Adobe Flash CS3 Tutorial:
Creating an Animated BannerThis tutorial introduces you to working with Flash as you create an animated banner. You will find this tutorial easier if you have already completed the Adobe Fireworks CS3 Tutorial -- since some of the menu options and tools are similar.
Begin by launching Adobe Flash from the application program menu:
Select Start > Programs > Adobe Web Premium CS3 > Adobe Flash CS3.
Your screen should look similar to the image shown below (click on the image to view a larger screenshot.)
Don't worry if you feel a little intimidated by all the windows and panels that appear. We will focus on the functions needed to create a company logo banner. When you want to learn more about Flash, try out the Getting Started with Flash option found under "Help" on the top menu bar or consider taking a course on Flash multimedia. When you are ready, continue with the tutorial.
Create a New Flash Movie
To create a new Flash movie, select File > New. The New Document dialog box will display. Select "Flash File (ActionScript 3.0)" and click OK.
Flash is now ready for you to create your new document. Your display should be similar to the one below. (Click the image below to see a larger version).
Take a minute to familiarize yourself with it.
The "Untitled-1*" in the Title Bar is the name of the file at this point. (Don't worry if your file has a different number after "Untitled-" than 1.)
Notice that there are a number of panels and menus. You will work with some of them in this tutorial.
View the center area of the Flash window and note the "Timeline". This is used to configure animations frame by frame as well as configuring layers and adding animation effects.
The white rectange is called the Stage. This is a very important area. The Stage is your Flash animation. The dimensions of the Stage are the dimensions of your Flash animation.
Setting the Size of the Stage
The IAB publishes voluntary guidelines for banner and ad sizes. In this tutorial you will create a banner with the dimensions 468x60. To set the Stage to these dimensions, select Modify > Document to display the Document Properties dialog box shown below.
Configure the Title, Description, and Dimensions text boxes as shown above. Notice that the Background color is set to white but could be changed in this dialog box. Leave the Frame rate and Ruler units at their default values. Click OK.
The Flash window should display as shown below click on the image to view a larger screenshot). You may need to use the scroll bars around the Stage area to display your banner rectangle.
Save the File
It's a good idea to save your file often when using Flash. Select File > Save. The Save As dialog box opens. Create a new folder called FlashBanner and save the file with the name "banner.fla". The file extension, ".fla" (usually pronounced "flah") is used for Flash movie source files. The title bar in the Flash window should now display "banner.fla".
Flash Tool Panel
Notice the Tools Panel in your Flash application. The currently selected tool is the "Selection Tool" -- the standard cursor pointer. Place your mouse over the other tool icons for a brief description of each.
You will be using the "Text Tool" icon on the Tools Panel during this tutorial. Take a moment and find it. (Hint: Look for the letter T" in the Vector area on the Tools Panel.)
You will also be using the Stroke Color and the Fill color Tools. These are used to change the color of the object you are working with.
Flash Timeline
Take a look at the Timeline which is located above the Stage and under the Menu bar.
As you can see, there are many features on the Timeline. A few of the most commonly used features are discussed below.
The left side of the Timeline (see Layer 1) is where you place your layers. Typically each layer holds one object in a Flash movie. You will be creating several layers to create the animated banner. It is good practice to assign each layer a meaningful name.
The Add New Layer icon (InsertLayer icon) in the lower left corner is used to add a new layer to the Timeline.
The "eye" icon can be used to make layers visible or invisble while you are working. Sometimes this is helpful as you are working on animations.
The "lock" icon is used to temporarily freeze or lock layers you do not wish to accidentally change while you are working.
The area at the left side of the Timeline shows the frames in the animation. This area is used to configure keyframes which indicate where the animation changes. The Timeline can also be used to automatically create tweens (more on this later). The transparent red rectangle indicates the frame that is currently displayed on the Stage.
It is handy to know how to undo an action when using Flash -- just in case you make a mistake. Pressing the Ctrl and Z keys at the same time will undo your most recent action. There also is an Undo option located on the Menu Bar (Edit > Undo).
