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Flash CS3 Professional

We currently offer the following Flash workshops:

   Flash CS3 Professional, Level 1 (10-hour workshop)
   Flash CS3 Professional, Level 2 (10-hour workshop) (includes ActionScript)

Flash CS3 Professional

Flash is an extremely powerful graphics program that allows you to create dynamic, interactive animated content for everything from basic linear animations to entire web sites.  Flash CS3 Professional is the latest release of Flash.

Flash provides Web developers and designers with greater control over the display of their works than would otherwise be possible.  When designing Web pages without Flash, the end result is at the mercy of the browser on which the user views the site.  Using Flash allows the designer to determine exactly how the site will function and appear, regardless of the browser used.

Why?  Because it's the "Flash Player" that's responsible for displaying your Flash files, and not the individual browser software.  Over 95% of Web browsers are now "enabled" with a version of the Flash player, which for several years has been included in major Web browsers, system software, and often ships standard on new computers, as well as being easily downloaded from the Macromedia site.   Flash movie files are often smaller in size than other graphic formats, leading to faster download times.

With Flash, not only can you create animated movies from scratch, but you can also import graphic content created with other programs and use Flash to animate it.  Adobe Illustrator, in particular, has very comprehensive and flexible Flash output options.

 

Flash CS3 Professional, Level 1

Our "Level 1" Flash workshop is suitable both for first time users AND for those who wish to brush up or add to their basic Flash skills (and a few not-so-basic skills as well!)

Since Flash is in part a graphics program, after a general introduction, we'll introduce Flash's graphic tools, importing and creating graphics, custom colors, and converting graphics to symbols. We'll also work with text, including "input text" that allows the viewer to enter information via the keyboard.

With all these objects and text on your stage, learning to work with "layers" in your Flash movie is essential.  You'll create multiple layers, and be able to lock/unlock your layers, as well as work with layers in both "outline" and "mask" modes.  If this all sounds similar so far to what you can do with programs such as  Adobe Illustrator, you're absolutely right.  In fact, Illustrator can be used to create the objects (and layers) that you later animate in Flash.

We'll then move on to animation by creating several types of animation, from the "simplest" frame-by-frame animation, through "motion-tweened" and "shape-tweened" animations (in which Flash does most of the work), all the way through creating "guide layers" which allow you to generate much more complex animation paths.  You'll also work with the timeline, including basic ActionScript control of the timeline.  Creating interactive buttons and "movie clips" will also be covered, along with several other topics as time allows. The basics of "publishing" your Flash movies for the web will bring the Level 1 workshop to a close.

Note: The Flash CS3 Level 1 workshop has been completely revised and expanded to 10 hours, with a new comprehensive ("2-day") workbook. Since we're now mapping material from what is nominally a 14-hour workbook into a 10-hour workshop, the following list of topics from the workbook's table of contents may not be a precise outline of the workshop (some topics may be expanded upon, others may be reduced or eliminated).

General outline of topics to be covered (but see note, above)

  • Exploring Adobe Flash CS3
    • Examine Rich Internet Applications
    • Explore the Adobe Flash CS3 Environment
    • Produce a Flash Application File
  • Working with Graphics
    • Import Graphics
    • Create Vector Graphics
    • Modify Vector Graphics
    • Organize Content with Layers
    • Modify Colors
    • Convert Graphics to Symbols
    • Create a Mask Effect
  • Managing Text in a Flash Document
    • Add Text to a Flash Document
    • Set Font Options
    • Add Input Text Using Flash Components
    • Apply a Skin to a Component
  • Adding Animations to a Flash Document
    • Create a Frame-by-Frame Animation
    • Create a Motion Tween Animation
    • Create a Complex Motion Tween
    • Control the Timeline with ActionScript
    • Create a Shape Tween Animation
    • Animate Using Timeline Effects
  • Adding Interactivity to Buttons
    • Create Buttons
    • Control Movies with Button Behaviors
    • Create Navigation Systems
  • Working with Movie Clips
    • Add Interactivity with Movie Clips
    • Create a Flash Slide Presentation
    • Apply Effects to Movie Clips
  • Adding Audio to a Movie
    • Import Audio
    • Control Sound Playback
    • Add Sounds with Behaviors
  • Adding Video to a Movie
    • Encode a Video Object
    • Create a Video Object
  • Publishing Flash Documents
    • Publish a Flash Document
    • Detect the Flash Player Version

Flash CS3 Professional, Level 1
also applicable for users of earlier versions

Prerequisite: Basic knowledge of using your PC (Windows or Mac)
Instructor: Peter Kimble, Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE)
Hours: 10
UIUC CEUs: 1.0
CPDUs: 10 (Illinois teachers are eligible to earn 10 CPDUs for this workshop)
Fee: $189 (includes expanded workbook)

Dates: May 7 & 9, 2008 (WF) (this offering is full, a wait-list is available)
Times: Wednesday: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (lunch on your own 12:30 - 1:30)
            Friday: 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Windows User Registration Code: W-1647-E 
Mac User Registration Code: M-1648-E 
Location: UI Armory Building,  Suite 156 (use NE entrance to Armory)

Dates: July 10 & 11, 2008 (ThF)
Times: Thursday: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (lunch on your own 12:30 - 1:30)
            Friday: 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Windows User Registration Code: W-1674-E 
Mac User Registration Code: M-1675-E 
Location: UI Armory Building,  Suite 156 (use NE entrance to Armory)

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Flash CS3 Professional, Level 2

Note:  The Flash CS3 Level 2 workshop has been completely revised and expanded to 10 hours, with a new comprehensive workbook. A revised description will be posted here by early July.

Learn how to use ActionScript (Flash's "programming language") to add more complex interactivity to Flash movies.  You'll add components from the Actions Panel, store data in variables, check for movie clip collisions, create dynamic text fields, and much more. You'll also build a navigation system, gather data using a form, connect your Flash movie to external data, and submit user data with a submit button.

Flash CS3 Professional, Level 2

Prerequisite: A Flash Level 1 workshop, or equivalent experience with Flash.   
Instructor: Peter Kimble, Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE)
Hours: 10
UIUC CEUs: 1.0
CPDUs: 10 (Illinois teachers are eligible to earn 10 CPDUs for this workshop)
Fee: $189  (includes expanded workbook)

Dates: May 14 & 16, 2008 (WF)
Times: Wednesday: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (lunch on your own 12:30 - 1:30)
             Friday: 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Windows User Registration Code: W-1653-E
Mac User Registration Code: M-1654-E
Location: UI Armory Building,  Suite 156 (use NE entrance to Armory)

Dates: July 17 & 18, 2008 (ThF)
Times: Thursday: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (lunch on your own 12:30 - 1:30)
             Friday: 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Windows User Registration Code: W-1680-E
Mac User Registration Code: M-1681-E
Location: UI Armory Building,  Suite 156 (use NE entrance to Armory)

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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign