Adobe Flash Professional CS6: Learn by Video

Master the Fundamentals

Whether you’re new to Flash Professional or an old hand who needs a refresher and a guide to the new features in CS6, this course from software engineer and educator Joseph Labrecque will teach you what you need to know. After covering the application’s interface and tools, Joseph delves into both longstanding features like the Flash Library and ActionScript and new features like the mobile simulator, sprite sheets, and PNG sequences. You’ll also learn how to use sound, video, and animation in your projects. This Learn by Video course is presented in partnership with our friends at Peachpit Press.

Trainer: Joseph Labrecque

ISBN Code: 978-0-321-84070-7

July, 2012

Duration: 9 hrs 45 min

Ready for iPad, Android, and HTML5

Powerful, Feature-Rich Interface

HD Video

Flash Professional

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Welcome to Adobe Flash Professional CS6: Learn by Video

In this introductory chapter, we'll explore some basics of the Flash Professional CS6 application and build a foundation for the lessons to come.

Introducing Flash Professional CS6
- In this lesson, we'll examine some of the history of Flash Professional and what it can be used for.
  
  What Is Adobe Flash Professional?
  
  08:43
- This lesson explains the basics of how the course is organized and how to access course assets.
  
  What's the Course About?
  
  01:54
- Every new version of Flash Professional brings with it new features and enhancements. In this lesson, we'll explore what is new in this latest version of the program.
  
  What's New in Flash Professional CS6
  
  02:42
This chapter looks at some fundamentals of Flash Professional like the interface, the Welcome screen, file formats, and help.

Flash Professional Application Overview
- In this lesson you'll get a tour of the Flash Professional application interface.
  
  Application Interface Overview
  
  08:50
- This lesson looks at the Flash Professional Welcome screen, which lets you access several key features.
  
  Welcome Screen
  
  05:22
- Flash Professional uses a number of file formats for both authoring and output. In this lesson, we'll look at some of the file formats you'll encounter the most when dealing with Flash content.
  
  Flash Professional File Formats
  
  06:54
- Help is immediately accessible in Flash Professional if you know where to look. You'll see how to access this feature in this lesson.
  
  Accessing Help
  
  05:27
This chapter provides a solid overview of the Flash Professional application interface and how to manage various aspects of the application.

Getting Familiar with Flash Professional
- Like nearly all applications, Flash Professional includes an application menu. In this lesson, you'll get an overview of the menu and the commands within it.
  
  The Application Menu
  
  09:41
- The toolbar contains all of the tools available in Flash Professional. In this lesson, we'll have a look at the toolbar and how the tools are grouped within it.
  
  The Toolbar
  
  15:13
- This lesson explores the Stage, which is where everything visible happens in regard to Flash content. We'll also look at the pasteboard and how it relates to the Stage.
  
  The Stage
  
  05:13
- Any motion performed in Flash Professional takes advantage of the Timeline, and you'll get an overview of the Timeline and how it works in this lesson.
  
  The Timeline
  
  05:59
- Panels expose numerous useful features in Flash Professional for organized access. In this lesson we'll look at some of the more useful panels.
  
  Working with Panels
  
  04:55
- The Properties Inspector exposes object properties based on contextual selections. This lesson provides an overview of this panel and demonstrates how the contents adapt to whatever is currently selected.
  
  The Properties Inspector
  
  06:59
- The ability to manage colors and swatches is important in any application that deals with the creation of visual elements. This lesson demonstrates how these tools work in Flash Professional.
  
  Colors and Swatches
  
  06:11
- The Flash Professional application interface can be customized in many different ways, and these customizations can be preserved and recalled as needed through the concept of workspaces. This lesson will describe how to manage this feature.
  
  Managing Workspaces
  
  03:09
This chapter demonstrates a number of the basic tools available in Flash Professional.

Exploring Basic Tools
- This lesson looks at the selection tools available in Flash Professional: the Selection, Subselection, and Lasso tools.
  
  The Selection, Subselection, and Lasso Tools
  
  05:44
- The Line and Shape tools, not surprisingly, let you create lines and shapes. You'll learn how to work with them in this lesson.
  
  The Line and Shape Tools
  
  06:39
- In this lesson you'll learn when and how to use the Pencil, Brush, and Eraser tools.
  
