flash cs5.5 - notes for atc users

1Rev. July 1, 2011

Flash CS5.5 - Notes for ATC Users

Adobe Web Combo CS5: The Professional Portfolio

Most of the projects in the Against � e Clock Web Design CS5: � e Professional Portfolio book work exactly as described in Adobe Flash and Dreamweaver CS5.5. � e following document details signi� cant changes that occur using the newer versions.

FLASH INTERFACE PROJECT

General NoteFlash CS5.5 includes an auto-save feature. You can activate this option in the New Document dialog box when you create a new � le, or in the Document Properties dialog box for an existing � le. Once activated, you can de� ne intervals at which the � le is auto-saved.

If this option is not active, leaving a � le open without saving for a length of time results in a message asking if you want to enable auto-save for the � le.

PROJECT 3

28, Step 6� e general appearance of many dialog boxes has changed (especially on the Macintosh OS). In most cases, the change is simply super� cial.

When you choose File>Import>Import to Stage, the Macintosh navigation dialog box now uses an “Open” button instead of the Import button in version CS5.

Page 133, Step 1 When you choose File>Import>Import to Library, the Macintosh navigation dialog box now uses an “Open” button instead of the Import to Library button.

2Adobe Web Combo CS5: The Professional PortfolioRev. July 1, 2011

Flash CS5.5 - Notes for ATC UsersPage 164–165� e Sound Properties dialog box has been redesigned to present basic options in one tab and ActionScript options in a second tab. � e necessary options for this project are the same as those described in the text.

Pages 166–167� e Publish Settings dialog box has changed signi� cantly since CS5. You can check various formats in the Publish list on the left side of the dialog box to export that type of � le. Clicking a format in the list reveals speci� c options for that format.

Based on the revised dialog box, the Foundations box on Pages 168–169 has changed as well (see pages 3–4 in this document).

PROJECT 4

Page 176, Step 7When you choose File>Import>Import to Stage, the Macintosh navigation dialog box now uses an “Open” button instead of the Import button in version CS5.

26 and following� e Code Snippets panel has been signi� cantly enhanced in Flash CS5.5

� e only actual change to the project steps is the explanation following Step 2 on Page 226. Code snippets no longer display a tool tip when you move the mouse cursor over an item. Instead, you can click an item in the panel to reveal a “heads-up display” for the selected tip.

Note: � ese buttons do not appear if the Actions panel is already open. If you click a snippet and don’t see the heads-up display, make sure the Actions panel is closed.

Clicking the “i” button opens a window with an explanation of the selected snippet.

Clicking the “{ }” button opens a window with the explanation, as well as the actual code that will be inserted. If an object is selected on the Stage, the code shows the instance name of the selected object.


Flash CS5.5 - Notes for ATC UsersThe Publish Settings dialog box (File>Publish Settings) contains all the necessary settings for publishing fi les from Flash.

• The Profi le menu lists all available saved profi les, which save defi ned publish settings for easier access. You can use the attached Profi le Options button to create, import, export, and manage saved profi les.

• The Player menu allows you to export the Flash movie to be compatible with an earlier version of the Flash Player, Adobe AIR 1.1, or various versions of Flash Lite.

• Script specifi es which version of ActionScript (1, 2, or 3) is or will be used in the fi le. Clicking the Settings button opens a dialog box where you can specify the path of an external ActionScript fi le.

The Publish list on the left side of the dialog box lists the available formats that can be exported; the Flash (.swf) and the HTML (.html) formats are selected by default. When you click a specifi c format in the Publish list, options related to that format appear on the right side of the dialog box.

When Flash (.swf) is selected in the Publish list, options on the right side of the dialog box determine how the animation is exported.

• The Output File fi eld shows the default fi le name, based on the FLA fi le name, that will be used for the exported fi le. By default, exported fi les are created in the same location as the FLA fi le you are exporting; you can click the folder icon next to a fi le name to specify a different publishing location. (This is available for all publishing formats.)

• JPEG Quality specifi es the quality of exported JPEG images. Lower values result in smaller fi le sizes, but also lower image quality; as the quality increases, so does the size of the fi le. The Enable JPEG Deblocking option helps smooth the appearance of JPEG fi les with very high levels of compression.

• The Audio Stream and Audio Event options show the current sound export settings for stream and event sounds (respectively). Clicking either link opens the Sound Settings dialog box, where you can change the compression format, quality, and bit rate options for each type of sound.

(A streaming sound plays as soon as enough data is downloaded; the sound stops playing as soon as the movie stops. An event sound does not play until it downloads completely, and it continues to play until explicitly stopped.)

• If Override Sound Settings is checked, the default options in the Audio Stream and Audio Event settings override any settings that are defi ned for individual sound fi les in the fi le’s library.

