Flash CS4:

Advanced, ACE Edition

Frequently asked questions and instructor notes

Topic A0:   Classroom setup

Hardware requirements

Each student’s personal computer should have:

·   A keyboard and a mouse

·   Intel Pentium 4, Intel Centrino, Intel Xeon, or Intel Core Duo (or compatible) processor

·   At least 512 MB of RAM (1 GB recommended)

·   2.5 GB of hard disk space in addition to the OS

·   A CD-ROM drive for installation

·   A monitor with at least 1280x960 resolution at 24 bit color or better

Software requirements

You will need the following software:

·   Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise (certified for 32-bit editions); updated with the most recent service packs

·   Flash CS4 Professional

·   QuickTime 7 or later

·   Internet Explorer

Network requirements

The following network components and connectivity are also required for this course:

·   Internet access, for the following purposes:

   Downloading the latest critical updates and service packs from www.windowsupdate.com

First-time setup instructions

The first time you teach this course, you will need to perform the following steps to set up each student computer.

1   Install Windows XP on an NTFS partition according to the software manufacturer’s instructions. If the student machines have Internet access, and they are behind a software or hardware firewall, install the latest critical updates and service packs from www.windowsupdate.com.

     Note: You can also use Windows Vista, but the screen shots in this course were taken in Windows XP, so students’ screens might look somewhat different.

2   From the Control Panel, open the Display Properties dialog box and apply the following settings:

·    Theme — Windows XP

·    Screen resolution — 1280 by 960 pixels

·    Color quality — High (24 bit) or higher

     Note: To avoid a blurred or distorted screen, users of flat panel or widescreen displays should either choose their monitor’s native resolution, or disable image stretching and scaling if possible. Students’ screens may look slightly different at other resolutions.

3   Display file extensions and hidden files.

a   Start Windows Explorer.

b   Choose Tools, Folder Options and select the View tab.

c   Clear the check box for “Hide extensions for known file types.”

d   Select “Show hidden files and folders” and click OK.

e   Close Windows Explorer.

4   Install Flash CS4 Professional according to the software manufacturer’s instructions. Include the optional components Adobe Flash Player 9 ActiveX, Adobe Flash Player 9 Plugin, and Adobe Media Encoder.

5   Install the latest version of QuickTime (version 7 or later). The latest version can be downloaded from www.apple.com/quicktime. Accept all defaults during the installation.

6   Configure Internet Explorer to allow active content. This is necessary for several activities that preview animations in a Web browser.

a   Click Start, right-click the Internet Explorer icon, and choose Internet Properties.

b   On the Advanced tab, under Security, check “Allow active content to run in files on My Computer.”

c   Click OK.

7   Create a folder called Student Data at the root of the hard drive (C:\). Extract or copy the data folders and files from the CD included with this manual.

8   If you don’t have the data CD that came with this manual, download the student data files for the course. You can download the data directly to student machines, to a central location on your own network, or to a disk.

a   Connect to www.axzopress.com.

b   Under Downloads, click Instructor-Led Training.

c   Browse the subject categories to locate your course. Then click the course title to display a list of available downloads. (You can also access these downloads through our Catalog listings.)

d   Click the link(s) for downloading the student data files and follow the instructions that appear on your screen.

Setup instructions for every class

Every time you teach this course (including the first time), you will need to perform the following steps to set up each student computer.

1   If necessary, reset any defaults that you have changed.

2   Delete the contents of the Student Data folder, if necessary. (If this is the first time you are teaching the course, create a folder named Student Data at the root of the hard drive. For a standard hard drive setup, this will be C:\Student Data.)

3   Copy the data files to the Student Data folder. (See the download instructions in the preceding section.)

 

Topic B:   Frequently asked questions

There are no frequently asked questions for this course at this time.

 

Topic C:   Course notes

There are no notes for this course at this time.

 

Topic D:   Additional information

There is no additional information for this course at this time.