Interface of Flash

Parts of the interface


The interface of flash consists of four parts: The Stage, The Timeline, The Floating Panels and the Toolbar.

The Stage


The stage is center area of the software. It is the area where all your work is created. It is also known as the workspace.

The Timeline


The timeline is the part of the software where you control what happens on the stage and when. Layers are an important part of the timeline, becuase it is necessary to put each graphic on a separte layer. We will learn more about the timeline on another lesson.

Floating Panels


Floating panels are various panels used to acess and control things that are generally used together. The default panels that appear are: Action, Properties, Color, and the Library. Notice that they may have tabs where you may switch into another category. There are more panels that you can add from the menubar under Windows. Many of them have shortcuts to gain quick access to them. One helpful shortcut is F4, which hides/shows the panels. Go ahead a explore what all the panels are and what you do with them.

The Toolbar


The toolbar in Flash is very useful for creating your own graphics on the stage. There are four sections of the toolbar: tools, view, colors, and options. We will learn about what each tool does in the practice.



Practice:


  1. Open folder My Network Places->Class Data->Web Animation->Tutorials.

  2. Copy the folder called “Toolbar Practice” into your Flash folder (in your Web Animation folder).

  3. Begin completing these excerises