Flash 101 - Part 6: The Final Countdown

Pretty Pictures From Elsewhere

In addition to importing sound clips, Flash also allows you to import images created in other applications and use them in your Flash movie. Flash 5 has support for Adobe Illustrator EPS files, AutoCAD DXF files, bitmaps, GIFs, JPEGs, PNG images, and its own SWF format - all of these can be imported into Flash via the File -> Import command. Imported images appear in the Library with the other symbols you've created.

Since bitmaps are typically quite large, they can substantially increase the file size of your Flash movie - and so, Flash allows you to convert imported bitmaps into more efficient vector graphics with the Modify -> Trace Bitmap command.

The Trace Bitmap command does exactly what the name suggests - it traces the bitmap image and colours to create an accurate rendering of it in vector format. Typically, the final vector image lacks the fidelity of the original, but is still acceptable for use on the Web.

Flash also allows you some degree of control over the trace process, by specifying attributes such as Color Threshold (whether or not to consider pixels with similar color values as the same) and Curve Fit (how smooth curves should be). You'll have to experiment with different values until you find a setting that works for your specific bitmap.

Once the bitmap has been converted to a vector graphic, you can manipulate it in exactly the same way as you would other objects on the stage - convert it to a symbol, alter its colour and shape, scale it, rotate it, and skew it.

Flash also allows you to use imported bitmaps as a fill - to do this, use the Modify -> Break Apart command instead. This will break the bitmap apart into separate segments of colour. Next, select the Eyedropper tool, and you should see the broken-apart bitmap in the list of available fills. Select the fill, and then use the drawing and painting tools to draw and paint with that fill. The following example demonstrates filling an ellipse with a bitmap fill.

The Scenic Route

In the best traditions of Broadway, Flash allows you to divide a movie into "scenes", independent sequences which are played back one after the other. Scenes comes in handy when you need to organize your Flash movie into different sections.

You can add a new Scene via the Window -> Panels -> Scene panel; this is also the place to go if you need to remove a scene from the movie, or alter the order in which the scenes are played out.

Flash also allows you to use ActionScript (specifically, the Go To action) to add interactivity to your movie by jumping to specific scenes in response to user input.

Finally, Flash also allows you to share the symbols you create in one Flash movie with other Flash movies, a capability referred to as "shared libraries". In order to do this, you must mark the symbols you'd like to share by exporting them; you can do this from the Linkage menu command on the shortcut menu that appears when you right-click the symbol. Remember to include an identifier for the symbol as well.

Once all shared symbols have been exported in this manner, you can save your Flash movie -- the shared library will be stored with it. You can now access the symbols within this Flash movie from any other movie via the File -> Open As Shared Library command. Once a shared library is opened, you can use symbols from it as you normally would, by dragging them on to the Stage.

Note, however, that shared libraries typically appear in a dull gray colour, indicating that you cannot modify the symbols contained within them.

When you publish a Flash movie containing symbols from a shared library, you must ensure that the shared library is also available to this movie. If Flash cannot find the shared library, the Flash movie will not play back correctly.

And that about covers it. Hopefully, you now know enough about Flash to begin using it for your own animation clips and Web effects. If you'd like to read more and perhaps learn a little bit more about ActionScript and advanced Flash techniques, write to me and I'll see what I can do.

'Til next time...stay healthy!

Note: All examples in this article have been tested on Macromedia Flash 5.0. Examples are illustrative only, and are not meant for a production environment. YMMV!
Copyright Melonfire, 2000. All rights reserved.