Introduction to the Elements of Flash

If this is your first time ever opening Flash, the user interface can appear a bit overwhelming. If this is your first time using Flash, we recommend that you watch our video introduction, located on the CD that came with your product, or online in our support area (www.CommandSim.com/ie_support.html). You will also find videos on accessing Help within Flash, and using Templates, among others.

Overview of Flash Elements

Virtually all of your interactions will be using the following windows or areas in the Flash user interface:

• The Stage: The (default) white area that defines the space your graphics will appear in. Any graphic that goes beyond the Stage will get cut off at the boundary of the Stage. You can use the Modify > Document... menu to change the Stage size.
• Timeline: Flash movies are analogous to regular movies which run at a defined frame rate (frames per second). The timeline is where you put you graphics or animations based on when you want them to appear. Each box is called a keyframe, and you add keyframes to produce animations. For example, if your frame rate is 24 frames per second and you place a graphic on the 25th frame, when the movie runs your graphic will appear after 1 second. You can change the frame rate in the Modify > Document... menu.
  
  The Timeline is set up to allow you to define what are called "layers." As its name suggests, a layer is a surface onto which you put graphics on the Stage. If you put a graphic on one layer that overlaps with a graphic on a lower layer, you will see the graphic on the top layer completely, but only the part of the lower graphic that is not obscured by the top layer's graphic.
• The Toolbar: The main tools you use to add text, draw graphics, make selections, etc.
• The Properties panel: Whenever you select some element on the Stage and then view the Properties panel, the Properties panel gives you the characteristics you can change about that element, for example, name, width and height, x and y position, etc. Open the Properties panel by selecting the menu Window > Properties.
• The Components panel: This window lists all the components (Flash extensions) you have installed currently. When you want to use an extension, you drag-and-drop it onto the Stage. Open the Components panel by selecting the menu Window > Components panel (in Pro versions of Flash, you would choose Window > Development Panels > Components).
• The Component Inspector panel: This window is for changing parameter values. You reach this by either selecting the Component Inspector panel from the Window menu, or by clicking on the "Launch Component Inspector" button on the Properties panel when you have selected a Flash component. Open the Component Inspector panel by selecting the menu Window > Component Inspector panel (in Pro versions of Flash, you would choose Window > Development Panels > Component Inspector).
• The Help window: You access the Help window by clicking on the Help > Flash Help menu.
  • If you have Flash MX 2004, when you open Help, you will see two tabs in the top left corner of the window, pictured below on the left. Click on the Help tab, and then the book icon in the icon bar below the tab.
  • If you have Flash 8, you will see the books arranged as in the picture below on the right.
  In the Help books, you will find the CommandSim Fire Instructor Help document. Open the Help panel by selecting the menu Help > Flash Help. The illustration below points to the Help document.
  
  

Accessing the Help Books in Flash MX 2004. To get to the Help books, click on the book icon when you open Flash Help (Flash MX 2004 only).	Help Panel Books