  The Pencil, Brush, and Eraser Tools
  
  09:14
- The Paint Bucket and Ink Bottle tools are used to change the fill and stroke of an object. You'll see how they work in this lesson.
  
  The Paint Bucket and Ink Bottle Tools
  
  03:06
- The Eyedropper tool lets you "sample" colors in an image. You'll be introduced to this simple but useful tool in this lesson.
  
  The Eyedropper Tool
  
  03:09
- In this lesson you'll see how to use the Hand and Zoom tools to move around within your projects.
  
  The Hand and Zoom Tools
  
  03:27
This chapter demonstrates some of the more advanced tools available in Flash Professional.

Exploring Advanced Tools
- This lesson looks at the Text tool, which allows you to create text elements on the Stage.
  
  The Text Tool
  
  10:28
- The Pen tool in Flash Professional is used to create paths and objects with fine precision. This lesson describes the use of the Pen tool, as well as the Anchor Point tool, which lets you exercise precise control over the paths and objects you create.
  
  The Pen and Anchor Point Tools
  
  04:50
- This lesson looks at the Free Transform and Gradient tools, demonstrating what they do and how to use them.
  
  The Free Transform and Gradient Tools
  
  03:58
- The 3D Rotation and Translation tools are often called 3D tools, but they are really more like "2.5D" tools that let you manipulate objects along X, Y, and Z axes, as you'll see in this video.
  
  The 3D Rotation and Translation Tools
  
  04:02
- This lesson examines the Bone and Bind tools, which you can use to work with inverse kinematics and armatures in order to animate shapes.
  
  The Bone and Bind Tools
  
  07:51
In this chapter we'll create a simple Flash project to demonstrate some of the possibilities of the application.

Project Explorations
- In this lesson, we'll begin developing our Flash project by creating a new document and setting up the Stage.
  
  Setting the Stage
  
  04:28
- In this lesson, we'll use the tools in Flash Professional to draw elements for use in our project.
  
  Drawing the Assets
  
  06:34
- This lesson covers the process of adding motion through the Flash Professional Timeline.
  
  Making It Move
  
  10:39
- In this project lesson, we will add interactivity to our animation, allowing the user to interact with the project content.
  
  Adding Interactivity
  
  06:51
This chapter provides an overview of some basic document setup and configuration options in Flash Professional.

Working in Flash Professional
- Whenever you need to begin a new project in Flash Professional, the most common way of doing so is to create a new document. This lesson will demonstrate how to create a new document in Flash Professional CS6.
  
  Creating a New Document
  
  04:32
- In addition to creating a new document from scratch, Flash Professional also gives you the ability to create a new project using a template. In this lesson, we'll have a look at some of the many types of templates that ship with Flash Professional CS6.
  
  Using Flash Templates
  
  07:44
- In this lesson, you'll see how to set up your guides and rulers in Flash Professional CS6. These can be very helpful in staying oriented and organized.
  
  Working with Guides and Rulers
  
  07:18
- When developing Flash content, you will want to test frequently. This lesson provides an overview of the different methods of testing available.
  
  Testing a Project
  
  06:58
- This lesson explores the process of creating a project plan and how it relates to producing content with Flash Professional.
  
  Creating a Project Plan
  
  03:56
Flash Professional enables you to work with a number of different types of assets, both internal and external. This chapter will provide an overview of working with assets like images, lines, fills, and shapes.

Working with Assets
- When working in Flash Professional, you can use both vector and bitmap image assets. This lesson demonstrates the differences between these two types of image files.
  
  Vector vs. Bitmap
  
  04:38
- When drawing shapes in Flash Professional, you have the option of including both lines and fills. This lesson will demonstrate how to manage these two distinct shape properties.
  
  Lines and Fills
  
  04:01
- Recent versions of Flash Professional have offered a choice in how shapes are drawn on the Stage: Merge mode and Object Drawing mode. In this lesson, you'll see the differences between these drawing modes.
  
  Merge Mode vs. Object Drawing Mode
  
  03:55
- Once a shape is created with Flash Professional tools, it can be easily modified using other tools. This lesson explores some of the possibilities that exist for modifying shape objects.
  
