Educational Software / Interactive Story

Today we will begin creating an Educational Software or Interactive Story.  I will show some examples in class and attach a template below:

• Interactive Book Template

Flash: Paper Doll / Mr. Potato Head

Today we are going to be building "draggable" movie clips that will make a "Paper Doll" or "Mr. Potato Head" sort of thing.  The ActionScript isn't that difficult, but it is very time-consuming so I am putting up two templates that we can use to get started.

• Paper Doll
• Mr. Potato Head

I am also attaching a paper doll that I built from the template above.  It has a lot more clothing, a background music track, a layer behind the model for accessories, a background layer, and more.  Download the source file here.  To get the model and begin the clothing, I Googled "Fashion Paper Dolls" and clicked on images.  I chose to use this image:

Also, this is another example of a more more complex "Paper Doll": [Click]

Once you have the template downloaded, either create your own model and clothing or look for good examples of paper dolls online.

Have fun!

Flash: Eyes that Follow the Mouse

Today we are going to be drawing an eye (facing left), converting it to a movie clip, dragging an instance to the desktop, naming your instances, adding some ActionScript, and testing it.  The result?  Eyes that follow the mouse pointer, obviously.  :)

Here's the ActionScript:

------------------------------ Frame 1 -------------
a = eye1._y-_ymouse;
b = eye1._x-_xmouse;
angleA = Math.atan2(a, b);
degrees = angleA/(Math.PI/180);
setProperty("eye1", _rotation, degrees);
a2 = eye2._y-_ymouse;
b2 = eye2._x-_xmouse;
angleA2 = Math.atan2(a2, b2);
degrees2 = angleA2/(Math.PI/180);
setProperty("eye2", _rotation, degrees2);
----------------------------- Frame 2 ------------
gotoAndPlay(1);

Below is a Video Tutorial which will help explain the process:

Flash Project #11 -- Step-By-Step

We have some requests for step-by-step instructions for Flash Project #11.  I'll do my best, although a video tutorial would probably work better.

1. Open Adobe Flash

2. Create a new document: FILE > NEW > Flash File (ActionScript 2.0)

3. Create 3 Layers:  Pointer, Buttons, and Background

4. On the background layer, draw a background

5. On the pointer layer, draw a pointer

6. Select the pointer background layer (it will select the pointer)

7. Click Modify > Convert to Symbol > Movie Clip (name it Pointer)

8. Right-click the pointer symbol and select "Actions"

9. Enter the following ActionScript:

     onClipEvent (load) {

     Mouse.hide();

     startDrag(this, true);

     }

     onClipEvent(mouseMove){

     updateAfterEvent();

     }

10. Press CTRL+ENTER to test your movie

11. Draw a button

12. Convert the button to a symbol (a button, obviously)

13. Go out to Frame 10 and add a keyframe for each layer.

14. Draw a new "scene" on Frame 10

15. Right-click the first keyframe on any layer (black dot) and choose Actions

16. Enter the following ActionScript:  stop();

17. Right-click any layers last keyframe and choose Actions

18. Enter the following ActionScript:  stop();

19. Right-click the button and enter the following ActionScript:

     on (release) {

        gotoAndPlay(10);

     }

20. Test your movie (CTRL+ENTER)

Once your movie is working (i.e. It opens and stays until you click the button -- and then it goes to the next section and stays) you can begin adding some flair.  Add sound effects, improve your mouse pointer, insert some music, insert pictures, etc.

Flash Project #11: Interactive Scene

Today we are going to begin putting all of the different techniques together into an Interactive Scene or a Multimedia Greeting Card.  You should include the following:

• A custom mouse pointer
• An opening "scene" which stops at a specific keyframe
• A button which will advance the viewer to the next "scene"
• A "stop" on the next scene so users can view everything
• A button which will allow users to start over from the first scene
• Sound and/or music

Some of the Actionscript you will need includes:

/*  Custom Mouse Pointer Code  */
onClipEvent (load) {
Mouse.hide();
startDrag(this, true);
}
onClipEvent(mouseMove){
updateAfterEvent();
}

/*  Stop Code  */
stop();

/*  Button 'Go To' Code  */
on (release) {
gotoAndPlay(10);
}

Flash Project #08: Animated Movie Clip

Today we are creating an animated Movie Clip. We will begin just as we did with the Graphic Symbol and the Button -- by drawing a picture and converting it to a Symbol. So draw your picture, go to MODIFY > CONVERT TO SYMBOL > MOVIE CLIP, and click OK. Now [just as we did with the buttons] double-click your new Symbol. You can now create some sort of animation [either frame-by-frame, shape tween, etc.]. When finished, click back on "Scene 1" to return to your stage. You will notice that even though you have an animation, you are still on the first frame of your movie. This allows you to animate an object (a car, person, alien, etc.) and modify the size or location of the object without having to change every frame.

