Exporting Animation

Audio player

Since Flash Player 6, Flash movies (.swf files) have had the capability to load MP3 files during runtime. You can also import other audio file formats into a Flash document (.fla file) during author-time. Sounds can be attached to keyframes or buttons, for background tracks or sound effects. A sound file’s bytes can be distributed evenly across a timeline, so that the SWF file can be progressively downloaded into the Flash Player, enabling a movie to start playing before the entire sound file has been downloaded.


Multimedia authoring program

If the heart of Flash is a vector-based drawing program, then the body of Flash is a multimedia- authoring program (or authoring environment). Flash documents (.fla files) can contain multi- ple media assets, including sound, still graphics, animation, and video. Moreover, Flash is a powerful tool for creating truly interactive content because it allows you to add (ActionScript) commands to dynamically control movie (.swf file) playback. Whether you are designing sim- ple menu systems or customized and intuitive experimental interfaces, Flash content can be authored to recognize and respond to user-input.


Animation sequencer

Most multimedia-authoring programs have a component for sequencing content as anima- tion, and Flash is no exception. But in Flash, the animation sequencer is the core of the appli- cation. The Timeline window controls the display of all content — static or animated — within your Flash project. Within the Timeline window, there are two areas that allow you to orga- nize content in visual space and in linear time.

Layers and layer folders allow you to keep track of content that has been placed into your Flash document. The visibility of each layer can be controlled independently to make it easier to isolate specific elements as you are authoring. Layers are viewed from front to back within each frame of the Timeline — items on upper layers overlay other items on lower layers. Any number of items can be placed on a single layer, but you have less control over the stacking