SfC Home > Web Design > Adobe Flash >
Basic Features of Flash
by Ron Kurtus (revised 7 March 2012)
Adobe Flash has a wide range of sophisticated features. However, they still revolve around the basic features of the earlier versions of the application. The most recent version is Flash Professional CS6
Basic features of Flash include simple vector-based drawing tools, media effects, and simple and complex interactions.
Questions you may include:
- How is the drawing used?
- What are media effects?
- What interactions are possible?
This lesson will answer those questions.
Drawing tools
You can create simple graphics and illustrations using Flash's drawing tools. Then Flash saves those graphics as vector images, as opposed to the typical bitmap type of image.
The advantage of vector-based images is that they are much smaller than bitmaps. This is important in keeping animation files to a reasonable size.
Flash can be used to make quick drawings to be saved as GIF files. This can be easier than using more sophisticated drawing applications.
Media effects
Media effects include animations, slide shows, sound or audio, and video.
Animation
Animation is taking an image you have created with the Flash drawing tools or that you imported into Flash and then:
- Moving that image from one place to another,
- Changing the size of the image,
- Rotating the image,
- Changing the color or brightness of the image, or
- Combinations of the above.
Also, several objects can have their own animation properties at once.
Complex animations can be programmed through the use of the ActionScript programming language.
Slideshows
Animated slideshows that include audio and video can be made with Flash.
Sound and Video
You can also add sound and video to your Flash animations or movies.
Interactions
User interactions can be added to control the animations in Flash movies.
Buttons
Buttons can be clicked to perform some task like starting or stopping a movie. Buttons can also be animated on the interaction.
Menus
Menus are forms of buttons used for Web navigation.
Programmed effects
Complex interaction can be programmed through the use of the ActionScript programming language. One special effect is the ability to interact with a database.
Summary
Adobe Flash has a wide range of sophisticated features. The basic features of Flash include simple vector-based drawing tools, animations that can include audio and video, and simple and complex interactions.
Use your skills to better humanity
Resources and references
Websites
Books
(Notice: The School for Champions may earn commissions from book purchases)
Top-rated books on Adobe Flash
Share this page
Click on a button to bookmark or share this page through Twitter, Facebook, email, or other services:
Students and researchers
The Web address of this page is:
www.school-for-champions.com/flash/
basic_features.htm
Please include it as a link on your website or as a reference in your report, document, or thesis.
Where are you now?
Basic Features of Flash