- 1. Create a document using Device Central.
- 2. Check out Illustrator CS3.
- 3. Set up your document to integrate with Flash CS3.
- 4. Create blends out of symbols for animation in Flash.
- 5. Export from Illustrator to SWF for Flash.
- 6. Explore the new Flash CS3 workspace.
- 7. Add a new background in Flash CS3.
- 8. Copy and paste from Illustrator CS3 to Flash.
- 9. Create a motion path and a motion tween.
- 10. Publish and test your file.
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6. Explore the new Flash CS3 workspace.
When you're done with your testing, go ahead and hit OK. Find a safe location for your file; then come on back to Device Central to create your Flash document. Select the Flash Lite version at the top of the Device Central window. Now select the display size on the left side of the Device Central workspace. This way, when you create your Flash document, Device Central will automatically adjust your settings according to the type of devices on which you want the animation to work.
As in Step 2, select File > New Document In > Flash. This will create a Flash document with all the correct size and Flash Lite settings for this animation. The lower the version setting (e.g., Flash Lite 1.1), the more compatible with older devices the animation is likely to be. These Publish settings flow through into the Flash document. We can change them in Flash later if required. Click the Create button, and you have your new Flash (.fla) file.
Next, import the SWF animation. Go to File > Import > Import to Stage. The stage area is at the bottom of the Flash workspace (Figure 8), and the timeline is at the top. Notice that your animation has imported a bunch of new keyframes in the timeline. You can scrub through the keyframes by clicking and dragging just above them.
If you have more than one blend, you can now reorder things as needed (see "Timeline Technique").
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Figure 8 In the Flash CS3 workspace, notice keyframes imported with SWF animation.
Timeline Technique
It's really easy to copy, paste, add, remove, and delete keyframes in Flash (see Figure 9). The best method is to select the desired keyframes with a click and drag, then right-click (Windows) or Control+click (Mac). If you copy frames, remember to create a new layer to paste them on. Position the playhead where you'd like these frames to be in relation to the timeline; then Paste. Just click and slide them along as required. See Figure 10.
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Figure 9 Right-click (Windows) or Control+click (Mac) on the timeline to see all the Frame and Keyframe options.
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Figure 10 Divide up keyframes and create new layers in Flash CS3 timeline.