Study the Flash Layers section and notice the icons: an eye, a lock, and a square. The Eye icon hides or displays the layer, similar to Dreamweaver. The Lock icon prevents a layer from being edited, which is helpful when working with many layers. The Square icon displays objects so that only the object outline is visible, hiding the fill.
Drawing Tools
Note the Flash Drawing Tools. You will learn to use each of them in the exercises in this course.
Notice also that the Flash main toolbar is similar to other Windows applications, enabling you to open, save, print, cut, copy, paste, undo and redo with the click of a button.
Developing with Flash
Flash is both a development tool and a testing tool. This means that you need not load the SWF file into an HTML page then a browser each time you want to test your work. As a development tool, objects and images can be created in Flash, eliminating some of the need to use other applications to create graphics and then import them. However, Flash does support the importation of GIF, JPG and PNG file formats.
Developing with Flash will be a different experience at first, due to the use of the timeline and layers. As you develop, you must think in different terms because you are no longer limited to linear constraints. If you have worked previously with an image application that supports layers, you will better understand the function of a layer and its significance to other layers on the page.
With Flash, you are limited only by your imagination. As you begin to develop files and gain an understanding of the application, you will find that it is a highly robust tool for multimedia.
Flash Pages
A question commonly asked about Flash is whether or not to create a site entirely with Flash. As with many questions about the Web, the answer depends on many factors.
While simple in terms of using its graphical interface for development, creating Flash movies can still be time-consuming. You must also consider the updating requirements of your content. While content updating with HTML is becoming more common in the workplace, updating Flash content still requires an advanced user. Therefore, if the site you are developing will require frequent content updates, or if inexperienced Flash developers will perform updates, then it is not advisable to develop a site entirely in Flash.
Common uses for Flash generally serve the purpose of rich multimedia design. For example, splash pages provide a quick movie introduction lasting from 10 to 30 seconds before refreshing automatically to the home page. When using the splash page technique, always provide a link for users to bypass the introduction.
Return visitors may not want to see the splash again. Flash can also provide effective navigation elements that offer an enhanced user experience while navigating the site.
