R. Craig Collins > Intro to Computer Graphics > Flash

Flash © R. Craig Collins, 2008

In 1995, Flash started out as a computer animation program created by Future Wave Software called Future Splash. Future Splash could use raster and vector information, therefore the animated files could be very small files, and could download very quickly on web pages. In 1996. Macromedia purchased the product, combining Future Splash into Flash. Macromedia was acquired by Adobe in 2005.

Flash animations can be run on the standalone Flash player, a free download from Adobe, or within web pages that use the Flash plug in.

After opening flash, there is a time line. Raster and/or vector illustrations are created and added to the timeline. Subtle changes can be made, and the new version is added to the timeline, and Flash smoothly connects the two, to animate the movement. Scripts can also be created to program part of the animation, as to make games.

Below is the finished TC Clock (visible if you computer has the flash plug in)

Flash can also be used to create games, by building in logic; examples at http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flash/samples.html.

Flash Tutorials, including screenshot of compression during export to swf

To Flash tutorials at smartwebby