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Learning A2 Flash is fast and easy
A2 Flash Tutorial 3
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Using the Effects: Random, ShowOut and Shifting
In this A2 Flash tutorial you learn:
- how to use the effect RANDOM;
- how to use the effects SHOW-OUT Fill, SHOW-OUT Pict, and SHOW-OUT Out; and
- how to use the effect SHIFTING.
Using the RANDOM
Effect
STEP 1
Launch A2 Flash ComposerS
- Double click "A2Flash_ComposerS.jar".
- Select template “A2_Tutorial_3_Random”
See also: NOTE 1 at the end of this chapter.
STEP 2
Create a Customized A2 Flash Template
Modify the Swf Display Size (1)
- Insert the size (in this case the predetermined background size) in the fields (2): Width = 600; Height = 450.
- Press the key "Enter" to execute.
Move the “Buttons Box” (3)
- Click the “Buttons Box”. With the mouse key pressed, move the box upwards.
(Later, in A2 Flash BuilderS, remove the check from the navigation button display).
STEP 3
Move the “Subtitle Box” (1)
- Click the “Subtitle Box”. With the mouse key depressed, move the box downwards.
Modify the “Image Box”
- Click the Image Box (2)
- Click the anchor point. With the mouse key depressed, enlarge the box.
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Centre “Image Box” Vertically
- Click on the “Image Box” (2),
- Click the button (3) to centre vertically.
- With the Shift key pressed, click the “Subtitle Box” (1) to select the “Image Box” (2) and the “Subtitle Box” (1).
- Click the button (3) to achieve matching horizontal dimension.
- Click the button (3) for vertical alignment.
Decrease the Miniature Size:
- Click the “Miniature Box” (6).
- Insert the value = 60 in the appropriate field (4).
- Press the key "Enter" to execute.
Modify the “Miniature Box” Size
- Click on the “Miniature Box” (6)
Decrease the Number of Columns (5)
- In the “Row/Column” box, select from the drop-down menu value = 2.
NOTE:
In “Random Effect”, the work area preview shows only the area of the “Miniatures Box” where the miniatures will be arranged, and NOT their number or order. The fields “Miniatures Spacing” (Row, Column) and “Miniatures Scrolling Method” are consequently irrelevant.
Modify the “Miniature Box” Width
- Click the anchor point (6) and, with the mouse key pressed, modify the width as in the following picture.
STEP 4
Modify the Miniature Enlargement Percentage
- Click “Options” (1).
- In the box “Miniatures scrolling” (2), from the drop-down menu, set the desired value eg = 130.
- Click button (3) “Preview” to verify the work.
- Click button (4) “Build” to save the template in the selected folder eg Default.
OPTIONAL
Modify the Image Enlargement Opening Effect
- Click the "Image Box".
- In the panel on the left "Image Open Motion", click the drop-down menu (1) O_X_Random.
- Click the effect icon which you wish to apply (2).
The effect is now applied.
Modify the Image Enlargement Closing Effect
- Click on the "Image Box"
- In the panel on the left "Image Close Motion", click the drop-down menu C_X_Random.
- Click the effect icon which you wish to apply.
The effect is now applied.
NOTE 1
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Creation of a Flash Photo-Gallery with “Random effect”, beginning from any other A2 Flash Template:
- Click the “Miniatures Box”.
- In the window on the left; click “Miniatures scrolling”.
- In the drop-down menu click “Random effect”.
- Select the zoom factor - the effect is now applied.
- Size the “Miniature Box” using the command “Number of columns” and the anchor-point as shown in STEP 3.
- Size the miniature format as shown in STEP 3.
- Click the “Image Box”.
- In the window on the left, click “Image Open Motion”.
- In the drop-down menu, click “O X Random”.
- Click the label “O X Random” - the opening effect is now applied.
- In the window on the left, click “Image Close Motion”.
- In the drop-down menu click “C X Random”.
- Click the label “C X Random” - the closing effect is now applied.
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Using the SHOW-OUT Effect
The following procedure is valid for all Show-Out templates.including
SHOW-OUT Fill, SHOW-OUT Pict and SHOW-OUT Out.
STEP 1
Launch A2 Flash ComposerS
- Double click "A2Flash_ComposerS.jar" .
- Select template “A2_Tutorial_3_ShowOut”.
See also NOTE 2 at the end of this chapter.
STEP 2
Create a Customized A2 Flash Template
Modify the Swf Display Size
- Insert the size (in this case the prearranged size of the background) in the fields (1): Width = 600; Height = 450.
- Press the key "Enter" to execute.
Move the “Buttons Box” (2)
- Click the “Buttons Box”. With the mouse key pressed, move the box upwards.
(Later, in A2 Flash BUILDER, remove the check from the navigation button display).
STEP 3
Change the Default “ShowOut” Effect
- Click “Miniature Box” (1)
- In the left panel (2), click “Filled ShowOut”.
- From the drop-down menu (2), click the effect required.
- In the new window (3), from drop-down menu, select the enlargement value eg 200 - then click OK.
- In the new window (4), from drop-down menu, select the enlargement method eg “Up” - then click on: OK.
Modify the “Miniature Box” Size
Now the Miniature size is 10.
- Click the “Miniature Box”.
- In the box (5), insert a value eg 18.
- press the key "Enter" to execute.
Modify Miniatures Spacing
- In the box ”Column” (6), insert a value eg 10.
Move Boxes
- Click the “Subtitle Box”. With the mouse key depressed, move the box downwards (see picture).
- Click “Miniature Box” (1). With the mouse key depressed, move the box downwards (see picture).
- Click the button “Preview” (7) to verify that the miniature enlargement is not concealed behind the image.
