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Adobe Flash is an authoring environment used to build interactive games, activities, simulations and Web sites. It is an excellent platform for creating animated content, and Internet professionals use it extensively. As you develop your own interactive production skills, you'll want to know how to use Flash.

To get started, download a free trail version of the Flash CS3 Pro program from Adobe. Then try these beginner and intermediate level tutorials. Or check out the activities in PLAY, LEARN and EXPLORE, and try out the "Try This" challenges underneath each activity.

• Web browser with Flash plug-in version 8 or higher
• Flash 8

Imagining Your Game

• Introduction to Flash
• Flash Text Tools

Drawing in Flash

• Flash Drawing Tools
• Layers
• keyframes
• Timeline basics

Adding Navigation

• Basics of Symbols
• Button Symbol
• Timeline Control

Adding Animation

• Frame by Frame Animation
• Motion Tween
• Shape Tween
• Movie Clip Symbol
• Graphic Symbol
• Flash Library
• MyGLife.org Custom Tutorials

Adding Sound

• Importing Media
• Sound Tutorials
• Timeline Sounds

Adding Interaction

• Elementary Programming
• Game Movement
• Programming Structure

Assembling your Game

• Embed your Flash Movie in an HTML page

Programming Practices

• Programming Structure

Moving on a Path

• Motion Guides

Special Effects

• Timeline Effects

Scrolling Background

• Motion Tween
• Scripted Animation
• Using the Timeline and Keyframes

Score Keeping

• Working with Text
• Working with Variables

Collision Detection

• Collision Detection

Sound Effects

• Scripted Sound

Timer

• Making a Timer
• Working with Varviables

Character Effects

• Movie Clip Properties
• Scripted Color

Drag and Drop

• Drag and Drop

Platforms

• Collision Detection
• Platforms

Running, Jumping, etc.

• Programming Structure
• Simple Animation

Coding "Enemies"

• Programming Structure
• Scripted Animation

• An introduction to the flash interface
• Basics of Flash (Video)
• Video Startup tutorial
• Creating a simple Flash document

• Tutorial on Text types

• A Beginner's Introduction to the Flash MX 2004 Drawing Tools
• Designing and Animating Characters in Flash
• Adobe's online help on using Flash drawing tools
• A collection of short clips on the different Flash drawing tools

• A Beginner's Introduction to the Flash MX 2004 Drawing Tools
• Designing and Animating Characters in Flash
• Adobe's online help on using Flash drawing tools
• A collection of short clips on the different Flash drawing tools

• A Beginner's Introduction to the Flash MX 2004 Drawing Tools
• Designing and Animating Characters in Flash
• Adobe's online help on using Flash drawing tools
• A collection of short clips on the different Flash drawing tools

• A Beginner's Introduction to the Flash MX 2004 Drawing Tools
• Designing and Animating Characters in Flash
• Adobe's online help on using Flash drawing tools
• A collection of short clips on the different Flash drawing tools

• A Beginner's Introduction to the Flash MX 2004 Drawing Tools
• Designing and Animating Characters in Flash
• Adobe's online help on using Flash drawing tools
• A collection of short clips on the different Flash drawing tools

• A Beginner's Introduction to the Flash MX 2004 Drawing Tools
• Designing and Animating Characters in Flash
• Adobe's online help on using Flash drawing tools
• A collection of short clips on the different Flash drawing tools

• A Beginner's Introduction to the Flash MX 2004 Drawing Tools
• Designing and Animating Characters in Flash
• Adobe's online help on using Flash drawing tools
• A collection of short clips on the different Flash drawing tools

• Frame by frame animation in flash
• Creating a simple animation
• Introduction to the Flash Timeline
• Introduction to Keyframes
• How to Animate using Frames and Keyframes
• Creating a Flash Movie with Multiple scenes (video)

• Make movement animation with Motion Tweening
• Motion Tweening and easing
• Step by Step Motion Tweening

• Short shape tween in Flash tutorial

• Movie Clip Symbols
• Movieclip Reference Page

• Graphic Symbols
• Flash Symbols

• Flash Library tutorial
• Importing Graphics into Flash

• Changing Animation Speed of a Movie Clip in Bullseye
• Continents Alpha Channel Tutorial

• Importing Graphics into Flash

• Add sound to an animation (video)
• How to add sound to a button (video)
• Create a simple Flash music on and off button
• Sound Toys
• Sound Dogs
• Flash Kit Sound Loops
• Flash Kit Sound Effects

• Stop and play buttons for a sound
• Adding Sound to an Animation (video)

• Conditional Statements
• Switch() and Case Statements
• Loops
• Introduction to Functions
• Introducing ActionScript Objects

• Coding character movement with the arrow keys
• Learn about keyboard based movement (video)
• Download source code (Game_Skeleton.fla)
• Key Class
• Dart Shooter
• Game Movement [the basics] - Part 1

• Actionscript Code Framework for a Flash Movie
• Use Comments in Actionscript (MyGLife.org Custom Tutorial)

• Embedding a Flash movie in HTML