Chapter 4: Interface Fundamentals

Overview

In This Chapter

Getting started in Flash 8

Accessing learning and reference resources

Getting to know the fundamental Flash interface: What's new in Flash 8

Saving and loading custom Workspace Layouts

Creating custom keyboard shortcut sets

Using the Tools panel and shortcut keys

Adding or moving tools

Using the Zoom control and View menu commands

Understanding and navigating the Timeline

Managing layers and Layer folders

Using and modifying templates

Understanding the print settings in Flash

This chapter gives you a tour of the Flash workspace and the various methods for organizing and navigating your documents. We define fundamental features of the authoring environment, but in some cases, defer the explanation of more-complex functionality to later chapters. This chapter orients new users to the program and introduces experienced users to some of the new Flash 8 features.

Cross-Reference

As we discussed in the Preface of this book, Flash is available in two versions: Flash Basic 8 and Flash Professional 8. We outline the specific differences between the two versions in Chapter 1, "Understanding the Flash 8 Framework." All of the features available in Flash Basic 8 are also available in Flash Professional 8, but many of the new features that have been added to the latest release are only available in Flash Professional 8.

Note

From the authors' perspective, there is not much incentive to upgrade from Flash MX 2004 unless you can take advantage of the new features in Flash Professional 8. With this in mind, we wrote this version of the book from the perspective of using the Professional, or "full," version of Flash. If you're working with the Basic version and you don't find a feature described in the book or demonstrated in an exercise, you may want to download the trial version of Flash Professional 8 from Macromedia's Web site. In all other cases, assume that the interface feature or functionality we describe in this chapter (or elsewhere in the book), applies in both versions of the program.

Macromedia Flash 8 Bible

Chapter 4: Interface Fundamentals

Overview