- Find the correct position, and proceed to the following step.
STEP 4
To Center the Boxes in the Stage
- Click the "Image Box" (1).
- Click the vertical alignment button (4) - the "Image Box" is now well-positioned in the stage.
- With the "Shift" key depressed, click the "Miniature Box" (2) and then the "Subtitle Box" (2) and the "Image Box" (1). The "Miniature Box" (2) and the "Subtitle Box" (2) are selected.
- Click the appropriate horizontal dimension button (4), and then click the vertical alignment button - now all three boxes are of the same length and aligned to the centre in the stage.
Change Colour of the Small Rectangles
- Click button "Options" (5).
- In the right panel, in the box "Miniatures scrolling" (6), click the button "Browse" and select the desired colour.
- Click the button (3) "Preview" to verify the work.
- Click the Button "Build" (7) to save the Ttemplate in the required folder e. Default.
NOTE 1
A Luminous Mouse-over Effect may be created on the rectangles
In A2 Flash BuilderS:
- Click "Options".
- In the box "Graphic options", click "Insert Roll-Over on miniatures".
- In the window, select the desired Roll-Over effect. This will be applied to the rectangles of the Show-Out effect.
NOTE 2
Creation of a Flash Photo-Gallery with “Show-Out effect”, Beginning from any A2 Flash Template
- Click the “Miniature Box”.
- In the window on the left, click “Miniature scrolling”.
- In the drop-down menu, click “Filled ShowOut”, “Outline_ShowOut” or “Pict_ShowOut”.
- Click the effect required.
- In the new window, from the drop-down menu, select the enlargement value required.
- In the new window, from the drop-down menu, select the enlargement direction.
- Modify the "Miniature Box" using the command line number and anchor point as shown in STEP 3.
- Modify the miniature format as shown in STEP 3.
- Set the "Miniature Box" as in STEP 3.
ATTENTION:
In this effect, the "Miniature Box" shows only the area occupied by the rectangles and not the area where miniatures appear.
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Using the SHIFTING Effect
STEP 1
Launch A2 Flash ComposerS
- Double click "A2Flash_ComposerS.jar".
- Select the template “A2_Tutorial_3_Shifting”.
-
See also NOTE 1 at the end of this chapter.
STEP 2
Create a Customized A2 Flash Template
Modify the Swf Display Size:
- Insert the size in the fields (1) eg Width = 750; Height = 550.
- Press the key "Enter" to execute.
STEP 3
Decrease the Miniature Size:
- click the “Miniature Box” (2).
- In the box (1), insert a value eg = 42.
- Press the key "Enter" to execute.
Modify the “Miniature Box” (2) Width
- Click the anchor point and, with the mouse key depressed, modify the width as in the adjacent picture.
Move Box
- Click “Miniature Box” (2). With the mouse key depressed, move the box downwards.
NOTE: This template uses the "Spring Shifting" effect. To achieve the correct effect, the "Miniature Box" must be set below the horizontal center of the stage (shown here by the green line).
Move “Buttons Box”
- Select the "Buttons Box" (3) and move it onto the "Image Box". (Later, in Sw BUILDER, remove the check from the navigation button display).
STEP 4
Move Boxes
- Click "Subtitle Box" (1) and move it downwards.
- Click button: "Preview" to verify the position of the "Subtitle Box" (1) with respect to the Miniature position. Achieve the correct positioning.
- Click "Image Box" (3) and, from anchor point, enlarge it using the mouse.
- Click the vertical alignment button (4) to center the "Image Box" (3).
- With the Shift key depressed, click "Subtitle Box" (1). The "Image Box" (3) and the "Subtitle Box" (1) are now selected.
- Click the horizontal dimension button (3) and then click the vertical alignment button.
- Click button "Preview" (2) to verify the work.
- Click button "Build" (5) to save the template in the required folder eg Default.
STEP 5
Change the “Spring Shifting” Effect
Modify the "Spring Shifting" effect with the "Soft Shifting" effect or "Stiff Shifting". These two effects do not restrict the position of the "Miniature Box".
Click the "Miniature Box" (1) and move it upwards.
From the panel on the left (2):
- Click "Thumbs Special Effects" (2).
- Click "Strip Shifting" (2).
- Click "Soft Shifting" (2) to activate the new effect.
- Click the button "Preview" (3) to verify the work.
STEP 6
Change Opening Image Effects
Click the "Image Box" (1):
- In the panel on the left, click "Image Open Motion".
- In the drop-down menu click the label "O x Shifting" (2).
- From the drop-down menu click the icon of the selected effect (2).
The opening effect is now applied.
Change Closing Image Effects
- In the panel on the left, click "Image Close Motion".
- In the drop-down menu, click the label "C x Shifting" (3).
- From the drop-down menu select one of the effects.
The closing effect is now applied.
- Click the button "Preview" (4) to verify the work.
- Click the button "Build" (5) to save the template in the required folder eg Default.
NOTE 1:
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Creation of a Flash Photo-Gallery with “Shifting effect”, beginning from any A2 Flash Template
- Click on the “Miniature Box”.
- In the window on the left, click “Miniature scrolling”.
- In the drop-down menu, click “Thumbs Special Effect”.
- From the drop-down menu, click the effect required.
- Size the “Miniature Box” using the command “Number of columns” and the anchor-point as shown in STEP 3.
- Size the miniature format as shown in STEPS 3 and 6.
- Click the “Image Box”.
- In the window on the left, click “Image Open Motion”.
- In the drop-down menu click “O X Shifting”.
- Click the effect required - the opening effect is now applied.
- In the window on the left, click “Image Close Motion”.
- In the drop-down menu click on “C X Shifting”.
- Click the effect required - the closing effect is now applied.
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