Overview of the Animated Banner
The animated banner you will create is shown above. This banner plays once when the page is loaded. If you would like to see the banner play again, click the refresh button on the browser window (or press F5 to refresh the page).
This banner contains three layers: Background, Shape, and Text. The Background layer controls the color changes in the background of the movie. The Shape layer configures the way the oval shape changes or morphs as the animation plays. The Text layer controls the animation of the company name.
Configure the Layers
Recall from the previous page that is is recommended to assign meaningful names to layers in a Flash movie. Now you will rename "Layer 1" to "Background". Place your cursor in the Timeline over the label "Layer 1" and doubleclick. A text box will display as shown at the right.
Type "Background" and press enter to rename the layer. Next, add a new layer by clicking the Add New Layer icon in the lower left corner of the Timeline. A new layer called "Layer 2" will appear above the Background layer. Name this layer "Shape". Your Timeline should be similar to the display at the right.
In a similar manner, add a new layer above the Shape layer and name it "Text". Your Timeline should be similar to the display at the right. The order of the layers is important. The layers will display in bottom-up order. So -- objects on the Shape layer will appear over objects on the Background layer. Objects on the Text layer will appear over objects on both the Shape and Background layers
Save your file.
Configure the Background Layer
The Background layer contains a rectangle with the same dimensions as the Flash movie.
You need to tell Flash what layer you are working on. Click in Frame 1 in the Timeline on the same row as the Background layer select this layer and frame.
Use the Colors panel to choose the color for the pencil (outline) and bucket (fill) of the rectangle you will create. Click on the color chooser next to each and select #99CCFF.
Next, click on the Rectangle Tool (shown in the figure at the right) to draw a rectangle on the Stage. Your cursor will change to "+". Start at the upper left corner and drag a rectangle across the stage. Don't worry if it is not perfect, you can use the Properties panel to exactly set the dimensions.
Your Stage and Properties panel should look similar to the one below. (If your Properties panel does not automatically display, select Window > Properties > Properties.)
If your "W", "H", "X", and "Y" values are different, type the following values in the corresponding text boxes:
W: 468.0 X: 0.0
H: 60.0 Y: 0.0
This configures the rectangle to be placed at the topmost (Y value) and leftmost (Y value) place on the Stage. It also configures the rectangle to be 468 pixels wide (W value) and 60 pixels high (H value).
Next, you will add a keyframe on the Background Layer in the Timeline Frame area. If necessary, scroll the Timeline Frame area to the right so the frame labeled 50 is in view. Click in Frame 50 on the Background Layer and press the F6 key. This places a keyframe in Frame 50. A keyframe tells Flash that a change occurs in this frame.
Your Timeline should be similar to the one shown above. If you accidentally click on a different layer or frame --remember you can back out your changes using CTRL-Z or Edit > Undo.
With this frame still selected, you will change the color of your rectangle. Using the Selection Tool, double-click on the rectangle. Next. use the Color Chooser to choose the color #00CCCC for both the pencil (outline) and bucket (fill) colors. The rectangle on the Stage should be a shade of turquoise as shown below.
Add Animation to the Background Layer
Next, you will use Flash to automatically change the color in from blue to turquoise on the Background layer by using a Shape Tween. (The term "tween" is short for "between" -- Flash will create all the frames between Frame 1 and Frame 50 for you!
Click on a Frame between Frame 1 and Frame 50 in the Background layer. The Properties panel will display a Tween select menu. Select Shape as shown in the figure below.
The Timeline will now show an arrow between Frame 1 and Frame 50. Your Timeline should look like the figure below. If you see a dotted line instead, undo your work or reload the saved version of banner.fla to try again.
Test the Background Animation
You can "play" the animation with the Timeline. Scroll the Timeline to the left until Frame 1 is visible. Click on the red rectangle (called the "playhead") and drag it to the right to see the color of the rectangle change automatically! Another method for this playback is to select Control > Play from the menu.
