Flash MAS
WEEK 4: Advanced Bone Tool Use and adding Audio
This week we will focus even more on the bone tool. And especially on creating walk cycle animation. We will also begin learning how to handle mouth animation with phrases. These phrases require audio. Adding audio is as simple as importing images. You can import mp3s or wav files.
Assignment:
Complete Assignment #2.
Lynda.com – Flash CS4 Professional Getting Started
http://www.lynda.com/home/DisplayCourse.aspx?lpk2=683
http://www.lynda.com/home/DisplayCourse.aspx?lpk2=660
Online References
Old references for week 4 below (ignore these as they will be moved/ removed) -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_play Gameplay includes all player experiences during the interaction with game systems, especially formal games. Proper use is coupled with reference to “what the player does”.
http://www.helpyouplay.com/ Interaction Design Pattern Library for Games A pattern tells a designer when, how and why the solution can be applied. A pattern is a three part rule describing a relationship between a context, a problem and a (recurring) solution.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interaction_design Interaction Design (IxD) is the discipline of defining the behavior of products and systems that a user can interact with. The practice typically centers around complex technology systems such as software, mobile devices, and other electronic devices.
WEEK 3: Interactivity and Rich Media
Button symbol. ActionScript. GotoandPlay(). GetURL(). AttachMovie().
LoadMovie(). Instance. Set value of dynamic. Local vs. remote files. URL and
web navigation. Frame labels.
Button usage and Bone Tool are our main focus for this class.
Assignment 2: Working with the Bone Tool
Observe the movement of everything in your environment: Birds flapping their wings, flags waving on a pole, clouds moving through the sky, water rippling or flowing. Take what you observe and mimic the actions through use of motion and shape tweening and the latest technique, bone tool(kinematics).
Recommendation: Focus on the movement of animals and creatures.
Deliverables:
Your assignment must be 10 seconds in length and use previously acquired techniques with the new kinematics/bone tool.
Example: Fish swimming through water or a bird with flapping wings flying through the sky.
Goal: Make an animation utilizing the bone tool.
Lynda.com – Flash CS4 Professional
http://www.lynda.com/home/DisplayCourse.aspx?lpk2=683
http://www.lynda.com/home/DisplayCourse.aspx?lpk2=660
Online References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_banner A web banner or banner ad is a form of
advertising on the World Wide Web. This form of online advertising entails embedding
an advertisement into a web page. It is intended to attract traffic to a website by linking
to the website of the advertiser.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_design Game design is the process of designing the
content and rules of a game.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini_game A minigame, sometimes called a subgame, is a
short video game often contained within another video game. A minigame is always
smaller or more simplistic than the game in which it is contained. Minigames are
sometimes also offered separately for free to promote the main game.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_interface The user interface (also known as Human
Computer Interface or Man-Machine Interface (MMI)) is the aggregate of means by
which people(the users)interact with the system, a particular machine, device,
computer program or other complex tool. The user interface provides means of:
Input, allowing the users to manipulate a system and Output, allowing the system to
indicate the effects of the users’ manipulation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advergame Advergaming is the practice of using video
games to advertise a product, organization or viewpoint.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edutainment Edutainment (also educational entertainment
or entertainment-education) is a form of entertainment designed to educate as well as
to amuse. Edutainment typically seeks to instruct or socialize its audience by
embedding lessons in some familiar form of entertainment: television programs,
computer and video games, films, music, websites, multimedia software, etc.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game A video game is an electronic game that
involves interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video
device.
Additional Tutorials and Resources
FLASH Tutorials on Layers Magazine
http://www.layersmagazine.com/category/tutorials/flash
http://www.adobe.com/support/flash/
http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flash/
webworksite.com/flashtutorials
Centre for animation & interactive media
*brianlemay.com Animation School
actionscript.org/forums/index.php3
http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flash/articles/animate_character.html
Adobe.com – Drawing and Animating a Character in Flash
http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flash/
Adobe.com – Flash Developer Center
http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flash/actionscript.html
Adobe.com – ActionScript and object-oriented programming
In Class Demo – ActionScript
//This code goes in the first from of the first layer…. lock that layer, name the layer “actionscript” and only use it for actionscript coding.
myFirstBtn.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_UP, navigateToMASSite);
//a Listener allows us to isolate a specific event and have it focus on one movie
//1. Add a listener for our instance, myFirstBtn
//2. Listen to a specific event… The MouseEvent.MOUSE_UP (MOUSE_UP is a click release)
//3. now do something Listener, run our function “navigateToMASSite”
//Now let’s make our function
function navigateToMASSite(Event:MouseEvent):void {
var masURL:URLRequest = new URLRequest(‘http://www.miamiadschool.com’);
navigateToURL(masURL);
}
——
WEEK 2: Advanced Motion Graphics
Shape tweening: Vector animation and morphing. Color mixer & gradients Library.
