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BASIC FLASH EXERCISES; These exercises are designed to give you a basic grounding in Flash elements.

EXERCISE 1: Converting an image object into a symbol and adding basic movement using motion tweening. Step 1: Draw an object using the circle or rectangular draw tool in the toolbar.

The object will automatically be added to the first keyframe in your timeline. You can change the line and fill colours as well as the line style by selecting your object (clicking on the first frame in the timeline then clicking on your graphic object). Colours and other options are available in the Properties Inspector at the base of the interface.

Step 2: Convert your graphic into a symbol. To do this select your graphic, then select MODIFYCONVERT TO SYMBOL. Give your symbol an appropriate name and select Movie clip from the options.

This will turn your graphic into a symbol which is stored in your library and can be reused again and again at any point in your movie. If you would like to edit your symbol you can do so at any time by double clicking on the symbol. This will open the symbol on the stage and allow you to change the colours or add/modify your symbol.

To return to the standard stage simply click back on SCENE 1 at the top of the timeline and this will take you back to the regular stage scene.

Step 3: Add a keyframe in frame 60. To do this click on frame 60 in the timeline then click INSERTTIMELINEKEYFRAME or click F6.

This will add a keyframe to frame 60 in your timeline.

Step 4: Select frame 60 and move your symbol to another location on the stage.

If you scrub the timeline (by moving the red marker) or playing the animation (ENTER or CONTROLPLAY) you will notice the graphic will stay in the same position from frame 1 to frame 59, then appear in the new location in frame 60. Step 5: Adding a Motion tween. Select frame 1, then select Motion from the TWEEN dialogue box in the Properties Inspector.

This will add a motion tween to your animation and you will see a purple arrow in the timeline.

When you view your animation now, you will see your symbol move smoothly from frame 1 to frame 60. Step 6: Changing scale Select your symbol in frame 60. Using the resize tool in the toolbar, scale the symbol to a larger size.

When you view the animation now you will see it will move and change in size. Step 7: Adding colour effects: Select the symbol in frame1. In the Properties Inspector select ALPHA from the colour option and enter a value of 0%. This will render your symbol transparent.

When you view your animation now the graphic will become visible, move and increase in size. You can add motion tweens to anything you have converted to a symbol. EXERCISE 2: Converting bitmaps to symbols and using Guide Layers Step 1: Import a bitmap file (gif, jpg etc.) to your library. FILEIMPORTIMPORT TO LIBRARY (or STAGE) You can drag your image onto the stage from the library. Step 2: Select the image and convert it to a symbol. MODIFYCONVERT TO SYMBOL

Give your symbol an appropriate name and select MOVIE CLIP. Step 3: Insert a new keyframe in frame 60 (F6). Step 4: Select frame 60 and move your symbol to a new location on the stage. Step 5: Select frame 1 and choose Motion from the TWEEN menu in the properties inspector. View your animation. So far it moves in a very basic path. Step 6: Add a guide layer by selecting the motion guide layer icon in the timeline panel (next to the add layer option).

This will add a guide layer to your timeline. Step 7: Select frame 1 in your guide layer and using the pencil tool draw a path you would like your symbol to follow

Step 8: Select frame 1 in your regular layer and position your symbol at the starting point of the line path. Make sure the centre circle snaps to the start of the line.

Step 9: Select frame 60 and move your symbol to the end of the line path so that the central circle snaps to it.

When you view your animation now, it should move along the path. When you publish your movie, the path will not be visible. To preview your Flash animation select FILEPREVIEWFLASH