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SEG3120 Analysis and Design for User
Interfaces
Flash
Anis Zarrad
Parallel Simulations and Distributed Systems
(PARADISE) Research Laboratory
SITE, University of Ottawa
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Outline
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What is a flash?
Macromedia Flash MX 2004
Flash concepts
Flash Demos
Conclusion
Additional help
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What is a flash
• Macromedia Flash is a multimedia graphics
program specially for use on the Web
• Flash enables you to create interactive "movies"
on the Web
• Flash uses vector graphics, which means that
the graphics can be scaled to any size without
losing clarity/quality
• Flash does not require programming skills and is
easy to learn
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The Software Engineering of
Flash
In terms of interactivity:
HTML  DHTML  Flash
• Specify exact positioning of the various page
elements statically or dynamically.
• Progressive streaming by default (Flash MX as
well as Flash Communication Server MX)
• Supports vector graphics
• Open source file format specs (not an open
source technology, only the file format specs
are)
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Flash Concepts
• Timeline
• Organize and control a flash movie content over time in
layers and frames
• Key frames
• A frame in which a change in an animation is defined
• Tweening
– In between  in-tween  tweening
– Motion vs. Shape
• ActionScript
• Symbols (graphic, movie clip, button)
• Path animation
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Need to know
• Basic knowledge of HTML
• Basic knowledge of java script
• Knowledge of graphics programs like
Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator will make
creating graphics in flash much easier
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Is it an industry leader?
• Macromedia Flash player numbers
indicate that it is used by more then 386
million people.
• It is included in all the most popular
browsers, so anyone with a new version of
Netscape or Internet Explorer is
guaranteed to be able to view Flash
movies on the Web
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Flash vs. Animated Images and
Java Applets
• Animated images and Java applets are often
used to create dynamic effects on Web pages.
• The advantages of Flash are:
• Flash loads much faster than animated images
• Flash allows interactivity, animated images do
not
• Flash does not require programming skills, java
applets do
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Flash vs. Animated Images and
Java Applets
• Websites made up of music, videos, and
custom, graphic intensive interfaces are all
possible with Macromedia Flash.
• Quick loading, especially compared to
traditional methods like GIF animations
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Flash screen shot
Tool Box
menu
Timeline
frames
Stage
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Demos
• Motion Tweening
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Simple animation
Draw object motion guide
Falling text
How to change the color of an object.
• Shape tweening
• Morphing a shape
• Create your own Button
• Flash Sound
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Conclusion
• Flash is easer to create them java applet
• Some applets are programmed so they
eventually take up all resources on the
computer, and this results in "freezing" the
browser.
• There are things that you can program in java that
just can't be done with Flash.
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Additional Help
• With Shape Tweening animation change a
circle to a square using 1- 40 frames.
• Use a modify transform to flip a horizontal
text
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References
• http://www.w3schools.com/flash/
• Macromedia Flash web site
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