide.
Change your view of the Stage
You can change your view of the Stage without affecting the actual Stage size of your document.
1 In the Stage View text box,above the right side of the Stage,type 500%.Then press Enter
or Return.
Your view of the Stage enlarges to 500%.
2 In the Stage View pop-up menu,which you access by clicking the control to the right of the text
box,select 100%to view the Stage in dimensions that correspond to the size of the published
Flash content.
Resizing handle
Playhead
Keyframe
Add video 17
View the Library panel
Flash content that you import or that is a symbol is stored in your Library panel.To learn
more about symbols and instances,select Help >How Do I >Basic Flash >Create Symbols
and Instances.
•To view the Library panel,select Window >Library.
We ’ve already imported library items and created symbols for objects that you ’ll use in
this lesson.
Note:Flash also contains libraries of buttons and sounds that you can use in your document.To
view these libraries,after taking this lesson,select Window >Other Panels >Common Libraries and
select the Buttons or Sounds library.
Add graphics to the Stage
To add library items to your document,you verify that you ’re adding the object to the correct
layer,then drag the item from the Library panel to the Stage.
1 In the Timeline,click the Content layer name to select that layer.With the Selection tool
selected,drag the Title movie clip,which contains a bitmap image and vector graphic,from the
Library panel to the Stage and align it over the Title guide.
In Flash,you can work with both bitmap images,which describe graphics using pixels,and
vector art,which uses mathematical representation to describe art.For more information,see
“About vector and bitmap graphics ”in Using Flash Help.
2 With the Content layer still selected,drag the text symbol from the Library panel to Stage,and
align it with the Trio ZX2004 text that ’s already in place as a guide.You can use your keyboard
arrow keys to nudge the text into place.
The title text is actually a graphic created from text.
Add video
The Library panel includes an imported Flash video file (FLV).You ’ll add the video to your
document,and Flash will add the necessary frames to play the video.
To learn more about using video in Flash,see “Working with Video ” in Using Flash Help.
1 Verify that the Content layer is still selected in the Timeline.From the Library panel,drag the
ggb_move_for_trio_new video to the dark gray Video guide on the Stage.
2 A dialog box appears that indicates Flash will add 138 frames to the Timeline for the video.
Click Yes.
3 Drag the playhead across the Timeline to view the video.