Chabot College
Fall 2004
Course Outline for Digital Media 34A
FLASH I
Catalog Description:
34A - Flash I
1.5 units
Introduction to Flash, Macromedia’s authoring application for bringing motion, sound, and interactivity
to Web pages. Creating images with Flash’s vector-based drawing tools; importing and modifying
images, sounds, and video clips; animating those elements; embedding the resulting animation in a
Web page; optimizing animation for low-bandwidth Internet connections. 1 hour lecture, 2 hours
laboratory.
Prerequisite Skills: None
Expected Outcomes for Students:
Upon completion of the course the student should be able to:
1. use the basic Apple Macintosh operating system features, including navigation of the desktop,
saving and moving files to various storage media, and adjusting system preferences;
2. launch Flash, navigate and customize its interface, use the tools available on its toolbars and
palettes, and apply commands by means of menus and keyboard shortcuts;
3. describe the differences between raster (bitmapped) and vector (object-oriented) images;
4. use Flash’s drawing tools to create and edit vector images consisting of lines and fills;
5. create and edit symbols, and organizing the library in which symbols are stored;
6. build multi-layer, multi-frame visual sequences in the Flash timeline;
7. create simple animation by means of motion-tweening and shape-tweening;
8. use specialized mask layers and guide layers to enhance animation;
9. import multimedia files, including bitmapped images and audio and video clips;
10. integrate imported multimedia files into an animated movie, and optimize the movie to improve its
performance over low-bandwidth connections;
11. create buttons using simple ActionScript commands to add basic interactivity to a Flash movie;
12. export (“publish”) a Flash movie in a format suitable for streaming over the Web;
13. integrate a Flash movie into a Web page, and test its performance under real-world conditions.
Course Content:
1. Basic Apple Macintosh operating system features, including navigation of the desktop, saving and
moving files to various storage media, and adjusting system preferences
2. Launching Flash, navigating and customizing its interface, using the tools available on its toolbars
and palettes, and applying commands by means of menus and keyboard shortcuts
3. Differences between raster (bitmapped) and vector (object-oriented) images
4. Using Flash’s drawing tools to create and edit vector images consisting of lines and fills
5. Creating and editing symbols, and organizing the library in which symbols are stored
6. Building multi-layer, multi-frame visual sequences in the Flash timeline
7. Creating simple animation by means of motion-tweening and shape-tweening
8. Using specialized mask layers and guide layers to enhance animation
9. Importing multimedia files, including bitmapped images and audio and video clips
10. Integrating imported multimedia files into an animated movie, and optimizing the movie to
improve its performance over low-bandwidth connections
Chabot College
Course Outline for Digital Media 34A, page 2
Fall 2004
11. Creating buttons using simple ActionScript commands to add basic interactivity to a Flash movie
12. Publishing a Flash movie in a format suitable for streaming over the Web
13. Integrating a Flash movie into a Web page, and testing its performance under real-world
conditions
Methods of Presentation:
1. Computer demonstrations
2. Lecture with whiteboard
Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
1. Typical Assignments
a. Create an animated sequence using frame-by-frame animation
b. Create an animated sequence using motion-tweening and shape-tweening
c. Create an animated sequence incorporating sound and imported images
d. Create a Flash movie whose content can be changed by the user’s click of a button
2. Methods of Evaluating Student Progress
a. Homework assignments
b. Quizzes and exams, including a final exam
Textbook(s) (Typical):
Macromedia Flash MX for Windows and Macintosh Visual QuickStart Guide, Katherine Ulrich,
Peachpit Press, May 30, 2002
Special Student Materials:
100 mb Zip disk
MS G:\Curriculum2004\Digital Media 34A
New: 10/21/03