  Modifying Shapes
  
  08:14
- Flash Professional has a feature that allows you to group many objects together so that you can manipulate them all at the same time. In this lesson you'll see how to accomplish this.
  
  Grouping Assets
  
  06:16
- In addition to drawing assets using tools in Flash Professional, you can also import assets created with other applications, as you'll see in this lesson.
  
  Importing Assets
  
  08:04
- Bitmap images in Flash Professional can be used as they are or converted into vectors. In this lesson we'll examine the benefits and pitfalls of this process.
  
  Using Trace Bitmap
  
  04:59
- Almost any complex object type in Flash Professional can be broken into simpler pieces. This lesson looks at how to perform this action with a variety of visual object types..
  
  Using Break Apart
  
  05:18
In this chapter, we will look at the Flash Professional Library, as well as the various types of symbols that it can contain and how they work.

Symbols and the Library
- The Flash Professional Library is a powerful resource that contains all imported assets and symbols for use in your projects. This lesson will introduce you to the Library and how it works.
  
  The Flash Library
  
  06:33
- A graphic symbol in Flash Professional is a symbol that contains its own timeline tied to the root Timeline. In this video, you'll learn how to work with these graphic symbols.
  
  Graphic Symbols
  
  05:36
- This lesson looks at button symbols, which are symbols with special states that serve to mimic familiar button behaviors.
  
  Button Symbols
  
  07:44
- A movie clip symbol is the most powerful Symbol type in Flash Professional, and in this lesson you'll see why.
  
  Movie Clip Symbols
  
  08:02
- A sprite symbol is very similar to a movie clip symbol, but it has no timeline of its own and is generally lighter in weight. In this lesson we'll examine the special construction of this symbol.
  
  Sprite Symbols
  
  03:22
- Filter Effects can be applied to movie clip and sprite symbol instances to create blurs, glows, drop shadows, and other effects. This lesson demonstrates the use of these effects.
  
  Using Filter Effects
  
  05:45
- Blend modes in Flash Professional can be used on movie clip and sprite symbol instances that overlap other display objects in order to change the way they look. In this lesson you'll learn how to apply blend modes and see some of the effects that you can create with them.
  
  Using Blend Modes
  
  03:49
In this chapter, we will look at a variety of options when working with text in Flash Professional.

Working with Text
- When you want to display text in Flash Professional, the most straightforward way of doing so is to use the Text tool. In this lesson you'll see how to use this tool to create text fields on the Stage.
  
  Creating Text Fields
  
  05:22
- Text fields in Flash Professional can have a variety of different forms and uses. This lesson examines the different properties and uses of text fields.
  
  Text Field Properties
  
  06:40
- Flash Professional includes an internal spell-checker. This lesson will demonstrate the use of this tool.
  
  Spell-Checking Text
  
  04:13
- In this lesson you'll see how to apply filter effects to text fields to create blurs, glows, drop shadows, and other effects.
  
  Applying Filter Effects to Text
  
  05:47
- Flash Professional has a robust font embedding capability that allows you to embed unique typefaces and even specific characters in your projects. This lesson will demonstrate this capability.
  
  Embedding Fonts
  
  06:53
- The Text Layout Framework allows you a much greater amount of control over typography than "classic text" does. This lesson will provide an overview of these extended features.
  
  Text Layout Framework
  
  08:28
Flash Professional is used to provide animation to numerous projects across the web and on television. In this chapter, we'll explore the basics of Flash animation.

Animating in Flash Professional
- Flash content is animated based on a system of frames. In this lesson, we'll explore the basics of frames and how to apply labels to frames to further organize content.
  
  Frames and Labels
  
  06:52
- Layers are a Timeline construct in Flash Professional that allow you to position and animate content in an isolated and structured way. In this lesson, you'll learn how to use layers and see how to group multiple layers within folders.
  
  Layers and Folders
  
  04:08
- This lesson looks at scenes, which allow you to effectively break the Timeline into a sequence of smaller timelines.
  
  Scenes
  
  05:05
- Traditional animation is done by drawing one frame of animation at a time and then playing them back in rapid succession. While Flash Professional offers a number of different mechanisms to simplify this process, it is also entirely possible to perform frame-by-frame animation, as this lesson will demonstrate.
  
