Using Flash/ any tips, hints, pitfalls?

In My Humble Opinion (IMHO)
#1

I should have my computer set up with Flash (MX 2004, I think) very soon. I haven’t used it at all yet, but I have read about as much as I can without having something in front of me to work on.

Does anyone have any suggestions for learning to use it? I have experience with HTML, C++, and some visual basic, but I’ve heard that none of these are really similar.

I’m hoping to get some practical use out of it at work. Everything I’ve been exposed to so far has been game-like, but the literature I’ve read looks promising.

Any comments would be appreciated.

#2

What are you going to be using it for? I’ve never used C++, but I’ve heard its similar to ActionScripting (Flash’s coding language). Your HTML skills won’t help much, unfortunately.

Flash is great for game-like stuff, but I use it for basic multimedia presentations, cartoons, CD-ROMs, etc. Its extremely versatile.

My biggest tip: To tween an object, it has to be on a layer all by itself. That threw me off for a long time, and I still mess it up sometimes. Use the “Hit” frame in buttons. Use Movie Clips way more the Graphics.

If some of that doesn’t make sense yet, it will.

#3

I guess what I would like would be to have something like a maze-- to make it simple.

I’m also hoping for some interactivity so that people could select objects, place them on a grid and then a “program” would approximate how those objects could move through a maze given where the objects started and ended. (This is the part I’ve been told will be most difficult.)

I know that sounds abstract, but I’m not sure what I’m going to find once I start so I haven’t planned anything out. Ultimately, a rats-in-a-maze “game” where one could pick a rat, give start and end info and then see how the rat did in the maze and maybe some abstract data about how fast the rat was and how “smart” it was. (Comparing results to expectations would be good too.)

I haven’t even had a chance to look at anything other than flash based games to see if this is at all possible. Interactivity, people choosing start and end spots and “rats,” is pretty important. Also, “SEEing” how objects perform in the maze is important.

Sorry again for being so obscure… I know nothing about using Flash, but, when I mentioned a few ideas at work, I was told I should try it out.

#4

As long as it has only other symbols on the same layer, an individual symbol can be tweened.

Okay, I’m going to shut up - I literally started using Flash this morning.

#5

I thought I would be using this by now.

I’ve read up on tween-ing… any other hot tips?

#6

Flash is amazing. It does so many things!

www.actionscript.org is a very good forum where people can help you with your problems.

I haven’t used Flash MX 2004 (with Actionscript 2), but it’s supposed to be like Java (and Actionscript one is like Javascript).

When you’ve gotten advanced, here are some AMAZING openscript files: http://www.levitated.net/daily/index.html. My brain hurts just thinking of how they were made.

#7

Thanks, I’m still waiting… there’s some conflict that’s keeping me from using the version that’s available.

At first glance, this looks like a site that will keep me occupied until I get set up.