Next we will drag out different "Instances" of your movie clip and resize, reposition, and recolor each one.

Flash Project #07: Basic Buttons

Today we will begin creating buttons using Adobe Flash. Buttons are created much like graphic symbols -- you draw your button shape, select it, then go to MODIFY > CONVERT TO SYMBOL > BUTTON. Once your basic button is created, you simply double-click the new symbol which will allow you to edit your button.

Buttons have 4 "states" -- UP, OVER, DOWN, and HIT. UP is the state where nothing is happening [if you look at a button on a machine it's in the UP state]. OVER is the state where you are moving your mouse pointer over the button [sometimes people will have a button highlighted when someone is over it]. DOWN is the state where the button is being pressed/clicked. The HIT state is simply the area that you are able to click on [Generally it's the exact same size as the visible button].

I am attaching a YouTube tutorial video below if you need some extra help.

Flash Project #06: Motion Tween

Okay, today we're going to learn another "tween" technique -- but this one involves a "Motion Tween".  If you draw a picture, select it, then go to MODIFY > CONVERT TO SYMBOL > GRAPHIC [we'll deal with Movie Clip and Button later].  Now you can add keyframes, change the position of your new symbol, and add your "Motion Tween".  It's one of the ways you can move things smoothly in Flash without having to draw things frame-by-frame.

Flash Project #05: Shape Tween

Todays project uses a function of Flash called "Shape Tweening".  To begin you draw a picture on a keyframe (1 for example).  Next you add a keyframe further out in the movie -- 20, 30, or 40 frames out and draw another picture.  Right-click anywhere between those two keyframes and select "Create Shape Tween".  When you play your movie, you will see the shape morph from one image into the other.

You can view the video tutorial from a couple days before which includes help on Shape Tweening.

Flash Project #04: Add Sound and/or Music

Today we're going to be adding sound and/or music to our animation. This works similar to importing a picture. Simply go to FILE > IMPORT > IMPORT TO LIBRARY and select a WAV or MP3 file. To see what's in your Library, select CTRL+L and it will open in the bottom-right corner of your window. Next you just need to click on the frame that you want sound, then drag the sound clip from the Library to your Stage.

Flash Project #03: Frame by Frame Animation

Today we are doing frame-by-frame animation. Much like a flip-book, frame-by-frame animation entails drawing one frome, adding a new page [we call it a keyframe] and then drawing a new picture. When flipping through the images one-by-one, the images appear to move. This is the same method used to create the Disney cartoons. Todays animators use computers in a process similar to what we're doing here.

Flash Project #02: Trace a Photo

Today we're taking an image (such as a photo or clip art) and tracing it using the Flash tools. Choose FILE > IMPORT > IMPORT TO STAGE and then select your image. Create a new layer (above the image) and use your paintbrush, line tools, and pencil to trace the image.

Flash Project #1: Basic Drawing

For the first project I simply want you to draw a picture.  Try to use a variety of tools and techniques.  Put different pieces of your picture on different layers -- for example, the sky on one layer, sun on another layer, clouds on a layer, etc.  It's helpful to have objects on different layers when we get ready to begin animation.

When you are finished with your Flash project, save it to your Thawspace -- it will save with a .FLA extension.  I recommend copying it to a thumb drive and/or emailing a copy to yourself.  You can also open the shared folder on my computer (file://khslab_584/ and then open the "Student Work" folder... then he period... and then your name) and drag your finished files in there.

Begin exploring Adobe Flash

Flash is used by artists, web designers, cartoonists, and video producers around the world.

Some examples of Flash:

• Stick Figure Cartoons:  Olympics
• Information:  International Space Station
• Games:  Orisinal

I will have many more examples to show in class [if the computer is working], but you get the general idea.

Next we will be doing some Flash drawing basics, exploring various tools, and start our first drawing.  Begin by downloading the following file (Right-click and Save As... to your Desktop):  FLASH FILE

I strongly suggest that you get [and bring regularly] a USB/Flash Drive.  You can get an inexpensive Flash Drive at K-Mart, Wal-Mart, or even a grocery store.  Having your own flash drive (on a keychain, around your neck, in your purse, or whever) will keep your projects from getting wiped out by other students.  I am working on getting our shared folders working, but they seem to be a little unstable at the moment.

As with Photoshop and 3D, we will have many small projects and a few larger ones.  Don't fall behind -- the skills you learn in the beginning are the foundation that we will be building on in later assignments.