In Class Thur May 1st

Due today - all your content (imagery, sounds, video, text) should be collected and ready for Flash!

Work on your sites, ask questions.

In Class Tue Apr 29th

Lets take a look at your flow charts for your sites.

I want to see a folder with your content in it.

whats next:
* collect whatever else you need (this is an on going process)

* get your images ready for Flash
- you should size your images in Photoshop to the size you need in Flash
-- the PNG vs JPG vs Gif
- PNG - photoquality, small file size, transparency
- JPG - photoquality, smal file size
- GIF - transparency, 256 color limit (good for old school video game sprites)

* get your video ready
- size it for what you need in flash by using iMovie and exporting (sharing) the movie
- flash has a video import sequence , follow the steps

* get your audio ready
- iTunes can make you an mp3
- you can edit audio in iMovie

* get a basic template together for your site
- choose size & frame rate, make sure you use this size and FPS for all of your Flash documents
- remember to save as to back up and make copies!

In Class Thur Apr 24th

You Should have a basic idea for your site today.

lets look at making test flowcharts for your sites.
- consider how you are moving the collabrator thru the site.
- what order is image/info presented in? and why?
- what are the different possibilities?


Different forms of navigation.
culturerecycling
theyrule
sofake
popurls
musicovery
youtube

why do they navigate the way they do? what effect does it have on the collaborator's experience?

create 3 different possible flow charts for your site by Tue April 29th. you should also be collecting content (imagery, sounds, video, text) and should have at least 1/2 of what you need for the site

Deconstructing FLA's
- where to find them
--- web search, designers, web resources, me
- taking them apart
--- look for the actionscript, the little 'a' in the timeline and on symbols (buttons and movieclips)
--- things will be buried with-in symbols
--- look at symbol 'instance names'
* all symbols can have instance names that can then be called up by actionscript
--- try to figure out what the variables are
--- sometimes the programmer/designer will leave 'notes' to help you know what is going on in the script.
--- try changing something (don't forget to save a copy first)
--- discard what you do not need

In Class Tue Apr 22nd

Actionscript Review

Frame Actions:

var = ?
ex. var A1 = 10;

Button Actions:

on (release) {
}
ex. on (release) { gotoAndPlay(800);}

Button or Frame Actions:

stop();
ex. stop();

if (comparison) { statement }
ex. if(x == 10) {loadMovieNum("http://www.josephvonstengel.com", 60); }

loadMovieNum("url", level);
ex. loadMovieNum("http://www.josephvonstengel.com", 100);

unloadMovieNum(level);
ex. unloadMovieNum(70);

getURL("url", blank or self);
ex. getURL("http://www.culturerecycling.com", self);

gotoAndPlay(frame#);
ex. gotoAndPlay(69);

random(#);
ex. a = random(9)+1;
ex. x = random(50) - random(y);
ex. z = random(x)-y+10;



Lets look at examples:
theyrule
joes examples


How to backwards engineer an FLA

In Class Tue Apr 17th

Lets Discuss the web!


Project 3
Step 1
- Sketch out your ideas and create a flow chart
* Come up with 5 ideas written down by next tuesday April 22nd

Step 2
- collect your content

Step 3
- create the site
--- create you main FLA Template
--- choose a frame rate between 8 and 20 fps
--- pick a size smaller then 980 x 660

In Class Tue Apr 15th

Your SWF files are due today by the end of class!

Lets look at Flash as a web site.
- many SWF's make up content and layout
- animations = transitions
- action script is the control
- you can control the action or the viewer can control the action
- Flash is embeded in an HTML page
- The first SWF called up by the HTML is Level 0

The next project!

In Class Tue Apr 8th

Joe will not be in class today.

*use the time to get your project done! or work on your BLOG (everyone remember that?)

see you in class on thursday!