Actions Toolbox

Animated mask

mask that gradually hides or reveals objects

Bandwidth profiler

allows you to view a graph of the amount of data in each frame

Behavior panel

used to attach an action to a button or a movie-clip symbol; generates scripts for common interactivity tasks

Button symbol

flash movie clip with different frames that represent the button in all of its possible states

Document-editing mode

the original area where you place and draw your objects, can get back to by clicking on arrow ß in edit bar

Down state

when the viewer clicks the button, Flash displays the contents of this frame

Event handlers

way ActionScript handles events; responds to things that happen (events) and uses that incoming information to decide (handle) when and how to run a chunk of ActionScript

-         what follows the handler in parentheses () indicates the condition under which the script will run

-         are special events that manage when the mouse is clicked, or when data finishes loading

-         on

-         onClipEvent

Event sounds

sounds that play independently of the main timeline

Frame-based script

- sets of actions attached to a keyframe

·         When playhead reaches a keyframe with a script, Flash carries out the script's instructions

Graphic symbol

Use graphic symbols for static images and to create reusable pieces of animation that are tied to the main Timeline. Graphic symbols operate in sync with the main Timeline. Interactive controls and sounds won't work in a graphic symbol's animation sequence.

Hit state

silhouette of the button shape that Flash uses to define the active button area; defines the area the button is going to take up for all of the other 3 states

Label layer

layer that will hold text identifying each keyframe that represents a button state; used to label frames that will hold a button state

events that involve user input with a mouse (or equivalent device)

·         Press – the downward part of a click when the pointer is located within the hit area of a button

·         Release – the upward part of a click (the user presses and then releases the mouse button) when the pointer is located within the hit area of a button

·         Release outside – happens when the user clicks inside the button area, holds down the mouse button, and moves the mouse outside the active button area before releasing the mouse button

·         Key press – happens any time the user presses the specified keyboard key while the Flash button is present on screen

·         Roll over – occurs any time the pointer rolls into the button’s hit area when the mouse button hasn’t been pressed

·         Roll out - occurs any time the pointer rolls out of the button’s hit area when the mouse button hasn’t been pressed

·         Drag over – occurs when the user clicks and holds down the mouse button within the button’s hit area, rolls the pointer outside the hit area, and then rolls the pointer back into the hit area, all without releasing the mouse button

·         Drag out – happens when the user clicks within the button’s hit area, holds down the mouse button, and rolls the pointer out of the hit area

Movie clip symbol

– can project all its frames one after another, over and over, in a single frame of the hosting movie.

          - Use movie clip symbols to create reusable pieces of animation. Movie clips have their own multiframe Timeline that is independent from the main Timeline--think of them as nested inside a main Timeline that can contain interactive controls, sounds, and even other movie clip instances. You can also place movie clip instances inside the Timeline of a button symbol to create animated buttons.

Object-based script

Definition