You can also test the animation outside of the Timeline and Stage. Select Control > Test Movie. A new window will open with your Flash movie as shown below.
Flash has created a .swf of your file. If you look closely, the background color of the animation will change from light blue to turquoise. Not much is happening yet, but you have two other layers of animation to configure!
Save your file.
Configure the Shape Layer
Before beginning to work on the Shape layer, click the lock icon on the Background layer to prevent accidentally changing it.
Now you are ready to get started with the Shape layer. You need to tell Flash what layer you are working on. Click in Frame 1 in the Timeline on the same row as the Shape layer to select this layer and frame. See the Figure below.
The Shape layer contains an oval shape that changes size and color. Use the Colors panel to choose the color for the pencil (outline) and bucket (fill) of the oval shape you wil create. Click on the color chooser next to each and select #003366.
Next, click on the Oval Tool (shown in the figure at the right) to draw an oval shape on the Stage. Your cursor will change to "+". Start at the upper left corner and drag a small oval on the left side of the stage. Don't worry if it is not perfect, you can use the Properties panel to exactly set the dimensions.
Your Stage and Properties panel should look similar to the one below. (If your Properties panel does not automatically display, select Window > Properties > Properties.)
If your "W", "H", "X", and "Y" values are different, type the following values in the corresponding text boxes:
W: 15.0 X: 28.0
H: 10.0 Y: 25.0
This configures the oval to be placed 25 pixels from the top (Y value) and 28 pixels from the left (Y value) place on the Stage. It also configures the oval to be 15 pixels wide (W value) and 10 pixels high (H value).
Next, you will add a keyframe on the Shape Layer in the Timeline Frame area. If necessary, scroll the Timeline Frame area to the right so the frame labelled 25 is in view. Click in Frame 25 on the Shape Layer and press the F6 key. This places a keyframe in Frame 25. A keyframe tells Flash that a change occurs in this frame.
Your Timeline should be similar to the one shown above. If you accidentally click on a different layer or frame --remember you can back out your changes using CTRL-Z or Edit > Undo.
With this frame still selected, you will change the color and shape of the Oval. You will use the Selection Tool in the Tools panel (see figure below).
Click on the Selection Tool. Click on the oval to display the Properties panel. Change the height to 100.0. the width to 200.0 and the Y value to -10.0. Change both the outline and fill color to #006666. rectangle. Use the Color Chooser to choose the color #00CCCC for both the pencil (outline) and bucket (fill) colors. Click on the Stage to view the effect of the new values. The Properties and Stage panels are shown below.
The Background Layer has 50 frames and the Shape Layer has 25 frames. Srcoll the Frames Timeline so that Frame 50 is visible. Click in Frame 50 of the Shape Layer and press the F5 key to add frames to the timeline. See the figure below.
Add Animation to the Shape Layer
Next, you will use Flash to automatically change the color and shape of the oval in the Shape layer using a Shape Tween. Click on a Frame between Frame 1 and Frame 25 in the Shape layer. The Properties panel will display a Tween select menu. Select Shape as shown in the figure below.
The Timeline will now show an arrow between Frame 1 and Frame 25. Your Timeline should look like the figure below. If you see a dotted line instead, undo your work or reload the saved version of banner.fla to try again.
Test the Background and Shape Animation
You can "play" the animation with the Timeline. Scroll the Timeline to the left until Frame 1 is visible. Click on the red rectangle (called the "playhead") and drag it to the right to see the both the Shape and Background animations play! Another method for this playback is to select Control > Play from the menu.
You can also test the animation outside of the Timeline and Stage. Select Control > Test Movie. A new window will open with your Flash movie as shown below.
Notice that the top and bottom of the oval do not appear in the Flash .swf movie -- that is because these portions of the oval are beyond the Stage. This is a common technique.
Save your file.
Configure the Text Layer
Before beginning to work on the Text layer, click the lock icon on the Shape layer to prevent accidentally changing it.