  Frame-by-Frame Animation
  
  04:36
- Onion skinning is a function of the Flash Professional Timeline that allows you to see the "shadows" of adjacent frames when working with assets on the stage. This lesson demonstrates the usefulness of this feature.
  
  Onion Skinning
  
  04:12
- Shape tweens, as the name implies, are used in the tweening of basic shape objects. This lesson will examine the unique adjustments you can make across the Timeline when working with shapes.
  
  Shape Tweens
  
  05:02
- Classic tweens are an older form of motion tween that has been renamed in the past few versions of Flash Professional. This lesson will demonstrate the use of classic tweens.
  
  Classic Tweens
  
  05:59
- Motion tweens are the most robust method of animating objects within Flash Professional. In this lesson, we'll have a look at how to create and manage this type of tween in the Timeline.
  
  Motion Tweens
  
  06:04
In this chapter, we'll go beyond Flash animation basics and deal with an assortment of advanced animation tools and techniques. You'll learn about the Motion Editor, shape hints, masking, inverse kinematics, and more.

Advanced Animation Techniques
- In this lesson you'll see how to produce some interesting effects by nesting animations within other animations.
  
  Nesting Animations
  
  06:48
- The Motion Editor is a special panel that allows you to fine-tune any of the motion tweens you create in the Timeline. You'll get an overview of the Motion Editor in this lesson.
  
  Using the Motion Editor
  
  06:34
- When using classic tweens, you can provide customized motion guides for an object to follow as it is animated. This lesson will show you how.
  
  Classic Motion Guides
  
  05:40
- The Motion Presets panel contains a number of useful presets that can be applied to your project with a single click. This lesson provides an overview of motion presets and what they can be used for.
  
  Motion Presets
  
  07:13
- Shape hints are employed when you use a shape tween to direct the transformation of a shape to achieve the exact visual effect that you desire. This lesson explores the use of shape hints in Flash Professional.
  
  Shape Hints
  
  06:10
- Masking is a technique that allows you to hide portions of an object from view while displaying others. In this lesson you'll see how to use masking effectively in a project.
  
  Masking
  
  06:00
- Using inverse kinematics (IK), you can create puppet-like armatures out of the various objects in your project. This lesson will provide an example of how to animate using IK.
  
  Inverse Kinematics
  
  07:59
This chapter provides an overview of working with sound and video in Flash Professional. You'll learn how to import sound and video files, use sound within symbols, and use the Adobe Media Encoder to encode video.

Using Sound and Video
- Flash Professional makes it very easy to import sound files into a project. This lesson demonstrates how to go about this task.
  
  Importing Sound Files
  
  07:31
- There are many reasons you may want to include sound within button or movie clip symbols, such as creating interaction effects and animation events. This lesson will demonstrate a few ways of doing so.
  
  Using Sound Within Symbols
  
  05:40
- In this lesson, you'll see how to use the Adobe Media Encoder (which is bundled with Flash Professional) to encode video files specifically for use within Flash.
  
  Adobe Media Encoder
  
  07:13
- It isn't often that you would want to embed video content within a Flash project, but it is useful in certain situations, such as when using small video segments. This lesson will demonstrate how to go about importing video files.
  
  Importing Video Files
  
  04:10
This chapter provides an overview of ActionScript, the powerful, modern programming language available for use in Flash projects.

ActionScript Basics
- The Actions panel is the code editor you use when dealing with ActionScript in a Flash document. This lesson demonstrates the Actions panel and its use.
  
  The Actions Panel
  
  07:24
- The most direct way to include ActionScript within Flash Professional is to write it directly on the Timeline. This lesson will demonstrate this approach and point out some of the drawbacks associated with it.
  
  Timeline-Based ActionScript
  
  06:16
- The Code Snippets panel in Flash Professional contains an abundance of ready-to-use code aligned to specific tasks. This lesson will demonstrate the use of this feature.
  
  Code Snippets
  
  05:12
- The most organized and structured way of writing ActionScript is through packages and classes. This lesson demonstrates how to take advantage of this powerful feature and bypass coding on the Timeline altogether.
  
  ActionScript Classes
  
  07:50
- Loading and controlling sound through ActionScript is fairly simple once you know how. This lesson demonstrates the methods required to perform this set of tasks properly.
  
