- Flash Guide 2006
- Welcome to the New Flash Reference Guide
- Flash Design Guide
- Introduction To Flash
- Working with the Authoring Tool
- Working with Templates
- FreeHand for the Power User
- Creating Animation with Fireworks
- Creating Animation in Flash
- Animating Text
- Working With Layers and Keyframes
- Working With Tweens
- Quickly Add Keyframes to Tweens
- Using Animation Paths
- Using Flash's Onion Skinning Tools
- Publishing Your Animation
- Preloading for Non-Programmers
- Drawing in Flash
- Using the Library
- Organizing Animations With Storyboards
- Working With Masks
- Making 2D Look 3D
- Working With Text
- Working With Input Text Fields
- Working With Dynamic Text
- Working with Text: Advanced Text Treatment With CSS
- Working With Text: Embedding Fonts
- Flash Interactive Developer Guide
- What is an Interactive Developer?
- Creating Flash Projects
- Using Form Applications
- Working with Form Components
- Setting up a Movie for Design and Animation
- Setting up a Movie for Programming
- Working with Components
- ActionScript Fundamentals
- Intro to Working With Arrays
- Understanding The Three Types of Arrays
- Control Data Stored in Arrays
- The Eolas Solution
- Intro to Flash Player 9
- Working with Strings
- Creating ActionScript Transitions
- Working with Boolean Objects in ActionScript
- Optimizing Delivery
- Working with Numbers in ActionScript
- Working with the Number Class
- Flash Professional 9 Preview
- Adobe Takes ActionScript Open Source
- Flash Rich Media Guide
- Pros and Cons of Flash 8 Video
- Using SMIL in Flash Video 8
- Stream an MP3 Audio File to Your Flash Movie
- Flash 8
- Introduction to Flash 8
- Advanced Text Rendering
- Using BitmapData Class in Your ActionScript
- The CacheAsBitmap Property
- Bitmap Rendering Improvements and Blend Modes
- Using The ExternalInterface Class
- Using Filters
- Downloading and Uploading Files with ActionScript
- Runtime Support for GIF and PNG Files
- Garbage Collection in Flash 8
- Using Enhanced Gradients
- Using Scale 9
- Stroke Enhancements in Flash 8
- Video Support in Flash 8
- How to Create a Slideshow
- Creating Dynamic Text in Flash
- Flash 3-D–Taking Flash to the Third Dimension!
- Object Collision Detection with Flash
- Create a Quiz With The Flash Quiz Template
- Working with Flash
- Uses for Flash
- Beyond Flash
- Flash Reference Guide
- Informit Articles and Sample Chapters
- Books
- Online Resources
- Blogs and Discussion
- Tools and Downloads
- Summary
- Flash MX Interface
- Welcome to Flash: the Designers' and Developers' Tool
- Using the Stage
- Panels, Panels Everywhere
- Using the Tools Pane
- Using the Property Inspector
- Using the Timeline Panel
- Using the Library
- Adding Interaction through the Actions Panel
- Integrating with Studio MX
- Saving and Publishing Flash Movies
- Informit Articles and Sample Chapters
- Books
- Online Resources
- Summary
- Drawing in Flash
- Shape Tools
- Applying Color
- Informit Articles and Sample Chapters
- Tools and Downloads
- Summary
- Flash Bitmaps
- Importing Bitmaps
- Exporting Bitmap Images
- Converting Bitmap Images to Vector Illustrations
- Informit Articles and Sample Chapters
- Online Resources
- Tools and Downloads
- Summary
- Flash Text and Text Fields
- Text Types
- Input Text
- Online Resources
- Tools and Downloads
- Summary
- Using the Library
- Library Organization
- Creating Instances
- Informit Articles and Sample Chapters
- Books
- Online Resources
- Summary
- Flash Animation
- Controlling Time
- Keyframe Animation
- Tweening
- Text Animation with Flash
- Informit Articles and Sample Chapters
- Books
- Online Resources
- Summary
- Flash Audio
- Using Audio in Flash
- Importing
- Linking to MP3
- Publishing Audio
- Streaming MP3 from the Flash Communication Server
- Informit Articles and Sample Chapters
- Online Resources
- Summary
- Video in Flash
- Video
- Flash Video
- Spark Codec
- Exporting Video
- Informit Articles and Sample Chapters
- Blog and Discussion
- Summary
- Flash Components
- Attaching Components to Movies
- Creating a Component
- Informit Articles and Sample Chapters
- Tools and Downloads
- Summary
- Exporting and Optimization
- Connecting Flash to the Internet
- Loading SWF Movies
- Sharing Fonts Between Movies
- Reusing Your ActionScripts
- Using Third-Party Tools
- Informit Articles and Sample Chapters
- Online Resources
- Tools and Downloads
- Summary
- Introduction to Design in Flash
- Introduction to Design
- Fundamental Design Concepts
- Breaking Up the Screen
- Branding
- Adding Forms to Movies
- Developing with ActionScript
- Introduction to Programming within Flash MX 2004
- Using ActionScript to Extend the Functionality of Flash
- ActionScript Fundamentals
- Using the Actions Panel
- Using the Reference Panel
- Rapidly Adding ActionScript with the Behaviors Panel
- Event Handling within ActionScript
- Timeline Events
- Triggering Events through User Interaction
- Flash MX 2004 Pro
- Summary
- Creating Interactive Movies
- Giving Users a Choice
- What it All Comes Down to
- Summary
- Testing your Flash Movies
- Naming Conventions
- Syntax Checker
- Testing your movies
- Summary
- Debugging
- Using the "Debugger"
- Reviewing ActionScript Error Codes
- Summary
- Using ActionScript to Control Your Movies
- Setting Up Your Movies for Interaction
- Making Movie Clips Behave Like Buttons
- Controlling Multiple Movie Clips
- Applying Different Types of Events to a Movie Clip
- Summary
- Using ActionScript to Control Text
- How ActionScript Can Control Text
- Using Cascading Style Sheets within Flash MX 2004 Dynamic Text Boxes
- Applying CSS formatting with ActionScript
- Where Do You Go Now?