Now you are ready to get started with the Text layer. You need to tell Flash what layer you are working on. Click in Frame 1 in the Timeline on the same row as the Text layer to select this layer and frame. See the Figure below.
The Text layer contains the name of the company "Acme Web Design" and move in from the right. Select the Text Tool from the Tools panel as shown at the right. Your cursor will change to
.Use the Property panel to configure the font, size, and color of your text. In the example, the font is set to Broadway BT. Use this font face or another font of your choice. The font size is set to 40. The color is set to #FFFFFF.
Your Stage and Properties panel should look similar to the one below. (If your Properties panel does not automatically display, select Window > Properties > Properties.)
It's OK if your height, width, X and Y values may be slightly different. Next you will configure the "X"" value to place the text mostly off-stage to the right. Change the X value to 450.0. Your Stage should be similar to the figure below. Notice that the text begins near the right edge of the Stage.
Next, you will add a keyframe on the Text Layer in the Timeline Frame area. If necessary, scroll the Timeline Frame area to the right so the frame labelled 40 is in view. Click in Frame 40 on the Text Layer and press the F6 key. This places a keyframe in Frame 40. A keyframe tells Flash that a change occurs in this frame.
Your Timeline should be similar to the one shown above. If you accidentally click on a different layer or frame --remember you can back out your changes using CTRL-Z or Edit > Undo.
With this frame still selected, you will move the location of the text. Either drag the text object over to the left with your mouse, or use the Select Tool to click on the text object and modify the Properties panel -- change the X value to 40.0. Your Stage should be similar to the figure below.
The other layers have 50 frames and the Text layer has only 40 frames. Srcoll the Frames Timeline so that Frame 50 is visible. Click in Frame 50 of the Text Layer and press the F5 key to add frames to the timeline. See the figure below.
Add Animation to the Text Layer
Next, you will use Flash to automatically move the text from the right side of the stage (Frame 1) to the location on the Stage in Frame 40. You will configure a Motion Tween. Click on a Frame between Frame 1 and Frame 40 in the Text layer. The Properties panel will display a Tween select menu. Select Motion as shown in the figure below.
The Timeline will now show an arrow between Frame 1 and Frame 40. Your Timeline should look like the figure below. If you see a dotted line instead, undo your work or reload the saved version of banner.fla to try again. View the Timeline and examine the background color of the frames. The Shape Tweens are indicated by a green background color and the Motion Tween is indicated by a blue background color.
Test the Background, Shape, and Text Animation
You can "play" the animation with the Timeline. Scroll the Timeline to the left until Frame 1 is visible. Click on the red rectangle (called the "playhead") and drag it to the right to see the both the Shape and Background animations play! Another method for this playback is to select Control > Play from the menu.
You can also test the animation outside of the Timeline and Stage. Select Control > Test Movie. A new window will open with your Flash movie as shown below.
Notice that now the text moves in from right to left. You are done designing your Flash animation. The next step is to publish the movie (create a .swf) and test the movie in a web page.
Save your file.
Publish Your Movie
Select File > Publish Settings to display the Publish Settings dialog box shown below. You will work with the Formats tab, the Flash tab, and the HTML tab of this dialog box.
On the Formats tab, verify that the Flash and HTML checkboxes are checked.
On the Flash tab leave all settings at the default values except for the following:
1. Set the Version fo Flash Player 5 as the Version (provides maximum compatibility),
2. Check Protect from import.
3. Check Omit trace actions
On the HTML tag, verify that Loop is unchecked -- we only want the animation to play once. Checking Loop will cause the animation to repeat over and over.
Click Publish . Click OK.
Flash has published your animation as a Flash Movie called banner.swf and has created a web page file named banner.html that displays banner.swf.
Test the Web Page and Flash Movie
Launch a browser and open the banner.html file. Your result should be similar to the figure below:
View the source code of the web page to see the HTML code automatically generated by Adobe Macromedia Flash to display the Flash movie. You can copy and paste this code in your own web pages as needed.
Congratulations!
You've created your first animated banner using Flash!
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