[...]... guessed, Adobe Flash CS3 For Dummies covers the powerful animation product Flash CS3, from Adobe (The preceding version was Macromedia Flash 8.) Flash CS3 is the latest version of the popular software used on some of the coolest Web sites on the Internet We comprehensively explain the Flash features, including ߜ Working with the Flash screen, toolbars, and menus ߜ Creating graphics and text in Flash ߜ Adding... Getting Acquainted with Flash CS3 Flash icon, and you’re on your way (See Appendix A for information on installing Flash. ) Starting Flash on a PC Whether you installed Flash from the CD or by downloading it from the Adobe Web site onto your PC, you might or might not have a shortcut on your desktop To create one, choose Start➪All Programs ➪Adobe Flash CS3 Right-click the Adobe Flash CS3 item and choose... This part provides the foundation for future success Chapter 1 Getting Acquainted with Flash CS3 In This Chapter ᮣ Introducing Flash ᮣ Figuring out what you can create with Flash CS3 ᮣ Knowing when not to use Flash CS3 ᮣ Starting Flash ᮣ Perusing the screen ᮣ Using Help ᮣ Creating your first animation ᮣ Closing Flash O nce upon a time in a galaxy that seems far, far away by now, there was the Internet,... Keep Adobe Flash CS3 For Dummies by your computer while you work You’ll find that it’s a loyal helper Foolish Assumptions We assume that you’re not a master Flash developer If you want to use Flash to create high-quality Web sites and you’re not an expert animator, you’ll find this book to be a great reference Adobe Flash CS3 For Dummies is ideal for beginners who are just starting to use Flash or for... the Adobe Flash CS3 folder to open it Click and drag the Flash CS3 application icon to the Dock A copy of the Flash CS3 application icon appears on the Dock Creating a new movie Files that you create by using Flash are commonly called movies When you start Flash, the startup screen appears (by default) In the Create New section, click one of two options to immediately open a new movie file: ߜ Flash File... with Flash CS3 Understanding What You Can Create with Flash CS3 You can use Flash CS3 to create simple animation to add to your Web page Or you can create an entire Web page or site with Flash and incorporate text, graphics, interactive buttons, user interface components, and animation You can even program applications in Flash This book helps you use Flash to create a simple or complex Web site The following... Flash if you want And why not? It’s great fun! 11 12 Part I: A Blast of Flash Determining When Not to Use Flash CS3 If Flash CS3 is so wonderful, why doesn’t every Web site designer use it? Why aren’t most Web sites created completely with Flash? Here’s the other side of the story Although the vector graphics and animation of Flash load quickly, they don’t load as quickly as plain text and simple graphics... in Flash CS3 If you have been using Flash 8 or even an earlier version, you may want to skim through this book and look for this icon to help you quickly get up to speed in the new version Look for this icon to find all the goodies on the companion Web site, at www .dummies. com/go/flashcs3 This icon alerts you to information that you need to keep in mind to avoid wasting time or falling on your face Flash. .. Blast of Flash 7 Chapter 1: Getting Acquainted with Flash CS3 9 Discovering Flash 10 Understanding What You Can Create with Flash CS3 11 Determining When Not to Use Flash CS3 12 Getting the Right Start 12 Starting Flash on a PC 13 Starting Flash on a Mac .13 Creating a new movie 13 Opening an existing movie 14 Taking... support on Flash (If you need technical support, check out the resources we list in Chapter 15.) Enough of all this talk It’s time to move into the real part of this book and start creating cool Flash movies! Enjoy! Part I A Blast of Flash I In this part n this part, you discover what Flash can and can’t do and start to make your way around the Flash world In Chapter 1, we introduce you to Flash, show . Gurdy Leete Flash ® CS3 FOR DUMmIES ‰ 01_121009 ffirs.qxp 4/10/07 6:13 PM Page i 01_121009 ffirs.qxp 4/10/07 6:13 PM Page iv by Ellen Finkelstein and Gurdy Leete Flash ® CS3 FOR DUMmIES ‰ 01_121009. 6 Part I: A Blast of Flash 7 Chapter 1: Getting Acquainted with Flash CS3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Discovering Flash 10 Understanding What You Can Create with Flash CS3 11 Determining. supporting Flash authors during the beta period while we were learning the new features of Flash CS3, testing Flash, and writing, all at the same time. Finally, I’d like to thank the Flash community