Looping animations and nesting. Animating inside of a movie vs. a graphic symbol:
advantages and disadvantages. Symbol effects. Animating symbol effects. Nesting
symbols for complex animation. Compare graphic symbols and movie symbols. Flash
technical support.
Animation Refinement and Repair.
Review concepts of Animated Design. Discuss the use of screen layout and how the
movement of of shapes can effect the audiences perceptions. Review artistic,
photographic, cinematic and theatrical concepts. Concepts include: framing, lighting,
depth of field, clean entrance/exit, rule of thirds, and editing.
Assignment 1.5: Expand on what you have done with Assignment 1: Motion Graphics/Title Sequence
Come to next class with a completed version of your final version of the Assignment. There must be a very visible enhancement from the initial round to this one.
Adobe Flash CS4 Classroom in a Book: Complete Lesson 1, 2, 3, 4
Complete tutorials and then read and be able to answer (quiz) the review questions at
the end of each chapter.
Lynda.com – Flash CS4 Professional Getting Started
http://www.lynda.com/home/DisplayCourse.aspx?lpk2=683
http://www.lynda.com/home/DisplayCourse.aspx?lpk2=660
Online References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_direction A stage director is the person who
oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production (a play, an opera, a
musical, or a devised piece of work) by unifying various endeavours and aspects of
production.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storytelling Storytelling is the conveying of events in
words, images, and sounds often by improvisation or embellishment.
(youTube) Animation Nation – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnrP_t3MBBQ
Extras
Takashi’s Seasons – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDpNm5pAgVQ – Uses animation and sound with a puppet performance.
Kseniya Simonova – Sand Animation – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=518XP8prwZo
—————-
Week 1 – Media Library: Flash scripts, source art and web links
Students will be required to keep a class library. It’s a Flash file where you’ll paste scripts, symbols and clipart. In addition, keep a favorites list or folder (on your computer) containing links to Flash web sites as references of, concept, design and interactive structures.
Maintaining current backup of files:
Students are required to keep backup copies of all work created for this class.
The use of memory stick(flash drive) is only for transport.
Use CD-R and DVD-R to backup. You can also use an external hard drive, IPOD or any other storage device that is compatible to back up every day.
WEEK 1: Motion Graphics
Stage. Timeline. Properties. Scenes and library.
Drawing with vectors (compare Flash to Illustrator).
Import Illustrator and Photoshop files.
Groups and symbols.
Keyframes.
Motion tween. Shape tween. Animation. Ease in-out. Mask layer. Guide layer.
Animation on motion path. Tint, brightness and alpha transparency.
The variety of styles of animation and motion graphics: Eadweard Muybridge motion studies, Warner Brothers, Disney, Anime, 3D, motion graphics and Flash based banners, websites, webisodes, tv and animated series. Introduction to Flash. Historic review of the evolution of animation and motion graphics. From hand drawn flip books to digital animation. Compare straight ahead animation (frame to frame) and pose to pose (keyframe to keyframe with tweens). Flash as a richmedia delivery platform: Who, what , when, where, how? Compare Flash the application and Flash the browser plug-in. Review the history of Flash and its relationship with the other Adobe CS Suite products. Flash file formats and the Flash work flow.
Adobe Flash CS4
Assignment #1: Motion Graphics/Title Sequence
Description: Create an animated title sequence. Use existing artwork and text objects. Convert text, bitmap and vector graphics into multiple symbols and animate each using different techniques including; convert artwork to movie symbol, key framing, motion tweening, ease in-out, and layer masking. Import an audio file of music clip or sound effect.
Examples: Animate a logo, word or sentence being assembled from pieces into a completed whole. Animate the words to a song as they are sung. Animate masks to reveal a Signature as it is being written. Letters being typed in an instant message window or phone. Sunrise. Clouds. Light sabers.
Goal: Design a title sequence that demonstrates the use of movie symbols containing both text and graphic artwork. Movie symbols will be animated using key frames, along a path and by animating a mask. Final animation will be exported as a QuickTime movie for use on video sharing websites.
Planning: Research, concept, storyboard, assemble art and then animate.
Deliverables: An animated title sequence 15 – 30 seconds as a video file at 1280×720 @ 30 fps.
Adobe Flash CS4 Classroom in a Book: Start Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4
Complete tutorials and then read and be able to answer (quiz) the review questions at the end of each chapter.
Lynda.com – Flash CS4 Professional Getting Started
Online References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_graphics Motion graphics are graphics that use video and/or animation technology to create the illusion of motion or a transforming appearance.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animation Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storyboarding Storyboards are graphic organizers such as a series of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of previsualizing a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive media sequence, including website interactivity.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_animation A Flash animation or Flash cartoon is an animated film which is created using Adobe Flash animation software and often distributed in the .swf file format.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyframe A key frame in animation and filmmaking is a drawing that defines the starting and ending points of any smooth transition.