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CONTINUING WITH THESE IMPORTANT THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
UP FRONT FOR THIS CLASS.
WE'RE GOING TO COVER THINGS THAT YOU SHOULD AVOID
IN FLASH FOR THIS-- ABOUT FILE TYPES
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT PREFERENCES.
SO THE FIRST THING THAT YOU WANT TO AVOID,
WRITE THIS DOWN, IMPORTANT,
IS USING THE WRONG TYPE OF DRAWING METHODS
IN THIS CLASS.
SO OVER HERE IN OUR TOOLS--
AND WE'RE-- I'M GONNA HAVE A SEPARATE VIDEO
THAT GOES THROUGH ALL THESE TOOLS,
BUT FOR RIGHT NOW IT'S NOT IMPORTANT IF YOU KNOW
HOW TO DO WHAT I'M DOING WITH THE TOOL.
IT'S JUST IMPORTANT THAT YOU UNDERSTAND
THE DIFFERENT DRAWING MODES.
SO WHEN I CLICK,
AND THIS IS A PRETTY POPULAR TOOL,
WHEN I CLICK ON THIS TOOL IT IS GOING TO SHOW ME,
IN FACT, LET ME DRAG THIS OVER A LITTLE FURTHER HERE.
HOLD THE MOUSE DOWN OVER THIS.
IT SHOWS ME SOME DIFFERENT OPTIONS IN HERE.
I HAVE A RECTANGLE AND AN OVAL TOOL.
YOU'LL USE THESE A LOT
ESPECIALLY FOR THE DEMOS IN THE CLASS.
SO I'M JUST GONNA SELECT THE RECTANGLE TOOL.
AS SOON AS I DO
YOU NOTICE THAT THE PROPERTIES PANEL
THAT WE TALKED ABOUT LAST TIME
IS NOW SHOWING ME THE PROPERTIES FOR THE RECTANGLE TOOL.
AND, ALSO, LET ME GO BACK
TO JUST THE REGULAR OLD SELECTION TOOL HERE,
YOU CAN SEE THAT SOME OF THE OPTIONS HERE
IN THE TOOLS THEMSELVES CHANGE.
SO, WATCH WHEN I SELECT THIS AGAIN DOWN HERE,
THIS SHOWED UP.
THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
RIGHT HERE IS WHEN WE DRAW IN THIS PROGRAM WITH TOOLS
THAT HAVE THE OPTION OF BEING AN OBJECT DRAWING OR--
AND WHAT THEY CALL MERGE MODE.
I GUESS IT ONLY SHOWS THE ONE OPTION ON HERE,
BUT IT TOGGLES BACK AND FORTH.
WE WANT IT SET LIKE THIS.
IF YOU CLICK ON IT AND IT HAS THIS DARKER GRAY BOX AROUND IT,
THAT IS WHAT YOU DO NOT WANT.
SO WHENEVER YOU USE THAT TOOL,
JUST MAKE SURE YOU'RE IN THIS MODE.
ONCE YOU, YOU KNOW, USED IT, WHEN YOU COME BACK,
IT SHOULD STAY THIS WAY.
AND LET ME SHOW YOU SOME THINGS HERE.
IF I DRAW WITH THIS RECTANGLE TOOL--
AND LET ME JUST GO UP HERE.
NOTICE THAT, AGAIN,
THE PROPERTIES SHOWS ME THINGS ABOUT IT.
SO I'M GONNA CLICK HERE,
GET RID OF THE STROKE JUST BY GOING OVER THERE,
CLICK HERE, JUST GIVE IT A FILL COLOR.
I'LL JUST PICK RED.
BUT IF I DRAW ON THIS STAGE IN THIS MODE
AND THEN I HOVER OR--NOT HOVER
BUT ACTUALLY GRAB THIS SELECTION TOOL,
CLICK ON IT, IT SELECTS THIS, WHICH MEANS IT'S NOW SELECTED.
I CAN MOVE IT AROUND.
THIS IS A GOOD INDICATOR.
IT HAS ALL THESE LITTLE DOTS ON IT.
THAT LETS YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING.