- The Differences Between ActionScript 1 and ActionScript 2
- Working with Classes
- Which Version of the Flash Player should you use?
- What’s Next?
- Using Pre-Built Classes In Flash MX 2004
- Using a Class in ActionScript
- The List of Core Classes
- Flash Player-Specific Classes
- Summary
- Creating Your Own Classes
- Creating a Custom Class
- Working with External Data in Flash
- Why Use XML in Flash?
- Integrating Flash and XML
- Visual Elements
- Adding the ActionScript
- Future Shock
- Using Components
- Begin Using Components
- Building an Application with Components
- Gluing Components Together with ActionScript
- Summary
- Informit Articles and Sample Chapters
- Books and e-Books
- Online Resources
- Rich Internet Applications
- Introduction to Rich Internet Applications
- Why Use Flash for Building Application Solutions?
- Building Applications with Flash
- Getting Started
- Using Flash Variables
- Working with Parameters in the Object and Embed HTML Tags
- Linking data with Flashvars
- Getting Data Into Flash: Loading External SWF and JPG Files
- Why You Should Separate Your Files
- Loading Movies into Levels and Target Movie Clips
- Summary
- Loading SWF and JPG Images
- Working With XML: What is XML, and How Does it Relate to Flash?
- A Brief History of XML
- Why Structuring Your Data is Always a Good Thing
- How XML Came to Flash
- Summary
- Working with XML: Good XML vs. Bad XML
- Good Places to Start
- Writing Good XML
- XML Tools
- The Next Step - Using XML in your Flash Applications
- Working with XML: Loading XML into Flash
- Integrating Flash and XML
- Visual Elements
- ActionScript
- Future Shock
- Working with XML — Dynamically Building XML with .NET, ColdFusion, Java, and PHP
- ColdFusion
- .NET
- Java
- PHP
- Summary
- Working with XML — Web Services
- SOAP Support in Flash MX 2004
- Using Components to Bind Web Services into your Applications
- Summary
- Working with Data — Working with XML
- XML In Flash
- Writing XML In Flash
- Building Trees of Data with XML
- Working with Data: Pushing Data back to the Server with Load Vars
- Setting up the Database
- Writing the VB.NET Code
- Creating the Flash Movie
- Working with Data: Leveraging Persistent Connections
- Using XMLSocket Connections
- XMLSocket Server
- XMLSocket Security
- XMLSocket Class in Flash
- Creating a Pong Game with an XMLSocket Server
- Summary
- Flash Remoting
- What is Flash Remoting?
- Using Flash Remoting
- The Future of Flash Remoting
- Flash Remoting Links
- Working with Data: Macromedia Flex Presentation Server
- What Problem Does Flex Presentation Server Address?
- How does Flex work?
- Coding and Building Flex Applications
- Building Rich Internet Applications: Connecting Flash to a Database
- Using FlashVars
- Using LoadVars
- Loading XML
- Consuming a Web Service
- Live data connections with XMLSocket Connections
- Building Rich Internet Applications: Planning, Planning, Planning
- A Simple Plan
- Tools You Can Use
- Applying a Discipline
- Building Rich Internet Applications: Design Counts
- Do Not Be Afraid to Ask For Help
- What if You Do Not Have a Ben To Call
- Building Rich Internet Applications: Beyond the Movie Clip
- UI Components
- Data Components
- Media Components
- Manager Components
- Screen Components
- Building Rich Internet Applications: Using Macromedia Central
- What Central is All About
- Who is Using Central?