  Controlling Sound with AS3
  
  07:19
- Loading and controlling video is fairly straightforward as well. This lesson will look at ActionScript-driven video delivery through Flash.
  
  Controlling Video with AS3
  
  08:52
This chapter provides a detailed examination of the new Mobile Content Simulator. This exciting new tool greatly speeds up the testing of mobile-specific APIs using enhanced simulation.

Authoring for Mobile Devices
- When using Flash Professional to develop content for mobile devices, you now have a number of choices. This lesson will examine these target platforms.
  
  Mobile Targets
  
  04:40
- There are certain snippets within the Code Snippets panel that are directed at mobile development. In this lesson, you'll see how to apply these snippets to your mobile projects.
  
  Mobile Code Snippets
  
  04:49
- This lesson looks at the Mobile Content Simulator, a new tool in Flash Professional CS6 that greatly speeds up the testing of mobile-specific APIs using enhanced simulation.
  
  Mobile Content Simulator
  
  05:04
- Testing mobile content on an actual device is the best assurance that your content will run as anticipated. This lesson provides an overview of how to test mobile content on the targeted hardware itself.
  
  Testing on a Device
  
  01:52
This chapter demonstrates a number of methods through which you can debug your applications in Flash Professional. You'll learn about trace statements, the built-in Flash Professional debugger, and debugging on devices, as well as how to troubleshoot errors.

Debugging Flash Projects
- One of the simplest methods of debugging a project is to just trace out bits of text. In this lesson, you'll see how this is done.
  
  Trace Statements
  
  07:23
- This lesson looks at Flash Professional's built-in debugging tool, which enables you to look deep into your code while a project is running.
  
  The Flash Professional Debugger
  
  07:10
- Mobile devices are an exciting new area for Flash development, but how is it possible to debug code that is executed on an external device? This lesson will explain.
  
  Debugging on Devices
  
  05:29
- There are two main types of errors you will encounter when debugging Flash content: compiler errors and runtime errors. This lesson will demonstrate how to deal with both.
  
  Troubleshooting Errors
  
  06:57
What good is authoring content using Flash Professional if we don't output to a usable format? This chapter explores some of the possible export options.

Compiling and Publishing
- This lesson outlines the steps that can be taken to optimize the output from Flash Professional in terms of the overall project and even individual assets.
  
  Optimizing Content
  
  06:06
- In this lesson, we'll look at some of the settings and considerations particular to targeting the Flash Player.
  
  Publishing for the Flash Player
  
  09:09
- In this lesson, we'll look at some of the settings and considerations particular to targeting Adobe AIR for desktop.
  
  Publishing for AIR Desktop
  
  05:55
- In this lesson, we'll look at some of the settings and considerations particular to targeting Adobe AIR for mobile devices.
  
  Publishing for AIR Mobile
  
  07:33
- A sprite sheet is an image file that contains all of the frames for a specific animation. For performance reasons, sprite sheets are heavily used in gaming for both HTML5 and Flash games. In this lesson, you'll see how to export a sprite sheet from Flash Professional.
  
  Exporting Sprite Sheets
  
  06:13
- Exporting a sequence of images from an animation can be useful in a number of cases, predominantly for gaming but also for integration with certain video editing software. In this lesson, you'll see how to export a series of PNG files from a library symbol.
  
  Generating Image Sequences
  
  02:37
- This lesson looks at the CreateJS toolkit for Flash Professional CS6, an extension that allows you to publish animated content to HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for playback in modern browsers without requiring the Flash Player to be installed.
  
  Using the CreateJS Extension
  
  06:14
- Accessibility is a major concern among many organizations and something that should be considered at the start of any project. In this lesson, you'll see how to take steps to ensure that your Flash content is as accessible as possible.
  
  Ensuring Accessibility
  
  03:39
In this chapter, you'll get a summary of what we've covered in this course and a few final thoughts.

Closing Thoughts
- In this closing lesson, you'll get a summary of what we've covered in this course and a few final thoughts.
  