YOU'RE DRAWING IN SHAPE MODE, NOT IN OBJECT DRAWING MODE.
NOW, NOTICE ALSO OVER HERE,
THIS EVERCHANGING PROPERTIES PANEL
IS NOW TELLING US ABOUT THE THING THAT WE HAVE SELECTED.
SO IF I HAVE NOTHING SELECTED, WE'RE LIKELY--
WE'RE IN THE FIRST VIDEO WHEN I WAS TELLING YOU
ABOUT THE THINGS FOR THE PROGRAM ITSELF.
WHEN I CLICK ON THIS, IT NOW TELLS ME RIGHT HERE,
THIS IS A SHAPE.
THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT.
AND NOW I'M GONNA SHOW YOU WHAT YOU DON'T WANT
JUST SO YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE.
I'LL LEAVE THIS UP HERE.
I WILL PRETEND THAT I ACCIDENTALLY CLICKED THIS
AND IT TURNED GRAY.
AND WHEN I DRAW WITH THIS LOOKS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME.
BUT THERE ARE A COUPLE KEY DIFFERENCES.
ONE IS IT GETS THIS SMALL BLUE OUTLINE AROUND IT
EVEN THOUGH I DO NOT HAVE A STROKE ON IT.
BUT THAT CAN BE CONFUSING
BECAUSE IF THE BOX ITSELF IS BLUE
YOU WON'T REALLY KNOW
IF YOU HAD A STROKE AROUND IT THAT WAS BLUE.
YOU WOULDN'T REALLY KNOW,
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT STROKES AND FILLS
IN THE NEXT VIDEO.
BUT NOTICE WHEN I SELECT THIS,
IT DOESN'T GET THOSE LITTLE DOTS AROUND IT LIKE THIS ONE DID.
ALSO, WHEN I SELECT THIS, LOOK OVER IN THE PROPERTIES PANEL,
IT TELLS ME THAT IT'S A DRAWING OBJECT,
WHICH MEANS I WAS IN OBJECT DRAWING MODE WHEN I MADE IT.
WE DO NOT WANT THAT.
THERE IS ONE EXCEPTION TO THAT
AND THAT IS WHEN YOU BRING IN THINGS FROM ILLUSTRATOR.
THEY WILL USUALLY BE OBJECT DRAWINGS,
BUT BY THAT POINT IN THE CLASS
WHEN WE'RE DOING OTHER THINGS TO THEM, THAT WILL BE OKAY.
IF THAT'S CONFUSING TO YOU, WHEN WE GET TO THAT LATER ON,
IF YOU'RE MAKING THINGS IN ILLUSTRATOR,
WE'LL COVER IT AGAIN.
YOU KNOW, NEVER BE AFRAID TO ASK ME A QUESTION ON IT.
BUT FOR NOW WE WANT TO ALWAYS BE DRAWING IN SHAPE MODE.
THE REASON WE DON'T WANT TO BE IN THE OTHER MODE
IS THERE ARE CERTAIN FEATURES IN FLASH THAT DO NOT WORK.
SO FOR AN INTRODUCTORY CLASS, THIS IS THE SAFEST WAY TO WORK.
ANOTHER THING THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW JUST REALLY QUICKLY,
BECAUSE WE'LL GO INTO THIS IN MORE DETAIL ABOUT THINGS,
ABOUT SHAPES, DRAWING IN THE SHAPE MODE IS THAT SHAPES,
WHEN YOU DRAW ANOTHER ONE ON THE SAME LAYER--
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT LAYERS LATER--
IS THAT THEY EITHER WILL MERGE TOGETHER IF THEY OVERLAP
OR IF THEY'RE A DIFFERENT COLOR.
OOPS, I ACCIDENTALLY JUST CREATED ONE IN THE WRONG MODE.
I GOT TO TAKE THIS.
OKAY, UNCHECK THAT BEFORE I DRAW THE SHAPE AGAIN.
AND IF I DRAW ANOTHER SHAPE NOW THAT'S THE SAME COLOR
AND I MOVE IT TO THE POINT WHERE THESE TWO OVERLAP
OR I WOULD'VE DRAWN IT OVERLAPPING IN THE FIRST PLACE,
THEY ARE NOW JOINED.
