Blazing & Flashy software !!!. Review on Macromedia Flash 5

Flash 5 is one of the most essential software in new media history. It has become a “killer app” that has been embraced by a wide range of designers. Though, it is vector-based software it can also support bitmap images. The general rule however is to use vectors whenever you can & use bitmap whenever needed. I laid my hands on Flash 5 just a couple months ago & found it to be complete software for animation.

What can we do with Flash 5?

1)Flash 5 is used basically for creating animated websites.

2)It is used for making animated greeting cards & games.

3)Flash 5 is also used in making animated advertising banners & streamers.

4)It is used in Kiosks, for presentations & even in CD-ROMs.

5)It is helpful in making short movies & games.

6)Animated symbols & icons can also be prepared using Flash 5.

7)Any 2-D animation can be prepared using Flash 5 software.

Flash 5 is completely different than the older versions of Flash software. Before Flash 5 came in the market, making an animated website was very tedious & was time consuming process. But due to the new features in Flash 5 it has become the most used software in the designing world. When I first came to know about this wonderful software I was not much pleased with the idea of using it. But now after using it for more than 2 months I think it’s the best in business.

Features of Flash 5:

ActionScript:

Just as there are several languages that people use to speak to one another around the world, there are hundreds of programming languages in use today. Flash’s scripting language is called ActionScript. It has become more advanced & sophisticated than its older versions. Now the ActionScript can be used for automatic repetition of animations, making animations that was possible only with JavaScript, keeping track of user’s interaction & input & many such tricks. ActionScript also enables Flash 5 to couple with XML, HTML & other content in many ways.

Using Sound:

Sound is one of the most essential element in animation. It helps the user to understand whether that particular thing is working correctly or not (such as a click sound when the user clicks a button). Flash 5 does not create sound files but it allows the user to import sound files from its collection. We can import Wave files (.wav), MP3 files (.mp3) & SUN AU files (.au)

Drawing Tools:

The toolbox in Flash 5 contains more than 12 drawing tools with which we can create our own shapes & images. The Pen tool is a new inclusion in Flash 5 software. We can create straight lines or curves with precise measurement. There are editable points in the lines drawn by Pen tool. Then there is Pencil tool, Brush tool, Oval tool, Rectangle tool, Inkbottle tool, Paint Bucket tool, Dropper tool, Eraser tool, Zoom tool & Hand tool for our use.

Library:

Whenever we create any images or buttons in Flash 5 it gets stored in a Library. Thus, the main purpose of Library is to store & organize symbols. The library will store all the images & symbols that are present in the current movie. This is a very good option available for the users to use (one good example of a user friendly software).

Linking Images:

Flash 5 is suitable for linking different images to different links. We can use a simple ActionScript like “Get URL” to link our images. To link any particular word or image to an E-mail address, “Get URL” action will work just as the anchor tag & “href” attribute does in HTML. To make an image link to an E-mail address simply input:

mailto:your_e-mail_addresses@whatever.com

Flash 5 is complete animation software & in my personal opinion it’s the best in the market. Since, we can use it for multiple purposes & seeing it as a user friendly software, I would suggest all of you to use it once before laying your hand on any other animation software.

Let me name some of the website which is very good in providing useful tutorials:

!) http://www.Phoong.com

$) http://www.Kya.virtualave.net