• Export Device Sounds allows you to export sounds for mobile devices, encoded in the device’s native format rather than a standard format.

• Compress Movie reduces the size of the exported fi le, which also reduces download time. Compressed fi les can only be played in Flash Player 6 or later.

• Include Hidden Layers allows you to export hidden layer information in the exported fi le.

• Include XMP Metadata exports any metadata that is entered in the File Info dialog box (File>File Info).

• Generate Size Report creates a text fi le with informa-tion about the amount of data in the fi nal Flash content.

• Omit Trace Options allows Flash to ignore trace options, which are ActionScript functions that display the results of certain code in the Output panel. (You’ll use a Trace function in Project 6.)

• Permit Debugging allows you to debug your SWF fi le and allows other users to debug your SWF fi le remotely. You can also defi ne a password, which other users will have to enter the password in order to debug the fi le.

• Protect from Import prevents others from importing your SWF fi le. This option also allows you to protect your SWF fi le with a password.

• Password is activated if you select the Protect from Import or the Permit Debugging option. You can specify a password that other users must enter in order to import the fi le or debug the movie.

• Local Playback Security options provide security for your application. If you select Access Local Files Only, your SWF fi le can interact only on the local machine. If you choose Access Network Only, your SWF fi le can communicate with resources only on the network and not on the local machine.

• Hardware Acceleration options can be used to speed up the graphics performance of the exported movie.

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SUnderstanding SWF Publish Settings


Flash CS5.5 - Notes for ATC Users

HTML Wrapper options relate to publishing a Flash document on the Web. In this case, you need an HTML fi le that will embed your SWF fi le. • The Templates menu contains various Flash templates in which an HTML fi le can be published. Selecting a template and then clicking the Info button shows a dialog box with information about the selected template.• If you select Detect Flash Version, you can use the Version fi elds to defi ne which is required. Detection code is embedded in the resulting fi le to determine if a user has the required version. If not, a link is provided to download the latest version of the Flash player. (Some templates do not support the Flash detection code.)• The Size options defi ne the dimensions of the resulting HTML fi le. You can choose Match Movie to use the size of the Flash Stage, or defi ne specifi c width and height (in pixels or percent). • The Paused at Start option keeps the SWF fi le from being played unless the user clicks initiates the movie. • The Loop option causes the Flash content to repeat after it reaches the fi nal frame, so the movie plays in a continuous loop. • The Display Menu option enables a shortcut when the user Control/right-clicks the SWF fi le in the browser. Deselecting this option shows only About Flash in the shortcut menu.• Selecting the Device Font option displays users’ system fonts instead of the fonts used in the SWF fi le, if those fonts are unavailable in the user’s system. • Quality specifi es the quality of the SWF content embedded in the HTML fi le. Auto Low gives preference to document loading rather than quality, but also tries to improve the quality of the SWF fi le. Auto High treats loading and quality equally; when the loading speed is reduced, quality is compromised. The remaining three options are self-explanatory; lower quality settings mean higher compression, smaller fi le sizes, and faster download times.• Window Mode sets the value of the wmode attribute in the object and embed HTML tags. Window does not embed window-related attributes in the HTML tags; the background of the Flash content is opaque. Opaque Windowless sets the background of the Flash content to opaque, which allows HTML content to appear on top of Flash content. Transparent Window less sets the back-ground of the Flash content to transparent.• The Show Warning Messages option displays all warning and error messages whenever a setting for publishing the content is incorrect.• Scale controls the display of Flash content when you

change the dimension of the Flash content in the HTML fi le. Default (Show All) displays the entire document in the specifi ed area. No Border fi ts the document in the specifi ed area and maintains the quality of the SWF fi le by avoiding distortion. Exact Fit fi ts the entire SWF fi le in the specifi ed area, but compromises the quality of the SWF fi le. No Scale prevents the Flash content from being scaled in the HTML fi le.• HTML Alignment aligns the Flash content in the browser window. The Default option displays the SWF fi le in the center of the browser; you can also choose Left, Right, Top, or Bottom.• Flash Vertical and Horizontal Alignment set the alignment of Flash content within the HTML fi le.

FLASH FOUNDATIONSUnderstanding SWF Publish Settings (continued)

HTML Wrapper options relate to publishing a Flash document on the Web. In this case, you need an HTML fi le that will embed your SWF fi le.

• The Templates menu contains various Flash templates in which an HTML fi le can be published. Selecting a template and then clicking the Info button shows a dialog box with information about the selected template.

• If you select Detect Flash Version, you can use the Version fi elds to defi ne which is required. Detection code is embedded in the resulting fi le to determine if a user has the required version. If not, a link is provided to download the latest version of the Flash player. (Some templates do not support the Flash detection code.)

