Adobe® Flash® CS4: Level 1

Course Specifications

Course number: 084038
Software: Adobe® Flash® CS4
Course length: 2.0 day(s)

Course Description

A website can be made to look more inviting with interactive graphics and animations. The tools present in Adobe® Flash® CS4 can be used to create and manipulate a wide variety of objects ranging from a simple graphic design to a complex animation sequence. In this course, you will familiarize yourself with the basic tools and features of Flash CS4, and gain the skills necessary for creating basic animations.

Course Objective: You will create and manipulate a wide variety of objects ranging from simple graphic designs to complex animation sequences using the Adobe® Flash® CS4 application.

Target Student: This course is intended for designers and developers new to Flash.

Prerequisites: To gain the most from this class, students should be familiar with the Windows environment (XP for ILT and Vista for online), be familiar with the web and its terminologies, have a basic frame of reference for graphic and design applications—identify programs designed for graphics and web, have a desire to know the basic terminologies and components of ActionScript™ and its role as a Flash programming language.

Delivery Method: Instructor led, group-paced, classroom-delivery learning model with structured hands-on activities.

Hardware Requirements

Intel® Pentium® 4, Intel Centrino®, Intel Xeon®, or Intel Core™ Duo (or compatible) processor
1 GB of RAM (2 GB recommended).
3.5 GB of available hard-disk space (additional free space required during installation)
1024 x 768 resolution video card and monitor
DVD-ROM drive
Network cards and cabling for local network access
Internet access (see your local network administrator)
Keyboard and a mouse or other input device

Platform Requirements

Microsoft® Windows® XP with Service Pack 2. If Flash CS4 is to be used as part of a suite, Service Pack 3 is required.

Software Requirements

Adobe® Flash® CS4 Professional
Adobe® Flash® CS4 Media Encoder
Microsoft® Internet Explorer® 6.0 or later

Performance-Based Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

explore the Flash environment, interface, and panels.
use Flash drawing and painting tools.
work with objects and images.
import bitmap images, use compressions, and trace bitmap features.
create and modify text and convert text to shapes.
create and edit symbols and instances.
become familiar with animation tools and features and create an animation.
work with multiple layers and create a layer mask animation.
explore the ActionScript language.

Course Content

Lesson 1: Exploring the Adobe® Flash® CS4 Environment: Topic 1A: Define Flash; Topic 1B: Explore the Flash CS4 Welcome Screen; Topic 1C: Explore the Flash CS4 Interface; Topic 1D: Explore and Customize the Panels in Flash CS4
Lesson 2: Working with Drawing and Painting Tools: Topic 2A: Compare the Drawing Modes of Flash; Topic 2B: Use Drawing and Painting Tools; Topic 2C: Use the Pen Tool
Lesson 3: Manipulating Objects: Topic 3A: Use the Selection Tools; Topic 3B: Overview of Layers; Topic 3C: Work with Interacting Objects; Topic 3D: Transform Objects
Lesson 4: Understanding Vector and Bitmap Images: Topic 4A: Vector Images and Bitmap Images; Topic 4B: Work with Bitmap Images
Lesson 5: Working with Text: Topic 5A: Overview of Text Fields and Attributes; Topic 5B: Create Text Fields; Topic 5C: Convert Text into Shapes
Lesson 6: Working with Symbols and Instances: Topic 6A: Create a Symbol; Topic 6B: Create a Symbol Instance
Lesson 7: Using Animation Basics to Create Animations: Topic 7A: Create Animations with Frames and Keyframes; Topic 7B: Work with Frames; Topic 7C: Create a Motion Tween Animation; Topic 7D: Create a Shape Tween Animation
Lesson 8: Working with Multiple Layers: Topic 8A: Work with Multiple Layers; Topic 8B: Create a Mask Layer
Lesson 9: Using ActionScript™: Topic 9A: Basics of ActionScript; Topic 9B: ActionScript Elements
Appendix A: Adobe® Flash® CS4 New Features