I CAN'T SELECT MY ORIGINAL SHAPE ANYMORE.
I CAN'T SELECT THE NEW SHAPE ANYMORE.
THEY ARE ONE.
IF YOU DON'T WANTED THAT TO HAPPEN,
WHICH MOST OF THE TIME YOU DON'T,
EASY WAYS TO GET AROUND IT.
NOW, I'M GOING TO SELECT THIS AGAIN
IN THE PROPERTIES PANEL HERE.
I'M GONNA CHANGE MY FILL COLOR TO A DIFFERENT COLOR.
DRAW--THAT'S JUST TO CHANGE THINGS UP HERE.
LET'S MAKE AN OVAL THIS TIME.
AND NOW WHEN I MOVE IT OVER THE TOP,
IF I GO TO MOVE THIS WAY,
I CAN STILL SELECT THEM INDIVIDUALLY
BECAUSE THEY'RE DIFFERENT COLORS,
BUT WATCH WHAT HAPPENS IF I MOVE THAT AWAY.
IT ACTUALLY SUBTRACTS OUT.
SO THAT CAN BE HANDY FOR MAKING SHAPES REALLY QUICKLY
WITHOUT HAVING TO, YOU KNOW, LIKE COMPLEX SHAPES
WITHOUT HAVING TO DO A WHOLE LOT OF WORK.
BUT IF YOU DON'T WANT THIS TO HAPPEN,
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS MAKE SURE
THAT THE DIFFERENT SHAPES ARE ON DIFFERENT LAYERS,
AND I'M GONNA HAVE A WHOLE VIDEO OR TWO
JUST DEDICATED TO LAYERS LATER ON,
HOW YOU MAKE NEW LAYERS.
SO FOR RIGHT NOW WRITE IT DOWN.
IT'S IMPORTANT.
WE DRAW IN SHAPE MODE, NOT IN OBJECT MODE. OKAY.
SO NUMBER TWO THING TO AVOID IN THIS CLASS
IS WHAT IS KNOWN AS TLF TEXT.
THIS WAS INTRODUCED IN THE LAST VERSION OF FLASH.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT IT'LL SHOW UP BY DEFAULT,
BUT ONE OF THE TOOLS HERE THAT YOU HAVE A CHOICE
OF USING IS A TEXT TOOL.
AND THE TEXT TOOL IS YOU SIMPLY CLICK ON IT TO SELECT IT.
GO OVER HERE, CLICK, AND YOU START TYPING.
BUT BEFORE YOU DO THAT, LOOK IN YOUR PROPERTIES PANEL
AND MAKE SURE THAT UP AT THE TOP IT SAYS CLASSIC TEXT.
IF IT SAYS TLF TEXT, CHANGE IT.
THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH TLF TEXT.
IN FACT, IT'S MUCH BETTER
IF YOU'RE DOING VERY TEXT HEAVY THINGS,
BUT IT CREATES A SECONDARY FILE
THAT MUST STAY WITH THE FLASH FILE
SO IT'S CUMBERSOME.
IT'S HARD TO TURN YOUR PROJECTS IN AND SO ON AND SO ON.
SO FOR OUR CLASS WE WILL NOT BE USING TLF TEXT.
WE WILL ONLY USE CLASSIC TEXT.
WE WILL TALK MORE ABOUT THE TEXT TOOL COMING UP.
BUT FOR NOW DO NOT USE TLF TEXT.
USE CLASSIC TEXT. OKAY.
NUMBER THREE THING TO AVOID IN THIS CLASS
AND KIND OF IN FLASH IN GENERAL IS OVERUSING GRADIENTS.
IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH ILLUSTRATOR,
YOU PROBABLY KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS.
IF NOT, LET ME JUST SHOW YOU.
AND USUALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS I GET STUDENTS IN
THAT ARE FAMILIAR WITH ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR.
THEY'VE TAKEN A CLASS IN THAT ALREADY
AND THEY KNOW THAT YOU CAN MAKE SOME PRETTY INTERESTING THINGS
BY USING GRADIENTS.
