Chapter 1

**Chapter notes below are not intended to replace the book notes. Instead, I write these notes
to highlight major chapter points. The concept parallels teaching you in person, I would
emphasis these elements.

The Flash Authoring Tool
When Flash software is first launched, choose the Actionscript 3.0 option. See image.

Once you open Flash software, take a deep breath and slowly look around. You will see the stage, panels, and the tool bar. On the tool bar you will see an tool-icon with the letter "T". This is your text tool, choose this tool. Click on the stage and write "My name is.....". Save this file onto your desktop. Next, create a .swf file by pressing "control+enter". You will see the .swf file on the stage next to the red .fla file. Remember to turn in only .swf files.

White icon is the .swf file. You will turn this file in for grading.

Working through the chapter you will see how to save a file for a template. Only use this option if the Flash file will repeat in layout.

Continue to work through the chapter pages, have your book and software open at the same time and review the interface with the author. The author will take you to the workspace, review a Flash document, tour the timeline, show you panels and how to dock them. Make sure you carefully read all the pages including the "Property Inspector: A Special Panel" page. You will use the property inspector often. The property inspector is interactive with the stage. In other words, if you write text it will give you the options to alter "text". If you have a symbol, it will give you the symbol property.

The author also has a section dedicated to the new "hot text", please review this feature to Flash CS5.

Moving on the in the chapter the "Document Properties" is a panel you will use to control the size of your stage, set the background color, frame rate and to set a unit of measure. Continue on with the chapter review by "Working with Snapping" portion.

There is no work to turn in for chapter 1, but please carefully go through the pages to acquaint yourself with the Flash interface.

End of chapter notes.