- Developing for Macromedia Central
- Next Steps You Need to Take
- Building Rich Internet Applications: Using Macromedia Flex
- Authoring with Flex
- Publishing with Flex
- Presenting the Solution: Delivering Flash Applications to the Web
- Flash's own Publishing Tools
- Using Dreamweaver
- Writing your Own HTML
- Presenting the Solution: Delivering Flash Over Non-PC Devices
- Using Macromedia's Flash Lite
- Programming for Flash Lite
- FlashCast
- Informit Articles and Sample Chapters
- Books and e-Books
- Flash for Designers: Rich Media Production
- Graphic Control in Flash
- Drawing in Flash
- Importing Vector Art
- Importing Raster
- Scripting Images
- Introduction to the Rich Media Production
- Using Video, Audio and Images in your Flash Movies
- Using SWF Flash Movies
- Using JPEG Images
- MP3 Sound Files
- Flash Video
- Using Components to Build Rich Media Solutions
- Using the Loader Component
- Using the Media Components
- Controlling Components with ActionScript
- Controlling the Loader Component
- Media Components
- Using Audio in Flash
- Linking to MP3
- ActionScript-Controlled Audio
- Volume Control
- Publishing Audio
- Summary
- Video in Flash
- Working with Video
- Controlling Video with Components
- Exporting Video
- Summary
- Choosing Which Version of Flash Communication Server to Use
- Server Requirements
- Installation
- Running Communication Server on Different OS Platforms
- Pitfalls to Watch for
- Summary
- Streaming Video
- Live Video
- Broadcast Video on Demand
- Flash Video Components
- The Communication Server MX Server Code for the VideoPlayBack Component
- Record Video with VideoRecord Communication Component
- Create A Video Conference
- Examining the VideoConferencing Component
- The Communication Server MX Server Code for the VideoConferencing Component
- Summary
- Using the Microphone and Camera Core Classes
- Microphone
- Camera
- Constructing Large Applications That Leverage Video and Audio
- Configuring the Server
- Creating the Movie
- Broadcasting
- Summary
- Informit Articles and Sample Chapters
- Books and e-Books
- Matthew's Predictions for 2006
- Matthew's Favorite Flash Books
- Matthew's Favorite Flash Web Resources
- Macromedia as Part of Adobe
- First Look: Flash Player 8
- First, the Facts
- What Macromedia Brings to the Table
- What Adobe Brings to the Table
- What the Two Companies Can Do for Each Other
- A Brief History of Flash
A tool you can use to quickly test whether or not someone knows a specific subject is through a pop-quiz or test. There are lots of ways to give tests and examinations and track that information. Flash has a template, the Quiz template, which allows you to create a quiz. The tool uses components, so there is no ActionScript! You can just plug and play.
Creating The Quiz
The Quiz template is designed to be easy to modify. First, choose File > New to open the New dialog. Choose the Templates tab and select Quiz from the list on the left. You’ll see in the center window that there are three quizzes from which you can choose. Each quiz is the same; the only difference is the design of the application.
For this article, I’m using Quiz_Style2. Select the Open button and you can begin to work in the quiz.
Before you make any edits, test the quiz so that you can see the types of quizzes you can create. Select CTRL+ Enter to preview the quiz. You’ll notice that in the bottom left corner you can see which screen you’re on. In addition, you have a navigation button on the left that lets you click on to the next screen. Click on to the next screen.
Screen two is the first type of quiz you can use. The first quiz component is called the Drag and Drop component. You can ask a question that forces the user to choose an object from the left side and drag it onto a corresponding object on the right side. After you’ve made your selections, select the "Check Answer" button. A note is added to the bottom of the screen informing you if you got the questions right or wrong.
After you,ve selected the question, you can go onto the next screen.
The next screen illustrates an example of the Fill in the Blank quiz component. Here, there is only one right answer and it must match the one you’ve provided. You can’t proceed until you’ve answered the question.
The third quiz type is called a Hot Objects quiz. All you have to do here is select an object on the screen. The selected object changes color. The user can then select the Check Answer button to validate his or her answer.
The fourth quiz type is a Hot Spot quiz. It’s very similar to the Hot Objects quiz.
The fifth quiz type is a Multiple Choice quiz. Here, you have one or more choices that are correct.
The final quiz type is a simple True or False.
When you’ve finished your exam, you can check your score to see how many questions you got right or wrong. As you can see from the image below, I didn’t do too well.
Customizing Your Quiz
Quizzes are easy to modify. If you want to modify a quiz’s design, you need only to modify the design in the Background layer. Keep all of your design elements in this layer—it will make managing your movie easier.
The actual quiz elements themselves are components, which you can edit using the Component Inspector. Instructions on the screen will tell you what you need to do. Don’t worry about deleting the instructions—they’re in a Layer Guide and won’t be published when you publish the movie.
The following are the instructions for the Fill in the Blank quiz component. As you can see, Macromedia has made it really easy for you to modify the quiz. No ActionScript is needed. In this example, I’ve added a second correct answer to this list.
For each Quiz component there is a button called Options. The Options section allows you to add features such as how many times a quiz can be answered, what the feedback response is going to be, and the type of navigation—all of this without a single line of ActionScript.
You can follow these same steps to modify any of the Quiz components. Some are more complex than others, however, so please make sure you read the instructions. To add a new quiz, insert a new, single keyframe and then drag a Quiz component from the Library into it.
Binding To A Database
At some point, you’ll want to track the results from a quiz. This is when you’ll want to work with your database administrator and Web Application developer to leverage the data aware components within Flash. There are many ways to bind data to a database, including Web Services, XML, Flash Remoting, and ColdFusion.
As you can see, Flash makes it easy to create quizzes thanks to components. Now, you can focus on creating questions and not on writing code.