SO GRADIENT IS WHEN IT CHANGES FROM ONE COLOR
TO ANOTHER GRADUALLY.
AND AS YOU CAN PROBABLY IMAGINE, FOR THE COMPUTER
TO FIGURE THIS OUT IS A LOT MORE INFORMATION HEAVY
THAN IT IS IF IT WAS JUST ONE SOLID COLOR.
SO IF I TAKE THIS, CLICK ON IT, DO AN APPLE C FOR COPY,
GO BACK INTO FLASH, CLICK ON THIS PAGE,
DO AN APPLE V FOR PASTE.
BRING THIS GRADIENT INTO FLASH.
THEN THIS GRADIENT--OKAY.
I GET THESE OPTIONS.
MOST OF THE TIME WE WANT THE THREE THAT ARE CHECKED HERE.
WELL, MAYBE NOT MAINTAIN LAYERS, BUT THOSE TWO ANYWAY.
IT'S GONNA BRING THIS GRADIENT IN.
USING JUST ONE GRADIENT, LIKE, FOR A BACKGROUND
OR A COUPLE OF KEY THINGS IN YOUR ANIMATION IS NOT BAD.
BUT IF EVERY SINGLE THING THAT YOU'RE ANIMATING HAS THESE,
IT'S JUST GOING TO SLOW DOWN THE PROGRAM,
ALSO MAKE FOR A MUCH BIGGER FILE.
SO IF YOU DID WANT TO PUBLISH IT ON THE WEB
IT'S GOING TO BE A HUGE FILE.
SO THOSE ARE THE THREE THINGS TO AVOID FOR THIS CLASS.
NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT FILE TYPES.
WHEN YOU MAKE SOMETHING IN FLASH THAT YOU'RE HAPPY WITH--
AND LET ME JUST MAKE A QUICK VIDEO.
I'M GONNA PAUSE IT WHILE I DO THAT.
'CAUSE I'LL EXPLAIN HOW TO DO THIS STUFF IN DETAIL LATER.
OKAY, FOR THE PURPOSE OF SHOWING YOU
HOW THE FILES WORK, HERE,
I JUST CREATED A QUICK LITTLE ANIMATION
WHERE A SQUARE MOVES ACROSS
FROM ONE SIDE OF THE STAGE TO THE OTHER.
IN THE PROCESS IT CHANGES COLOR AND CHANGES SHAPE.
AND WHEN I GO, RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN SEE IT'S UNTITLED.
I HAVEN'T SAVED THIS YET.
SO I'M GONNA GO FILE, SAVE AS.
AND JUST FOR THE HECK OF IT RIGHT NOW
I'M GONNA PUT THIS ON THE DESKTOP,
AND I WANT A NEW FOLDER FOR THIS.
SO I'LL CALL THIS FLASH DEMO.
I'M GONNA CREATE THIS FOLDER FOR IT,
AND THEN I'M GOING TO JUST CALL IT TEST.
AND WHAT I WANT YOU TO NOTICE HERE
IS THE EXTENSION AUTOMATICALLY IS .FLA.
THAT IS A FLASH FILE.
THIS IS THE NATIVE FLASH FORMAT.
THIS IS THE FORMAT THAT YOU NEED THE PROGRAM FLASH TO OPEN
TO WORK WITH THE DOCUMENT.
THERE'S ANOTHER FILE TYPE THAT YOU USE TO PUT ON THE WEB,
AND THEN PEOPLE CAN LOOK AT IT.
YOU CAN EMAIL IT TO PEOPLE, AND THEY DON'T NEED FLASH.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A SECOND.
SO I CLICK "SAVE."
NOW, I WANT YOU TO SEE HERE THAT IF I GO TO MY DESKTOP
AND LOOK FOR--HERE'S THE FILE THAT I JUST CREATED.
DRAG IT OVER HERE SO WE CAN FIND IT EASIER.
I'M SORRY, YOU PROBABLY DIDN'T--
OKAY, HERE'S THE FILE, THE FOLDER THAT I CREATED.
IF I CLICK AND LOOK INSIDE OF HERE
I CAN SEE HERE IS THE LITTLE TEST FLA FILE THAT I MADE.