• The Size options defi ne the dimensions of the resulting HTML fi le. You can choose Match Movie to use the size of the Flash Stage, or defi ne specifi c width and height (in pixels or percent).

• The Paused at Start option keeps the SWF fi le from being played unless the user clicks initiates the movie.

• The Loop option causes the Flash content to repeat after it reaches the fi nal frame, so the movie plays in a continuous loop.

• The Display Menu option enables a shortcut when the user Control/right-clicks the SWF fi le in the browser. Deselecting this option shows only About Flash in the shortcut menu.

• Selecting the Device Font option displays users’ system fonts instead of the fonts used in the SWF fi le, if those fonts are unavailable in the user’s system.

• Quality specifi es the quality of the SWF content embedded in the HTML fi le. Auto Low gives preference to document loading rather than quality, but also tries to improve the quality of the SWF fi le. Auto High treats loading and quality equally; when the loading speed is reduced, quality is compromised. The remaining three options are self-explanatory; lower quality settings mean higher compression, smaller fi le sizes, and faster download times.

• Window Mode sets the value of the wmode attribute in the object and embed HTML tags. Window does not embed window-related attributes in the HTML tags; the background of the Flash content is opaque. Opaque Windowless sets the background of the Flash content to opaque, which allows HTML content to appear on top of Flash content. Transparent Window less sets the back-ground of the Flash content to transparent.

• The Show Warning Messages option displays all warning and error messages whenever a setting for publishing the content is incorrect.

• Scale controls the display of Flash content when you

change the dimension of the Flash content in the HTML fi le. Default (Show All) displays the entire document in the specifi ed area. No Border fi ts the document in the specifi ed area and maintains the quality of the SWF fi le by avoiding distortion. Exact Fit fi ts the entire SWF fi le in the specifi ed area, but compromises the quality of the SWF fi le. No Scale prevents the Flash content from being scaled in the HTML fi le.

• HTML Alignment aligns the Flash content in the browser window. The Default option displays the SWF fi le in the center of the browser; you can also choose Left, Right, Top, or Bottom.

• Flash Vertical and Horizontal Alignment set the alignment of Flash content within the HTML fi le.

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SUnderstanding SWF Publish Settings (continued)


Flash CS5.5 - Notes for ATC UsersIf nothing is selected on the Stage, the code shows “instance_name_here” where you need to add a speci� c instance name. You can click that blue link and drag to an object on the Stage to de� ne the instance to a� ect with the code.

If you drag to an object that does not have an instance name, Flash presents a dialog box where you can name the instance.

Once the instance has been de� ned, you can click the Insert button to add the relevant code. Snippets are automatically added to the Actions layer; in one doesn’t already exist in your � le, the layer is added for you at the top of the Timeline. An animated tag moves from the Snippets panel to the Timeline panel, showing that the code snippet has been inserted.

You can click the arrow button in the tag to open the Actions panel and reveal the inserted code.

For more complicated code snippets, clicking the { } button provides additional instructions for making the code work as you plan.

For example, on Page 230 (Step 2), you want to add code that causes the button to perform an action — in this case, go to and play Frame 1 of the school_mc movie clip. By default, the Go To and Play snippet references Frame 5 of the targeted movie clip. � e snippet instruc-tions clearly explain what you need to do.

In the example code at the bottom of the window, the frame number appears in blue. You can select and change the frame number in the window before inserting the code, which makes Step 6 on Page 231 unnecessary.


Flash CS5.5 - Notes for ATC UsersPROJECT 5

Page 242, Step 11If you open a � le from a previous version, choosing File>Save (or pressing the keyboard equivalent, Command/Control-S) displays a warning message. You are asked if you want to convert the � le to the current format for CS5.5.

Clicking Save coverts the � le format to CS5.5, which means you will not be able to open the � le in previous versions (including CS5). To retain CS5 editing capability, you can choose File>Save As, and then choose the appropriate version in the Format menu.

Page 287, Step 3As already explained, the Sound Properties dialog box has been redesigned in CS5.5.

To access the Advanced options that are referenced in the exercise, click the ActionScript tab at the top of the new dialog box.


Flash CS5.5 - Notes for ATC UsersPROJECT 9

Page 494, Steps 1–4 � e New Document dialog box has been redesigned to include more options for the various kinds of � les. In the General tab, you still choose the type of document you want to create (ActionScript 3.0, AIR, etc.).

In CS5.5, speci� c options for the type of � le are now available in the right side of the New Document dialog box. In previous versions, you could not de� ne the document size, background color, etc., until after creating the � le.

When nothing is selected on the Stage, you can now change the Stage size directly in the Properties panel. In previous versions, this required clicking the Edit button to open the Document Properties dialog box.

Page 497, Steps 5 & 7On Macintosh, the continue button in the Import Video dialog box has been changed to “Next”.

flash cs5.5 - notes for atc users

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