Introduction to Macromedia Flash 8

Animation is the most effective technology that exists today for children's entertainment. Children watch animated cartoons and play animated games. Animation can be used for both entertainment and education. Today's children are not only able to be amazed by animation, but they can also easily create their own animations. Flash can be used to accomplish this. We will take a closer look at this software.

Animation:

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A series of pictures creates motion. This process is called animation. Cartoons are a common example. Many software packages and multimedia presentations rely on animation. Flash is one such software.

What is Flash?

Animations can be created with Flash, also known as Adobe Flash. Animations are made for a wide range of purposes, including movies, games, desktop presentations, web applications, etc. Flash is a popular technology available on the internet and compatible with all web browsers. Macromedia created it, and it was initially intended only for web applications.

How to start Flash?

In order to start Flash, these steps are required:

Click on the Start button on the computer.

Select or search for Programs on the sub-menu.

In the Programs section, click on the Macromedia section.

Now select Macromedia Flash 8.

Uses of Flash

With Flash, animations can be easily created and virtually any type of animation can be created. Every new version of Flash is better and has more features than the previous one, which is the beauty of this software. Flash was created in order to address one of the biggest weaknesses of the web, Dynamism. Dynamism also applies to interactive animations on the web that keep viewers/learners engaged and their time is better spent. Flash was able to keep the interactions attractive and remove the static nature of the pages.

It is crucial that web designers learn how to use Flash and keep it on their to-do list since Flash can not only create animation, but it is also useful in many other ways. Despite the ease of use, anyone can sit on the software and spend hours learning and creating.

Features of Flash

With so many attractive designs offered in Flash 8, it is easy to ignore the creation of animation for visual effects.

It offers a wide range of font sizes and helps optimize fonts.

A wide range of existing objects can be searched from a Single Panel. Flash therefore offers a consolidated library.

In flash 8, the ability to create and modify animations is getting easier with a good control over the editing mode, such as velocity of rotation, shape changes, color changes and movement.

Flash 8 provides high quality independent Codec, it is skinnable and simplifies video importing and video formats.

Flash 8 introduces mobile device emulators.

Symbols and Instances

The different objects for the animation are created using the Flash 8 tools, they are known as Symbols. After an object has been created, if it should be used in a movie or another movie in the future, it must be transformed into a symbol, which is accomplished by including them in a library when they are created. Thus, the movie can use the object in this way.

Instances are what they sound like. As of now, it is clear that when a symbol is created, Flash stores it in a library. This object is converted into an instance every time it is required in a movie. 

While both terms are similar, there is one slight difference: the symbol is used when creating a movie, and when the movie is finished and modified, the instance will be updated. However, the object remains intact just as it was at the beginning, which is why it can be approached if it is needed for another movie.

Creating Animation with the help of Flash 8

Globe is the object required to create

Creating animations may seem like a very tedious task. Multiple objects are needed to create animations, and they must be created at different positions each time to show motion going on in the object. The more these objects are created, the better and flawless the movie will be.

The three frames created for the movement of the globe

Therefore, it stands to reason that in order to create so many objects with such fine details, a lot of time and energy will be required. Nonetheless, Flash 8 is known for its simplicity and straightforwardness and this is the reason why animations are made with the least effort and in far less time than expected.

A globe that moves up and down is needed for an animation, now it appears it might take hours since it is better to create a globe at every point and time it so it looks seamless, the more globes created, the more likely it is that the animation will look realistic and good. 

By using Flash 8, you are able to create the entire animation using only 3 frames, instead of the number of globes required to make it look more realistic.

At the top of the first frame, the globe is in the topmost position. A second position needs to be created where the globe touches the ground and is at its lowest position, and finally a final frame where the globe is back at its original position, which can be created quickly with the help of the first frame.

To create movement, the duration of each movement needs to be determined. This is accomplished by setting the time between the moment when the globe is at its highest point and the moment it is at its lowest point. Flash then creates the animation of movement between those two points.