  Closing Thoughts
  
  02:55

Welcome to Adobe Flash Professional CS6: Learn by Video

This Learn by Video course offers in-depth training on the interface, workflow, and features of Adobe Flash Professional CS6. The contents of this course include:

Introducing Flash Professional CS6
In this introductory chapter, we’ll explore some basics of the Flash Professional CS6 application and build a foundation for the lessons to come.

Flash Professional Application Overview
This chapter looks at some fundamentals of Flash Professional like the interface, the Welcome screen, file formats, and help.

Getting Familiar with Flash Professional
This chapter provides a solid overview of the Flash Professional application interface and how to manage various aspects of the application.

Exploring Basic Tools
This chapter demonstrates a number of the basic tools available in Flash Professional.

Exploring Advanced Tools
This chapter demonstrates some of the more advanced tools available in Flash Professional.

Project Explorations
In this chapter we’ll create a simple Flash project to demonstrate some of the possibilities of the application.

Working in Flash Professional
This chapter provides an overview of some basic document setup and configuration options in Flash Professional.

Working with Assets
Flash Professional enables you to work with a number of different types of assets, both internal and external. This chapter will provide an overview of working with assets like images, lines, fills, and shapes.

Symbols and the Library
In this chapter, we will look at the Flash Professional Library, as well as the various types of symbols that it can contain and how they work.

Working with Text
In this chapter, we will look at a variety of options for working with text in Flash Professional.

Animating in Flash Professional
Flash Professional is used to provide animation to numerous projects across the web and on television. In this chapter, we’ll explore the basics of Flash animation.

Advanced Animation Techniques
In this chapter, we’ll go beyond Flash animation basics with an assortment of advanced animation tools and techniques. You’ll learn about the Motion Editor, shape hints, masking, inverse kinematics, and more.

Using Sound and Video
This chapter provides an overview of working with sound and video in Flash Professional. You’ll learn how to import sound and video files, use sound within symbols, and use the Adobe Media Encoder to encode video.

ActionScript Basics
This chapter provides an overview of ActionScript, the powerful, modern programming language available for use in Flash projects.

Authoring for Mobile Devices
This chapter provides a detailed examination of the new Mobile Content Simulator. This exciting new tool greatly speeds up the testing of mobile-specific APIs using enhanced simulation.

Debugging Flash Projects
This chapter demonstrates a number of methods through which you can debug your applications in Flash Professional. You’ll learn about trace statements, the built-in Flash Professional debugger, and debugging on devices, as well as how to troubleshoot errors.

Compiling and Publishing
What good is authoring content using Flash Professional if we don't output to a usable format? This chapter explores some of the possible export options.

The lessons are wrapped in a feature-rich interface that lets you jump to any topic and bookmark individual sections for later review. Full-Screen mode provides a hi-def, immersive experience, and Watch-and-Work mode shrinks the video into a small window so you can play the videos alongside your application. Also included are exercise files that give you an easy way to try out the techniques you learn and a 48-page guide containing supplemental material.

System Requirements

Broadband internet connection
Up-to-date browser with Flash plug-in
Screen resolution 1024x768 or higher
Sound card with speakers or headphones attached
Pentium 4 2.6 GHz or higher, or Apple Mac G5
512 MB RAM

Ready for iPad, Android, and HTML5

It's easy to watch this course from your Android device, iPad, or iPhone (4 or later). Access videos straight from your browser, or, for Android devices or iPads, use this course in one of our free apps.

Project Files (Downloadable Feature)

Project files are included with this course so you can practice what you learn and work right along with the videos.

Powerful, Feature-Rich Interface

This course features video2brain’s interactive interface. As you navigate the course, rolling over a chapter or video brings up text describing that item.

Full-Screen mode provides a hi-def, immersive experience. And Watch-and-Work mode puts the video into a resizable window that you can shrink so you can watch the lessons on one side of your screen while you’re following along and applying what you’ve learned on the other.

HD Video

This course comes in crisp 1280 x 720 high definition video.

Bookmarks (Downloadable Feature)

Available in the downloadable version of our courses, this feature makes it easy to create a custom bookmark in any lesson to mark where you left off or to make note of something you want to refer back to later. You can even add a name or short note to remind yourself what the bookmark is for.

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Adobe Flash Professional CS6: Learn by Video

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Welcome to Adobe Flash Professional CS6: Learn by Video

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