THAT'S THE FILE THAT WE NEED TO SAVE,
TO TAKE HOME TO WORK ON, TO, YOU KNOW,
BRING BACK TO CLASS THE NEXT TIME TO WORK ON.
NOW, IF WE GO BACK INTO FLASH AND I PREVIEW THIS,
AND TO PREVIEW IT, THE SHORTCUT IS TO HIT THE COMMAND KEY
AND THE RETURN KEY.
LET ME SHOW YOU THE DIFFERENCE.
IF I JUST HIT THE RETURN KEY,
WHAT HAPPENS IS IT PLAYS THE MOVIE INSIDE OF FLASH,
SO IT GETS ALL WAY TO THE END,
I HIT THE RETURN AGAIN, AND IT PLAYS IT.
BUT IF I HIT COMMAND RETURN, IT ACTUALLY PREVIEWS THE MOVIE.
SO THIS IS WHAT THE VIEWER WOULD SEE.
HERE'S OUR STAGE SIZE SETUP TO THE SIZE THAT WE MADE.
WE CAN SEE THAT THE OBJECT STARTS OFF OF THE STAGE
AND GOES ALL THE WAY OFF OF THE STAGE AGAIN OVER HERE.
JUST BY DOING THAT,
BY PREVIEWING IT WITH THE COMMAND RETURN,
I NOW HAVE A COPY OF A SECOND FILE INSIDE OF MY FOLDER.
SO LET ME MOVE THIS OUT OF THE WAY.
LET ME NOW OPEN UP MY FOLDER THAT WE MADE,
AND THERE'S THE TEST FLA,
AND THEN THERE IS TEST SWF.
SO THIS IS A FLASH FILE.
THIS, WE USUALLY CALL IT A SWF FILE.
THIS IS THE FILE THAT ANYONE WHO HAS FLASH PLAYER,
WHICH IS FREE,
AND MOST PEOPLE DO HAVE IT INSTALLED ON THEIR COMPUTER,
CAN WATCH THE VIDEOS THAT YOU MAKE IN THIS CLASS.
AND THIS IS ALSO WHAT YOU USE
IF YOU'RE GONNA PUBLISH THIS ON A WEBSITE.
AND IF THE USER OR YOURSELF CLICKS ON THIS SWF FILE,
IT SIMPLY OPENS UP THE PROGRAM FLASH PLAYER
AND THERE IS YOUR THING.
AND YOU DO NOT NEED-- THERE'S YOUR VIDEO, SORRY.
AND YOU DO NOT NEED FLASH PLAYER.
YOU DO NEED FLASH PLAYER INSTALLED,
BUT YOU DO NOT NEED THE EXPENSIVE FLASH PROGRAM
OR THE CREATIVE SUITE.
ANYONE WHO HAS FLASH PLAYER, WHICH IS FREE,
CAN WATCH THAT.
OKAY, LAST THING I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IN THIS UPFRONT SECTION
OF THESE TWO VIDEOS HERE IS PREFERENCES.
IF THERE'S EVER ANYTHING GOING ON IN FLASH
THAT YOU THINK THERE MIGHT BE A BETTER WAY TO DO THAT
OR YOU WISH IT WASN'T QUITE DONE THAT WAY, ALWAYS GIVE A SHOT,
TAKE A LOOK IN PREFERENCES.
ON THE MAC YOU GO TO FLASH AND YOU GO TO PREFERENCES.
ON A PC IT'S UNDER EDIT AND THEN PREFERENCES.
SO IN THE PC WE GO FLASH, PREFERENCES,
AND JUST LOOK THROUGH THESE THINGS.
I PROBABLY WOULDN'T RECOMMEND
THAT YOU CHANGE ANY OF THIS STUFF RIGHT NOW
WITHOUT CHECKING WITH ME FIRST.
BUT AS YOU BECOME MORE AND MORE OF A PROFESSIONAL IN HERE
YOU MAY WANT TO GO THROUGH THESE THINGS
AND LOOK AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING
THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE.
SO, NEXT UP WE WILL TALK ABOUT THE TOOLS